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After cooking in some of the world’s most acclaimed kitchens, from Paris to New York and Chicago, Joseph VanWagner has come full circle in Ann Arbor. At Echelon Kitchen & Bar, the James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist is combining fine-dining technique with the ingredients, people and traditions of his home state. We chatted with VanWagner about Michigan’s culinary moment, why intentionality is at the heart of Echelon, and how its new downstairs cocktail bar, Hunã, is bringing that same spirit to a more relaxed setting.
—Interview by Kelly Dobkin, edited by Bianca Prieto
(Photo credit: Taylor Higgins)
You grew up in Southwest Michigan surrounded by farms, beaches, fishing and hunting, and you've since worked in kitchens from Paris to New York and Chicago. How has that combination of Michigan roots and global fine-dining experience shaped the way you cook today?
Growing up during my younger years surrounded by hunting, fishing and farming gave me a richer understanding of where our food comes from. Whenever I saw an ingredient I grew up with—be it venison, pawpaw fruit or smelt—in one of the fine-dining restaurants where I worked, I felt an immediate connection to that dish.
Fine-dining restaurants taught me process, kitchen acumen and built a repertoire of techniques that I could carry forward into my career. Echelon is now that full-circle moment where I can apply all of the previous culinary knowledge I learned all over the world to ingredients that are grown right here in Michigan.
(Photo credit: Taylor Higgins)
Echelon was recently named a James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist—a major recognition for an Ann Arbor restaurant. What do you think Echelon is doing differently, and what does it mean to you to see Michigan restaurants gaining more national attention?
At Echelon specifically, what I see us doing differently is simply being intentional and caring about every task and every person who touches the restaurant. Everything and everyone matters here. How we care about the team is how we care about the farmers, the delivery drivers and the reps. How we care for the Michigan-raised wagyu beef is the same way we care for the herbs, cleaning the floors or taking out the compost. Echelon is a special place, and the team built this culture organically.
"Everything and everyone matters here. How we care about the team is how we care about the farmers, the delivery drivers and the reps."
Seeing Echelon and many other Michigan restaurants gaining national attention means that what we are doing is working: investing in our communities, taking care of people, celebrating locally grown food, and trying to be better every day. The fact that we are seeing so many Michigan restaurants celebrated right now also tells me that great food experiences can be built anywhere you can find passionate people willing to put in the work necessary to create these memorable moments.
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You’ve described wanting to create a progressive culinary touchstone for Michigan. What do you think defines a distinctly Michigan restaurant today, and where do you see the state’s food scene heading?
Michigan has some of the best produce in the entire country. We have exceptional growing conditions eight months out of the year, combined with a temperate climate and tons of fresh water. All of this results in a huge biodiversity here. In addition, for years, Michigan served as a political and economic refuge for disparaged peoples all over the world. With these people came their vibrant cultures and foods, which greatly influenced the food scene.
My favorite distinctly Michigan restaurants utilize many of the techniques and processes you would find in the best restaurants across the country, but they apply them through a distinctly Midwest/Michigan lens, using locally grown ingredients and nods to the many cultures that have built this community. We produce the same product that you see all over the country, but we are doing it our way, with our people, our food and even our wine. Right now is the most exciting time there has ever been to eat in Michigan.
You recently expanded with Hunã, a cocktail destination downstairs from Echelon. What did you hope that Hunã would add to the overall experience?
Hunã is an opportunity for us to reach a larger part of our community. It's laid-back, fun, delicious and open late. It also allows us to extend the same intention and care that we established upstairs into a more relaxed setting downstairs. So you can come in for a drink and a bao bun, but you will get the same attention to detail, craft and love that you experience upstairs, just with island vibes.
The Prep’s Take
Restaurant owners can build a distinctive concept by investing deeply in their people, community and sense of place—using Echelon’s local-focused approach as a model for creating a strong identity that resonates with both local diners and the broader industry.
