POULSBO — Sandwiched between Poulsbo Athletic Club’s weight and cardiovascular rooms, Michael Trevors likes to say that his space offers people the chance to work on an often neglected part of their body — their soul.

Trevors, the owner of Michael’s Cafe in the PAC, said the two biggest hurdles he’s had since opening four months ago deal with perception. First, he said, you don’t have to be a PAC member to eat there. And second, while he may share a space with a health club, the menu is by no means wheat grass and Atkins’ bars.

“People wonder if I’m selling health food and that’s not the idea,” Trevors commented. “I want to serve delicious food that makes people feel good.”

A 15-year North Kitsap resident, Trevors has more than 25 years experience in the food industry. Trained in classic French cooking expanded to include seasonal Pacific Northwest and other cultural cuisine, he’s served as executive chef at white-linen restaurants across the Northwest and cooked for personalities like Bill Gates and Dale Chihuly. Locally, he was executive chef at the Main Street Ale House in Kingston and interim chef and consultant at The Winslow Way.

And while he’s still interested in haute cuisine, Trevors also fits in at the down-home Michael’s Cafe just fine. That’s because working in restaurants started out for Trevors as a necessity. He took a job washing dishes to make money as a high school student and eventually worked his way all the way up to head chef, stopping at every job in between.

“I was bitten by it,” he said. “The food industry, you just get drawn to it. It’s a burning passion, a burning desire. There’s a certain glory I get from someone bringing back an empty plate and saying, ‘That was the best sandwich I’ve ever had.’”

Michael’s Cafe specializes in fresh fare that satisfies comfort food junkies and health nuts under one roof.

Breakfast features homemade muffins, scones and pastries, fresh fruit, yogurt parfait and the popular Cafe Breakfast Special.

“It’s by far the best breakfast deal in town,” Trevors commented. “We sell a lot of that one.”

Lunch always includes two soups — one that is seasonal and one that changes daily. Some selections have included the popular tomato basil, potato with roasted fennel, cream of mushroom, tortilla with pulled pork, and Moroccan lentil.

Lunch crowds can also choose from six cold and four hot off the grill sandwiches. With an eye toward taste, Trevors adds small touches like roasting his own turkey breast and choosing top of the line ingredients. Most popular are the golden cashew chicken salad, the tuna melt and the grilled vegetable sandwich.

A choice of six salads round out the menu, including two that can be ordered in an appetizer or entree size.

A full-service espresso bar features shade grown coffee from Poverty Bay Coffee Company and customers can also order up smoothies made with protein blasts and fresh fruit.

Since opening, Trevors said business has been growing steadily mostly by word of mouth.

In fact, so many folks have come to check out this hidden jewel that he recently expanded the business’ hours to offer a limited dinner menu of grab-and-go and oven-ready entrees that customers can pick up on their way home.

“I think there’s a niche that can be filled for people who are here in the evenings and need to pick something for dinner up on the way home,” Trevors explained. “If I can offer some food items that will allow people to save some time in their already hectic day, that’s a positive for me and the client.”

He said he hopes to soon offer a sit-down dinner menu as well.

Besides dine in and take out, Michael’s Cafe also offers free local delivery mainly to the Poulsbo Village area and corporate box lunches and general catering.