Traverse City - A Food Diary

Last weekend, Mike and I took a "Last Hurrah Before the Baby Getaway" to Traverse City. We have both been to TC before, but this time really took a lot of time planning and researching before embarking on our Northern Michigan adventure. I was on a quest to put on my fake food critic hat and eat at some awesome restaurants and Mike was on a mission to visit/taste/collect glasses from Michigan breweries.

Our first stop on our own personal foodie tour satisfied both our objectives. We visited The Jolly Pumpkin Brew Pub on Old Mission Peninsula Friday night for dinner after checking in at the hotel. The drive up OMP was beautiful! We passed Chateau Grand Traverse and spotted some early cherry blossoms, all while getting a spectacular view of the water. The pub was very warm and welcoming - clean, family-friendly, and woodsy. Our waitress was attentive and friendly, but it was the food and beer that definitely stood out. Well, I can't personally tell you about the beer, but I hear it was especially unique. They have a special (which is always available) - 1 artisan pizza with a pint of beer for $10. Considering the cost of this beer, this is an excellent deal. They were even kind enough to give me the deal too - and let hubby have my beer. The pizzas were just amazing. Mine, shortrib pizza with a sweet potato sauce, was awesome. Mike had the wild mushroom and was equally impressed. They were rather large for an individual pizza and the flavor combinations were really surprising and DELICIOUS! This restaurant was a 10 all around for us and Old Mission Peninsula is a spot we will definitely spend more time at the next trip up to TC.

In the morning, we drove up to Suttons Bay where we were specifically going to visit Tandem Ciders and Black Star Farms. Both had beverages to taste, but at Black Star they made me especially happy since they cracked open a sparkling juice for me to taste. We did a bit of shopping at the local stores, but were most impressed with the 45th Parallel Cafe. Suttons Bay is apparently famous for being exactly half way between the Equator and the North Pole, thus the name of the cafe. Their food looked delicious (we saved by eating free hotel breakfast), BUT they also run a small candy shop where they make their own fudge, truffles, and other sweets. We brought home some of the cherry walnut fudge (with local cherries, of course). I have never had better fudge - and I have sampled A LOT of fudge. Creamy, FULL of cherries and walnuts all the way through, and a steal for $13/pound.

For lunch we headed back to downtown TC to visit The Cook's House. Owned and operated by a classically trained chef out of Las Vegas, this restaurant is TINY. 7 tables, right on top of each other, were all full when we arrived. We waited literally in the doorway for 15 minutes for one of the tables to clear out. This restaurant is not for the meat and potatoes kind of person. All the options are unconventional - expect a foodie experience here. My walleye sandwich with pickled vegetables was prepared perfectly, but not a sandwich I would order again. It was good, but not in the sense that it was finger-lickin or overly satisfying - it was a culinary experience. Unique flavors with fresh, high-quality ingredients, prepared by a world-class chef. Mike's pulled pork sandwich was, according to him, the best sandwich he had ever eaten. The price was...expected. about $10/plate for lunch. If you love the foodie experience, go here. If you like to know what to expect and eat "normal" food, probably best to skip it. Well, if you're clostrophobic you should proabably avoid it too - oh and no kids for sure.

Still hungry after my interesting sandwich, we decided to sample some pie at the Grand Traverse Pie Company. All yum. Over the course of the weekend I sampled 3 pieces of pie from this establishment and all 3 were amazing. I had peach blackberry crumble, chocolate cream, and cherry peach crumble (not all at once, of course!). Served alongside some local Moomers ice cream, this is a treat you cannot pass up while you're in Traverse City. A (generous) slice and a scoop of ice cream will cost you $4 - totally worth it.

Full of pie and ice cream, I was off for my pedicure. I had scheduled this in advance through some of my research. Pavlova Salon & Spa was super, super nice. The pedicurist was great, served me hot tea and was especially attentive to my poorly circulating pregnant legs. It's a splurge to be sure, but if you ever have the chance to get a spa pedicure DO NOT pass it up!

There was much debate about what to do for our final dinner in Traverse City. Trattoria Stella was on top of my list, but we just weren't sure about their menu selections. We finally decided to drive out to the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa to dine at their Aerie Restaurant & Lounge. Biggest seller on this place is the view. The restaurant is on the 16th floor of this massive resort and every table has a stunning view of the bay. The floor to ceiling windows showcase Michigan beauty at it's finest. We were fortunate enough to catch the sunset as we ate! Lucky for us, the food was phenomenal too. I ordered the chef's heirloom beet salad to start - best salad I have ever eaten, hands down. And it was so pretty. For dinner I had the fresh crab topped risotto with lobster cream sauce. Wow - just as decadent as it sounds. Rich and creamy with tons of flaky crab meat over the top. Mike was just as happy with his duck salad served with spaghetti squash and salmon. Beautiful view with beautiful food. This is a little more upscale, but not outrageous. With salads, dinner, and 1 drink we hit about $45.

Our last morning took us to Sleeping Bear Dunes where we took the Pierce Scenic Drive - a beautiful way to see the dunes if you are not up for hiking (and I'm definitely NOT at the moment). We stopped at The Cherry Republic for lots of cherry goodies to take home and found a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Boondocks. Just a good burger joint that was comfy and affordable. I was ready to be disappointed, but it was really great. Just what we needed on the way back down the coast.

We were sad to leave Traverse City - the more we visit, the more we come to love Northern Michigan and it's beautiful lakeshore. There is so much to do and see! Living in Michigan can be frustrating at times (snow/economy/government), but it's home and we love it more with each delicious adventure.