The first time my family and I dined at Goldie’s it was apparent, as soon as we stepped inside, that we had found someplace special. It is the kind of restaurant that exudes old-fashioned Up North char with unadulterated family hospitality, excellent food and an attentive staff, all at a fair price.
Situated on Paradise Lake, in the tiny town of Carp Lake near the Tip of the Mitt, Goldie’s Café makes you feel as if you are away from it all, yet the café is only 10 minutes from the bustle of touristy Mackinaw City.
Goldie’s Café is the namesake of Goldie Katura Cope. Born in 1880, she spent most of her life at Carp Lake until she passed away in 1963. Goldie, held in highest esteem by her predecessors, was the daughter of Mary and Thomas Oliver. She married Armour Traugar (A.T.), a Civil War veteran and Emmet County homesteader.
For a few years the couple lived in Flagstaff, Arizona, but Northern Michigan tugged their heartstrings back north. The couple’s first son Oliver was born at Sturgeon Bay, where A.T. worked in lumber. Later, they moved back to Carp Lake and had two additional children, Helen Goldie and Stanley.
In the 1920s the Copes built and managed Cope’s Pavilion on the peacefully alluring shores of Carp Lake. Guests came great distances to dance and enjoy silent movies there. Once, even Hoagie Carmichael and his band were guest entertainers in the popular establishment.
There was always plenty to eat at Grandma Goldie’s.Large crowds were attracted to her dining table at dinnertime. Raspberry pies were her specialty, a tradition carried on to this day by her descendents and staff at the café. Large family meals are also a continuing tradition at the café.
FAMILY TRADITION
Since Goldie’s time, three more generations of her family have summered on the beautiful shores of Paradise Lake. Now her grandson Jerry carries on that tradition.
Jerry and his wife Jean, who live in Georgia, built the café to honor grandma Goldie’s memory. He found an old building on Paradise Lake, once a residence, then a gas station many years back. It was pretty dilapidated, but Jerry and Jean decided “to give back to the community” they love so much by opening a much-needed coffee shop open for the morning hours.It was so well received that the café began serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
IN A JAM
Jerry has written a book called “If There Aren’t Raspberries In Heaven I’ll Be In A Real Jam,” recalling his childhood memories of the family’s trips from the deep South spending summers on Paradise Lake.It is full of Jerry’s sometimes-hilarious memories, and recalls what summers at the lake were like growing up.
“Carp Lake is small and shaped like a giant amoeba,” he writes in his book.“Surrounded by tiny cottages nestled deeply into beautiful clumps of white birch trees. The whole area looks like a cross between ‘On Golden Pond’ and ‘Lake Wobegan.’ In the last chapter of the book, he writes of two major events that “nearly killed the town of Carp Lake….”
Lisa Halleck has been the manager at Goldie’s since the café’s inception in early 1999.She has also been on the board of directors for the Greater Mackinaw Area Chamber of Commerce for the last several years, as well as harbormaster in Mackinaw.Jerry knew Lisa was the person who would fit the bill perfectly to become manager at his family oriented café. “It’s a very tightly-knit family,” Lisa commented.“He knew he could trust me to do the job while he lives much of his time in Georgia. The whole family is up here every summer – and we all participate in gathering raspberries for both fresh pies and to freeze or make jam.”
ON THE MENU
Breakfasts range from the usual eggs, meat, potatoes, toast (from bread made by chef Jim) and wonderfully fluffy pancakes “with just a touch of maple flavor” at $4.95. They offer a serious selection of omelettes including Western and veggie at $5.95; homemade corned beef hash and eggs; and smoked pork chop and eggs.Also big cinnamon rolls at $2.95.Children’s breakfast meals are all at $2.95 (and children are made to feel more than welcome here).
Chef Jim Coon’s special made-from-scratch soups are; chicken noodle, chicken barley, chicken rice, cream of broccoli, beef noodle, beef vegetable, beef barley, golobki (stuffed cabbage) soup, clam chowder and cream of potato - all on no particular rotation of days. Soups include a cup at $1.95 and bowl at $2.50.
“Our best sellers are whitefish, homemade meatloaf and our baby beef liver and onions,” said Lisa.Luncheon items include such favorites as a whitefish sandwich, served with chips and pickles at $6.95; chicken salad on a flaky croissant at $6.50; hot meat loaf and choice of potatoes at $6.25 and burgers starting at $5.75.
Dinners are served with choice of soup, salad or slaw, potato and vegetable of the day and Chef Jim’s homemade dinner rolls. Choices include grilled or fried chicken at $9.95, smoked pork chops at $ $10.50, breaded shrimp at $12.50 and N.Y. strip steak at $19.95.
Their old-fashioned ice cream parlor bar came from an old hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. Most popular choice may well be, besides Raspberry Pie, their Oh! Fudge Brownies with vanilla ice cream and topped with hot fudge at $3.50. Another favorite is their old fashioned sodas – people don’t find them anymore – cream (half and half), soda, ice cream and flavoring.
“Nowadays people don’t know what a real soda is, so when the older people come in they get all excited,” Lisa explained. The sumptuous sodas are $2.95.
“It’s a popular spot late in the evening – people come on their pontoons and boats for ice cream. We laugh and say, “Here comes the flotilla.’”
Goldie’s is open April-October at 8A.M. Directions from Petoskey: take US 31 N. approximately 30 miles to Carp Lake. Goldie’s is set 200 feet off ofUS 31 on the right at the blinker.From Mackinaw, take US 30 S. 7 miles to Carp Lake; Goldie’s Café will be on your left at the blinker.
Situated on Paradise Lake, in the tiny town of Carp Lake near the Tip of the Mitt, Goldie’s Café makes you feel as if you are away from it all, yet the café is only 10 minutes from the bustle of touristy Mackinaw City.
Goldie’s Café is the namesake of Goldie Katura Cope. Born in 1880, she spent most of her life at Carp Lake until she passed away in 1963. Goldie, held in highest esteem by her predecessors, was the daughter of Mary and Thomas Oliver. She married Armour Traugar (A.T.), a Civil War veteran and Emmet County homesteader.
For a few years the couple lived in Flagstaff, Arizona, but Northern Michigan tugged their heartstrings back north. The couple’s first son Oliver was born at Sturgeon Bay, where A.T. worked in lumber. Later, they moved back to Carp Lake and had two additional children, Helen Goldie and Stanley.
In the 1920s the Copes built and managed Cope’s Pavilion on the peacefully alluring shores of Carp Lake. Guests came great distances to dance and enjoy silent movies there. Once, even Hoagie Carmichael and his band were guest entertainers in the popular establishment.
There was always plenty to eat at Grandma Goldie’s.Large crowds were attracted to her dining table at dinnertime. Raspberry pies were her specialty, a tradition carried on to this day by her descendents and staff at the café. Large family meals are also a continuing tradition at the café.
FAMILY TRADITION
Since Goldie’s time, three more generations of her family have summered on the beautiful shores of Paradise Lake. Now her grandson Jerry carries on that tradition.
Jerry and his wife Jean, who live in Georgia, built the café to honor grandma Goldie’s memory. He found an old building on Paradise Lake, once a residence, then a gas station many years back. It was pretty dilapidated, but Jerry and Jean decided “to give back to the community” they love so much by opening a much-needed coffee shop open for the morning hours.It was so well received that the café began serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
IN A JAM
Jerry has written a book called “If There Aren’t Raspberries In Heaven I’ll Be In A Real Jam,” recalling his childhood memories of the family’s trips from the deep South spending summers on Paradise Lake.It is full of Jerry’s sometimes-hilarious memories, and recalls what summers at the lake were like growing up.
“Carp Lake is small and shaped like a giant amoeba,” he writes in his book.“Surrounded by tiny cottages nestled deeply into beautiful clumps of white birch trees. The whole area looks like a cross between ‘On Golden Pond’ and ‘Lake Wobegan.’ In the last chapter of the book, he writes of two major events that “nearly killed the town of Carp Lake….”
Lisa Halleck has been the manager at Goldie’s since the café’s inception in early 1999.She has also been on the board of directors for the Greater Mackinaw Area Chamber of Commerce for the last several years, as well as harbormaster in Mackinaw.Jerry knew Lisa was the person who would fit the bill perfectly to become manager at his family oriented café. “It’s a very tightly-knit family,” Lisa commented.“He knew he could trust me to do the job while he lives much of his time in Georgia. The whole family is up here every summer – and we all participate in gathering raspberries for both fresh pies and to freeze or make jam.”
ON THE MENU
Breakfasts range from the usual eggs, meat, potatoes, toast (from bread made by chef Jim) and wonderfully fluffy pancakes “with just a touch of maple flavor” at $4.95. They offer a serious selection of omelettes including Western and veggie at $5.95; homemade corned beef hash and eggs; and smoked pork chop and eggs.Also big cinnamon rolls at $2.95.Children’s breakfast meals are all at $2.95 (and children are made to feel more than welcome here).
Chef Jim Coon’s special made-from-scratch soups are; chicken noodle, chicken barley, chicken rice, cream of broccoli, beef noodle, beef vegetable, beef barley, golobki (stuffed cabbage) soup, clam chowder and cream of potato - all on no particular rotation of days. Soups include a cup at $1.95 and bowl at $2.50.
“Our best sellers are whitefish, homemade meatloaf and our baby beef liver and onions,” said Lisa.Luncheon items include such favorites as a whitefish sandwich, served with chips and pickles at $6.95; chicken salad on a flaky croissant at $6.50; hot meat loaf and choice of potatoes at $6.25 and burgers starting at $5.75.
Dinners are served with choice of soup, salad or slaw, potato and vegetable of the day and Chef Jim’s homemade dinner rolls. Choices include grilled or fried chicken at $9.95, smoked pork chops at $ $10.50, breaded shrimp at $12.50 and N.Y. strip steak at $19.95.
Their old-fashioned ice cream parlor bar came from an old hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. Most popular choice may well be, besides Raspberry Pie, their Oh! Fudge Brownies with vanilla ice cream and topped with hot fudge at $3.50. Another favorite is their old fashioned sodas – people don’t find them anymore – cream (half and half), soda, ice cream and flavoring.
“Nowadays people don’t know what a real soda is, so when the older people come in they get all excited,” Lisa explained. The sumptuous sodas are $2.95.
“It’s a popular spot late in the evening – people come on their pontoons and boats for ice cream. We laugh and say, “Here comes the flotilla.’”
Goldie’s is open April-October at 8A.M. Directions from Petoskey: take US 31 N. approximately 30 miles to Carp Lake. Goldie’s is set 200 feet off ofUS 31 on the right at the blinker.From Mackinaw, take US 30 S. 7 miles to Carp Lake; Goldie’s Café will be on your left at the blinker.
