A Showcase of Restaurants

Feb. 12, 2016

Please be seated for these abbreviated versions of the restaurant profiles we've featured since our last Restaurant Tour issue. Bon Appetit!

THAT FRENCH PLACE

Charlevoix

This creperie and ice crème emporium is the next best thing to a trip to France, stuffed with European ambiance, wrought iron tables, locally-crafted French-themed artwork, and plenty of "Paris chic."

On the Menu: Both traditional buckwheat crepes and "Americanized" crepes, the former used primarily for savory, gluten-free dishes like the classic ham and cheese crepe, and the latter for sweet dessert selections filled with chocolate, homemade caramel, or apples. Quirky handmade ice cremes round out the menu.

Signature Dishes: For savory crepes, the Spinach and Mushroom; for sweet crepes, Banana Nutella; and for the ice cremes, it’s a tie between Salted Caramel and Chocolate Habanero.

Contact: That French Place is located at 212 Bridge Street in downtown Charlevoix. For more information, visit facebook.com/thatfrenchplacecvx or call (231) 437-6037.

MUER KITCHENS

Harbor Springs

Vintage recipes and décor combine in this tiny cafe with fresh new approaches, organic ingredients, and fromscratch cooking with roots in the famed Joe Muer/Charley’s Crab line of downstate restaurants.

On the Menu: Flavorful and unusual combinations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (don’t miss the breakfast grits if you’d like to try something out of the ordinary), including Salmon En Papillote (steamed in paper), baby back ribs with a recipe borrowed from the Muer’s Colorado restaurant, The Shaft; and the non-alcoholic sangria.

Signature Dishes: Eggs Benedict "Muer Style," served with crab cakes, and the J.L. Hudson Maurice Salad, a julienned ham/ turkey/Swiss cheese mix with the famous Maurice dressing that was served at the Detroit Hudson’s department store.

Contact: Muer Kitchens is located at 131 State Street in downtown Harbor Springs. For more information, visit muerkitchens.com or call (231) 412-5003.

9 BEAN ROWS

Suttons Bay

It’s a northern Michigan restaurant folk tale: a farmer, a baker, and a cook combine their skills to craft a unique restaurant in an old firehouse, with an evershifting menu focused on seasonality and local ingredient sourcing.

On the Menu: Brunches are a standout with items like French toast with in-house made artisan brioche bread, pecans, whipped goat cheese, and peach compote; other highlights include French lentils with ricotta salata, arugula, and roasted beets; and Paccheri pasta filled with veal and pecorino in cherry tomato sauce.

Signature Dishes: The beef brisket hash with onion, potato, sweet spicy peppers and a perfectly poached egg, a local favorite in large part because of the brisket, which develops its own deep flavor in 9 Bean Rows’ house smoker.

Contact: 9 Bean Rows is located at 303 St. Joseph St. in downtown Suttons Bay. For more information, visit 9beanrows.com or call (231) 271-1175.

THE THIRSTY STURGEON

Wolverine

The wilds of Wolverine may seem like an unlikely place for a farm-friendly restaurant that shares space with a popular cycling and snowmobile trail. But this "old northern Wisconsin-inspired supper club" fits its locale.

On the Menu: New interpretations of traditional comfort foods are made from scratch, making for casual entrees like the Greek chicken mix salad, smoked pulled pork sandwich on a brioche roll, classic Great Lakes whitefish with cole slaw, and ½ pound Circle M burgers.

Signature Dishes: The wryly named Reuben Balls blend all the fixings of a Reuben sandwich into balls that are dipped in panko breadcrumbs, deep-fried, and served with Thousand Island dressing; and their Schmeers are grilled herbed bread "schmeered" with bacon jam or spinach-artichoke spread.

Contact: The Thirsty Sturgeon is located at 11900 Scott Road in Wolverine. For more information, visit facebook.com/thethirstysturgeon or call (231) 525-9151.

SMOKE AND PORTER

Traverse City

Where there’s smoke, there’s barbecue – but it’s not the kind you might expect from a roadside restaurant. A culinary institute graduate runs the place with a modern-industrial vibe focused on wood-fired cooking that’s miles away from Texas.

On the Menu: A rotating family-style "supper from the pit" keeps guests guessing (in a good way!), house-made sausage, and a hearty happy hour menu keep customers coming back both for the sense of community and the restaurant’s delicious smoke-infused meats.

Signature Dishes: The recent addition of smoked short rib pierogies served with crème fraiche, sauerkraut, brussels sprouts and black garlic have proved a big hit, as are their accompanying seasonal greens and vegetables, sourced locally whenever possible.

Contact: Smoke and Porter is located at 1752 N. US-31 and is also accessible via the TART Trail in Traverse City. For more information, visit smokeandporter.com or call (231) 612-5020.

SMALL BATCH

Harbor Springs

A 25-year veteran of the shoe design business changes gears to take on this impressive smalltown bakery cafe, which features eclectic baked goods with a multi-cultural influence and savory dishes that focus on both the flavors and the visuals.

On the Menu: Baked goods and artisinal foods, including quiches with three-day crusts made from scratch, old-fashioned walnut streusel coffee cake with maple glaze on top, and sea salt chocolate chip cookies.

Signature Dishes: The over-the-top macaroni and cheese, which includes four types of cheese mixed with roasted chicken, caramelized onions, hardwood-smoked bacon, tomatoes, and peapods, all combined with pasta, covered in homemade breadcrumbs and baked. People reportedly buy entire trays of it at a time.

Contact: Small Batch is located at 117 W. Main Street in downtown Harbor Springs. For more information, find them on Facebook or call (231) 242-4655.

TAP ROOM 32

Gaylord

A longtime Gaylord restaurateur fuses a second restaurant onto her existing local favorite to expand upon a 30- year restaurant history; the result is a bar and grill with a pub-like ambiance and a heavy focus on small plates.

On the Menu: A plethora of different items, many taking flavor risks by pairing unusual seasonings, include sweet chili tuna with spicy slaw, pickled cucumbers and ginger; "Southwest" egg rolls with chicken and black beans; and Fungi pizza with mushrooms and mascarpone cheese. 21 craft beers fill out the beverage menu.

Signature Dishes: French fries dusted with Parmesan cheese and served with truffle aioli, and the Harvest pizza with zucchini, yellow squash, roasted garlic, and lemon ricotta cheese.

Contact: Tap Room 32 is located at 138 W. Main Street in downtown Gaylord. For more information, find them on Facebook or call (989)-732-6564.

CHEF CHARLES’ INC.

Elk Rapids

A CIA chef with quadruple language skills opened this Mediterranean/pizza restaurant in the village of Elk Rapids twenty years ago, incorporating his own pesto recipe and bringing in a Roma tomato-based sauce, fresh herbs, and a rustic-style dough for standout pizza of all varieties.

On the Menu: Pizzas with a unique flair, from the seven-cheese pizza or burrito pizza to customer-crafted combos that draw from a menu of smoked meats, four cheeses and cheese blends, five sauces, and no less than 25 toppings to choose from.

Signature Dishes: The Chef Charles pizza, a combination of pesto, four-blend cheese, feta cheese, artichoke hearts, fresh garlic and kalamata olives on a sesame crust, topped with toasted pine nuts; and the annual limited-edition Reuben pizza, only available from early February through St. Patrick’s Day.

Contact: Chef Charles’ is located at 147 River Street in Elk Rapids. For more information, visit chefcharlesinc.com, or call (231) 264-8901.

THE FRONT PORCH CAFE

Ellsworth

Revitalizing a local building right in the center of town proved the perfect location for this communityfocused cafe, a nonprofit, pay-what-youcan restaurant that offers hearty American fare for folks on any budget.

On the Menu: Breakfasts start early, position to be solid fuel for outdoor activities, from the Front Porch two egg special to the vegetarian Julie Omelette with confetti peppers and cheddar. The soups are homemade, from the thick corn chowder to chicken noodle, and sandwich picks include the Daze wrap with turkey and bacon, and the Philly beef.

Signature Dishes: The black bean wrap with homemade vegetarian black bean and breadcrumb filling, green peppers, onions, cheddar, cheese, and the house Southwestern sauce, famed for its "zip"; don’t miss a cup of local Backdraft coffee and the coconut pie, which arrives with a tall meringue top.

Contact: The Front Porch Cafe is located at 9235 Main Street in downtown Ellsworth. For more information, visit facebook.com/frontporchellsworth or call (231)-588-2000.

ALANSON DEPOT

Alanson

It’s morphed from train depot to antique shop, tourist attraction to snowmobile dealership, to finally become a restaurant. Its versatile menu of American fare, Mexican-inspired dishes, and desserts have kept this place rolling along.

On the Menu: The Great Lakes whitefish coated in parmesan herb breadcrumbs and topped with garlic parmesan crème sauce and the coconut shrimp with its pina colada coconut coating are two of the standout fish dishes; their slow-roasted prime rib dinner is also a popular choice.

Signature Dishes: Their namesake dessert, "The Depot Bomb," chocolate chip cookie dough formed into a cupcake pan with a Reese’s peanut butter cup in the middle and brownie batter on top, served with ice crème, caramel, chocolate sauce, and whipped crème. Whew.

Contact: Alanson Depot is located at 7568 US-31 in Alanson. For a complete menu and more information, visit alansondepot.com or call (231) 548-1296.

BOURBON’S 72

Williamsburg

In calm contrast to the slot machine bells and bright lights of the Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel, this restaurant sits inside the facility with its elegant interior and fireplace, serving up classic steakhouse cuisine from steaks to seafood, all served with creative presentation by a top-notch, attentive staff.

On the Menu: Classic steakhouse fare that focuses on a line of meat out of Chicago (Stockyards), and accompanying lobster tails from the North Atlantic and the Pacific. Several freshwater fish selections round out the menu, and the desserts stay classic, too, with such selections as cheesecake, Black Forest cake, and their namesake Bourbon’s Turtle Sundae, all made in-house.

Signature Dishes: Chef Del’s prime rib, served in half-pound or one pound portions, starts with whole ribs infused with kosher salt and herbs before they’re marinated for several days and then very slowly roasted.

Contact: Bourbon’s 72 is located inside Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel at 7741 M-72 East in Williamsburg. For more information, visit turtlecreekcasino.com or call (231) 534-8870.

THE SLOPESIDE AT BOYNE HIGHLANDS

Harbor Springs

Kick off your ski boots, give your damp jacket a rest, and tell your friends about your fastest run in the Slopeside, the quintessential Big Sky-evoking apres-ski lounge with a hearty menu of American casual fare and legendary chili.

On the Menu: Bread bowls loaded to the brim with soup are perfect for warming up, especially alongside an order of Potato Skin Toboggans, deep-fried and piled with bacon and scallions. The newly upgraded Reuben sandwich and Ponzu grilled chicken salad are other favorites.

Signature Dishes: Everett Kircher’s original recipe Boyne Chili; and the Black Diamond burger, paying homage to Boyne’s steepest runs with Angus beef, applewoodsmoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms, cheese, and caramalized onions.

Contact: The Slopeside is located inside Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs. For more information, visit boyne.com/boynehighlands or call (231) 526-3016.

Compiled by Kristi Kates