Anna Faller | Author

Birdy’s Low-ABV Wine Spritzers

June 14, 2025

Birdy’s low-ABV wine spritzers were inspired by summers spent in northern Michigan. These crisp and quenching (and organic!) bevvies are the collaborative creation of Up North-enthusiast siblings Callie Guman Furste and Tad Gruman and the Oosterhouse brothers of TC’s Bonobo Wine… Read More >>

A Day in the Ring at Traverse City Horse Shows

June 7, 2025

For 13 weeks from June to September, Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) plays host to some of the world’s most accomplished equestrians representing 48 states and 26 countries, 60,000 rapt attendees, and in peak season, 1,600 horses (not to mention seven million dollars in prize money)!… Read More >>

45th Parallel Cafe's Morel Mushroom Burger

June 7, 2025

We’re all for a little spring adventuring, especially if it comes with a haul of highly-coveted morel mushrooms…or, you could just go for the Morel Mushroom Burger ($22) at 45th Parallel Café in Suttons Bay! Featuring a hearty half-pound beef patty from Fire River Farms,… Read More >>

The Good Bowl's Shiso Fine

May 31, 2025

We’re pretty sure The Chiffons misspoke in their hit song when they sang “he’s so fine”—they really meant to say she’s so fine and were clearly talking about the eponymous (and punny!) cocktail at The Good Bowl in Traverse City! A twist on tradit… Read More >>

It Takes Two to Brunch

May 24, 2025

It was just over four years ago that Jenni Scott—a Traverse City native and longtime veteran of the local restaurant scene—in partnership with her sister Lisa, their parents, and Lisa’s husband, Matt Gaffy, purchased and planned to redevelop the historic downtown pub, Litt… Read More >>

Wildwood Coffee Co.'s Latte

May 17, 2025

We get it: morning decisions are hard, especially when it comes to coffee. For our AM fix, find us at Wildwood Coffee Co. in Indian River, where everything from local art to light breakfast and pastries are on the menu. Our first order, though, is the Wildwood Latte. The perfect juncture of… Read More >>

Building a Pollinator Garden Up North: MSU Experts Advise

May 10, 2025

A pollinator garden is a habitat designed to benefit pollinators, the animals and insects that help plants reproduce, whose numbers have recently been on the decline around the world due to factors like habitat degradation, climate change, and human interference. In fact, Michigan’s b… Read More >>

The Bake Shoppe's Sourdough

May 10, 2025

Healthy eats meet oven magic at The Bake Shoppe of Traverse City. Tucked into the Garfield Centre complex, this hidden gem has been cranking out cookies, pastries, and other all-natural treats since 2007. While you might head in for something sweet, it’s the racks of freshly baked bre… Read More >>

The Big Three: Parking, Branding, and Housing

May 3, 2025

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore draws a staggering 1.5+ million visitors every year. Managing that level of tourist traffic poses a challenge for the area’s small gateway communities, those within the 30-mile swath between Frankfort and Leland that serve as park access points.<… Read More >>

Modern Bird's Chamomile Pisco

May 3, 2025

We don’t know about you, but we’re going a little nuts waiting on warm beach days and bathing suit weather, so we’re giving the sun gods an extra nudge by sipping on the Chamomile Pisco Sour at Modern Bird. Crafted in homage to the bright-meets-bundled balance of early spr… Read More >>

Millie & Pepper's Cuban Crepe

April 26, 2025

We’re all about lunch we can take on the go, and the cult-favorite Cuban crepe from Millie & Pepper in Traverse City is our new go-to! Inspired by the eponymous sandwich, this street-style crepe stacks house-roasted mojo pork—seasoned with cumin, oregano, lime, and orange ju… Read More >>

Brengman Family Wines' Riesling Trocken

April 19, 2025

With the spring sun finally in the sky, we’re craving a sip that’s just as bright, and the 2022 Riesling Trocken from Brengman Family Wines drinks like bottled fresh air. Named for its minimal sugar content—“trocken” translates to “dry” in German&md… Read More >>

A Guide for the Pot Newbie

April 12, 2025

Michigan is now home to over 1,000 cannabis dispensaries and tenfold more cannabis products. As a newbie, navigating the evolving world of weed can feel, well, hazy. Where do you start? What effects can you expect? Can cannabis really help with sleep and pain, or is it just for fun?

Sugar 2 Salt's Scones

April 12, 2025

If we are what we eat, then everyone should probably be feeling more joy from freshly-baked scones—in particular, the scratch-made selection at Sugar 2 Salt in Traverse City! The crumbly-golden specialty of co-owner and seasoned baker Stephanie Wiitala, these pastry nuggets are crafte… Read More >>

Three Trees Vineyard’s Folk Singer

April 5, 2025

Three Trees Vineyard in Suttons Bay is all about cultivating harmony—in their low-intervention wine varietals, in the land, and in the local community—and they’ve hit a true high note in the 2021 vintage of their signature Folk Singer Cabernet Franc. Featuring all estate-g… Read More >>

Laughing Out Loud: TC Comedy Fest Returns in April

March 22, 2025

The Traverse City Comedy Fest is preparing for its rambunctious return April 10-12, 2025. Now entering its third year, TCCF was launched in 2023 in part to tick the local arts box (especially with other high-traffic events like the Traverse City Film Festival now defunct), but also to stimu… Read More >>

Silver Spruce + Francisco's Black Truffle Cheese Pizza

March 22, 2025

Does it get better than a frosty craft beer paired with a killer slice of pizza? We’re all in on the Black Truffle Cheese Pizza at Silver Spruce Brewing Co., the star of a new menu in collaboration with Francisco’s Market & Deli in Traverse City. The magic of this unparallel… Read More >>

Gypsy Spirits' Bee's Knees

March 15, 2025

With temperatures finally above freezing and glimpses of sun in the sky, it only feels right to boost the vibes with the Bee’s Knees cocktail at the newly-opened Gypsy Spirits Tasting Room in downtown Traverse City. Based on a 20th century classic, this refined sip blends local floral… Read More >>

Charles and Reid’s Lorenzo

March 8, 2025

Prepare your stomachs, pizza fanatics! There are some tasty surprises in the works at Charles and Reid in Traverse City, from take-and-bake goodies and new appetizers to freshly-crafted pizza combos. With spring break just around the corner, find us stuffing our faces with the Italian-inspi… Read More >>

Why No NA Beer?

March 8, 2025

Back in Dry January, we set out to find a local non-alcoholic beer and found…almost nothing. While alternative sips like seltzers and hop waters are common Up North, NA beers akin to Athletic Brewing or O’Doul’s are tough to find on taproom menus.

Within the … Read More >>