Anna Faller | Author
Neu Cellars’ 2022 Crispy
July 1, 2023
In German, “neu” means new, young, or fresh, and northern Michigan winemaker Neu Cellars is more than living up to the name. Established in 2018 by ferment-fanatic John Keller and his father, this “nano-winery” uses regional fruit, sourced from both Old Mission and...
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Cheese & Co.’s The Company Bowl
June 24, 2023
As the name suggests, Cheese & Co. in Petoskey is all about melty, cheesy goodness, from crispy mac and cheese bites to six types of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. Their best-selling menu item, though—lovingly dubbed The Company Bowl ($16.04)—is somehow almost dairy-fr...
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Finding "Beloved Community"
June 17, 2023
It’s been three years since the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests and racial reckonings that spread across the country. Traverse City-based nonprofit Title Track was one of the first local organizations to tackle conversations around racial equity, but how have those e...
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Bailey’s Farms’ Hummingbird Nectar Kombucha
June 17, 2023
Pop quiz: what’s good for your gut, but still tastes great in a wine glass? If you guessed Bailey’s Farms small-batch kombucha, you’re right! Bailey’s Farms’ light and fizzy ferments are made from Light of Day Organics’ teas and are packed with local bo...
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The Mill’s Whole Wheat Hand Pie
June 10, 2023
Opened in April in Glen Arbor, The Mill café and bakery is a one-stop shop for all things nostalgia, from the charm of its past as a local grain mill to their wildly-popular Whole Wheat Hand Pies. An elegant take on the classic pasty, each pie is baked in a hot-water crust—th...
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Straight from the Horse’s Mouth
June 3, 2023
What does a Smithsonian scientist have in common with an enslaved horse groom and a 20th-century art collector? The answer might surprise you.
In her newest book, Horse, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks chronicles the legacy of distinguished thoroughbred Lex...
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Fingers Crossed’s Lavender Lemonade
June 3, 2023
There’s something about ice-cold lemonade on a sunny day that just feels right. This summer, find us posted up at Fingers Crossed in Northport, quenching that craving with their newly-released Lavender Lemonade. A kicked-up take on the classic Tom Collins, this drink begins with the...
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Market M22’s Reuben
May 27, 2023
As the old saying goes, we eat first with our eyes. This week, we’re inviting you to the visual feast of Market 22’s sandwich bar. Opened in 2013, this corner deli and eatery has all the charm of an Up North retreat and more freshly-sliced meats than we can count! Our current ...
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Building a Legacy with Patrick Doud’s Irish Pub
May 20, 2023
Fourth-generation Mackinac native Andrew Doud and his wife, Nicole, have always embraced their island heritage. Together, they operate the historic Doud’s Market—aka “America’s Oldest Grocery Store”—which they took over in 2007. They’re also the b...
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Furnace Street Distillery’s The Trick Dog
May 20, 2023
The newly-released spring cocktail menu at Furnace Street Distillery in Elberta is all about riffing on classic flavors, and The Trick Dog, well, does the trick! Named for the distillery’s past as an art gallery and cafe, this beverage is equal parts familiar and funky. It starts wi...
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The New York Restaurant’s Veal Ravioli
May 13, 2023
While we’re all for an extra helping of greens, sometimes they just taste better when they’re doused in sauce and served with some carbs. The team at The New York Restaurant in Harbor Springs get it, which is why their fan-favorite Veal Ravioli is making a seasonal comeback. T...
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Folklor Wine & Ciders’ Sky Fruit
May 6, 2023
Great cider starts in the orchard at Folklor Wine & Ciders, where fruit-growing team Izabela Babinska and Derrick Vogel use all-organic farming practices to let the flavors in their cold-hardy ferments shine. That’s why there is no shortage of apple goodness in their 2021 Sky Fr...
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Something More to Tell Us
May 6, 2023
Chasten Glezman Buttigieg grew up in Traverse City in the early aughts, a time still largely defined by conservative societal expectations, especially in the suburban and rural Midwest. The West Senior High School graduate says he came of age thinking he had to embody a certain ideal&mdas...
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The Manitou’s Walleye
April 29, 2023
Spring has officially sprung, and that means The Manitou is open for business. Established in 1979, this seasonal hot spot in Honor is known for cozy vibes and rustic fine dining, headlined by its popular selection of fresh walleye. Sourced locally from Big Stone Bay Fishery, this regular...
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Your Spring Cleaning Guide
April 22, 2023
Roughly three in four Americans embark on a daunting quest each year—a challenge known as spring cleaning.
No one wants to spend a sunny Saturday in April trapped in the basement, so Northern Express sat down with three Michigan cleaning experts—Fresh Coast Cl...
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Kingsley Local Brewing’s Mallet Session IPA
April 22, 2023
While we love a heavy-hitting beer, the return of sunny days and higher temperatures call for something with a little less impact. Enter: Kingsley Local Brewing’s Mallet Session IPA. Clocking in at just 4 percent ABV, this easy-drinking ale is the lightest of the pub’s hammer-...
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North End Pizzeria's Big Hot Woody
April 15, 2023
North End Pizzeria of Northport is already stoking its fires for another season of slinging pies, and there’s not a soggy bottom in sight! While everything’s coming up to temperature, our go-to is the Big Hot Woody, named affectionately for their bright red ovens. This signatu...
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Inciting Joy
April 8, 2023
Prize-winning poet and author Ross Gay is about to challenge everything you thought you knew about what it means to “be together.” In his newest collection, Inciting Joy, he reframes everyday situations to remind us that, even in a divided climate, we still know how to care fo...
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BOS Wine’s All That Is Gold Riesling
April 8, 2023
Though Tolkien’s “all that is gold does not glitter” quote probably wasn’t about viniculture, it did inspire a beautiful bottle of wine at BOS Wine in Elk Rapids. Opened in 2021, BOS uses biodynamic farming to make world-class wine on Michigan soil. This week, our ...
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Gold Baby Biscuits’ The Delicatessen
March 25, 2023
This week, we’re ready to risk it for the biscuit…or for a breakfast sandwich from Gold Baby Biscuits, that is. Established in 2019 by bakers Alicia Manson and Lyndsey Egli, this pop-up powerhouse features a rotating menu and even a few take-and-bake options of biscuit-y good... Read More >>