Lynda Wheatley | Author
Espresso Bay’s Bulletproof Coffee
March 31, 2018
It’s not farfetched to say this issue was brought to you in part by Espresso Bay’s Bulletproof Coffee, the new addiction of several Northern Express staffers. Based on the concoction made famous by biohacker entrepreneur Dave Asprey, Bulletproof Coffee is said to suppress hung...
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The Morning After
March 10, 2018
There’s only one surefire way to avoid a St. Patrick’s Day hangover: Stay home, swallow some corned beef and cabbage, then go to bed. But if you’re like most American revelers who head out on March 17, you’ll likely find that a pint of Guinness often leads to two o...
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Bradley's Braised Short Rib
Feb. 10, 2018
Bradley’s Pub and Grill might be the best-kept secret Up North right now. The cozy eatery is easy to forget this time of year, nestled as it is among the frozen fairways of the hibernating Interlochen Golf Course, but make no mistake: Under the crafty talents of new head chef Mike F...
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Mammoth Distilling’s William Tell Cocktail
Feb. 10, 2018
The only thing we like better than drinking Mammoth Distilling’s William Tell cocktail (shown here)? Learning how to make the short pour of subtly sweet and winter-spicy Apple Pie Shrub in it. A half-ounce of the shrub — a macerated blend of apples cold-steeped in apple cider ...
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Food for Thought’s Great Lakes Pear Organic Preserves
Feb. 3, 2018
Every September Leelanau County organic farmer Gene Garthe drops off a 600-pound box of fresh-picked Bosc Pears. The folks at Honor’s Food for Thought peels and dices each precious fruit, then transforms the lot into a limited number of Great Lakes Pear organic preserves. The lightl...
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The Hot List
Feb. 3, 2018
If you’re looking for love, the Northern Express this week is the right place. In honor of the impending holiday of hearts Feb. 14, we’re unveiling a hot list of single ladies and gents nominated by friends, family, or coworkers, and whittled down by the Express staff. All hav...
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Opioids Up North
Jan. 29, 2018
This fall, President Trump directed acting Health Secretary Eric Hargan to declare opioid abuse a public health emergency. The epidemic has taken hold all over the country, reaching across age, gender, and socio-economic lines — and, as anyone who reads the headlines is familiar, ri...
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Cheboygan Brewing Company’s Blood Orange Honey Beer
Dec. 9, 2017
Brace yourself. We’ve got a helluva long haul until spring. And until those clouds crack open and daylight outlasts the dark, you’re going to have to find another source of sunshine. Enter Cheboygan Brewing Company’s Blood Orange Honey. Tastier than a tanning bed and far...
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Civilized Spirits’ Bourbon Manhattan
Oct. 14, 2017
Maybe it’s the towering 24-plate column that master distiller Mike Hall designed for ultimate purity in his spirits. Maybe it’s the vanilla flavor compounds seeping from the oak barrels in which his whiskey marinates alongside oak wood chips. Whatever the cause, the effect is ...
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5 Veggie-Heavy Recipes from the Food-Service Front Lines
Sept. 30, 2017
Restaurant chefs get all the attention. And while certainly deserved — the North is home to loads of lauded food artists, after all — the acclaim overlooks an equally admirable culinary caste, one that doesn’t face dainty groups of self-appointed foodies e...
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The Humble King
Sept. 16, 2017
Twenty-one years ago, Philip Asplund ate a turkey sandwich that changed his life. He was 46 years old. He had a degree from Michigan State University and a couple of decades experience as a registered social worker. And he had just completed a treatment program for alcoholism at Traverse ...
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The Woman Behind the Ladies Behind the National Cherry Queen
July 1, 2017
If you’re talking to Kay Relyea, the longtime director of queen’s activities for Traverse City’s National Cherry Festival, you’d better get two things straight: First, the court- and queen-making system Relyea and her team of 12 women orchestrate and oversee isn&rs... Read More >>