Food
Sweet & Savory Pie Company’s Butter Chicken Curry Pot Pie
Tastemaker
Jan. 17, 2026
When you walk into Alanson’s Sweet & Savory Pie Company, be prepared to walk out with a stack of pastry boxes as high as your head. It was hard to choose just one to feature, but given the season, we went for the comfort food (with a twist!) of the Butter Chicken Curry Pot Pie ($15.95). Take all the cozy, filling warmth of a traditional chicken pot pie, and then level it … Read More >>
Supreme Bar Service’s Maple Sea Salt Iced Espresso Martini
Bottoms Up
By Anna Faller | Jan. 17, 2026
It’s all about elevated hospitality for Traverse-based mobile bar company Supreme Bar Service, and they’ve reached the beverage peak in their Maple Sea Salt Iced Espresso Martini. Inspired by the richly roasted and herbal notes of a Turkish brew (a nod to their upcoming coffee menu expansion), this winter cocktail features caramelly bourbon spiked with local maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt shaken with organic espresso and coffee liqueur. Served … Read More >>
The Dandy’s Quiche Lorraine
Tastemaker
By Anna Faller | Jan. 10, 2026
A dandy is, by definition, a person of impeccable style, and there’s no shortage of good taste at Traverse City’s newest day-dining hotspot, The Dandy, which is owned by the folks behind Red Spire Brunch House. From looks to flavor, the Quiche Lorraine lives up to the restaurant’s name. Baked atop crisp and buttery shortcrust pastry—which is made from scratch in house, by the way—this elevated AM staple features the decadent combo … Read More >>
Espresso Bay’s Peppermint Mocha
Bottoms Up
Jan. 10, 2026
While we’re past the season for Espresso Bay’s “Son of a Nutcracker” or “Ugly Christmas Sweater” coffee blends, there’s still a little holiday spirit to be found in their Peppermint Mocha. This warming beverage hits all the right notes—the herby, cool bite of the peppermint, the smooth chocolate, and the caffeine kick of the coffee. You can customize your milk (regular, almond, oat, coconut, soy, breve) and add a few other fun … Read More >>
The Superfoods of Winter: Exploring Year-Round Farmers Markets
Cold-weather farmers and markets tout their offerings
By Anna Faller | Jan. 3, 2026
Finding healthy, locally-grown food—a practice touted for its nutritional benefits, better flavor payoff, and cost efficiency—can feel next to impossible once the open-air stalls have shuttered their tents and the ground is covered in snow. But never fear: NoMi farmers are still hard at work, offering fresh options all through the year. Per Jim Lively, co-owner of The Lively NeighborFood Market in Empire, northern Michigan’s burgeoning winter market scene is a veggie … Read More >>
Meatless Mondays Recipes with the Three Sisters
Inside the Ingredients
By Nora Rae Pearl | Jan. 3, 2026
In the depth of winter, we’re all looking for warmth, and these new recipes are sure to make you feel full and cozy. The dishes below highlight a trio known as the Three Sisters long used by indigenous people of Central and North America: beans, squash, and corn. When it comes to these compatible crops, “what grows together, goes together” couldn’t be more true. These Meatless Monday features are for anyone looking … Read More >>
Sorellina’s Eggplant Parmigiano
Tastemaker
Jan. 3, 2026
Who else is trying to cut back on meat and eat more veggies in the New Year? So long as you’re cool with your veggies being slathered with delicious parm and mozzarella, then head to Sorellina where the Eggplant Parmigiano ($19) awaits. Hearty slices of eggplant are breaded and cooked to crispy perfection then served over a bed of fresh pappardelle and marinara. Believe us when we tell you this meal is … Read More >>
Folklor’s Field Blend Perry
Bottoms Up
By Anna Faller | Jan. 3, 2026
It’s always the season to celebrate local terroir at Folklor Wine & Cider in Charlevoix, but we’re taking the New Year’s festivities one step further with a bottle of their newly-released 2024 Field Blend Perry. An effervescent homage to the pomme, this off-dry sparkling perry (pear cider) features a practicing-organic blend of Bosc, Bartlett, and wild pears sourced from estate-grown trees whose roots go back decades. Fermented with native yeast, the perry … Read More >>
Nocturnal Bloom Is Blooming
Sharing a beer with brewer and owner Justin Rivard
By Karl Klockars | Dec. 20, 2025
What do you do as a brewer when you’ve made beer all over Michigan, taken your brewery skills to California, earned an Advanced Cicerone certification (one of just 200 in the world), consulted on new breweries, trained brewers to open places of their own, and studied your craft under brewing legends like Jolly Pumpkin’s Ron Jeffries? If you’re Justin Rivard, you come home. That’s how Traverse City happened to end up with … Read More >>
Right Bower’s Bower Breakfast
Tastemaker
By Anna Faller | Dec. 20, 2025
It’s all about the experience at Right Bower Kitchen & Coffee in Traverse City, from the elevated café classics to boutique shopping (featuring Michigan makers!) in their Seven Hills space shared with Old Mission Distilling. A day of local discovery, though, demands tasty fuel, for which our first order of business is the signature Bower Breakfast. This flavor bomb sandwich starts with fluffy eggs soft-baked with white cheddar cheese and spices and … Read More >>
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