Food
Cinco de Mayo at El Maguey Mexican Bar & Grill
Authentic Mexican cuisine, direct from Michoacán
By Geri Dietze | April 26, 2025
Cadillac already has a wealth of Mexican restaurants, so how does one succeed in what appears to be a saturated market? It’s all about authenticity and family heritage, according to Dusty Rodriguez, manager of Cadillac’s El Maguey and member of the family who owns the eatery. “The food sets us apart,” she says. (Rodriguez also manages the popular Casa Nueva in Mancelona, owned by a “different side of the family.”) The family … Read More >>
Millie & Pepper's Cuban Crepe
Tastemaker
By Anna Faller | 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 juice—with McClure’s spicy pickles, a mild and melty blend of gruyere and Jarlsberg cheeses, prosciutto cotto (a delicate Italian ham), and a special house mustard sauce. Folded into … Read More >>
Rare Bird's Mixed Feelings IPA
Bottoms Up
By Craig Manning | April 26, 2025
The trend these days seems to be toward lighter and more sessionable beers—especially in the IPA space, and especially in the spring and summertime. While easy-drinking beers certainly have their place, though, we still love a big, boozy IPA, and Mixed Feelings, a brand-new beer from Rare Bird Brewpub, absolutely fits the bill. Flagged as an “experimental IPA,” Mixed Feelings is an explosion of big flavors, from a heavy dose of hops … Read More >>
Nittolo's Little Italy Comes to Downtown TC
New location will offer an affordable Italian option
By Ellen Miller | April 19, 2025
Craving a pizza or a hearty bowl of pasta? You’re in luck: Nittolo’s Little Italy, from restaurateur Eric Nittolo, is slated to open downtown in the Warehouse District in this April, pending licensing and approvals. The new spot was built out in the space where Cut & Run used to be, next to The Tasting Room on the ground floor of the Breakwater building. Nittolo, who runs the eponymous (and popular) Nittolo’s … Read More >>
Manistee Lake Pizzeria & Bakery's Breakfast Pizza
Tastemaker
April 19, 2025
Don’t let the name fool you, this eatery is in Kalkaska, not Manistee, and they whip up everything from donuts to deluxe pizzas for carry-out several days a week. The best day to go is Sunday, when their Breakfast Pizza is served all day long from 8am to 8pm. Pro tip: Get your order in the night before, because these go fast! The 14-inch pie starts with a cheese sauce base, then … Read More >>
Brengman Family Wines' Riesling Trocken
Bottoms Up
By Anna Faller | 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—this palette-pleaser is vinified through a combination of stainless steel, concrete, and French oak puncheon (for a silky texture) and fermented with the winery’s signature naturally-occurring yeast. The result is a mouth-watering … Read More >>
50 Years for Mode’s Bum Steer
Steaks, staff, and old-school drinks make this restaurant a tradition
By Ross Boissoneau | April 12, 2025
On April 7, 1975, Bob and Anita Mode opened a bar and restaurant that was to bear their name. A half century later, Mode’s Bum Steer is still going strong, with their daughter Skylar now running the enterprise. That makes it the longest-running family-owned restaurant in Traverse City. And it looks the part. Walk in the door and you are immediately transported back in time to…the 60s? The mid-70s? Surely no later … Read More >>
Sugar 2 Salt's Scones
Tastemaker
By Anna Faller | 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 crafted by hand and portioned to share. The key is the signature recipe, which blends the staples (think: buttermilk, flour, and egg) with a few secrets for an incomparable bake … Read More >>
Grüvi NA Bubbly Rosé
Bottoms Up
April 12, 2025
It’s nearly pink drink season (come on, warmer days!), so to ease ourselves in, we’re sipping on the non-alcoholic Bubbly Rosé from Grüvi this spring. What we liked: just the right amount of bubbles, 60 calories per bottle, and that perfectly pink hue. What we loved: the sweet-meets-tart flavor profile, which first comes across as sugary strawberries then hits you with tart green apple. This definitely goes down like a sweeter rosé … Read More >>
Spring Greens: Recipes with Asparagus & Arugula
Inside the Ingredients
By Nora Rae Pearl | April 5, 2025
As Michigan’s winter wraps up and we enter mud season, there is hope to be had around the corner for actual spring. So let’s go in on all things green! Asparagus will soon be making its debut at a farmers market near you; expect to see stalks at the end of April or beginning of May, and mark your calendars for Empire’s Annual Asparagus Festival June 7. To make our Arugula White … Read More >>
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