Food
Polish Countryside Kitchen’s Pork Cutlet
Tastemaker
By Anna Faller | Sept. 13, 2025
With comfort food season coming in hot, find us filling our plates (and our bellies) with the Pork Cutlet Dinner ($24) at Polish Countryside Kitchen in Cedar. Inspired by classic Polish fare, this behemoth features tender Mangalitsa ham—a heritage breed known for its flavor and marbling—responsibly raised from farrow to finish at the food truck’s sister business, Polish Heritage Farm. Each steak is dusted in flour, panko, and a secret blend of … Read More >>
Bailey’s Farms’ Cherry Mint Kombucha
Bottoms Up
Sept. 13, 2025
Wishing your kombucha had a little extra freshness, sharpness, or brightness? Look no further than the Cherry Mint Kombucha from Bailey’s Farms just outside Traverse City. This sip starts with a few classic flavors, like white tea (grown on the farm), Montmorency cherries, and a touch of floral hibiscus. But the real stars of this fermented show are the zingy peppermint and spearmint, both of which offer a boost of digestion benefits. … Read More >>
A Year-Round Pizza Joint in Elberta
Elberta Pizza Co. finishes its first summer and looks ahead to fall and winter
By Geri Dietze | Sept. 13, 2025
When we talk about fresh, house-made, and hand-crafted at a pizzeria, that means fresh dough daily, in-house sauces, hand-grated cheese, and hand-cut meats. We wouldn’t expect anything else, and Elberta Pizza Co. has made its mark doing just that in a matter of months after a soft opening in May. Situated at the Elberta-Frankfort causeway, this might be considered a quiet location choice for a year-round business, but Bryan and Desiree Fast, … Read More >>
LT's Tacos' Barbacoa Taco
Tastemaker
Sept. 6, 2025
Picture this: You’re sitting at your desk, working away when a text from your best friend comes in. It reads: “LT’s Tacos barbacoa taco—omfg *drooly face emoji*” That text is followed by: “I think these are the best tacos we’ve had in NoMi.” Okay—we’re sold. LT’s Tacos has a quaint little outpost near the Family Fare in Charlevoix serving up TexMex dishes like tacos, burritos, quesadillas. The barbacoa beef taco ($4.50) is … Read More >>
Weldon Coffee’s Michigan Maple Latte
Bottoms Up
By Anna Faller | Sept. 6, 2025
If you ask us, nothing is quite as life-giving as an expertly-crafted cup of coffee, especially on an early school morning. For our next crack-of-dawn coffee run, we’ll be heading straight to Weldon Coffee in Honor for their signature Michigan Maple Latte ($4.75). Flavored with local maple syrup, which the roastery sources from a neighboring farm—in fact, you can only taste it at Weldon!—this beautifully simple cuppa contains just two other ingredients: … Read More >>
Gold Baby Biscuits' Sausage, Egg, & Cheese
Tastemaker
By Anna Faller | Aug. 30, 2025
We’ve all heard that gold has to glitter, but our favorite semi-precious substance is the tender crumb of a just-baked biscuit. That’s right: We’re talking Gold Baby Biscuits. First baked in Suttons Bay in 2019, these pastry squares were developed specifically as a vehicle for jam-packed sandwiches, complete with four pillowy sides and a texture somewhere between a bun and butter-studded scone. As for our favorite sandwich combo? Featured flavors are always … Read More >>
Manitou & Co.'s Whaleback Whiskey
Bottoms Up
By Anna Faller | Aug. 30, 2025
With a view of the eponymous islands just steps away from their front door, Manitou & Co.’s tasting room in Leland is all about beverages that reflect local flavor, and their signature Whaleback Whiskey is northern Michigan in a bottle! Inspired by local agriculture, this small-batch rye starts with a 15-year-aged base matured in second-use American oak barrels and finished on tannic cherry wood staves (because nothing says Michigan like a touch … Read More >>
Late Summer Eats: Recipes with Corn, Peaches, and Tomatoes
Inside the Ingredients
By Nora Rae Pearl | Aug. 30, 2025
Our last month of uninterrupted summer has come to an end. Back to school is upon us, but fear not; the bounty of summer is now coming to harvest. Your favorite farm market or local co-op will have everything you need to make these summertime recipes. Check out Altonen Orchards on M-72 for sweet corn, ideal for the freshest corn cakes. Find sunkissed peaches at Cherry Street Market, perfect for the sassiest … Read More >>
Birch & Maple's Strawberries & Cream French Toast
Tastemaker
Aug. 23, 2025
We don’t know how long the summer menu will last at Birch & Maple of Frankfort, so we advise heading over for brunch ASAP. While there’s a lot to love on their menu (their Crispy Chicken Sandwich gets our top marks in all of northern Michigan), this time we recommend the Strawberries & Cream French Toast ($15) for a sweet summertime treat. Three thick slices of French toast are slathered with sweet … Read More >>
Beards Brewery's House Cider
Bottoms Up
Aug. 23, 2025
Cider, not beer, at a brewery?! Yes, yes, we know, but sometimes we like to venture off the beaten path. So on our most recent visit, we ordered a pint ($7) of the House Cider at Beards Brewery in Petoskey. The cider—all apples, no nonsense—is made in partnership with Mackinaw Trail Winery, and you can taste the wine influence with a teensy bit less carbonation and a slightly wine-inspired flavor profile. From … Read More >>
Loading More Stories...