Your Summer 2025 Restaurant Guide: Five New Eateries & Two Tried-and-True Favorites

You’ll want a table for two (or more) at these seven spots

By Northern Express Staff & Contributors | July 19, 2025

Summer is for (food) lovers, and this summer is no exception. On this season’s restaurant guide, we have five brand-new restaurants, plus two that have stood the test of time and expanded their offerings. Grab a fork and read on for dining recommendations for American, Asian, Italian, brunch, BBQ, and more.

Enclave 201

Traverse City

Dean Sparks, a self-taught pitmaster who launched his barbecue businesses with Sparks BBQ, debuted his new concept, Enclave 201, in early April. The restaurant serves typical American fare: burgers, sandwiches, and French fries, and also much more.

And there’s good news for barbecue aficionados in northern Michigan: Sparks BBQ in Traverse City is not going away. The popular barbecue spot returns for the summer as part of a reconfiguration of its former space in the 200 block of East Front Street in Traverse City. Encore 201, a nightclub, operates upstairs in the building.

“We want to be the fun destination for the downtown district,” he says. “We want to be a place where people can go and have multiple things to do. You can have a dinner date at the restaurant and then go upstairs and dance and have a blast.”

On the Menu
Enclave 201’s twists on the classics include Chicken and Waffles, “a fun Southern classic dish,” topped with bacon and pepper jam and pure maple syrup, Sparks says, and Pear Brandy Pork Tenderloin, a pork tenderloin served with sauteed pear slices and a pear brandy cream sauce reduction.

A family favorite is the Kickin’ Meat Loaf, a blend of ground sirloin and chuck, bell pepper, onions, and carrots, glazed with a cumin, honey-infused ketchup. The entree is served with roasted fingerling potatoes and green beans.

“The menu is a blend of what customers wanted, what we wanted—what my wife wanted,” he says. “These are flavors our family wants to share with the world.”

The influence of his wife includes vegetable eggplant parmesan, calamari, and Panzanella Salad, featuring mixed greens with red and golden beets, pickled red onions, Burrata cheese, croutons, pear, and red wine vinaigrette.

The appetizers and soups are not traditional bar fare. Instead, you’ll find Whipped Feta Dip, Street Corn Dip, and Roasted Brussel Sprouts. With the change in clientele inside, wine and cocktails have also become more popular.

Find Enclave 201 and its sister businesses at 201 E Front St. in Traverse City. (231) 633-7800

Locals Lake Leelanau

Lake Leelanau

Tony West graduated from Traverse City Central High School in 2000 and worked in various service industry roles. After a stint out in Colorado, he met his wife while back home visiting and they settled in Lake Leelanau, buying a house there in 2005.

He spent 12 years at The Leland Lodge, overseeing food, beverage and events—deciding to go all in on Locals Lake Leelanau at the end of 2024. The business includes a retail shop and space for outdoor seating and community events behind the building.

“I have a deep sense of passion for the community and love being involved in the community,” West says. “It was time to pursue a dream of having my own restaurant and having that opportunity is just a dream come true.”

On the Menu
The menu’s focus is fresh and local—nothing fried—and meats that will be smoked on-site. But beyond the food, West wanted to capture the history of Leelanau County. He worked with the Leelanau Historical Society to source décor, photos, and historical anecdotes for the interior design and menu.

The restaurant’s TVs play a looped video of the history of Lake Leelanau and surrounding communities. It tells the story of the entire Lake from the Leland River to Suttons Bay, West says. And the historical society helped West reproduce 100 historical photos to hang on the walls.

Lake Leelanau history is captured through the menu, too. Guests can scan a QR code that explains each menu item and the local connection to people and events.

The menu features pizza, salads, sandwiches, and appetizers. There’s a local story or tie-in for every dish. One example: a Polish-themed sandwich in a nod to the Cedar Polka Fest. The walleye tacos and walleye pâté reflect the area’s walleye fishing. The pizzas are all named after ferry boats that operated on the lake.

And the Briskets and Gravy features smoked brisket on cornbread topped with gravy. West bought a custom smoker to use for events and catering and the menu items such as brisket, chicken wings, and smoked bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers.

Locals will offer a “Locals to the Lake” to-go menu, where boaters can pull up to both docks at the Narrows and get food delivered directly to their boats.

Find Locals Lake Leelanau at 112 E. Philip St. in Lake Leelanau. LocalsLL.com

Sisters

Traverse City

It was just over four years ago that Jenni Scott—a Traverse City native and longtime veteran of the local restaurant scene—in partnership with her sister Lisa, their parents, and Lisa’s husband, Matt Gaffy, purchased and planned to redevelop the historic downtown pub, Little Bohemia. Together, the team reopened the space under its new identity, Lil Bo.

Now, the trio has come full circle with the launch of a second restaurant, Sisters, which occupies the storefront adjacent and connected to Bo’s, which formerly housed Front Street Liquor. Opened on May 1, Sisters combines classic brunch and lunch eats with a scratch kitchen and a sprinkling of modern flair. But for its namesake siblings, it’s about much more than food.

“We feel like this is a neighborhood place, and that focus on the locals is important to us. [We can’t wait] to feed them some breakfast and give them some Princess Mimosas!” adds Jenni.

On the Menu
The menu features a combination of brunch and lunch classics with a modern twist.

The Number 17, for example—hashbrowns packed with bacon, American cheese, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and sour cream—is a nod to a stuffed hash brown recipe from Jenni’s earliest restaurant days at Mabel’s (now The Cottage). And the Crunchy Crispy French Toast, a cornflake-crusted brioche affair topped with strawberries and cinnamon butter, was plucked straight from Lil Bo’s best brunch hits.

“We’re also really well known for chicken tenders at Bo’s, so [items like] the Chicken and Waffles [transferred] pretty easily,” Jenni says.

There’s also a notable southern influence at play throughout the eatery’s flavors, which come from family summers spent in New Orleans. Plates like the Nola and Louisiana Hash, for instance, are packed with chiles and spicy sausage.

Other traditionally breakfast-y fare includes familiar favorites, like Eggs Benny and Corned Beef Hash, while a selection of sandwiches, like the particularly apropos Brunch Chick (ingredients: buttermilk fried chicken, praline bacon, white cheddar, greens, and jalapeño aioli on a potato bun) and a mix-and-match selection of homemade toasts, salads, and soups round out the lunch category.

Sisters also has a brunch-ified beverage menu on deck, complete with beer and wine, curated NA options, like craft mocktails and Natalie’s juices, and vintage-inspired specialty cocktails.

Find Sisters at 542 W. Front St. in Traverse City. (231) 421-1296. sisterstvc.com

Leto’s Osteria

Petoskey

Folks in Petoskey craving authentic Italian need look no further than Leto’s Osteria, which opened in April in the heart of downtown.

From general manager Todd Chinnock and chef Ray Kumm, Leto’s Osteria takes the place of POUR, which had a loyal following among locals and visitors alike. Happily, the transition to Italian has been well received. (POUR, an Asian-fusion concept, had an extremely popular burger; Chinnock and Kumm emphasize that you can still get it at their sister restaurant, Tap30.)

Leto’s is a contemporary Italian restaurant with a mix of familiar and adventurous dishes on the menu. “We recognize that may be a stretch for some people, but [we] are counting on the Detroiters and Chicagoans coming up and being excited for something that reminds them of restaurants back home,” Chinnock says.

On the Menu
The menu rotates regularly. When we checked in, pasta was popular, as you might expect.

“It’s definitely our bread and butter,” says Kumm. The restaurant offers seven to eight seasonal appetizers, including a Formaggio Board (think charcuterie), Tuna Carpaccio, and other choices that skew toward produce and vegetables like Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Bear Creek Organic Heirloom Tomatoes.

There are around 10 (just under at the moment) pastas on the menu, including the three classic Roman pastas: Cacio e Pepe, Carbonara, and Rigatoni Amatriciana (Kumm’s favorite). Those three will stay on the menu in perpetuity. “Cacio e Pepe [Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper, and pasta] is the gateway for people,” says Kumm. The other five pastas are hyper-seasonal and will change based on ingredient availability.

Chinnock’s current favorite is the Mushroom Mafaldine—featuring porcini noodles, roasted hen of the woods mushrooms, sun-dried pepper butter, spring onions, and grana padano cheese—which is also Leto’s Osteria’s current No. 1 seller.

Large format proteins include a ribeye, swordfish, and braised lamb neck for two.

“It’s definitely very much the sort of restaurant that won’t have tomatoes unless it’s tomato season,” says Kumm. Come tomato season, though “we’ll probably have three dishes to feature them.”

Find Leto’s Osteria at 442 E Mitchell St. in Petoskey. (231) 881-9800; letososteria.com

The Mill

Glen Arbor

The Mill in Glen Arbor (pictured) is an example of an ongoing evolution. Built over a century ago to serve local farmers and residents, milling their grain into flour, today it is fast becoming a must-stop for visitors and residents alike. It offers freshly baked goods, a concise breakfast/lunch menu, and a variety of higher-end dinner options—make that supper options.

The building’s previous life as a mill lasted 64 years, from 1879 until closing in 1945. Bob Kuras, owner of The Homestead, ended up using the decaying building as a storage facility until Turner Booth bought it in 2019.

Booth engaged Kelsey Duda of hospitality brand Fernhaus Studio to help him reimagine the space. Now, after years of reconstruction and remodeling, The Mill has been reborn as an eatery and event space. The home behind the mill has been remodeled into a three-room hotel.

On the Menu
Chef Bobby Thoits says that his original goal for the restaurant was to be what he calls “hyper-local,” sourcing only from farms within a 50- to 100-mile radius. That changed as he broadened the scope.

“At the end of the day, it’s about trying to bring bigger-city techniques,” he says. He says rather than the popular term “farm to table,” he prefers to call the food “scratch to table.”

The menu for Supper at The Mill showcases Thoits’ penchant for using uncommon ingredients or combining ingredients in unusual ways. For example, you could find blue oyster mushrooms with cauliflower hummus and roasted almonds. Or heirloom nantes carrots with peanut brittle, yogurt, and chow chow vegetable relish.

One of the most popular items currently is the duck meatballs, complemented by the herb salad and pickled ginger. Main plates include pan-roasted chicken with shishito peppers and king salmon with green chickpeas, burnt eggplant puree, sea beans.

And with all that, Thoits says the Mill Burger, with gruyere, caramelized onions, and crispy shallots, is a favorite of many diners, including his own family. “That was a request from Turner. It’s a standalone special,” says Thoits. While the menu will change every month or two depending on the availability of ingredients, the Mill Burger will always remain.

Find The Mill at 5440 W Harbor Hwy in Glen Arbor. (231) 242-3224; themillglenarbor.com

Slurping Bear

Frankfort

In the heart of downtown Frankfort, a new culinary experience is taking root. Slurping Bear Asian Bistro, the latest creation of Ed Carrella and his business partner Tim Potter, brings a fresh take on Asian-inspired comfort food while honoring the local culture and the legends that shape this unique area.

Inside the restaurant, it should come as no surprise that the space holds the same warmth, care, and attention to detail you’d expect from a warm bowl of pho. You’ll find cozy lighting, the clinking of chopsticks, and plenty of seating overlooking both the marina on one side and downtown on the other.

On the Menu
The menu itself is thoughtfully crafted, blending comforting, familiar flavors with exciting twists that bring new life to old favorites. With a focus on rich, eight-hour broths, fresh ingredients, and homemade touches, every plate celebrates both tradition and innovation.

The fan favorite is the Crispy Citrus Chicken. Batter-fried chicken pieces are drenched in a sweet homemade citrus sauce, served with onions, carrots, mushrooms, red chili peppers, and white rice. In short, this dish is the perfect balance of crispy, tangy, and savory.

The must-try app award has to go to the Potstickers. A true classic that won’t steer you wrong, these pork-filled dumplings are served with ponzu sauce. For a light bite, try the Pork Belly Bao Bun, which is slow-roasted in-house and accompanied by a touch of pickle, pickled carrots, cilantro, sweet ponzu sauce, and sesame seeds.

And don’t sleep (get it?) on the ramen or the pho. With several made-from-scratch ramen options—slow-cooked to perfection with that eight-hour broth and homemade noodles—this might be the hardest decision you make all day. Whether you go for the Tonkotsu Ramen with fresh noodles, soy-marinated soft-poached egg, and bamboo shoots, or the spicy Spicy Miso Ramen with kimchi, each bowl is a comforting masterpiece. Meanwhile, the pho features a rich beef broth with thinly sliced beef, rice noodles, bean sprouts, carrots, and red chilies—ideal for those craving something hearty.

For dessert, you have two options: 5-Spice Cake (Chinese five-spice, apples, cinnamon, and ginger frosting) or the Matcha Tiramisu.

Find Slurping Bear at 320 Main Street in Frankfort. (231) 399-0058; slurpingbear.com

Cordwood BBQ

Traverse City

Walt Lach has a pretty sweet—and savory—deal: After the launch of Cordwood BBQ 10 years ago, the 2007 Great Lakes Culinary Institute grad continues to grow his business, which remains solidly among Traverse City’s favored venues for authentic smoked eats, plus all the fixings.

Seven days a week in the summer, you can find Cordwood at The Little Fleet, where it has maintained its position since 2015. Lach says the food truck owners there are “like a family.”

In 2024, Lach followed up with a brick-and-mortar storefront, named Cordwood BBQ at Eighth, which he shares with Grand Traverse Sauce Co., the veteran-owned purveyor of small-batch hot sauce.

No matter where the truck goes, Lach tends the main smoker, a repurposed 500-gallon propane tank, and follows a schedule which demands patience: “It’s labor intensive,” he says of the process. Lach says that a brisket takes about 12 to 14 hours, and pork between 8 and 10 hours.

On the Menu
First, let’s talk sandwiches. The 8th Street Special is a pile of smoked pulled pork, with slaw, pickles, and pickled red onions, while the What What serves up smoked beef brisket, slaw, pickles, pickled red onions, and white Alabama BBQ sauce.

Yes, this is a BBQ joint, but vegetarians will love the flavors in the Bomb Diggety, complete with fried tempeh, queso blanco, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and crème fraîche on brioche.

Now, let’s mix it up a bit with your favorite BBQ side: mac and cheese. Go Hog Wild for a combo of creamy mac and cheese and smoked pulled pork, topped with BBQ sauce. Or try the Brisket Mac with mac and cheese, smoked beef brisket, and sweet BBQ sauce.

Lach also experiments with international flavors. The Korean Rice Bowl features ginger jasmine rice, house made Korean pickled cucumbers and carrots, sliced radish, jalapeño, and scallions with house made Korean BBQ sauce and a bit of Sriracha.

Be sure to try the Cowboy Beans—shout out to the vaqueros of northern Mexico—tender baked pintos with a spicy and savory finish. Oh, and don’t leave without fresh corn bread, sweet or jalapeño style.

As for the sauces, there’s the House Sweet, Hot Honey, Carolina Gold and White Alabama. Wash it all down with a classic soda or one of Lach’s homemade flavored lemonades.

Find Cordwood BBQ at The Little Fleet, 448 E. Front St. or at 1125 E. Eighth St. in Traverse City. cordwoodbbq.com