Chicago to northern Michigan (Cheboygan / Mackinaw City)?

Looking for roadside recs en route from Chicago to the top of the mitten. We'll likely take the shorter way, through Michigan, although we might be swayed by a really strong recommendation on the Wisconsin route.

Restaurants, food stores, wineries, attractions ... whatever might be of interest on the way.

What a great trip!

Music House Museum, just outside Traverse City is worth driving out of your way for. Also, the American Spoon stores up the Lake Michigan coastline (Michigan side) are great. They always have many open jars of jams, salsas, and sauces available for tasting plus tasty gelato. You can spend some money, but their foods are first-rate.

Legs Inn in Cross Village, Michigan, is a hoot of a place with surprisingly good Polish food. You can get similar here in Chicago at cheaper prices, but the unique surroundings can't be beat--hand-carved wild woodwork galore--in a small village at the very northern top of Lake Michigan. The Inn's owners live in Arlington Heights during the off-season, I believe (at least as of 2007, when we were up there last). There's a nice art studio and gallery in Cross Village too, Three Pines Studio, run by lovely people.

And, finally, on the restaurant front: we adored the food and the old-fashioned vibe at The Dam Site Inn in Pellston, Michigan. They serve you a great relish tray to start and everything is served family-style, including their excellent pan-fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits. Get a window seat to see the water. Highly recommended.

Music House Museum
7377 U.S. 31 North
P.O. Box 297
Acme, Michigan 49610
(231) 938-9300
http://www.musichouse.org/

American Spoon Foods
main store in Petosky, MI
411 East Lake Street
Petosky, MI 49770
(231)347-1739
http://www.spoon.com/company-stores-7/

Legs Inn
6425 N. Lake Shore Drive
Cross Village, MI 49723
(231) 526-2281
http://legsinn.com/

Three Pines Studio
5959 W. Levering
Cross Village, MI 49723
(231) 526-9447
http://www.threepinesstudio.com/

Dam Site Inn
6705 Woodland Road
Pellston, MI 49769
(231) 539-8851
http://www.damsiteinn.com/

if you go the wisc. way

miesfelds
4811 venture dr.
sheboygan,wi.
miesfelds.com
they have the best natural skin hot dogs
& very good brats & other great meats


this is a great german rest.
al & al's
1502 s 12th st
sheboygan,wi.
(920)452-5530http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=27284&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=al%26amp%3Bal%27s+sheboygan%2Cwi

if you go mich. way you might see a halo burger

If you're going to be near Petoskey, be sure to stop at Jesperson's for some pie (cherry/berry is my recommendation). If you get there before the pies start coming out of the oven, get some breakfast.


Jesperson's Restaurant
312 Howard St
Petoskey, MI 49770
(231) 347-3601

Not to hijack this thread, but this is actually perfect as i'm doing a similar drive this weekend to Mackinac City/Island. I'll be taking the 31 up to the 22 to Glen Arbor, then heading east to drive to stop on over at Traverse City, then eventually reconnecting to 75 and wrapping it up in Mackinac for a 2 night stay at the island. Anyone have any recommendations along this route, will probably take it going back and forth.

I was driving out to Glen arbor for a slight coast driving tour, but if someone can recommend a better driving detour (and corresponding food spots)to take in the sights that would be great. I'll be spending a little time in Traverse City, so any rec's would be good as well. Thanks in advance!

DrkDragon wrote:Not to hijack this thread, but this is actually perfect as i'm doing a similar drive this weekend to Mackinac City/Island.

I'll look forward to your report, then!

(And just to keep you out of trouble with the Michiganders, it's Mackinac Island, but Mackinaw City.)

If you're headed through Glen Arbor, people swear by Art's Tavern. I've been for breakfast and found it okay, but it's worth checking out to see if it's your taste.

There's some good Traverse City info here.

Hi,

You may want to check out a number of posts by Da Beef for Wisconsin and Michigan. One thread is especially appropriate: Lake Michigan Circle Tour.

Regards,

If you go the WI way, you can stop at Mickey-Lu's....char-burgers with butter on hard rolls - no fries - chips, and malts or shakes served in small plastic cups.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/msjudilonelywolf/2880757654/




At the other end of your trip, you might like the Chippewa Room http://www.audies.com/chippewa-room-restaurant.php It's a bit old-fashioned Midwestern fancy - they feature flaming desserts prepared tableside - but the food isn't all stuck in the seventies. We've enjoyed the steaks and the whitefish, and if your reference point is Chicago, it is very reasonably priced.




Mickey Lu Bar B Q
1710 Marinette Ave
Marinette, WI 54143
(715) 735-7721



Chippewa Room of Audie's Restaurant
314 Nicolet Street
Mackinaw City, MI 49701
Phone: 231.436.5744

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

For those who haven't checked the map, I thought I'd mention some of the towns we'll be passing through/near:

Gary, Ind.
Michigan City, Ind.
Benton Harbor, Mich.
South Haven, Mich.
Holland, Mich.
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Big Rapids, Mich.
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Clare, Mich.
Houghton Lake, Mich.
Roscommon, Mich.
Grayling, Mich.
Gaylord, Mich.
Cheboygan, Mich.
Mackinaw City, Mich.

Given the timing of our drive, I suspect that Central Michigan -- the Grand Rapids and Mount Pleasant area -- will be of high interest.

Hi Laz,
On the way home from South Haven yesterday, we stopped at Brewsters in New Buffalo. We were looking at a lunch menu outside for another restaurant. A passerby heard our conversation and steered my friend and I to this spot. If it's nice, they have a great little courtyard to eat outside. The gentleman who directed us here said it's his favorite place and they travel often to this city. I had never been here and I didn't research restaurants because someone else planned this get-away. Our waiter explained that all pasta and everything else is made in-house. I enjoyed my tortellini, but I loved their bread, served with olive oil and a plate of shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Nice wines too. I'll be back. I thought it was a great little lunch/dinner place.
Brewsters Deli & Cafe
11 W. Merchant Street
New Buffalo, MI 49117
(269) 469-3005

Wanted to report in from my weekend trip.

Hit up Oink's Dutch Treats in New Buffalo. We were hitting the Shell station off Exit 1, anddecided a nice tasty snack would do the trick. There is a lot of kitschy pig stuff dotting the building and parking lot, and they server Sherman's ice cream if I recall. The ice cream is great, and looks to be a favorite in the area.


Oinks
227 W Buffalo St
New Buffalo, MI 49117
(269) 469-3535

On the Way to the Wineries we had lunch at the Red Arrow Roadhouse
It was good food for what it was. My girlfriend loved the Fusili with chicken, it was a bit salty, but it was good for what it was. Also, her pot roast was nothing special a bit on the dry side and she had to order extra gravy to compensate.

We tried to hit the wineries in the area... or at least visit the tasting room, and ended up trying wines from:

Round Barn, St. Julians, Tabor Hill, Hickery Creek, Domaine Berrien, Lemon Creek, Free Run Cellars... also we did hit Karma Vista in Coloma.

There was a lot of fruity, sweeter wines being produced. I did like that Lemon Creek, Domaine Berrien, and Hickory Creek focused more on the dryer stuff. It was a definite pleasure to try MI wines and wouldn't mind doing a full blown wine tour instead of tasting room hopping... and being rushed through it.

Took the scenic 31 route and passed through Traverse City and Gaylord, but unfortunately didn't stop by anywhere. The g/f was getting antsy and started to tire of the scenic route... so off we went.

We entered Mackinaw city, and I took her to the Mackinaw Pastie and Cookie Co. So she could have her first experience with a Pastie... now, I know there are better pasties out there, but for one solid pastie choice, and one I remember from my younger days. Enjoyable... and my g/f is now a pastie fan.

I wish I had more time to try more off the beaten path places, but once we were in Mackinaw City, and the island... it was all the normal spots.

I did enjoy drinks and dinner at the Pink Pony/Harbor View located in the Chippewa Hotel on the island, and they had a great morel/asparagus risotto with filet mignon. So good...

Also was able to sample the Mackinaw Trail and Traverse Bay wines, more good stuff.... and I sampled the Mackinaw Fudge Stout.. for comparison for the Round Barn cocoa stout. It was a virtual tie in my taste buds.

Wish I had pictures, but that was my trip...

DrkDragon wrote:We tried to hit the wineries in the area... or at least visit the tasting room, and ended up trying wines from:

Round Barn, St. Julians, Tabor Hill, Hickery Creek, Domaine Berrien, Lemon Creek, Free Run Cellars... also we did hit Karma Vista in Coloma.

There was a lot of fruity, sweeter wines being produced. I did like that Lemon Creek, Domaine Berrien, and Hickory Creek focused more on the dryer stuff. It was a definite pleasure to try MI wines and wouldn't mind doing a full blown wine tour instead of tasting room hopping... and being rushed through it.

I'm so glad you tried the wineries . . . but your instincts are correct in that the Lemon & Hickory Creeks, and Domaine Berrien are the better quality producers of the bunch you tried. Unfortunately, the other wineries you named are not the best -- to put it mildly -- representation of MI wine. And, to add insult to injury, they're the first wineries we people from Chicago hit along the way, and sometimes the only sampling people get that forms their opinion of MI wine. Truly the best wines being produced in MI (and this is something I've written about pretty extensively on The Local Beet) are on the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas. Totally different ballgame up there with a lot of dryer, Alsatian-style wines being produced. I hope you do get the opportunity to get up there to try those wines.

* * *

LAZ-

If you're so inclined, right outside of Grand Rapids, in Rockford, MI, is the original Rosie's Diner (the Bounty paper towel lady), which, if I'm correct, was also the subject of the first Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

I have yet to encounter a restaurant in Holland that is worthy of recommendation, but they do have a great farmer's market, if you'll be there on a Wednesday or Saturday. Ray's Tamale King, a food truck parked at the market, is also good for a snack.

Rosie's Diner
4500 14 Mile Road Northeast
Rockford, MI 49341-7356
(616) 866-3663

Holland Farmer's Market
150 W 8th Street
Holland, MI

DrkDragon wrote:Took the scenic 31 route and passed through Traverse City and Gaylord, but unfortunately didn't stop by anywhere. The g/f was getting antsy and started to tire of the scenic route... so off we went.

Gaylord is the home to the now over 90 year old Sugar Bowl Restaurant, which is owned by The Chow Poodle's Uncle. Next time, stop in and say hi.

Sugar Bowl restaurant
216 West Main Street
Gaylord, MI 49735
(989) 732-5524

P.S. Rosie's Diner was a huge disappointment!

A few month ago we travelled up that way a bit. We had a great sandwich & beer at New Holland Brewing Co. in Holland

www.newhollandbrew.com

and a couple of excellent breakfasts at Morning Star Cafe in Grand Haven. Good food with a southwestern bent, homemade pastries & great coffee:

711 Washington Ave
Grand Haven, MI 49417

(616) 844-1131

If you can stop for a beer, in addition to New Holland listed in the previous post, Founder's Brewing Company, in Grand Rapids, is worth a stop. And their food is pretty good, if only standard sandwiches and such.

Founder's Brewing Company
235 Grandville Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
T. 616.776.1195
F. 616.776.6846

In Michigan City, I'd stop at Schoop's, Exit 34. In South Haven, Clementine's is fine, in a historical building in South Haven's adorable downtown, and has been mentioned on LTH:

viewtopic.php?p=264647#p264647
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=189516#p189516
viewtopic.php?p=8700#p8700

I slipped in and out of Traverse City late last week on business, and was unable to sample any significantly good food,* but I did stop at a brewpub called Mackinaw Brewing Company. Pleasant service and chat over a flight of their various brews; I found the Peninsula Pale Ale and Red 8 Ale quite rewarding. I also managed a sample of a Traverse Bay area Chardonnay that was, indeed, an eye-opener. To those who, like me before last week, equate Michigan wine with the stuff you find in the southwest areas easily accessible to Chicagolanders, well, you need to try the real item being made farther north. This was pleasant stuff, with none of that mucilage aftertaste I associate with the SW Michigan swill[erificTM locally produced wines!].

*OK, credit where it's due, the fish and chips served at the Holiday Inn bar were about 65% better than I ever would have expected. The fish itself was a bit flavorless, but they took a lot of care in the prep, including batter made with Bell's Oberon and an obvious expert hand in the frying process itself.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:I also managed a sample of a Traverse Bay area Chardonnay that was, indeed, an eye-opener. To those who, like me before last week, equate Michigan wine with the stuff you find in the southwest areas easily accessible to Chicagolanders, well, you need to try the real item being made farther north.

If you liked the Chardonnay you tasted, you should try the rieslings being produced. Contrary to any "swillerific" reputation they may have, Michigan rieslings have actually gained some modicum of notoriety recently, even being written up by Food and Wine and Eric Asimov of the NY Times. Some great producers are Bowers Harbor, Left Foot Charley, Black Star, and Chateau Grand Traverse. One caveat: Because of the unusually cold weather in 2009, the 2009 vintage is not the best representation -- I'm not sure that LFC is even releasing one -- or is releasing a very truncated one (the winemaker, Bryan Ulbrich, is a quality nut) -- because of the acidity. On the upside, 2010's unusually warm spring means that grapes have a head-start for ripening, so keep your fingers crossed!

aschie30 wrote:
Some great producers are Bowers Harbor, Left Foot Charley, Black Star, and Chateau Grand Traverse.

Second Grand Traverse. World-class Riesling.

http://www.cgtwines.com/

Just noticing that this thread is a bit outdated... For anyone making the trip into Northern Michigan, I thought I'd post a quick list to check out:

Petoskey- Twisted Olive Cafe for breakfast or lunch, great view
Palette Bistro- lunch or dinner, nice view, good patio
Galley Gourmet (Bay Harbor actually)- deli with great carry out items for a picnic (Cormacks deli also works well for this)
There's more, but not coming to my mind currently...

Boyne City- Cafe Sante - European inspired, great brunch menu, lunch, or dinner, nice lakefront patio

Traverse City- too many to mention. Chowhound has several threads. Stella, Frenchie's, Cooks House, Jolly Pumpkin, to name a few...

Gaylord- Bearded Dogg Lounge- casual, eclectic, patio (no view)

Cheboygan- The Boathouse (new owners, improved menu)- lunch or dinner, riverfront patio, boat docking
Pier 33- Newish restaurant, menu has had a lot of tweaking (could use some more), but overall a pleasant experience. Nice patio on the river with boat docking.

Douglas Lake Bar a few miles off US31 from Pellston (for anyone flying from that airport or driving Petoskey-Mackinaw City). Cozy cabin style steakhouse on the lake.

I'll try to post back with more details if anyone is interested.

I'm not sure how I missed this thread when it originally appeared, but my family's had a place up on Little Traverse Bay for the last 15 years or so.

Dam Site Inn and Legs Inn are two of my absolute favorites, and each a bit quirky in their own way. Dinners at Dam Site Inn include about a dozen side dishes served family style...everything from biscuits with honey to peas in butter to a relish platter to homemade noodles.

In Petoskey, Symon's General Store is my go-to place for fresh bread, fantastic cheeses and some delicious pastries. Chandler's, which is around the corner, is a restaurant owned by the same family and has amazing upscale grilled cheeses.

Try the American Spoon Cafe (up the block from Symon's) for casual lunches and terrific gelato.

Stafford's in Harbor Springs has a cold cherry soup that I dream about it. (They used to serve it outside at the dock, but weren't doing that last summer. I hope you can still get it inside.)

chgoeditor wrote:
Try the American Spoon Cafe (up the block from Symon's) for casual lunches and terrific gelato.

American Spoon Cafe was a little so-so for me (I'm not one for frozen treats, I guess), however, I am excited to try it this summer. They renovated, added a liquor license, and Pete Peterson, former chef of Tapawingo (!) is the new dining room manager. This can only mean good, if not great, things.

Nomich wrote:

chgoeditor wrote:
Try the American Spoon Cafe (up the block from Symon's) for casual lunches and terrific gelato.

American Spoon Cafe was a little so-so for me (I'm not one for frozen treats, I guess), however, I am excited to try it this summer. They renovated, added a liquor license, and Pete Peterson, former chef of Tapawingo (!) is the new dining room manager. This can only mean good, if not great, things.

I must admit I've probably had gelato 10 times for every soup/salad/sandwich I've eaten there, so my bias is obvious, but I'll make a point to have lunch there sometime this summer.

I wish American Spoon would make passion fruit curd again...one of my "most missed" products. But I do love their chocolate covered maple cream candies, too.

Highly recommend the donuts and cinnamon bread at the Dutch Over Bakery in Alanson (about 10 miles north of Petoskey on US31). I'll make it my mission to take pictures when I'm up there this summer.

Dutch Oven Bakery
7611 US 31
Alanson, MI 49706
https://www.dutchoven.com

Take a pass at eating breakfast at the Dutch Oven and walk down the block to Pauly's (official caterer of the Crooked Lake Yacht Club). Nothing special or fancy, just normal breakfast very well executed.

For a nice contrast to the Little Traverse Pie Company and more unique, local flavors try:
House of Pies
4577 North US 31
Alanson, MI
http://www.houseofpies.net/piemenu2011.html

This concludes the Alanson MI dinning guide

[edited to fix spelling of the word "contrast"]

blunt wrote:Highly recommend the donuts and cinnamon bread at the Dutch Over Bakery in Alanson (about 10 miles north of Petoskey on US31). I'll make it my mission to take pictures when I'm up there this summer.

Take a pass at eating breakfast at the Dutch Oven and walk down the block to Pauly's (official caterer of the Crooked Lake Yacht Club).

I am sorry to report that Dutch Oven is no longer, after all these years! The building is up for sale. You'll find Pauly's missing, too, but they've merged with Alanson Depot and are now located in the old train station across the street.

I agree with you on House of Pies. Grand Traverse Pie Co. is the last place in Petoskey I would go for pie, as they are mass produced and shipped frozen. Crooked Tree Breadworks also has nice pies.

I've spent a lot of time in Northern Michigan. I like many of the recommendations on this post, particularly DLB. Two places that I don't see listed that ought to be: Tom's Mom's Cookies and Gurney's. A perfect day is getting a sandwich from Gurney's and a cookie from Tom's Mom's in Harbor Springs and enjoying them on a picnic bench down by the lake.

Tom's Mom's Cookies
267 South Spring Street
Harbor Springs, MI 49740

Gurney's Harbor Bottle Shop
215 E Main St
Harbor Springs, MI 49740

Nomich wrote:I am sorry to report that Dutch Oven is no longer, after all these years! The building is up for sale.

After I recovered from my panic, I called them and they are still open. The building has been for sale for years.

Thanks for the info on Pauly's.

I second both weinerjb's recommendations.

blunt wrote:

Nomich wrote:I am sorry to report that Dutch Oven is no longer, after all these years! The building is up for sale.

After I recovered from my panic, I called them and they are still open. The building has been for sale for years.

Woah! Glad you corrected me! I thought it was odd that they would close up shop unceremoniously like that. They were closed all winter with the for sale sign in the window. Good news, and sorry for the panic!

Wanted to check in to see if anyone had any new recommendations. I'm driving to/from Little Traverse Bay in the next week...and have I mentioned that I *hate* driving? I imagine I'll need a quick break for food somewhere between Grand Rapids & Cadillac. Since my goal is to spend the least amount of time possible on the road/in the car, I'd welcome some suggestions for places not too far from the highway that offer counter/takeout service.

Wanted to update to mention that I had a less-than-perfect lunch at Chandler's this week. I've always loved their open-faced grilled cheese sandwich. The one I had a couple days ago was more of a melted-cheese piece of bread...no indication the sandwich had been grilled. It was sad & limp, and had my own dining circumstances been different, I would have said something to them. My Dad enjoyed his lunch, so perhaps you're just advised to avoid the grilled cheese.

I did have a great lunch at Legs Inn yesterday, and would continue to recommend it to anyone in the area. Great selection of Polish food and craft beers that always hit the spot.

We had dinner at the Villa in Petoskey the other night. It's old-school Italian, but has some decent dishes. Their spinach salad comes on a dinner plate--thin layer of spinach leaves topped with a thick layer of chopped bacon, crumpled (goat?) cheese and pine nuts, with a tasty poppyseed dressing. I went with the lamp chops, which was the wrong choice. I'm accustomed to the "lollipop" sized chops frequently seen at Chicago-area restaurants. These were a pair of big bone-in chops (sheep chops?) and while they were tasty, they were a little too tough for my tastes.

A few other gourmet shops worth mentioning:
* Plath's Meats in Petoskey and Rogers City offers a great selection of locally smoked meats. I'm heading back to Chicago with some smoked pork chops and bacon. Per their website they're a fourth generation family-run business that's celebrating their 99th anniversary this year.
* Toski Sands, between Petoskey & Harbor Springs, describes itself as a party shop or some such nonsense. In reality, they have a great gourmet + everyday market. My family frequents it for meats as well as their highly addictive whitefish spread and cheddar horseradish spread. (I noticed today while stocking, they also have a smoked salmon dip, crab dip and a few other dips.)
* Galley Gourmet in Bay Harbor is another little gourmet specialty market. You might not be able to buy a gallon of milk there (or maybe you can) but you can probably buy a white truffle in season. I like their annex--Galley Gourmet Espresso Cafe, which features Intelligentsia coffee as well as some gelato that's made in house. (Speaking of, I think I'll walk over and get some now. I had a great coconut almond fudge chip yesterday that reminded me of the long-discontinued coconut almond fudge chip at Ben & Jerry's.)