May Traverse 2019

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LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE

our best real estate guide yet!

LUCKY YOU…

The morels are out there!

discover the life that’s possible

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Contents

Discover more about Up North, people, places, food and events.

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may | features 29 | I’D LOVE TO LIVE...

42

Whether it’s on the water, in a historic home, away from it all or in the heart of town, experts in real estate share their candid advice on how to make owning a home in Northern Michigan a dream come true.

36 | THE MORAL OF THE MORELS Get ready as ‘shroomers streak, sneak and tiptoe across the Up North landscape.

38 | COME ON OVER Megan Gilger of the Leelanau-based lifestyle brand The Fresh Exchange makes beautiful gatherings work, in real life.

42 | SEEKING CISCO This Great Lakes fish keeps you reeling, so don’t forget to soak up that Grand Traverse Bay View.

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

3

contents | departments 150’ Lake Leelanau Frontage

Tucked at the end of a private road, this spacious 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home offers 150’ of private Lake Leelanau frontage, main floor master suite, den, guest house, loads of natural light and wrap-round deck.

Enjoy mornings soaking in the hot tub, warm days sun bathing on the dock and sunsets with your toes in the water. Just 20 minutes from Traverse, 30 minutes to Sleeping Bear Dunes, minutes to the TART trail & several Leelanau wineries. A rare opportunity you do not want to pass up!

7200 Shugart Shores | MLS 1846823 | $ 895,000

Ann Porter ASSOCIATE BROKER Ann@AnnPorterTC.com

231.944.4959 Find detailed listing information at www.AnnPorterTC.com

51 9 | EDITOR’S NOTE

402 E. Front Street Traverse City, MI 49686

53

11 | UP NORTH 17 | THIS IS MYNORTH Hang out with us online and at MyNorth Tickets.

19 | MAY EVENTS Fun has sprung!

25 | TRAVEL Come up to a wine coast in bloom.

27 | UP IN MICHIGAN How to “stamp a robin,” a Michigander’s rite of spring.

(Have you stamped a robin yet?)

47 | DINING Out to eat at the North’s new restaurants.

51 | LOCAL TABLE Mark Rosenbaum

A pesto with T.C. personality.

53 | DRINKS The hottest new sips from OMP.

55 | OUTDOORS

128 River Street, Elk Rapids, MI 49629 - 231 264 6660 www.mullalys128.com hello ifnore is for FIND US ONthis FACEBOOK

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FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/mynorthmedia instagram.com/mynorthmedia

Fly fish for bluegill.

pinterest.com/mynorthmedia

56 | LOVE OF THE LAND

twitter.com/mynorth

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A MyNorth Media Publication PRESIDENT/EDITOR IN CHIEF CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR DIGITAL AND CONTENT EDITOR PROOFREADERS REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

ART DIRECTOR PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Deborah Wyatt Fellows Katy Schumacher Emily Tyra Elizabeth Edwards Carly Simpson Elizabeth Aseritis, Caroline Dahlquist Lou Blouin, Kim Schneider, Tim Tebeau, Andrew VanDrie Gail Snable Theresa Burau-Baehr

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR, SPECIAL SECTIONS

Rachel Watson

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Breanne Kerner

WEB DIRECTOR

Jen Berigan

DIRECTOR OF SALES

Julie Parker

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Ann Gatrell Jill Hayes Meg Lau Chris Hunt Cyndi Ludka

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Erin Lutke

MARKETING COORDINATOR MYNORTH TICKETS MANAGER OFFICE MANAGER BOOKKEEPER

Kara Jarvis

Hannah Malinowski Libby Stallman Kim Stewart

Editorial & Advertising Offices 125 Park Street, Suite 155 Traverse City, MI 49684 Phone: 231.941.8174 | Fax: 231.941.8391 Subscriber Services Visit MyNorth.com/sub to change your address or to review your account.

Please e-mail other subscription inquiries to info@mynorth.com or call 800.785.8632 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST. Reprints Reprints available. Please call 231.941.8174.

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine, (ISSN10713719) is published monthly

by Prism Publications Inc., 125 Park Street, Suite 155, Traverse City, MI 49684.

Periodicals class postage paid at Traverse City, MI 49684 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine, 125 Park St, suite 155, Traverse City, MI 49684. Advertising rates available upon request. Subscription rate: $27.95 for 12 issues. Single issue price: $4.50. Manuscripts must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. All rights reserved. Copyright 2019, Prism Publications Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

7

You belong on a

Mark your calendar for an afternoon of wine, art and blossoms!

Please join us for a Special Wine Tasting Sunday, May 19th 4:00pm to 6:00pm

CONGRATULATIONS

Ann Robinson

on our new Tasting Room Mural Twenty-Five Years of History

8

MyNorth.com

• Featuring new wine releases for tasting.

• Meet artist Ann Robinson and learn about the the mural.

• Ann will be signing art prints of the mural and its characters.

Bowers Harbor Vineyards

2896 Bowers Harbor Rd Traverse City, MI 49686

231-223-7615 bowersharbor.com

editor’s note

THE WOODS IS CALLING

PHOTO BY DAVE WEIDNER

TEXT BY DEBORAH WYATT FELLOWS

My first ever morel hunt didn’t begin with a peaceful stroll in a newly green forest. Mine began behind a surging pack of morel zealots, some racing, others just managing a trot as the annual Boyne City Mushroom Festival took to the woods.

I was attending the festival to write a piece for the magazine in its earliest years. I didn’t know what to expect but had envisioned some time to get my bearings and chat with hunters ahead of time. No such luck as the people gathered in a field, poised to go, were clearly not there to talk.

And go they did, at whatever speed their tennis shoes and battered boots could take them. As I ran alongside a heavyset man, he tried to share some information with me but it was challenging to jog and talk. I fell back to a woman in a blue windbreaker. “Don’t focus!” she shouted at me as we ran.

At my curious expression, she shouted again, “Don’t focus!” I felt like David Carradine on “Kung Fu” trying to uncover her wisdom and cast my lot with her.

Once across the open field, she and a small group broke from the pack and headed up a wooded hillside. I was beginning to feel the thrill of the hunt.

These were people who knew what they were looking for and they had the passion to find it. I found myself shoulder-to-shoulder with a red-haired man and his hunting partner. They were moving slowly, deliberately now, studying the damp ground. They stopped and crouched, a hand up to stop me.

I stopped. I crouched. I strained my eyes to pick detail out of last year’s leaves, small sprouts of new growth and black earth. I saw nothing. The red-haired man inhaled ever so softly.

He slowly moved forward as if stalking prey capable of flight. Then his hand shot out. Bingo!

In the next few minutes he worked a tiny plot of earth and pulled from it a handful of morels, not a one of which I’d seen until they were in his fingers.

I bemoaned my lack of prowess. “You’re focusing,” he admonished. I glanced at the woman in the windbreaker walking slowly a few yards over.

I stayed with the red-haired man until the end of the timed hunt. I looked hopefully at his bag. “We won’t win,” he sighed. As we trudged back, I looked up for the first time and noted what a spectacular day it was. The sky was blue, the trilliums were popping, the scent of leeks filled the air. I breathed it and asked again, “But how do you do it?”

“Ha!” he said. “This is nothing. We find garbage bags full of these.” End of lesson. Once back, I wandered the crowd looking for insight. I surveyed the faces and body language of the winners. I asked questions over kielbasa.

But still, as I drove home that night, I knew I had not discovered what makes a morel hunter tick.

Seven years later, I married one.

Since then, we have walked many an awakening wood in spring, but at that time of year, often apart for swaths of time. When I’m in the woods, I move, marveling at the sights and sounds and relish the feeling of being transported to a different place. When I get too far ahead, I circle back to find my husband, Neal, head down, off the trail, coiled for a find. After years of marriage to a morel hunter I’ve found some salient qualities: First, a patient spirit; Second, a love of the intricacies of the natural world; Third, a willingness to use

deception and coercion to find and keep hunting grounds; And last, a true thrill of the hunt.

If I don’t love morel hunting, I came to love what it does for Neal and did for some of our children. I have loved seeing my hunters streaked with dirt, carrying their bounty and filled with stories of snakes seen, rabbit holes investigated, and gnawed tree trunks examined. I also love that morels are a wonderful motivator to get into the woods in spring. That’s the thing about the natural world, and Northern Michigan’s woods, is that each of us finds what we want or what we need.

That can vary by person or within the tides of our own lives.

When we’d go as a family, I could often be found leaning against a tree trunk with our second son, Peter. We would gaze up through the canopy of new leaves and listen to the rustle as the breeze blew them like shimmering coins. We would daydream, and tell stories; Peter’s always filled with very tall tales presented as absolute truth.

All the while, the others were working the territory around us. Every now and then, the hunters’ earnestness, optimism and sense of expectation took hold in me and I’d believe again, for a moment, that I, too, could be a morel hunter.

“Don’t focus,” I would tell Peter as we got to our feet. He’d nod solemnly.

It was always a comfort to know, he didn’t get it either.

Deborah Wyatt Fellows is founder and editor in chief of Traverse Magazine/MyNorth. debwf@traversemagazine.com.

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

9

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Up North

PEOPLE | NATURE | ARTS | NOSTALGIA | BUZZ | WISDOM | CURIOSITIES

A NORTHERN NEIGHBOR

Kam Smith TRAVERSE CITY PIT SPITTERS Hometown: Colonial Beach, Virginia (840 miles south of Traverse City) Grade: Junior at Northern Illinois University Position: Utility Player (infield and outfield)

PHOTOS COURTESY OF K AM SMITH

INTERVIEW BY ERIN LUTKE

Kam, a junior at Northern Illinois University, is headed North for the summer as a utility player for the Traverse City Pit Spitters. As a baseball fan and former Battle Creek Bomber staffer, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kam earlier this spring as he prepares for a summer Up North. Between “yes, ma’am” and “no, ma’am” I was treated to Southern hospitality and the best pre-game ritual I’ve ever heard. Let’s play ball!

When did you start playing baseball?

Age three because my dad was a coach in high school. I followed in my grandfather’s, dad’s and uncle’s footsteps. Baseball has been in our family for a long time.

What’s your favorite baseball memory?

I have two: The first was being at home watching Derek Jeter run across the field, cut a ball off and redirect it to home plate. And then watching him dive into the stands. My second favorite memory is wearing my dad’s number in college.

Have you ever played in a collegiate baseball league before?

Yes ma’am. I played in both the Cal Ripken League and the Prospect League. I’m no stranger to going new places! 4 Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

11

up north | what's up

What’s your pre-game ritual?

It starts with sleeping in my uniform.

Then I dance to some music and “do my makeup,” which is putting my eyeblack on. Finally, I text my mom and dad and tell them I love them. But if they are at the game, I hug and kiss them. I say a little prayer and I’m ready to play!

What’s your favorite baseball snack?

Oh, if I’m watching a game, it would be fries. But if I’m playing, it’s got to be sunflower seeds.

Do you know all the words to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game?”

I think I do actually! I’ve probably heard it well over 1,000 times.

Have you ever been to Michigan?

Only once. My brother plays football at the University of Michigan and I went to a game against Penn State. All I remember was that it was really cold.

What have you heard about Northern Michigan?

People says it’s a great vacation spot and it’s near water, which is good because I grew up on the beach.

Traverse City is the cherry capital of the world... What is your state known for?

Hmmm… They grow berries in Virginia, but honestly, Virginia is for Lovers, that’s what I tell people. (He laughs.)

How far do you think you can spit a cherry pit?

Oh man. If I stood at home plate, I think I can get it right at the cutout. But I’ve never tried, so this summer I’ll have to.

We’ll hold you to that, Kam. Good luck this season! See the full interview at MyNorth.com/KamSmith.

Erin Lutke is Marketing Director at Traverse. erin@mynorth.com

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MyNorth.com

what's up | up north

MICHIGAN HISTORY

CONTENT RESOURCED FROM A PUBLICATION OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSIT Y (MICHIGAN LOG MARKS – MEMOIR BULLETIN NO. 4) AND USED WITH THE PERMISSION OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSIT Y. © 1941 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSIT Y ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

For the Love of Log Marks For 19th century loggers, springtime was shipping time. As soon as the rivers thawed and the floods came, lumberjacks rolled the season’s yield of cut logs to nearby rivers and lakes to float them to the mill. An 1859 law required each company to mark the end faces of their logs with a distinct symbol, and each log mark had to be registered with the county. That way, the mill could easily differentiate between companies. Still, thieves often tampered with the marks by cutting them off and affixing their own. These are a few of our favorite designs—featured in the book Michigan Log Marks, originally published in 1941 by the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. —Molly Korroch

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

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Bradley J. Butcher, AIA bbutcher@sidockgroup.com 989.705.8400 • sidockgroup.com Novi • Wyandotte • Lansing Muskegon • Gaylord • Sault Ste. Marie featured on

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PHOTO COURTESY OF PICTURED ROCKS K AYAKING // INSET PHOTO BY TODD ZAWISTOWSKI

what's up | up north

GREAT LAKES

Kayak Pictured Rocks

MAN OF STEEL: MEET ONAWAY’S TOM MORAN OF MORAN IRON WORKS...

Tom Moran is a proverbial Jack-of-all-trades: industrial welder, avant-garde artist, and a bona fide son of a lumberjack. Jeff Smith—former editor of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine— visited Moran’s Onaway workshop, Moran Iron Works, where both giant metal sculptures and even more giant marine vessels are fabricated. Head to MyNorth.com/ManOfSteel

Kayaking is exploding in the U.P., in part thanks to Pictured Rocks Kayaking, which offers guided tours and transports guests from the docks in Munising to the famous sandstone cliffs towering up to 600 feet above Lake Superior. This summer, a new custom boat built by Onaway’s Moran Iron Works, with two kayak launches onboard, will make it easier for paddlers to experience more of the lakeshore's attractions, including Miners Castle, Chapel Rock and Grand Portal. The 64-foot-long vessel will have room for 72 passengers and 36 two-person kayaks. Moran Iron Works, a national custom steel fabricator specializing in work for marine, mining and other industries, has built numerous boats—barges, ferries, research ships—but this is the first of its kind on the Great Lakes, says Cora McLennan, the company’s marketing and public relations coordinator. “Each boat serves a different purpose. They’re all unique. Our tagline for this project is ‘Inspired by Michigan.’” —Ross Boissoneau Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

15

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HANG OUT WITH US BEYOND THE PAGES

ADVENTURE AWAITS Grab a buddy and your car keys—let's hit the road! Our Tunnel of Trees scavenger hunt is the perfect way to kick off May in Northern Michigan. Get your adventure map at MyNorth.com/roadtrip19

FEATURED EVENTS

5/2 - 18 THE WHO'S TOMMY Old Town Playhouse

YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

5/9 PETOSKEY UNCORKED!

#MyNorth

Petoskey Wine Region

5/18 THE ERNIE PYLE SHOW

We love to see your adventures.

Follow and tag @MyNorthMedia for a chance to be featured in Traverse Magazine.

Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts

5/18 - 19 MURDER MYSTERY DINNER THEATRE

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Erickson Center for the Arts

5/25 MICHIGAN BEER & BRAT FESTIVAL Crystal Mountain

5/31 MICHIGAN SPACE FORUM Hagerty Conference Center

For more information visit MyNorthTickets.com.

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Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

17

Design and construction work best when Bay Area Contracting and BAC Design Group collaborate and forge their ideas together.

bac-tc.com | bacdesigntc.com

TIX Look for this symbol in our events listings and get your tickets at MyNorthTickets.com.

May E D I T E D B Y L I B B Y S TA L L M A N

THU

2

Nature | The Three Tenors of

Climate Change use personal stories and long-term studies to bring their message to audiences across the nation. Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. greatlakescfa.org

FRI

Art | Michigan Artists

SAT

And More | Voted one of

3

4

SAT

4

Gallery presents The Art of Coming Undone: 30+ artists interpreting the work of NYC artist Daniel Belardinelli, coincides with the Downtown Traverse City Art Walk, 5-9pm. michiganartistsgallery.com the “Top 100 Comedians of All Time,” don’t miss a night of stand-up with Paul Reiser at the City Opera House, Traverse City. cityoperahouse.org

And More | Ring in spring with the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail and indulge your senses with scrumptious food and wine pairings. Self-guided tour. May 4-5. MyNorthTickets.com

WED

And More | Make and take

SAT

Music | Gopherwood

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11

FRI

17

a gorgeous May Day basket!

Participants learn about this forgotten tradition and create their own. Traverse City. botanicgarden.org welcomes back Chris Buhalis to the stage for a solo house concert performance. This thoughtful singer/songwriter from Ann Arbor will surely warm your heart! Cadillac.

MyNorthTickets.com

12 THU

16

Sports | Vasa Domigos is a

TUE

And More | Join leaders from

SAT

Festivals | Kick off summer

21

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Nature | Explore the trails and

spring wildflowers on a mountain bike with Little Traverse Land Conservancy’s Women in the Wild Series at the Goodhart Farms Nature Preserve. Beginner to advanced riders welcome.

5:30-6:30pm. landtrust.org

Asparagus Festival in Empire celebrates this weekend with a dance, pig roast, recipe contest and a 5K Kick Yer Ass-paragus Fun Run/Walk. empirechamber.com

SUN

19

SUN

Festivals | The annual

25

youth/family-friendly, mountain bike ride every Sunday at noon.

All ages and abilities are welcome to meet at the VASA singletrack trail head off Supply Road. elgruponorte.org around the state and nation to connect and collaborate at the Michigan Clean Energy Conference.

Hagerty Center, Traverse City. groundworkcenter.org at Crystal Mountain’s Michigan Beer & Brat Festival. Enjoy live entertainment while sampling an enormous selection of local microbrews, hard cider, wine and brats from Michigan markets.

MyNorthTickets.com

MON

FIND MORE AT MYNORTH.COM > EVENTS

27

MEMORIAL DAY

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

19

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may | events

Off The Wall Movie Night : 2

Potluck dinner at 6pm, movie starts at 7pm. Free. Alden Library, 231.331.4318, for details. aldenlib.info

Save yourself a trip.

Call ahead to verify all times and dates. Find more events at MyNorth.com

Kids

Find More Kids events at MyNorth.com

Book Release Party with Brianne Farley: 18

Charlotte The Scientist Finds A Cure: Empowering story about a smart, confident bunny encourages girls to be persistent and believe in themselves. Illustrator Brianne Farley visits Horizon Books in downtown Traverse City, 11:30am. horizonbooks.com

$369,900 1857889

Literary

Find more Literary events at MyNorth.com.

Spring Author Series at the Charlevoix Public Library:7, 14, 21

Art

Find more Art events at MyNorth.com.

Arts & Crafts Show in Elk Rapids: 25

Located in the heart of the village adjacent to beautiful Elk Rapids Harbor, the show features more than 70 different artisans who display, sell, and demonstrate their work. elkrapidschamber.org

Dance

Find more Dance events at MyNorth.com.

NMC Dance Mix 2019: 5

Join Director Dorothy Eisenstein and NMC’s Dance Department for a delightful program featuring choreography by NMC faculty, students, and guest artists.

Milliken Auditorium, Traverse City. MyNorthTickets.com

Fairs, Festivals and Holidays

Find more Fairs, Festivals and Holiday events at MyNorth.com.

National Morel Mushroom Festival: 16-19

Craft beer block party, guided mushroom hunts and seminars, Morel Fest Wine & Dine, carnival, Run For Their Lives Humane Society 5K, craft show, live music and dancing. Prizes in a variety of categories. Boyne City. bcmorelfestival.com 14th Antrim County Petoskey Stone Festival: 25

The best gem and mineral vendors in the Great Lakes, a free Kid's Trout Fishing Pond, stone skipping contest, 5K fun run, Coast Guard search and rescue demonstration, Petoskey stone hunt, K9 Unit demo, Rebecca Lessard with the Wings of Wonder, food and live music provided by Kenny Thompson! Barnes Park, Eastport, 231.533.8363, petoskeystonefestival.com St. Ignace Native American Festival: 25-26

Drummers, dancers, traditional food that dates back centuries, the smell of sacred medicines and the feel of birch bark, porcupine quills and other materials used for both function and artistry. The event is held on the grounds of the Museum of Ojibwa Culture, St. Ignace, and festival activities are free to all visitors. 906.643.6950, stignace.com

Film

Find more Film events at MyNorth.com.

Wrestle: 2

An inspiring coming-of-age portrait of the wrestling team at a struggling high school in Huntsville, Alabama. As they fight for the state championship, wrestlers face injustices and challenges on and off the mat, grappling with obstacles that jeopardize their success, while their coach wades into the complexities of class and race in the South. Dennos Museum Center, Traverse City. dennosmuseum.org

May 7: Jerry Dennis; May 14: Mardi Jo Link; May 21: Barbara Stark-Nemon. charlevoixlibrary.org

SWAROVSKI

Music

Find more Music events at MyNorth.com.

Concerts at Red Sky Stage: 10, 13

Coffeehouse-style performing arts venue in downtown Petoskey’s Gaslight District featuring live music, poetry, comedy, drama, painting and other arts. May 10, Dave Boutette and Kristi Lynn Davis perform American roots, pop, folk, blues, swing, and old time country. May 13, singer, songwriter, kazoo and guitar-playing hobo, DB Rouse is an American musician from Milwaukee.

MyNorthTickets.com

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EL BINOCULARS

Northern Michigan Brass Band Spring Concert : 5

This is a 28-piece British-style brass band, playing an eclectic mix of traditional brass band classics, marches, transcriptions, featured solos, contest pieces, pop and jazz.

United Methodist Church, St. Ignace. MyNorthTickets.com

Nature

Find more Nature events at MyNorth.com.

Free Observation Nights at The Headlands: 6, 11, 25

Now there is no reason not to enjoy FIRST CLASS! 223 St. Joseph

(231) 271-6033

(M22) Suttons Bay, MI

All dates are weather-permitting. Real-time remote observatory telescope viewing from the main level big screen monitors. The Headlands staff has telescopes available on the outside viewing platform if conditions allow. Professional star gazers and astronomers, enhance your viewing experience with guidance and answers to many of your questions. Bring your own binoculars or telescopes to see more. Headlands International Dark Sky Park, Mackinaw City. midarkskypark.org

Sports

Find more Sports events at MyNorth.com.

Yoga Retreat Weekend in Leland: 2-5

Join Michael McCarthy on his 6th Annual Northern Michigan Retreat! Held at the historic Leland Lodge, located in the heart of Leelanau. His challenging, yet restorative teaching style provides for a blend and variety in each class. michaelmccarthyretreats.com

Theater

Find more Theater events at MyNorth.com.

Pride & Prejudice: 2-4 Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. ltct.org

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MAY ’19

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may | events

Weathervane Terrace Inn & Suites Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre: 18

Escape into an imaginary world while you figure out “who dunnit”! Local actors, lots of fun interaction and laughs. Ticket includes a fabulous four-course dinner and non-alcoholic beverages. Erickson Center for the Arts, Curtis. MyNorthTickets.com

And More

rated hotel in • Only downtown Charlevoix • Complimentary continental breakfast • Largest seasonal outdoor heated pool • Indoor hot tubs and fireplaces • Year-round indoor 8-person hot tub • Some balconies with views of lake or bridge • Complimentary Wi-Fi

www.weathervane-chx.com • info@weathervane-chx.com 111 Pine River Ln., Charlevoix • 231.547.9955

Find more events at MyNorth.com.

An Evening of Pop Art: 10

80’s-inspired evening raising funds for Leelanau Montessori Public School Academy. Live and silent auction, 80's style buffet followed by 80's music from 3 Sheets and late-night karaoke! Starry Night Barn and Studios. Suttons Bay. MyNorthTickets.com Black Star Farms Premium Wine & Cheese Tasting: 1-31

Guided table service tasting includes six wines chosen to complement your palate, along with a souvenir glass, an artisan cheese board with house-made crackers and chocolate. Sutton Bay location only. MyNorthTickets.com Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Fundraiser: 16

Help raise funds to inspire a love of reading! All money raised from this event will go directly to funding the books purchased to mail to children in the Grand Traverse Region. $50 per person includes dinner at Boone's Long Lake Inn and a silent auction with many great items! MyNorthTickets.com Hats Off To Women Luncheon: 1

Zonta Club of Traverse City celebrates the leadership and contributions of women in our community. Enjoy this special luncheon with friends. Hat contest and door prizes! MyNorthTickets.com Petoskey UnCorked!: 9

All 12 Petoskey Wine Region member wineries gather for the first time to UNCORK their new name, a new mobile app and their amazing wines from the Tip of the Mitt AVA! Great Lakes Center for the Arts. MyNorthTickets.com Blossom Day: 18

Celebrate the new season of blossoms, beauty and bounty on Old Mission! Enjoy fresh, spring-inspired food pairings at each winery. Savor delicious and diverse experiences from nine renowned wineries, including some new releases, barrel or tank tastings, or a chance to chat with winemakers. wineriesofomp.com NMC Barbecue: 19

The annual event brings thousands of people to NMC's main campus for an old-fashioned picnic and a chance to see their community college, with about 5,432 meals served at the 63rd annual barbecue in 2018.

MyNorthTickets.com

! s k r o w Fire

MACKINAW CITY

Every Friday Night at Dusk Over Lake Huron

Beginning Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend.

Glen Lake Restaurant Week: Apr. 26- May 4

Don’t miss the 5th annual foodie event happening in Leelanau County. Participating establishments offer appetizing 3-course menus from $25-$35. Call ahead with questions and to make reservations. visitglenarbor.com

Libby Stallman is calendar editor of Traverse. Enter your event information at MyNorth.com/events two to three months prior to event date. Questions or more information email Libby@mynorth.com.

15 Minute Ferry Ride to Mackinac Island • Sandy Beaches Lakeview Room • Romantic Getaways • Beach Sunsets

Walk to: Ferry Lines • Attractions • Restaurants • Shopping • Night Life

Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau 800-666-0160 • mackinawcity.com

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

23

Imagine Your Dream Cottage Here!

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Jerri Kindlinger Manager 231-645-5020

Introducing The Duplex at Chelsea Park II Privacy and location are key when it comes to the tranquil setting of Chelsea Park II. These 2BR/2BA, one-story condominiums offer a full, walk-out basement, natural gas fireplace, and twocar garage. Quality construction with updated amenities such as heated tile floor in the master bath and quartz counter-tops throughout. There is still time to pick your finishes! All exterior maintenance, lawn care, and snow removal included in your low monthly association dues.

Maintenance-free living at its best!

Look for our model in the HBA Parade of Homes June 13-16, 2019

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what to do | travel BRYS ESTATE

BLOSSOM SEASON ON THE WINE COAST While the peninsulas are in bloom, take advantage of May’s early-season deals and events—with a glass of vino in hand, of course.

PHOTO BY DAVE WEIDNER

TEXT BY COURTNEY JEROME

SIP NEW RELEASES

JOIN THE FESTIVITIES

Spend some extra time in not-as-crowded tasting rooms, chat with winemakers and discover new favorites before the wave of summer travelers arrive. On the Leelanau Peninsula, Rove Estate is releasing Cuvée Rosé on May 1. The tasting room, which sits at the highest point in Leelanu County, is releasing a total of eight new wines this spring—including the 2017 Pinot Noir and the much-anticipated return of the Estate Sauvignon Blanc which sold out last year. In Leland, Verterra Wine Club members will get to be the first to try Michigan’s first-ever 100 percent locally grown and bottled malbec— Verterra’s 2016 Malbec. The tasting room will also have two brand new rosé vintages. ROVEESTATE.COM; VERTERRAWINERY.COM

Leelanau County welcomes the warmth of May with small bites and wine pairings every year during Spring Sip & Savor (May 4-5). On Old Mission Peninsula, enjoy Blossom Day on May 18. This year, the event welcomes a new winery, Tabone Vineyards. Also new, the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula are coming together to celebrate Rosé Between the Bays on June 8. Start summer off right at the peninsula block party and soak up lakeside vibes. Wineries will have yard games, live music, artists, classic cars and more. Turn the event into a weekend getaway, the chateau way. Book a room at Chateau Chantal or Chateau Grand Traverse.

SCORE A DEAL

RELAX ON THE DECK

You’ll catch spring’s blooms throughout your scenic drive from winery to winery. But why does it have to end there? Stay the night in the heart of wine country. Take advantage of Michigan Wine Month lodging specials including spectacular shoulderseason rates at Inn the Pines B&B in Lake Leelanau and a 15% discount throughout the month of May at historic Old Mission Inn in celebration of its 150th birthday. INNTHEPINESBANDB.COM;

Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery is nearly doubling its current seating capacity with an expansion of its upper deck this spring. Guests are treated to spectacular views of the Old Mission vineyard and East Grand Traverse Bay from the deck and Sky Bar—which will remain open during construction.

We recommend the frosé. Expect the project to be completed around Memorial Day weekend. BRYSESTATE.COM

MYNORTHTICKETS.COM; LPWINES.COM; WINERIESOFOMP.COM

OLDMISSIONINN.COM

Courtney Jerome and her husband, Josh, have two young boys who love to splash in Lake Leelanau. A former award-winning TV producer at WCMU, senior web editor for MyNorth Media and station manager of UpNorthTV, Courtney has now started her own media company. courtneyjeromemedia.com

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

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....The The W ater is easy to find.

TheW ateris iseasy easyto tofind. find. ater ..The The ater is easy to find.

PUT THE #1 REALTOR W ater is easy The W ater isSELLING easy to to find. find.

3013 Grebe Court, Arcadia Boaters!! Here is an exceptional ARCADIA LAKEFRONT home in a wonderful nature-filled community! 151 ft of frontage with a year-round dock for at least a 34-ft boat on ARCADIA LAKE, which channels out to LAKE MICHIGAN. 4-BR/3-BA, 2-level solid home with an exceptional open floor plan that offers one-floor living with a master suite and laundry on the main floor ... plus a wonderful lower level for guests and family. Attached 2-car heated garage, gas fireplace, newer central air (2018), newer water heater (2017), 3 newer sliding glass doors (2017), irrigation system and kayak storage under the massive deck. Here you are also minutes from Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course and some of the very best hiking and biking trails in Northern Michigan. $545,000

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MyNorth.com

essay | up in michigan

How to Stamp a Robin Yep, it’s really a thing. Especially for this Michigan family.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEREDITH

TEXT BY MEREDITH COUNTS

I’m not sure who first showed my grandma how to stamp the first spring robin. It is not a skill mentioned in Birds of North America, but because she taught me, I can tell you how to do it, and why.

Here in Michigan, where Marilyn always lived, not all robins migrate southward for winter. Some robins stay put and winter here, amid groups of other birds, blending in. But unlike a hardy cardinal who will brighten a snowy view, or a crow who doesn't care when you see or hear it, the state bird stays mostly out of sight, out of mind until springtime.

When spring arrives depends very much on where you live. It warms up earlier downstate, where Marilyn and Ed lived. Sometimes March really does go out like a lamb down there, and robins show up earlier. Spring, and spring robins, come a few weeks later in Frankfort, where they spent summers, and warmth comes later yet up in Hermansville, the tiny town on the U.P.’s border with Wisconsin where Marilyn was born. A December

baby, she liked to tell the story of the country doctor who came into their house stomping the snow off his boots, cleaned his fingernails with his knife, delivered her and went right back out into the woods again.

If you "stamp" the first robin you see once the snows melt, it will bring good luck. You can do this even if you are not very superstitious. Marilyn had an aunt who read the tea leaves from the bottom of a China cup, and it was fun, but she didn’t put much stock in it.

Annotations in her cookbooks all deal with measurements, never improvisation. If Ed hadn't insisted she stay home because his job at General Motors "was enough," Marilyn said she would have liked to become a librarian.

This all to say, even the data-minded can celebrate spring by stamping a robin.

Here’s how: When you see the first robin, you lick the pad of one thumb and grind it into the opened-flat palm of your other hand, as if securing the kind of stamp that needs licking on the "envelope" of your hand. That's it. The missive need not be addressed, appar-

ently the stamp knows where it's going.

The only other thing that needs doing is to telephone a couple of loved ones, whom you’ve taught to stamp robins, and let them know that you've done it.

If you're the first to do it, you should alert the others that it's time. If they beat you to the stamping, you let them know anyway because it's something good to talk about.

Don't worry about missing your chance. Once the mission is ingrained in you, you will always know, as soon as that robin appears, to stamp it. You’ll spot the orange flag of its breast against the slush-gray end of winter. Lick your thumb and use it to stamp your other palm and make it official. It is satisfying to do so, like balancing your checkbook to the penny, but better because you are a group and the forsythia will blossom any day now.

Meredith Counts is one of the founding editors of Dead Housekeeping, where a version of this essay first appeared. Her grandma, Marilyn Grahl, renewed her Traverse subscription every year around Christmas time.

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

27

Harbor Springs Waterfront Home

Bay Harbor Waterfront Home

6332 Lower Shore Drive, Harbor Springs

4110 Peninsula Drive, Bay Harbor

7 bedrooms | 7 full baths, 2 half baths | 10,803 Sq. Ft. 200’ on Lake Michigan | New construction

$10,850,000 - 6332lowershore.com

7 bedrooms | 7 1/2 baths | 10,000 Sq. Ft. 131’ on Lake Michigan and 130’ on Bay Harbor Lake

$7,900,000 - 4110peninsuladrive.com

Walloon Lake | Bay Harbor | Lake Charlevoix | Burt Lake | Mullett Lake | Petoskey | Harbor Springs

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3275 Village Harbor, Bay Harbor 5 bedrooms - 4 full baths, 2 half baths 5,000 Sq. Ft. - Private dock $1,995,000

4970 Longfield Farm, Boyne City 4 bedrooms | 4 1/2 baths 3,000 Sq. Ft. - Private dock $1,800,000

3990/3991 Peninsula Dr., Bay Harbor 4 bedrooms that are all suites Private dock - 3 car garage $6,200,000

* According to NMMLS by volume sold | Office address: 325 E. Lake Street, Petoskey, MI

R E A L E S T A T E // 2 0 1 9

IF YOU DREAM OF OWNING A HOME, COTTAGE OR PROPERTY UP NORTH, THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE ARE MANY PATHS TO HAPPINESS! WE HAVE THE BEST INSIGHTS AND FRESH THINKING FROM REAL ESTATE EXPERTS—PLUS A FEW SAVVY HOMEOWNERS—TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR TRUE FIT. TEXT BY KANDACE CHAPPLE

I’D LOVE TO LIVE...

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

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30

MyNorth.com BEAR LAKE // MAE STIER

MAE STIER

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AU SABLE RIVER // COURTNEY KENT

R E A L E S T A T E // 2 0 1 9

For a vacation home that you’ll also rent out, look for at least three or, better yet, four bedrooms. Families often gather and vacation together. You’ll want to be able to sleep at least two adult couples comfortably, plus multiple kids. Other things to look for? Walkability to resort or downtown amenities, dining and living areas that can seat as many folks as the home can sleep, a closet where you can stash away your personal items when your home is in use by a renter, and ample parking for a few SUVs. Look for listings that mention being “turn-key,” as that usually means that most or all of the furnishings are included. And, homes at resorts with ski facilities also come with the added benefit of a more balanced, year-round income stream.

More and more people are visiting Northwestern Michigan to see what we have to offer. Word has spread to places like Texas, New York and California, and they want to see firsthand what they’ve heard so much about. They’ll come up with extended family and friends and rent a place for a couple days… and a vast majority of them will return again. Word is spreading about Michigan!

Wally Kidd, Owner, Kidd & Leavy Real Estate, Petoskey

Joan O’Neill, Realtor, Crystal Mountain Realty, Thompsonville

Check into homeowner associations before you buy. They may not allow you to proceed with your rental income plans on that lake home investment you just bought. We have a client that makes over $40K per year in vacation rentals. His association on Strawberry Lake near Reed City does not have a clause prohibiting this, so it works great!

Make sure your property has a place for the kids to play on a rainy day. A separate family room, screen house, gazebo, or even a garage with a pingpong table saves a vacation.

Ian Volchoff, Broker, Trophy Class Real Estate, Muskegon, Grand Haven, Cadillac

Frida Waara, Realtor, REMAX 1st Realty, Marquette

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MyNorth.com

COURTESY OF THE MINERVINI GROUP

RENTAL UNIT IN THE HISTORIC VILLAGE AT GRAND TRAVERSE COMMONS, TRAVERSE CITY // RESERVATIONS: 231.941.1961 OR VISIT THEIR WEBSITE: KIRKBRIDEHALL.COM/STAY

Marquette has some dandy east-side historic homes. Ask for a summary on utility costs. That will help you gauge the cost of “operating” rather than just “owning” a historic home.

Frida Waara, Realtor, REMAX 1st Realty, Marquette

traveled in from Chicago to vacation there. Plus Arcadia is the home of Harriet Quimby, the first woman to gain a pilot’s license in the United States. I took flying lessons and soloed a plane here at Manistee’s Blacker Airport, so I have a huge appreciation for this fun fact!

Suzanne Riley, Owner/Broker of CENTURY 21 Boardwalk, Manistee/Onekama

Northport Point is a private, charming community located at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. It was developed in 1899 as a summer vacation destination for many big-city families from the Midwest and East Coast. Today there are a handful of year-round residents but it is primarily used as a summer retreat. It is made up of 100 homes on a wooded peninsula surrounded by the waters of Grand Traverse Bay. One of the largest cottages on the Point dating back to 1915 once belonged to George and Ellen Dryden — she was the niece of Eastman Kodak founder George Eastman.

Kimberly Bork, Realtor & Partner, Venture Properties, Leland

After living in Manistee for 25+ years, I’m still finding some gems that pop up for sale! Onekama is home to the historic Portage Point Inn, built in 1903. It has stories of Al Capone and others who

I absolutely adored living in the historic Village at Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City. I live in Seattle now but still get to visit my little condo every now and then. You really can’t beat heading down to the coffee shop in your slippers while the rest of the world is in a blizzard. It’s great for renting out to summer visitors and as a place for my husband and I to rest our heads on trips back home. The condo is only 320 square feet, but you have the rest of Building 50 to wander. Surprisingly, it’s not the smallest unit in the Village, but it’s definitely not the largest! I used to help out with the historic tours when I was there... serving as the caboose so people wouldn’t get lost in the underground tunnels.

Erin Spaulding, homeowner, Traverse City and Seattle

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DAVE WEIDNER 34

MyNorth.com

One time I was touring a potential buyer relocating from Iowa to Gaylord, and he asked where the nightlife was, so I drove him past the soccer fields! We are known for snow and are a golf MECCA. Otsego Club and Treetops Resort are both close to town. And there’s one thing you can’t get anywhere else: Elk! Elk are abundant east of town, and the City of Gaylord owns Aspen Park where a large herd of elk live. I took my girls there often when they were little.

Just sit in the car and watch.

Lesa Jarski, Broker/Owner, Real Estate One, Gaylord

Walkable neighborhoods like Traverse City and Suttons Bay are amazing. Like-aged neighbors can encourage children from a young age to get outside and see their friends. Picking a home that is close to things to do or places to go can also encourage families to spontaneously choose an activity like hiking, walking downtown, grabbing an ice cream cone or sticking their toes in the sand at a nearby park, for quality time together. For outdoor lovers, the best place to raise a family might be on a large parcel of land to explore and build a tree fort!

Ann Porter, Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors, Traverse City

I think many people today feel isolated from others even when they are surrounded by many. Come to Grand Marais! You’re not only welcome, but valued. Living in a small town at the end of the road, with Lake Superior in the backyard, makes for a tight-knit community that is welcoming to visitors and new arrivals. We need one another, and that is reflected in our values of getting along and accepting others.

Nicole Darrow, Associate Broker/Owner, Big Lake Real Estate, Grand Marais

Schools are a priority for many, but that’s not as big of a deal now with “school of choice,” where families can enroll in school districts outside the county they live in. When talking to families, proximity to schools often comes up. If you live farther out, then you have to be organized and plan ahead. If the kids forget something, it’s not as easy to resolve!

TESS CROWLEY

Lesa Jarski, Associate Broker and Owner, Real Estate One, Gaylord

Manistee offers good schools, the Armory Project Youth Center, dance, music and theater at the Historic Ramsdell Theatre, Vogue Theatre, and beach and river access all within a mile of any residence in the city limits.

Virginia (Gini) Pelton, Century 21 Boardwalk, Manistee

Kandace Chapple is a freelance writer in Interlochen.

Visit her at kandacechapple.com

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

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The Moral of the Morel

MOREL MADNESS. Catch the fever.

MyNorth.com/everythingmorel

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MyNorth.com

e call each other “’shroomers” as we set about ’shrooming in sacred, secret swales of aspen, ash and at times, red pines. But they are mysterious creatures, finding their way at times into driveways or city parks, newly dumped garden mulch and moss.

Inevitably during the season someone will inquire about your luck. I recommend we be wary of such conversation, lest we find ourselves empty-handed in seasons to come, even when asked straight up, which happens all the time. It begins with: “Been ’shroomin’?”

“Yep.” “How’d you do?”

“Pretty well.”

“Where’d you go?”

And here, I suggest you say: “North a bit,” if you were east, or “East of town,” if you were north.

My parents were not mushroom hunters, so, unlike the locales I inherited from my father’s grouse and fly-fishing experience, my education in mushroom hunting and the collection of secret spots were entirely on me in middle and high school.

I remember finding my first huge white morel. I was probably 12 and on my way home from a haircut when I nearly stepped on it in Pennsylvania Park, downtown Petoskey, all by itself. I found one, remarkably, on a sandy hillside at the Winter Sports Park, where it had no business growing.

Then I tagged along with friends. Once I cooked up what I found, I was hooked.

As my obsession grew I still did not know quite where to search, but I did occasionally hear friends, acquaintances and random strangers spill the beans about their favorite locations, sometimes relayed cryptically. I learned to always keep my ears and eyes open, and mouth shut. Soon, I became familiar with the smell and appearance of morel habitat and found new swales of aspen and stands of ash trees where the ground was right.

It helped that some grouse habitat could possibly support morels. Even now, after hitting my honey spots, I try to search out new territories that have not already been discovered, but it’s getting harder. ’Shrooming is a pursuit improved by practice, but some seem incapable of

discovery despite repeated attempts.

Perhaps visual acuity and patience are not everyone’s strong suits, but I have seen experienced ’shroomers come through after others have worked a spot and find plenty. It becomes a matter of reading the earth, pattern recognition and genuine luck.

The surface of the morel mushroom looks like a random pattern of heavily traveled, pitted, crisscrossing trails, and is ingrained in my head to the point that even glimpses of hidden bits of a mushroom turn my head. Then, once I find one, I’m methodical and painstakingly slow in my search, spending hours in complete focus, lost in time.

I saunter, scanning, carrying a long, straight, probing stick. New plant and mushroom growth push the winter’s blanket of dead leaves upward in inchhigh mounds, before they break through to sunlight, so I read the ground’s contours like a loamy, runic language, lifting raised leaves to see what hides beneath.

Upon discovery, I do not race over to pick since most often if there is one, there are more. So instead, I lay down the mushroom stick pointing at mushroom number one, and set my hat down like the center of a compass. I look down and behind myself— surprised how often, in spotting the first, I had missed others close by, sometimes at my feet—scanning from there, standing and squatting, marking any others I see on the compass round, before picking the first one last.

Where I live, there are two waves of morels: the early blacks, appearing not long after the first warmth of April, then the whites, yellow and grays that can be found just as the blacks fade away, growing some years into early June. I have a favorite spot for the early black morels, the morchella angusticeps, which I have learned are impossible with the eye to distinguish from the smaller septentrionalis only found north of the 45th parallel in the Great Lakes region, including Minnesota.

Yellow and grays, morchella esculentoides, I have read, are in fact the same species at different stages of maturity. I still find this hard to believe, but evidently DNA evidence says so. Now that we have such chromosomal evidence and microscopic

analysis, scientists have discovered dozens of subspecies and believe they will find even more. To me, in the end, this fascinating information has little bearing on the fact that they are all delicious in omelets and on steaks—assuming they can make it in time from the frying pan to the plate before consumption, especially when fried with just a bit of butter and salt.

Every spring ’shroomers pour over the landscape like the ’49ers in the Gold Rush, both wanting to know where others find them, and wanting to protect their hard-earned secret spots as much as any prospector would. But most have to scour public land they may have to share with others. I have found there are those who earned their ’shrooms through hard effort and prospecting, and those who poach by looking for parked cars on the side of roads, assuming from there that the picking must be good. In the early days I was guilty of poaching. But that was 40 years ago. Now I’m just an old hypocrite, forgetful of my early sins.

Since then, I’ve sworn not to poach from others, and to keep to spots I’ve found to myself, hoping (though doubting) that others will adopt the belief that invading another’s hard-earned secret spots should be a thou shalt not on the level of the big ten.

I admit, maybe in the end it’s to protect my own greed, but if someone discovers a new patch of morels, I want to think it should be theirs. To be sure, I have learned to park away from where I hunt, particularly if I can park where poachers will find barren earth.

Then, for the eating… Several times in the past, in banner years, I tried to dry them for fall and winter but I didn’t like them reconstituted much, so I tried freezing them, but learned I couldn’t stand the dissatisfaction in the approximate taste to the fresh morel.

So, carpe diem—it is sweetest to await spring, celebrate the morel’s return, and eat them all with friends and family, as soon as we can.

James McCullough teaches writing and literature at North Central Michigan College. // Melisa McKolay is an award-winning photographer specializing in lifestyle portraiture & wedding photojournalism. mckolayphoto.com

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WITH OVER 1 MILLION FOLLOWERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, LIFESTYLE BLOGGER MEGAN GILGER GETS ASKED A LOT: WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO THROW A GATHERING THAT IS BEAUTIFUL? TURNS OUT IT’S CONVERSATION, COMMUNITY, AND SEASONAL FOOD THAT FITS RIGHT IN.

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MyNorth.com

From their hillside home in Leelanau County, The Fresh Exchange—the husband-and-wife creative team of Mike and Megan Gilger—inspire fans and followers all over the world. Mike photographs and Megan candidly chronicles what they describe as intentional living in Northern Michigan’s seasons. “For us,” says Megan, “everything from food, to rituals, to clothes, to gathering—all became better when we became more aware of the seasons around us.”

It started from Megan’s parents’ basement, when Megan hit the publish button on the first blog post in 2010.

Mike and Megan were newly married, just out of college with creative degrees and trying to find a way to make ends meet in the recession. Doing design work they were not so passionate about by day, they craved a space for creative freedom. With Megan as the visionary and Mike as the business mind, they began partnering with brands of all types and crafting lifestyle content for their own blog, Instagram and Pinterest.

The Fresh Exchange was born. And soon was their son. At that time they were based in Raleigh, North Carolina, traveling the world to grow their lifestyle brand, and they made the decision to make Northern Michigan their

home. Because it was home: Megan’s parents reside in Manistee. Her family, particularly on her mom’s side, has been in Harbor Springs for generations.

Megan herself lived in Harbor Springs for her first seven years, returning every summer in her preteens and teens to stay with her aunts, uncles and cousins.

Coming back to Northern Michigan in adulthood, Megan found the seasons grounding, and as she describes it, life-giving. Wanting others to feel that acute sense of home, she started sharing more, and narrowed her blog content to what life was like for her as a new mom and creative spirit in a seasonal place. The Fresh Exchange found its true footing—and with it, a giant fandom (a following of 40,000+ solely on Instagram)—and together Megan and Mike put down roots on 10 hilly acres in the Leelanau County countryside.

“When we purchased our land it was with the intention that it would be a space to bring people together. We know the joy that a seasonal life has brought us so we want to share it ... in hopes it gives even an ounce to others,” Megan says.

A culture of gathering imprinted strongly on Megan in childhood— she credits her summers in Harbor

Springs and being raised the daughter of a pastor. Attending church events and having people over for meals and fellowship was part of life. “It taught me to be open, and to go beyond making small talk,” she says. “Make people feel welcome and see everyone as interesting.”

Megan’s grandmother, who came from an English background, entertained her own five children and all of their families at her home on Crooked Lake and later in Boyne Highlands. There were big home-cooked dinners with crisp linens and formally set tables.

“I helped at our family gatherings and watched my grandmother feed the hoards of us at her house. She always had precision to it, and I found it fascinating. But she did a good job of keeping things balanced between proper and laidback. Something I admire in her and still do.”

Thus, Megan’s gathering style: “I’m a huge believer in the act of gathering regularly, without expectation.

I urge people to ask, ‘What if we didn’t cook it all and instead asked others to help? What if it was about the coming together, and not about one individual feeling all the pressure?’ ” Whether it’s a dreamy sit-down dinner or blankets spread in the backyard for a potluck,

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THE FLAVORS THAT SPRING BRINGS ARE TENDER, GENTLE, BRIGHT AND SHARP ALL AT ONCE.

Megan champions an easygoing mindset and intentionally rides along with the seasons. “For me it’s about being present and being far from perfect, because those perfect moments never happen in anything too neatly put together... but rather where simplicity meets reality. That’s my theory anyway.”

Case in point, her annual women’s gathering. “It’s becoming a thing!” Megan laughs. “It’s a favorite gathering of the year.

It’s a potluck—a table full of inspiring and amazing women in the area...they don’t necessarily know each other to start, but afterward they definitely do.”

Megan says she cherishes the moment their talk switches over from basic chitchat to real conversations. “We talk about growing businesses, chasing dreams, trips that changed our lives, where we found beauty in ourselves and women that inspired us and why. Once you ask the right unique question, people open up. That makes me feel really good.”

And because everyone brings something to share or sip, at the end of the evening, there might be just a few blankets to 40

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fold and even fewer dishes to wash. Says Megan, “Focus your attention on each other, I promise your gatherings—and life—will unfold far more beautifully that way.”

Emily Tyra is editor of Traverse. emily@traversemagazine.com /Mae Stier is a lake-lover, writer and photographer living in Empire. You can find her on Instagram @maestier or at letterstolakemichigan.com

Introducing... The Collection The Fresh Exchange just debuted an online store with curated handmade products from the Great Lakes region. For Megan Gilger, supporting a community of creative people around her is something she feels lucky to do: “The store comes from years of living seasonally and gathering what we love and want in our home. The key is we’re focusing on making these goods with artisans in our area. My favorite part, though, is that these pieces will bring a piece of this place and life I love to your table.”

Check it out at shop.thefreshexchange.com

FOR HER WOMEN’S GATHERING, MEGAN GILGER SHARES RECIPES INSPIRED BY SPRING, AND HER OWN GRANDMOTHERS. “A LARGE PART OF WHO I AM COMES STRAIGHT OUT OF ENGLAND—BOTH SIDES OF MY FAMILY CAN BE TRACED BACK TO COMING OVER ON THE MAYFLOWER AS PILGRIMS.” HER UPDATE ON TRADITIONAL BRITISH MUSHY PEAS, TYPICALLY SERVED WITH FISH AND CHIPS, IS DELECTABLE WITH LOCALLY SMOKED SALMON. =

=

NEXT UP, A FRUIT FOOL, AN OLD-FASHIONED ENGLISH DESSERT CLASSICALLY MADE BY FOLDING STEWED FRUIT INTO SWEET CUSTARD. MEGAN’S IS MINIMALIST, GORGEOUS AND QUICK—USING SOFTLY WHIPPED CREAM AND CRUSHED COOKED RHUBARB. “THE FLAVORS THAT SPRING BRINGS ARE TENDER, GENTLE, BRIGHT AND SHARP ALL AT ONCE,” SHE SAYS. “THE BEAUTY OF EATING WITH THE SEASONS IS MOST OF THE FLAVORS COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER—IT IS HARD TO GO WRONG.”

SMOKED SALMON TOASTS WITH RICOTTA AND MASHED MINTY PEAS Makes 18–24 INGREDIENTS FOR MINTY PEAS 2 cups shelled fresh or frozen peas (from about 2 pounds fresh pods) K garlic clove N cup fresh mint leaves N cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Kosher salt INGREDIENTS FOR SMOKED SALMON TOAST 1 baguette, sliced to 1 inch thick K cup ricotta Smoked salmon Coarse salt and pepper Dill or chopped chives (optional) MAKE MINTY PEAS If peas are frozen cook them just to warm them through—bring to a simmer for a minute or two. Drain and place in food processor with garlic, mint, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Blend to a smooth and spreadable consistency.

RHUBARB AND CREAM Serves 6 RHUBARB SAUCE 4 cups chopped rhubarb K cup cane sugar K cup water MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM 2 cups heavy cream N cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla GARNISH 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped TO MAKE Place rhubarb, sugar and water in a saucepan and allow them to cook down to a sauce. Keep it on medium/low heat in order to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Make ahead of time so it can be served chilled.

Make whipped cream just before serving by placing all ingredients in a mixing bowl and using either a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the ingredients with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form.

Drizzle baguette slices with a little olive oil and toast in the oven.

Remove and spread with a small amount of ricotta and mashed peas. Layer on a small slice of smoked salmon. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper and garnish the whole platter with dill or chopped chives. (Microgreens would also do well here—preferably an herby blend of sorts.)

To serve the dish, place a scoop of whipped cream and top with a large spoonful of the rhubarb sauce and top with pistachios as a garnish.

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HEAD TO TRAVERSE CITY’S FRESHWATER BAYS, WHERE THESE BIG FISH ARE PLENTIFUL AND...BINGO! ONE’S ALREADY BITING. TEXT AND PHOTOS

BY DAN SHEPLER

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M

ornings this time of year are special. That stillness as the world slowly wakes up, before the hustle of the tourist season begins.

The sun, rising earlier and earlier each day, taking its sweet time to get high in the sky.

Mornings so perfect should only be spent with one activity—one that blends the awe-inspiring nature of Northern Michigan and a therapy session on the water.

I call up my favorite local fishing guide to find out what is happening on Grand Traverse Bay right now and to see what the availability is to get on the water. In the Grand Traverse area there are few guides more accomplished and knowledgeable than Ben Wolfe of Sport Fish Michigan.

Ben tells me that a Great Lakes native, the cisco, had experienced near extinction, but is back on the rise and thriving. Not only are the fish numbers on the climb, but also the average size of the fish in both bays—East and West—are significantly larger than ciscos found in other areas in the region. Intrigued? Scour the internet for this beautiful, metallic fish that you would expect to find in the ocean.

A few days later, I meet Ben bright and early at an East Bay boat launch. Thrilled to be getting out on the water, I begin to experience the jitters as we zip to a spot Ben knows. He pulls out a few rods and we start to fish. Even if we never catch a thing, just being out here is worth the experience. Immersing in the calmness and colors on the water, knowing that you’re out living while most are on shore, sound asleep. Being on the water for a sunrise is one of the most therapeutic events you can experience.

Within a few minutes of fishing, I hear Ben say “Oop! Just had a bite!” It bites again; this time finding itself hooked on the end of the line. Ciscos don’t pull especially hard, but the fight is just good ol’ fashion fun. Their scales shine and shimmer when the sun hits them just right, while their underbelly is white as snow. I snap a couple photos of the catch and sip my coffee with a smile. The cisco continue to bite and we find ourselves catching one after another for the next couple of hours. In almost disbelief about how good the action is, I ask Ben if this is normal. He kind of chuckles and says, “This is a little slow…you should

have been here yesterday.” He continues to explain that the cisco fishery is perfect for those who just want to have fun, catch fish, and take some delicious fillets home. Likewise, an excellent opportunity for parents to bring their kids to experience consistent action and find enjoyment in the sport.

We start to make our way back to the docks. Ben puts all of the rods and rest of the gear back in their proper places, getting the boat immaculately organized faster than I can put my camera equipment away.

He fires up the engine and we glide across the bay. I look around at the beautiful green shoreline, taking it in one last time as the morning’s highlights come back to mind.

Not often is it noon and you can already, with confidence, call it a day. Now time for some lunch! Fresh fish sounds good.

Daniel Shepler is a Traverse City native whose passion for capturing adventure has taken him all over the world writing and photographing for marketing and editorial projects. danieljshepler@gmail.com

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GEAR UP! BEN WOLFE OF SPORT FISH MICHIGAN SHARES HIS MUST-HAVES. R O D S Spinning or bait casting rod (depending upon preference) between 6.5 to 7 ft. long with medium strength power and a fast tip. This allows the angler to work the bait effectively and performs better than a slower action rod.

L I N E Braided line anywhere from 10-14 pound test with a 6-8 ft. fluorocarbon leader.

This is a recipe for not only strength but also sensitivity to feel bites at a distance.

The zero stretch nature of braided line allows for better hooksets at distance, while the smaller diameter will cut through the water column more efficiently, allowing the lure to sink faster. The fluorocarbon leader is a must. Water clarity in the early spring can be over 70 ft. on Grand Traverse Bay! C L O T H I N G Water temperatures are cool in the late spring and early summer, so dressing for the water temperature is always a better idea than dressing for the ambient, on-land temperature. Anglers often overlook the fact that any wind coming off water in the upper 30s to lower 50s will feel much cooler than the air temperature off the land. Layering as well as a quality jacket that will cut the wind can be crucial.

I love the Under Armour ColdGear series of clothing for its lightweight feel, and superior ability to keep core body temperatures warm. High-quality polarized sunglasses are also a must-have. We use Costa Del Mar for their premium polarized glass to not only be able to see into the water effectively, but also to help protect our eyes from any hooks that might be flying around.

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—Dan Shepler

Discover more Up North fishing spots + tips.

MyNorth.com/MIfish

PRO TIPS FOR CISCO CATCH ONE IF YOU CAN. THE GOOD NEWS IS, YOU CAN. LO O K F O R F I S H around flats and points anywhere from 15 ft. to 50 ft. Steep drops can be good at times, but a slower more gradual drop can congregate large numbers of ciscos.

W E G E N E R A L LY C A S T blade baits for aggressive strikes. To fish the blade bait, cast it out parallel to the break line, or slightly quartering it. Let it sink all the way down to the bottom, and hop retrieve it in a yo-yo fashion. Hop it, let it sink back down to the bottom. Hop it and let it sink. If ciscos are nearby, it usually doesn’t take very long before one grabs it as you lift the rod tip. It’s crucial to let it sink back down to the bottom on a semi-slack line. This allows the bait to fall properly, but also alerts us to any bites as it falls. Don’t be surprised if a passing lake trout or whitefish gobbles up your lure too. Vertical jigging blade baits and spoons can also work incredibly well. For this, a jigging spoon ranging from a half ounce up to an ounce will work well. Dropped below the boat, and jigged with a 12-18 inch popping motion of the rod, ciscos love this presentation, and so do lake trout and whitefish!

A K E S U R E YO U R B OAT and all of the safety equipment is up to date and in M good working order before you head out for a day. With recreational boat traffic at a minimum this time of year, flagging down another vessel to help may not always be an option. So make sure you have the required safety equipment on board, a marine radio and a fully-charged cell phone.

I T H CO L D WAT E R T E M P E R AT U R E S in the spring, make sure you tell W somebody what your plan is for the day. When and where you are going, as well as when you plan to return.

C I S CO S A R E A G R E AT way to enjoy a day on the water, and with aggressive bites and great eats, they are a favorite this time of year. Get out and be safe, so you can, most importantly, have fun.

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

45

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Dining RESTAURANT GUIDE | LOCAL TABLE | DRINKS

More New Restaurants | 49 Recipe: Apache Trout Grill Pesto | 51 New Releases: Old Mission Peninsula | 53

TEXT BY TIM TEBEAU

New Restaurants

WILLOW

PHOTO BY ANDY WAKEMAN

129 EAST BAY STREET, HARBOR SPRINGS | 231.412.6032 Yachts bobbing in a crystalline May chop on Little Traverse Bay or bright red beet agnolotti and green microshoots bathed in walnut buttermilk?

Forget what to order. Where to look is the prevailing conundrum at Willow, Harbor Springs’ progressive madefor-Instagram eatery that’s injected a refreshing dose of nouveau into the Tipp of the Mitt dining scene.

Led by chef brothers Chris and Daniel Rutkowski, Willow synthesizes the brothers’ big city bona fides and Michelin-starred kitchen work with the North’s bounty of small farms.

The menu is anchored by a few staple small plates and proteins, like Brussels sprouts with agave, lime and chile and beef filet with potato pavé, leek ash

and Detroit zip sauce. Meanwhile, a multitude of daily specials like cured king salmon with black cherry, lemon cucumber and fines herbes creme fraiche seize the flow of seasonal product. Read on this month as we get insight on local modern cuisine from Willow’s chef and highlight the North’s raft of new restaurants.

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY '19

47

A

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TO FINANCIAL ADVICE

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new restaurants | dining

ON THE ROAD

BROTHERS CHRIS (LEFT) AND DANIEL RUTKOWSKI

FOODIE FILE

Chris Rutkowski CHEF/OWNER | WILLOW

LEFT PHOTO BY ANDY WAKEMAN // RIGHT PHOTO BY DAVE WEIDNER

Chris and his brother/business partner Daniel both graduated from the Culinary Institute of America’s Hyde Park campus and cooked in Chicago and Detroit respectively before launching Willow in Harbor Springs last summer. We sit down with Chris to talk influence and innovation in the Willow kitchen.

With such diverse cooking backgrounds, is there a common thread of influence that drives the food at Willow?

Our mother is Filipino and her background and heritage definitely plays into our style. We’ll deliberately tap some of those Asian ingredients from our childhood and work them in. This summer we’ll be on the patio at lunch grilling street food like Filipino-style pork marinated in soy and pineapple juice.

How does Willow dialogue with the existing food scene in Harbor Springs?

We’ve discovered an abundance of great produce being grown all around the restaurant and having access to a twice weekly farmer’s market leads us to our menu. This lets us be hyper-seasonal and improvisational. The more adventurous, out-of-bounds and creative we get the more our local customers seem to love it.

Let’s stay with out-of-bounds, what are some innovations you’ve brought into the kitchen?

A lot of our team from Chicago has experience with molecular gastronomy from working in kitchens like Alinea so we let that play out in foams, emulsions, curing, fermentation and especially desserts. Our pastry chef recently did a malted chocolate cake with French fry ice and cherry cola syrup. We like to have fun.

Traverse food and drinks editor Tim Tebeau writes from Petoskey. dining@traversemagazine.com.

Check out this season’s crop of new Up North eateries.

ROSE & FERN 910 EAST EIGHTH STREET, TRAVERSE CITY 231.252.2972 Artful vegetarian-friendly micro-café. Try the Berbere carrot with tahini, toum, salsa verde and micro cilantro.

SLATE 250 EAST FRONT STREET, TRAVERSE CITY 231.421.5912 Prime cuts hit Front Street with this new, blue chip steakhouse from the Harrington’s and Sorrelina syndicate.

WREN 330 NORTH SAINT JOSEPH STREET, SUTTONS BAY 231.271.1175 A new outlet for Chef Adam McMarlin’s enlightened rustic cooking. Hit up the superb charcuterie and handmade pastas.

BROOMSTACK KITCHEN & TAPHOUSE 172 WEST BURDICKVILLE ROAD, MAPLE CITY 231.228.8869 Access your inner lumberjack at Maple City’s new spot for burgers, craft beer and curling.

THE BACK LOT 425 MICHIGAN STREET, PETOSKEY 231.881.9933 Head to Petoskey’s beer garden & food truck lot for al fresco brews, Happy’s Tacos and rotating street food vendors.

TERRAIN 213 NORTH BRIDGE STREET, BELLAIRE 231.350.7301 A resurrection of the former Lulu’s space showcasing contemporary seasonal eats and proprietary brews sourced from local farms.

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Restaurant Guide

Stafford’s Perry Hotel Circa-1899 hotel with wraparound front porch and killer views of Little Traverse Bay. LD • BAR • $$–$$$ CORNER OF BAY & LEWIS, PETOSKEY, 231.347.4000

BLD: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner BAR: Alcohol served. $: Entrées under $10 $$: $10–20 $$$: Above $20 Water view

PETOSKEY/HARBOR SPRINGS/ CROSS VILLAGE/PELLSTON/ BAY HARBOR/MACKINAC ISLAND

Beards Brewery Pizza, burgers, salads, wings and culinary surprises including pho. LD • BAR $$ 215 E LAKE ST. PETOSKEY,

Stafford’s Pier Regional cuisine. Pointer Room— fresh seafood. LD • BAR • $$ Dudley’s Deck—LD • BAR • $$ Chart Room—D • BAR • $$ 102 BAY ST., HARBOR SPRINGS, Tap30 Pourhouse Inventive sliders, award-winning chili, Frito pie and more along with 30 beers on tap. LD • BAR • $

Rowe Inn A unique fresh and from-scratch dining experience that has stood the test of time. D • BAR •$$$ 6303 E. JORDAN

422 E MITCHELL ST., PETOSKEY, 231.881.9572

RD., ELLSWORTH, 231.588.7351

Thai Orchid Cuisine Outstandingly fresh and authentic noodles, curries and composed salads. LD • $-$$ 433 E. MITCHELL

Scovie’s Gourmet Deli & Bake Shop Fresh salads, sandwiches, soups and baked goods star here. Dinner is bistrostyle comfort food. LD • $-$$ 111 BRIDGE ST., CHARLEVOIX,

ST., PETOSKEY, 231.487.9900

Vernales Restaurant Chop house, sports bar and wine bar with patio dining. LD • BAR • $-$$$ 3018 M119, HARBOR SPRINGS, 231.242.4777

Villa Ristorante Italiano Authentic handmade pasta, osso bucco and hand-rolled cannoli star. D • BAR • $$-$$$ 887 SPRING ST., PETOSKEY, 231.347.1440

The Bistro Saucer-sized homemade pancakes, comfort food.

BL • $ 1900 US 31., PETOSKEY, 231.347.5583

AT BAY HARBOR RENAISSANCE LAKE MICHIGAN GOLF RESORT, 3600 VILLAGE HARBOR DR., BAY HARBOR, 231.439.4051

Chandler’s Art-filled eatery’s upscale menu. LD • BAR • $-$$$

BELLAIRE/BOYNE/WALLOON

231.347.0101

Cormack’s Deli Fabulous sandwiches, soups and bbq, open Mon.-Fri. 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. BL • $ 2569 CHARLEVOIX AVE., PETOSKEY, 231.347.7570

Duffy’s Garage and Grille Pasta, burgers, inventive pizzas. LD • BAR • $$ 317 E LAKE ST., PETOSKEY, 231.348.3663 new

Huron Street Pub & Grill Classic pub food. LD BAR $-$$ 7304 MAIN ST, MACKINAC ISLAND, 906.847.8255

Smokey Jose’s Water-side restaurant where BBQ and bourbon meet tacos & tequila. LD BAR $-$$ 7263 MAIN STREET MACKINAC ISLAND, 906.847.0466

Julienne Tomatoes Fresh sandwiches, comfort food, and homemade pastries. BL • $ 421 HOWARD ST., PETOSKEY, 231.439.9250

Mitchell Street Pub and Café Classic pub with fresh peanuts, fantastic nachos, Maurice salad, patty melts. LD • BAR • $-$$ 426 E. MITCHELL ST., PETOSKEY, 231. 347.1801

New York Restaurant Looks like the East Coast, tastes like heaven. D • BAR • $$-$$$ CORNER OF STATE AND BAY, HARBOR SPRINGS, 231. 526.1904

Odawa Casino Resort Sage—Sumptuous fine dining with curried grilled lamb loin, salmon saltimbocca, seared scallops and an extensive wine list. D, SUN. BRUNCH • BAR • $$-$$$ 1760 LEARS RD., PETOSKEY, 877.442.6464

Palette Bistro Little Traverse Bay views with casual upscale dining, outdoor seating and evolving seasonal menu. Wine bar, weekend brunch and popular happy hour.

LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 321 BAY ST., PETOSKEY, 231.348.3321

The Paper Station Fresh, relaxed and inventive foods. BLD • $ 145 E. MAIN ST., HARBOR SPRINGS, 231.242.4546

Pierson's Grille & Spirits Ribs, whitefish, pizza, burgers and other staples of life. BLD • BAR • $-$$$ 130 STATE ST., HARBOR

Barrel Back Smoked pork tacos, chopped salads, gourmet pizza and pasta, grilled beef tenderloin and more. LD • BAR $-$$$ 04069 M75, WALLOON LAKE, 231.535.6000

Boyne Mountain Resort Everett’s Restaurant & Lounge— Elegantly prepared fish and game dishes. BLD • BAR • $-$$$; Eriksen’s—Stunning view of the slopes and menu with Austrian and German touches. BLD • BAR • $-$$; Forty Acre Tavern—American pub fare with an extensive beer list. LD • BAR • $-$$ ONE BOYNE MOUNTAIN RD., BOYNE FALLS. 844.732.6875

LD • BAR • $$ 106 PINE RIVER LN., CHARLEVOIX, 231.547.4311

Terry’s Place Small white-tablecloth eatery with a high tin ceiling. Try the perch or filet mignon. Mouthwatering. D • BAR • $$ 112 ANTRIM ST., CHARLEVOIX, 231.547.2799

ELK RAPIDS

Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen Every day’s Mardi Gras at this festive spot, where Cajun, Creole, seafood, sandwiches and big brunches accompany lively sounds of Zydeco, jazz and blues. LD • BAR • $-$$ 617 AMES, ELK RAPIDS, 231.264.0530 Siren Hall Sup on classics such as short ribs, steak frites, fresh-off-the-plane fruits de mer and homey sides like risotto “tots” and bleu cheese green beans. LD • BAR • $-$$$ 151 RIVER ST., ELK RAPIDS, 231. 264.6062

LEELANAU COUNTY

Art’s Tavern Burgers, whitefish, steaks, Mexican and pizza. Smelt year-round at this legendary watering hole.

(M-88), BELLAIRE, 800.678.4111

Boone’s Prime Time Pub Seafood, steaks and burgers.

The Pelican’s Nest Gourmet burgers, smoked ribs, sandwiches, salads homemade desserts. D BAR $-$$ 5085 SHANTY CREEK RD, BELLAIRE, 231.533.9000

Red Mesa Grill Colorful decor and creative Latin American cuisine with Costa Rican and Argentinean influences punctuate this lively spot. LD • BAR • $$ 117 WATER ST., BOYNE CITY, 231.582.0049

The Bluebird Specialties: cinnamon rolls, whitefish, seafood, steak, pasta, creative ethnic feasts during the offseason. Sun. brunch. LD • BAR $$ 102 E. RIVER ST., LELAND, 231.256.9081

Boone Dock’s Shrimp, burgers, steaks. LD • BAR • $$ 5858 MANITOU, GLEN ARBOR, 231.334.6444

LD • BAR • $$ 102 ST. JOSEPH, SUTTONS BAY, 231.271.6688

Big Cat Brewing Company Great comfort food including pot roast, perch and Southern-fried chicken, but now with house-brewed beer. BLD • BAR • $-$$ 8699 S. GOOD HARBOR TR., CEDAR, 231.228.2282

Funistrada Casual trattoria features Italian specialties such as veal saltimbocca and lasagna. D • BAR • $$ 4566 MCFARLANE,

Short’s Brewing Co. Sip Joe Short’s fabulous brew, and dine from the deli menu in a renovated hardware store.

MAPLE CITY/BURDICKVILLE, 231.334.3900

LD • BAR • $ 121 N. BRIDGE ST., BELLAIRE, 231.533.6622

S WAUKAZOO ST., NORTHPORT, 231.386. 5511

Walloon Lake Inn Exceptional culinary skills play out in a newly renovated, century-old pine-paneled lakeside lodge. D • BAR • $$-$$$ 4178 WEST ST., WALLOON LAKE VILLAGE, 231.535.2999

CHARLEVOIX/CENTRAL LAKE/ ELLSWORTH/EAST JORDAN

The Cantina Authentic Mexican in Van Pelt Alley behind Bridge Street. LD • BAR • $-$$ 101 VAN PELT PLACE, CHARLEV-

new Pour Public House

Charcuterie, gourmet sandwiches, salads, soups, bruschetta. LD • BAR $-$$ 422 E MITCHELL ST.,

That French Place Authentic French creperie and ice cream shop. BLD • $ 212 BRIDGE ST., CHARLEVOIX, 231.437.6037

PETOSKEY, 231.881.9800

Bridge Street Taproom Michigan craft brews, beerfriendly small plates, local charcuterie and bird’s-eye views of the yacht traffic on Round Lake. LD • BAR • $-$$ 202 BRIDGE

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Stafford’s Weathervane Local fish, seafood and regional cuisine in a Hobbit-style Earl Young stone structure with massive fireplace overlooking the Pine River Channel.

BLD • BAR • $-$$ 6487 W. WESTERN AVE., GLEN ARBOR, 231.334.3754

OIX, 231.437.3612

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231.237.7827

Café Santé Beside Lake Charlevoix featuring bistro classics. BLD • BAR • $-$$ 1 WATER ST., BOYNE CITY, 231.582.8800 Shanty Creek Resort Lakeview—Innovative regional cuisine at Shanty Creek Resort with a view of Lake Bellaire.

Breakfast, lunch & dinner. The River Bistro—Breakfast buffet, sandwiches, pizzas and 45 regional beers on tap; Arnie’s at the Summit—Breakfast, Lunch, (spring-fall) Ivan’s Mountainside Gril—Schuss Village-Pub food. BLD • BAR 1 SHANTY CREEK RD.

SPRINGS, 231.526.2967

Stafford’s Bay View Inn Gracious 1886 inn with big veranda, glorious gardens and bay view, American fare. Sun. brunch. BLD • $$-$$$ 2011 WOODLAND, PETOSKEY, 231347.2771

Kelsey B’s Lakeside Food & Spirits Dine on burgers, steaks and fish and soak up the Lake Charlevoix views.

LD • BAR • $-$$ 230 FERRY AVE., CHARLEVOIX, 231.547.2960

Vintage Chophouse/Wine Bar All-American steakhouse flavored with retro sophistication. LD • BAR • $-$$$ INN

City Park Grill Scratch cuisine, wood grill, hand-cut steaks, pastas, fresh whitefish. LD • BAR • $$ 432 E. LAKE, PETOSKEY,

BAR • $$–$$$ 307 BRIDGE ST., CHARLEVOIX, 231.547.7450

231.526.6201

231.753.2221

215 HOWARD ST., PETOSKEY, BELOW SYMONS GENERAL STORE, 231.347.2981

East Park Tavern French-influenced American cuisine featuring prime rib, John Cross Whitefish and specialty cocktails at the Quay Restaurant and Terrace Bar in Charlevoix. LD •

ST., CHARLEVOIX, 231.437.3466

Garage Bar & Grill BBQ & bar eats. LD • BAR • $-$$ 108 Joe’s Friendly Tavern Whitefish, burgers, sandwiches, chili and soup. BLD • BAR • $$ 11015 FRONT ST., EMPIRE, 231.326.5506

Knot Just a Bar

Fish and burgers. LD • BAR • $-$$ 5019

BAY SHORE DR. (M-22), OMENA, 231.386.7393

La Bécasse Part the heavy velvet curtains and find a Provençal paradise. D • BAR • $$-$$$ C-675 & C-616, BURDICKVILLE, 231.334.3944

Leland Lodge Bogeys— BLD • BAR • $-$$ 565 PEARL ST., LELAND, 231.256.9848

Little Traverse Inn Old World gastro pub highlights the food and beer of the British Isles. LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 149 E. HARBOR HWY., MAPLE CITY. 231. 228.2560

Market 22 Deli, pizza, bakery. Eat in or take out. BLD • BAR • $ 497 E HARBOR HWY., MAPLE CITY, 231.228.6422

local table | dining

Martha’s Leelanau Table A European-style cafe with an emphasis on scratch regional cuisine. BLD • BAR • $-$$$ 413 N. ST. JOSEPH ST., SUTTONS BAY, 231.271.2344

North Country Grill & Pub (Whitefish, prime rib, and yellow belly perch) , fried pickles, Phillys and Cubans. LD • BAR • $$ 420 ST. JOSEPH ST., SUTTONS BAY, 231.271.5000

Pegtown Station Pizza, subs, burgers, sandwiches, salads and breakfast. BL • $ 8654 S MAPLE CITY RD., MAPLE CITY, 231.228.6692

Streetside Grille Seafood, burgers, pasta, flatbread pizzas, great beer list and more. LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 111 N. ST. JOSEPH ST., SUTTONS BAY, 231.866.4199

Tucker’s of Northport Bistro-style casual fine dining.

Meet. Dine. Bowl. LD • BAR • $-$$ 116 WAUKAZOO, NORTHPORT, 231.386.1061

OLD MISSION PENINSULA

Boathouse Restaurant Casually elegant spot with great steaks, seafood, large local wine selection. Sunday brunch. D • BAR • $$-$$$ 14039 PENINSULA DR., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.223.4030

Jolly Pumpkin Wood-fired steaks, fresh fish, and artisan pizzas along with fresh ales crafted on site. LD • BAR • $$ 13512 PENINSULA DR., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.223.4333

TRAVERSE CITY—DOWNTOWN

Alliance James Beard-nominee Pete Peterson teams with up-and-coming chef James Bloomfield at this Warehouse District bistro. LD • BAR • $-$$ 144 HALL ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.642.5545

Amical Friendly French bistro with a bay view, fireplace and street patio. Prix fixe menu from 4–5:30pm. Sun. brunch.

LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 229 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.941.8888

Bay Bread Company Artisan breads, sandwiches, salads, soups. BLD • $ 601 RANDOLPH ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.922.8022 Bistro Fou Fou Chef Guillaume Hazaël-Massieux also of La Bécasse in Maple City brings his country French cooking downtown. LD • $$-$$$ 118 CASS ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.421.6583

Blue Heron 2 Local ingredients used in homemade bread and soup and other scratch dishes like roasted vegetable breakfast bowl. BL • $ 408 UNION ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.778.2583

Blue Tractor Cook Shop An Old Town favorite with fromscratch farmer food. LD • BAR • $-$$ 423 UNION ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 922.9515

Bubba’s Burgers, chimis, salads, tacos. BLD • BAR • $ 428 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.995.0570

The Cooks’ House Sustainable local cuisine with a French sensibility. LD • $$-$$$ 115 WELLINGTON ST., TRAVERSE CITY,

APACHE TROUT GRILL PESTO

231.946.8700

Firefly Sushi, steaks and burgers. BL • $-$$ 310 S. CASS ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.932.1310

The Franklin Flatbread, salads, lamb and beef burgers, bistro dinners. LD • BAR • $-$$ 160 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.943.2727

TRAVERSE CITY, 231.944.1228

Georgina’s Asian and Latin taqueria. LD • $ 236 E. FRONT STREET, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.943.1555

Grand Traverse Pie Co. Exceptional cream and fruit pies, soups, salads and quiche. BL • $ 525 W. FRONT ST. AND 101 N. PARK ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.922.7437

Harvest Hip Asian and Latin influenced menu. LD • BAR • $ 127 UNION ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.486.6037

PHOTO BY DAVE WEIDNER

Frenchies Famous Three tables and carryout, offers superb hot sandwiches and espresso drinks. BL • $ 619 RANDOLPH ST.,

Leave it to Fustini’s and Traverse City’s Apache Trout Grill to show us a simple way to make the most of the first herbs of the season. Throw these ingredients into a food processor, give it a whir and transfer to a pretty bowl. Warm a loaf of good bread in the oven. Pour some local wine. You know the rest. —E.E.

1

cup trimmed basil

2¼ cloves of garlic ¼ cup pine nuts ¼ cup grated Parmesan ¼ cup Fustini’s Garlic Olive Oil 6

Kalamata olives

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY '19

51

dining | restaurant guide

Little Bohemia Famous Olive Burger featured on Food Network. Full menu. LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 540 W. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.6925

Mackinaw Brewing Co. House-smoked meats, several styles of beers, tasty char-burgers, fish and ribs. LD • BAR • $$ 161 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 933.1100

Mama Lu’s Modern Day Taco Shop Fresh tortillas with a mix of traditional and modern ingredients at this hip, fun taqueria and bar. LD • BAR • $$ 149 E FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.943.2793

Minerva’s In the historic Park Place Hotel. Italian-American menu, elaborate Sun. brunch. BLD • BAR • $$ 300 E. STATE ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.5093

Mode’s Bum Steer Classic steak and burger house. LD • BAR • $$ 125 E. STATE ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.947.9832

North Peak Brewing Co. Wood-fired pizzas, seafood, sandwiches. LD • BAR • $$ 400 W. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY,

ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.944.1733

Scalawags Whitefish and Chips A new location for ultrafresh Great Lakes fish fry. LD • $ 303 E. STATE ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.933.8700

Slate Prime cuts of beef and the freshest seafood with inspired toppings and sides. D • BAR • $$$ 250 E. FRONT STREET, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.421.5912

Sorellina Authentic Italian pasta, zuppa and insalate. D • BAR • $$-$$$ 250 E. FRONT STREET, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.421.5912

Taproot Cider House Brick oven pizza, great salads, inventive entrees paired with hard cider, microbrews, wine and spirits. LD • BAR • $-$$ 300 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.943.2500

The Good Bowl Fresh, authentic Vietnamese eatery.

Donates $1 for every bowl to the charity of your choice. LD •

Common Good Bakery Handmade pastries, bread, croissants, breakfasts, soups, sandwiches.. BL • $ 537 W 14TH new

ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.933.8002

The Filling Station Microbrewery Thin-crusted woodfired flatbreads and flavorful house brews. LD • BAR • $-$$ 642 RAILROAD PLACE, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.8168

sausages, charcuterie and salads. LD • $-$$ 545 E EIGHTH ST.,

Sauce at Incredible Mo’s Artisan pizza, pasta, salad in a kid-friendly atmosphere. LD • BAR • $-$$ 1355 SILVER LAKE CROSSINGS BLVD, GRAWN, 231.944.1355

TRAVERSE CITY–WEST

Apache Trout Grill Rough-hewn eatery affords a great bay view along with ribs, steak, pasta and salad.

LD • BAR • $$ 13671 S. WEST BAY SHORE DR., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.947.7079

Harrington’s By the Bay Sunday brunch, seafood, steaks, burgers, sandwiches—with a bay view. BLD • BAR • $-$$$ 13890 SOUTH WEST BAY SHORE DR., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.421.9393

PepeNero From-scratch southern Italian cuisine. LD • BAR • $$ 700 COTTAGEVIEW DR., STE. 30, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.929.1960

Red Spire Brunch House Classic American fare breakfast and lunch all day. BL • $$ 800 COTTAGEVIEW DR., STE. 30, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.252.4648

Sleder’s Family Tavern Bar fare and entertainment under the original tin ceiling in one of Michigan’s oldest saloons.

Kiss Randolph the moose before you leave. LD • BAR • $-$$ 717 RANDOLPH ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.947.9213

BAR • $-$$ 328 E FRONT ST.,TRAVERSE CITY, 231.252.2662

Trattoria Stella Hip locally sourced fare with an Italian accent. LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 1200 W. ELEVENTH, TRAVERSE CITY,

The Towne Plaza Eclectic American cuisine focusing on local ingredients. BLD • BAR • $-$$$ 202 E. CASS ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.929.0900

Warehouse Kitchen & Cork Seasonally inspired farmto-fork restaurant inside Hotel Indigo. BLD • BAR • $-$$$ 263

TRAVERSE CITY–EAST

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa Aerie—16th-floor panorama of East Bay and regional fine dining. D • BAR • $$$$$ Sweetwater American Bistro—BLD • $$ U.S. 31 N., ACME, 231.534.6000

McGee’s No. 72 Gourmet burgers, fries, pizza and other sophisticated bar food. D • BAR • $$ 4341 M72 E., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.421.8800

Red Mesa Grill Colorful spot with a fireplace, flights of tequila and Latin American cuisine. LD • BAR • $-$$ 1544 US31, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.938.2773

Smoke and Porter Public House A new American smokehouse where farm-to-table and whole beast butchery meet the fire pits. LD • BAR • $-$$$ 1752 US31, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.642.5020

Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel Bourbons 72—Seafood, prime rib and more. D • BAR • $-$$$ 7741 M-72, WILLIAMSBURG, 231.534.8888

Thai Café Eat in or take out authentic Thai cuisine in a cafe atmosphere. LD • $-$$ 1219 E FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.929.1303

MyNorth.com

Centre Street Café Fine and flavorful sammies. Saturday brunch 10:30am-6pm. Mon.-Fri. Open 10am-3pm. Closed Sunday. BL • $ 1125 CENTRE ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.5872

new

WEST GRANDVIEW PARKWAY, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.932.0500

52

231.946.3991

TRAVERSE CITY 231.421.118

Red Ginger Wrap yourself in fresh-sleek surroundings and the spicy-exotic flavors of Asia. D • BAR • $-$$$ 237 E. FRONT

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK OR FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @TIPNTHEMITTEN

Boone’s Long Lake Inn Steaks, prime rib, seafood, daily specials. D • BAR • $$ 7208 SECOR RD., TRAVERSE CITY,

Patisserie Amie French bakery and bistro. BAR • LD • $-$$$

231.941.7632

989.745.4571 - 204 E MICHIGAN AVE GRAYLING MI 49738

TRAVERSE CITY–SOUTH

new Raduno Neighborhood deli featuring homemade pasta,

Poppycock’s Fresh seafood, pasta, unique sandwiches and salads, including vegetarian specialties and award-winning desserts. LD • BAR • $-$$ 128. E. FRONT ST. TRAVERSE CITY,

FREE BEER & WINE TASTING Thursday-Saturday T hursday-Saturday 1pm-5pm

CITY, 231.932.7687

231.941.7325 237 LAKE AVE., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.922.9645

Not Your Average Michigan-Made Store

The Soup Cup, a MicroSouperie Homemade soups, grilled cheese, Belgian fries. L • $ 718 MUNSON AVE., TRAVERSE

231.929.8989

West End Tavern Craft cocktails, wood-roasted chicken and more elevated pub fare served up beside West Bay. LD • BAR • $$ 12719 SOUTH WEST BAYSHORE DR., TRAVERSE new

CITY, 231.943.2922

FRANKFORT/ELBERTA/ ONEKAMA/BEULAH

Birch & Maple Scratch cuisine prepared with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. Friendly folks and fab craft cocktails. BLD • BAR • $-$$ 727 MAIN ST., FRANKFORT, 231.399.0399

The Fusion Asian delights like fiery curries and lettuce wraps (plus creative cocktails). BLD • $–$$ 300 MAIN ST., FRANKFORT, 231.352.4114

Lucky Dog Bar & Grill Fire-grilled brats, tacos, burgers, smoked wings, craft beer, wine, liquor. LD • BAR • $-$$ 223 S. BENZIE BLVD., BEULAH, 231.383.4499

Rocks Landing Brewing Belgian-inspired ales to pair with inventive, smart bistro fare. LD • BAR • $-$$ 1157 CRYSTAL new

DR., FRANKFORT, 231.399.0158

Stormcloud Brewing Eclectic menu combines local ingredients with ethnic influences. Intimate dining feet from Crystal Lake. D • BAR • $$ 303 MAIN ST., FRANKFORT, 231.352.0118 Yellow Dog Café Fabulous coffee, sandwiches, baked goods. LD $ 4850 MAIN ST, ONEKAMA, 231.508.5008

wine | drinks

New Releases

Old Mission Peninsula The 2018 harvest season’s warm, dry midsummer weather was hijacked by plunging temperatures, torrential rain and damaging hail in the months before harvest, leaving Old Mission winemakers with reduced crop yields and intense sorting work to salvage healthy, ripe clusters. Lucky for us, uncommonly ripe, luscious wines from ’16 and ’17 have had time to integrate in barrel and bottle and represent the bulk of this spring’s most exciting new releases.

BONOBO WINERY

HAWTHORNE VINEYARDS

PINOT BLANC 2018 Whiffs of apple, lime zest and lemongrass transition dovetail with bright, racy acid on the palate.

RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2016 Eighteen months in barrel with monthly lees stirring imparts velvety texture and structure to the pineapple, almond and brioche soul of Hawthorne’s flagship chardonnay.

BOWERS HARBOR STONE HOUSE SPARKLING RIESLING 2018 OMP’s highest vineyard parcel spins off electric fruit for this tankfermented bubbly effervescing green pear and white pepper.

BRYS ESTATE ARTISAN SERIES MERLOT 2016 Brys’ Artisan series showcases the peninsula’s propensity to grow world-class merlot. Expect dark berry, plum and spice wrapped in rich, persistent texture.

PHOTO BY LYDIA MEJIA

CHATEAU CHANTAL PINOT NOIR ‘THE LAUGHING WINEMAKER’ 2017 Though he passed away just before harvest, the legacy of OMP icon, Mark Johnson, lives in this 50 case micro-batch of pinot noir stacked with dark berry fruit laid over ripe tannins.

CHATEAU GRAND TRAVERSE BARREL FERMENTED CHARDONNAY 2017 A regimen of French and American oak teases creamy texture and notes of vanilla, melon and apple from CGT’s exceptionally ripe 2017 chardonnay.

MARI VINEYARDS TROGLODYTE ROSSO 2017 A deftly balanced three-part harmony of pinot noir, teroldego and merlot, Troglodyte delivers dark fruit, savory depth and mouthwatering acids.

2LADS FOUCH VINEYARD RIESLING 2018 One of the Lads’ most beloved riesling sites, this dry iteration of Fouch offers up limesicle, pineapple and a leesy anise edge.

TABONE VINEYARDS ESTATE RIESLING 2016 Whole cluster pressed and racked off the lees right quick, Tabone’s flagship bottling is dry and brightly appointed with white peach and citrus.

Traverse food and drinks editor Tim Tebeau writes from Petoskey. dining@traversemagazine.com.

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY '19

53

fishing | outdoors

BLUEGILL SEASON

GEAR TIPS

Want to pick up fly fishing? Rig up and head out this May for spawning bluegills.

TEXT AND PHOTO BY ANDREW VANDRIE

May is a month of bounty. Asparagus is shooting up, flowers are blooming and morels are hiding across the North. My favorite boon during this prologue to summer is the bully bluegills beginning to spawn. Bluegills on the beds are a riot. Mature, aggressive and sporting broad flanks that make for a delectable mess of fish tacos...

Bluegills are most aggressive, and eager to smack a dry fly, during the spawning phase. Water temperature will be your best indicator, with most bluegills navigating to the beds once lakes hit temperatures of 65°F or higher. Check shallow lakes and inlets as these will be the first areas to have warmer temps. Another telltale sign: the subaqueous craters lining the shoreline that were scooped out by males to spawn in.

Females hover within the depression while defensive males circle the perimeter. Take advantage of the irritability of these large males and you’re sure to fill a stringer in no time.

Lake fishing is an ideal introduction to the sport of fly fishing as the wide expanses allow for uninhibited back casts. Don’t worry about perfect presentation. Unlike skittish trout, bluegill will be hard-pressed to refuse your splashdown offering. Work on casting as close to the nests as possible though, waiting for the bluegill to rise ever so slowly before sucking in the fly with a satisfying plop! Prime fishing happens at dawn and dusk, so get there early and/or stick it out until sunset for the best bite.

Andrew VanDrie writes from Traverse City. vandrian@umich.edu.

Select anything from a 3-weight to 5-weight rod with floating line.

The Bug Launcher from Temple Forks Outfitters (tforods.com) is a great learner’s tool at $89.

Stop by The Northern Angler or Orvis Streamside in Traverse City and the staff will be happy to let you test out rods and rig you up. These local fly shops will also hook you up with a handful of foam spiders, poppers and insect imitation (my favorite pattern is the Hippie Stomper).

BLUEGILL TACOS Coat the fillets in all-purpose flour.

Dunk in egg wash and coat with panko breadcrumbs. Heat up oil in a cast iron skillet and fry for 1–2 minutes per side until golden brown. Plate on corn tortillas and top with avocado, red cabbage slaw, Blue Top’s Garlic Hatch Creamy Hot Sauce and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine |

MAY ’19

55

love of the land

A Leelanau County Cherry Farm PHOTO BY EMILY TYRA

Orchards in bloom are a spectacular sight, a reminder of agriculture’s role in our collective landscape, economy and cultural heritage. Yet, a growing population and accompanying housing boom can put pressures on the land—and on those who farm it.

(Often the land is worth far more as a residential development than it would be to maintain it as farmland.) That’s why conservation groups work with farmers to protect these special places—forever.

The result? As with this orchard in Leelanau County, farmers retain all rights to their land and continue to farm it, but the land is restricted from development.

There are many ways you can help preserve Up North’s unique beauty and rural character. Need a place to start? The Leelanau Conservancy, Cadillac Area Land Conservancy, Little Traverse Conservancy, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and HeadWaters Land Conservancy all welcome your support.

Donate to a land preservation project you care about, volunteer and spread the word about the difference conservancies make.

Find out more about farmland protected via the Leelanau Conservancy at LEELANAUCONSERVANCY.ORG.

56

MyNorth.com

Worth the Wait!

Summer is coming.

So are two spectacular new facilities at The Homestead.

One is on Lake Michigan. The other, at the base of Bay Mountain.

Both will offer unique new experiences certain to make “Remember when?� memories.

Ask about our special offers!

231.334.5100 or www.thehomesteadresort.com

BURT LAKE

BAY HARBOR

WALLOON LAKE

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TORCH LAKE

The Waterfront Specialist

WALLY KIDD Associate Broker/Owner

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WALLYKIDD.COM

231-838-2700

wkidd@kiddleavy.com

325 EAST LAKE STREET, PETOSKEY