Let’s be honest, the meals we share at Walloon have never really been about just the food. They’re about the moments that stretch long into the evening, the stories that grow a little taller each summer, and the laughter drifting out of kitchens that have seen more memories than recipes. As the holidays draw near, those familiar gatherings with family and friends feel especially meaningful.
Those same families have gathered over birthday candles, burnt marshmallows, and second helpings no one wants to admit to. Over time, certain dishes become part of the lake itself. You expect them like that first glimpse of blue water after the long drive north. These meals stick with us; they’re repeated, passed down, and eventually become tradition.
When I think back on my own summers, I can still remember Judy Reeves’ olive burgers from the Junction, David Beier’s Crème Caramel, and the Kidd family barbecues eaten on the porch as the sun dips low. Nothing fancy, just good food, good company, and that quiet feeling that life really does slow down here. Meals like these have always anchored families on Walloon, bringing everyone back to the same table and reminding us what truly matters.
In this issue, my friend and fellow Wallooner, Lauren Macintyre, shares some of the lake’s beloved food history, a reminder of the simple meals and local favorites that shaped our summers for generations.
While the traditions that define Walloon endure, the lake’s real estate market continues to show strength and consistency. Interest remains high, and well-presented properties are delivering exceptional results. Inside these pages, you’ll find a glimpse of that continued success through select listings and recent sales that reflect the strong demand for life on Walloon today.
If you’ve been wondering what your property might be worth, or whether it’s time to pass it along to another family ready to create their own traditions, I’d be happy to talk. I’m fortunate to work alongside my business manager, Lauren Simon, and my son, Tommy, both of whom have lifelong connections to Walloon and bring insight our clients truly appreciate.
Walloon isn’t just a place—it’s where our best stories live, long after the plates are cleared.
A TASTE OF WALLOON
RESTAURANTS AND RECIPES OF THE PAST
by Lauren Macintyre
Sodas at the General Store… hamburgers at the Junction… long johns at the Sail Inn… the Crème Caramel at the Walloon Lake Inn. Memories of these iconic dishes can instantly transport us to those halcyon days gone by on Walloon.
For Wallooners, many of our fondest memories of life on the lake are inextricably tied to certain classic dishes, whether enjoyed at memorable local restaurants or made in the beloved kitchens of our childhood cottages. Each dish tells a story that takes us back to those long-ago days.
Take the General Store, for example. Many Wallooners hold especially fond memories of the delectable treats offered at the store’s beloved marble soda fountain — sodas and ice cream creations topped with the famous homemade chocolate syrup. Rosemary Renwick, whose family owned the store for many years, recalls that her grandmother, Mary Spalding, and mother, Lucile Renwick, both made the syrup from scratch.
“Unfortunately, this is another family recipe I failed to get from my mother,” Rosemary chuckles. “But I know it involved flour, cocoa, sugar, and water, boiled in the ‘chocolate kettle,’ which still resides in a place of honor in my cupboard.”
The General Store porch was also home to the Walloon Lake Women’s Guild bake sales, held on Saturday mornings during the summer. One of the first items to sell out was always Lucile Renwick’s Sunshine Cake, a yellow layer cake with a brown sugar penuche frosting.
The Sail Inn, located in the Village near the public beach, is another restaurant Wallooners remember fondly. The Sail Inn served sandwiches, hamburgers, pies, and ice cream, but it’s the legendary long John, a rectangular, yeast-risen donut, that especially brings back memories. The owner, Marion Starr, certainly had the credentials to run a successful restaurant. She cooked at Walloon Hills Ski Lodge, March’s Lodge, and the Walloon Lake Country Club, and was the head cook at Petoskey High School. Interestingly, her daughter, Karla Howard Buckmaster, recalls that she never saw her mother actually use a recipe to make those famous long johns. Karla assisted by putting them in the deep fryer and frosting them. The recipe itself, alas, is lost to time, but the memories remain as sweet as ever.
Another favorite haunt of young Wallooners in the 1950s was the legendary Wimpy’s, technically in Petoskey but well within the Walloon orbit. Originally a drive-in at the intersection of Highways 131 and 31, it was owned by Raymond and Marjorie Roth. For more than 30 years, it served what they proudly dubbed “the world’s best burger,” using only the finest ingredients. Its slogan proclaimed, “Imitated everywhere, equaled nowhere!” Burgers were offered “regular, standard, or special,” with prices ranging from 10¢ to 25¢, the top-tier “special” being the famous olive burger. Owner Richard Roth, who lived on Walloon, passed away in 1958, and the restaurant closed a few years later. Still, its memory endures in countless summer stories.
While the Sail Inn and Wimpy’s are now gone, one beloved local spot that has stood the test of time is the Junction. As a gathering place, the Junction is thought to date back to 1879, making it perhaps the oldest existing restaurant in the Village. The exact age of the building is unknown, but it began as a log structure, later covered with siding.
In 1936, when owned by George and Ruth Biallas, the building was known as “George’s Place.” It was famous for its delicious chicken dinners and variety of beverages. Over the decades, it changed hands and names several times before being owned for many years by Al and Judy Reeves. During their tenure, the Junction gained a reputation for serving the best burger in northern Michigan, despite not having a grill or conventional oven. Today’s owners, John and Kristin Parent, continue the legacy with a blend of short rib, brisket, and ribeye, grilled to perfection over an open flame.
And then there’s the elegant, incomparable Walloon Lake Inn. Housed in one of the oldest buildings on the lake, it was originally known as Fern Cottage, a picturesque hotel and restaurant built in 1891. After the Trixler family purchased it in 1948, it was renamed the Silver Birch Inn, a name fondly remembered by longtime Wallooners. The Silver Birch Inn, later the Walloon Lake Inn, operated under various owners, including the Srigleys, Nickeys, and chef David Beier, who transformed it into a gourmet restaurant and charming bed-and-breakfast.
With extensive experience in fine dining and training under a French chef, David brought an extraordinary level of expertise to the Inn. Long before “farm-to-table” became a trend, he was a true locavore. “I bought my whitefish from John Cross, and my trout from a local farm,” he recalls. “I worked with Justin Rashid from American Spoon and go way back with Bill McMaster of Bill’s Farm Market.”
Some of the Inn’s most popular dishes are still legendary: the “Three Kings,” featuring three varieties of fish, “Trout Hemingway,” and the unforgettable “Crème Caramel.” David shared his culinary expertise through his gourmet cooking school, “Fonds du Cuisine,” and at countless community events. His steamboat, the Windemere, bearing the Walloon Lake Inn name, was a familiar and beloved sight on the lake. Though now retired, David’s influence endures, and the Walloon Lake Inn continues its legacy as an elegant venue for those seeking a truly memorable meal.
Another elegant venue is the Walloon Lake Country Club (WLCC). In its earliest days, the Club was the center of social life on the lake and the setting for many delectable meals, often prepared by its members. Later, when a professional manager was needed, the Club turned to Addie Ellis March, daughter of prolific cottage builder Ben Ellis. A teacher and principal in local schools, Addie also operated the nearby March Inn and March’s Lodge. A beloved figure around the lake, she ran the Club’s dining room for 19 years, from the late 1940s through the 1960s.
One of the Club’s most anticipated culinary traditions was the annual corn roast, a community-wide event open to everyone on the lake. In its early
years, groundskeeper Harlow Wheaton oversaw the roasting of more than 1,000 ears of corn. Later, John Jones of Jones Landing fame presided over the 25-foot-long roasting pit for more than 40 years. Maple wood gave the corn its distinctive flavor, and the feast was rounded out with roast beef au jus, tomatoes, onions, coleslaw, and rolls.
As time went on, the Club elevated its dining program with professional chefs. Among the most notable were Matthew and Linda Waterman, who also own Sweetwater Catering Company, founded in 1984. Along with their son, Tyler, and his wife Hannah, the Watermans have served generations of Walloon families. Before taking over as WLCC chefs (a position they held for 20 years), Matthew and Linda managed and later purchased the General Store, where they were already well known to the community.
At the Club, Matthew and Linda introduced fresh, locally sourced dishes with a European twist. Favorites included local walleye, whitefish, blackened ribeye steaks, fresh pastas, salads, Linda’s baked breads and desserts, and the ever-popular Hummer cocktails, because, as Matthew quips, “Wallooners like to drink their dessert!” Their commitment to quality and creativity led to a highly successful
run at the Club from 1985 to 2005, which they both remember with great fondness.
Of course, not all beloved culinary delights came from restaurants. With so many talented cooks around the lake, the ladies of WLCC decided in 1977 to compile “Simply Delicious”, a collection of recipes from the lake’s families that included 273 pages of appetizers, salads, soups, breads, main dishes, and desserts. Some of the more intriguing titles include “Philo Lange Casserole,” or the “19th Hole Beef Burgundy,” “Lazy Man’s Stew,” “Healthful Hermit Cookies,” and, good old Marge Krueger’s famous “Sock-It-to-Me Cake!”
Martha Coscina fondly remembers her grandmother, Magdalena Beck Taylor’s sinfully delicious “Chocolate Ice-Box Pudding Cake,” a version of which appears in Simply Delicious. Martha still treasures the original handwritten recipe card, calling for generous amounts of German chocolate, eggs, ladyfingers, and whipped cream.
Perhaps the best-known recipe in Simply Delicious is “Sweet Tomato Pudding,” created by local teacher and lodge owner Kathryn Dilworth. She originally developed it for a favorite patron who had discovered the dish while traveling in England and asked Kathryn to recreate it. Kathryn did so perfectly, and it soon became a cherished holiday staple for many Walloon families, a recipe that continues to appear on local tables to this day.
Kathryn’s “Sweet Tomato Pudding” even earned national recognition. When Irma Rombauer of St. Louis (a summer resident of nearby Bay View) wrote her iconic Joy of Cooking, she included several of Kathryn’s recipes, among them the tomato pudding. It remains featured in modern editions of Joy of Cooking, one of America’s most beloved cookbooks.
The success of Simply Delicious inspired a sequel, Simply Delicious Too, published in 1984. Longtime Wallooner Ann Warfield reflects, “We had some great cooks around in those days. There are recipes in those books that are still favorites with the fourth generation in my family.” The second volume,
assembled by Marge Fairhurst, Sweetie Glass, Bonnie Lowe, and Pat Weber, included such charming titles as “Summer Squash for Squash Haters,” “Chick Tom Parm Casserole,” “Jazz It Up Egg Salad,” and, most amusingly, Gordon Wiles’s “Favorite Recipe for Boiled Water!”
These recipes and stories, and the restaurants that inspired them, transport us back to a gentler time, when life on Walloon moved a little slower and felt a little more connected. Time may slip through our fingers, but food has a way of bringing us home again. Every bite is a step closer to the Walloon we remember.
