11 Restaurants You Must Not Miss
A spring bucket list for hungry foodies
Please be seated for these abbreviated versions of the restaurant reviews we’ve featured since our last RestauranTour issue. Bon Appetit!
Pour – Petoskey
Entering Pour Kitchen and Bar, the first thing that strikes you is the warm, eclectic mix of old and new materials and styles, of cozy seating areas and soaring ceilings. Then your eyes are drawn to a horizontal wall of draft taps — 60 to be exact, about a third of which dispense wine by the glass, in addition to pre-batched cocktails and beer — and a vertical wall of just about any spirit you could wish for, backlit for dramatic effect. A broad, carefully curated rotating list of 52 wines is available by the glass (on tap or poured) and by the bottle. While wine is definitely Pour’s specialty, they’re also very much into food. Pour’s menu, which incorporates seasonal changes three times a year, is as eclectic as it is straightforward. A good helping of exotic spices and condiments marry with familiar ingredients to create exciting new tastes. And in keeping with the importance of wine here, suggested pairings are included on the menu for everything from appetizers to desserts.
On the Menu: You might want to start out with the multicultural Tuna Poke Nachos (wonton, pickled avocado, ponzu, wakame, mango slaw, sesame seed and pickled jalapeno) or Bao Tacos (Korean BBQ pork belly, cucumber kimchi, miso mayo, and fresh herbs on steamed bao buns with a side of ginger-scallion dipping sauce). Or perhaps you’re a sushi fan. The highlights here are the Tuna Tataki or the Striped Bass. If you’re a meat-and-potatoes lover, you could branch out and try a really unique and different take on that standard fare: the cast-iron-seared Hanger Steak (with ginger-scallion sauce, roasted potatoes, and spicy buttermilk). Other intriguing entrée choices include prized Hudson Canyon Scallops and Ethiopian Roasted Vegetables (lentils, berbere-spiced local parsnips, carrots, fingerling potatoes, house garlic hummus, pea shoots, grapefruit segments, and pistachios). And one of Pour’s signature desserts, Russian Honey Cake, is inspired by a family recipe that dates back five generations.
Find Them: Pour Kitchen & Bar is located at 422 East Mitchell St., Petoskey. (231) 881-9800, www.pourpetoskey.com.
Ursa Major Bistro – Beulah
In the wild, a match between a big bear and a caribou would probably favor the bear. And one between a large, powerful caribou and a baby would be easy to call as well. Which all leads to Beulah’s former Blue Caribou Café bowing to the inevitable — an onslaught from national giant Caribou Coffee — and changing its name to Ursa Major Bistro. (The letter sent to owners Kelly and Eric Chorley stated that the café’s logo and name were too similar to that of the nation’s second-largest coffee chain, and claimed the mom-and-pop diner was causing Caribou Coffee irreparable harm. Never mind that their caribou was blue on a field of white, while that of the coffee giant was brown on blue, or the fact that the nearest Caribou Coffee shop was over 200 miles away. Or that the Blue Caribou was a complete diner, not just a coffee shop.) Now Ursa Major Bistro, the cafe thrives on, part of a cozy group of restaurants in downtown Beulah. In the summer, the patio of the corner restaurant is crowded with customers. And it’s a family affair, too; all five of the Chorley’s children have worked there, and though the oldest now works in a different job, in IT, the other four remain part of the crew.
On the Menu: The bistro offers a complete menu of breakfasts, soups, sandwiches and salads. Some favorites include the Hypocrite Omelet (a veggie omelet with meat); a Reuben Panini, with corned beef slow-roasted in house; and Tears of Joy, a tuna sandwich with pesto and three cheeses. The lattermost so named when a customer who’d ordered it as a special called them and said, “I’m crying tears of joy, it’s so good.” There’s also a ginormous menu of drinks, from lattes to smoothies to house-made sodas that change with each season. For dessert, there’s a host of baked goods, including Grandma’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake and Moomer’s ice creams, such as peanut butter Oreo. Some dinner-style entrees are also in the works. And yes, there’s unlimited coffee.
Find Them: 245 S Benzie Blvd., Beulah, (231) 383-4250, www.ursabistro.com
Jax Northside – Charlevoix
Tucked into a restful stretch along US-31, just north of Charlevoix, JAX serves up a timeless mixed grill of traditional-meets-modern eats that’s drawing in loads of locals and passing travelers alike. Climb up the narrow concrete steps, and an enclosed entryway emerges into an open-air dining room made intimate with dark mahogany booths, an immense blonde-wood salad bar, and — a must for the owners — carpeting, for a warm, inviting atmosphere. JAX is often packed long after the swell of the summer tourist season, causing them to still regularly utilize the space’s second dining room. In stark contrast to the main dining room, this second space is all wood and wicker, awash in nautical blues, with wall-to-wall windows overlooking the neighboring greens. The rest of the restaurant’s interior encompasses a deceptively far-reaching bar area, with a long, modern rail where patrons can take in the latest football score on one of several mounted televisions, or withdraw with family members to a more secluded high-top table.
On the Menu: The aim of the menu is delivering quality American dining — good burgers, good steaks, with a salad bar essential to the scheme, something the owners unapologetically wanted to “bring back from the ’70s.” JAX’s menu emulates the same sort of elevated tradition as the building itself. Appropriately dubbed “New American,” the cuisine the Strands envisioned is brought to life by executive chef Zach Snay and sous Rosie Chavez, who focus on scratch-made classics and kicked-up comfort food. It’s a hodgepodge of pub-style staples punctuated with Southwest, Latino, and Asian-fusion influences. Among their most popular items: hot wings [served with bleu cheese and carrot sticks], a sizzler, burgers, and, of course, that salad bar. Traditional pub fare not your style? No problem. Give the Sweet Heat Brussels a try, served fried with applewood bacon and a sweet and spicy honey sauce. Other menu favorites include locally sourced and pistachio-cured John Cross Fisheries whitefish, homemade Chicken Parmesan, and the ever-popular French-dip-style Brisket Melt. JAX also boasts a litany of rotating dinner specials, as well as a repeating weekend lineup — prime rib on Saturday nights, and a weekly fish fry on Fridays.
Find Them: 757 Petoskey Ave. (231) 437-6400, www.jaxchx.com.
Sorellina/Slate – Traverse City
As Traverse City’s restaurant scene continues to grow, two of its newer additions fill a gap — literally and figuratively — that brings both physical change and what its owners deem “market-niche diversity” to downtown’s Front Street. The intriguing twist: They’re both under the same roof.The Italian-themed Sorellina, and the upscale, prime steakhouse and seafood restaurant Slate. Each establishment is a completely distinct concept with its own menu, décor, and feel.
On the Menu:Open for dinner only, Slate offers an intimately elegant yet unpretentious atmosphere where customers can indulge in prime beef as well as other top-of-the-line meats and seafood; the whole menu is á la carte to allow for versatility. Diners can order their protein of choice and customize the rest of their plate from an intriguing array of toppings (examples: bourbon-bacon roasted shallot jam; gorgonzola and black pepper crust) and sides (examples: morel mushroom crème brulée; cabernet-braised cremini mushrooms). There is also a composed surf and turf dish on the menu that marries filet mignon and lobster tail. And if you’re tired of the same old wedge salad with your steak? Kick it up a notch with Slate’s chop salad (romaine, candied walnuts, tomato “caviar” — a little molecular gastronomy at work there — and gorgonzola-chive vinaigrette). Meanwhile, at Sorellina (open for lunch and dinner), the space is spacious and stylish yet cozy and casual. One favorite in the antipasti category is the short-rib ravioli, braised slowly for a long time with a tasty sauce. Pasta Nera was another new addition to the menu after the move — a classic pairing of lobster and saffron, peas, and artichokes, and squid ink pasta for a hint of brininess. Pasta is, of course, an integral part of Sorellina’s menu, and certain traditional preparations that have been offered since the restaurant’s beginning days at Park Street (like piccata, marsala and alfredo, with your choice of protein) are not going anywhere. The dessert menu — shared by both Sorellina and Slate — offers homemade Italian specialties that include cannoli and tiramisu and seasonally appropriate rotating selections like flourless chocolate cake, Key lime cheesecake, and white chocolate cherry cheesecake.
Find Them: 250 East Front St., Traverse City. (231) 421-5912, www.sorrelinatc.com
Libby’s Cafe – Cheboygan
If the food and service are good, restaurants can thrive in most any location. But in an auto dealership? Well, yes. At Fernelius Toyota and Chrysler in Cheboygan, that’s exactly where you’ll find Libby’s Cafe. Dealership owner Dave Fernelius came up with the novel idea, thinking that if customers needed to have their car serviced and would be on-site for a couple hours, a restaurant would give them someplace to grab a bite while they waited. It turned out to be the “craziest, best idea,” said Libby’s proprietor Libby Davis. How crazy? The restaurant is even open when the dealership is not, for Sunday brunch. The restaurant isn’t the only innovation at Fernelius. The dealership also boasts a large, two-sided gas fireplace, a large flat-screen TV, and even a workout room, complete with locker rooms. But the restaurant really sets it apart. The success is due to several factors: the captive audience, the novelty, and of course, the well-earned reputation of its food. Of course, you don’t have to be getting a car serviced to take advantage of the café’s comestibles. Davis said there are several regulars who stop in daily for a cup of coffee and a slice of pie; there’s often a line for lunch — not bad for a place with a capacity of 70. In an auto dealership.
On the Menu: The menu includes a complete selection of breakfast items, from oatmeal to eggs, pancakes, French toast and waffles. A crowd favorite: Libby’s salmon avocado toast, with dill, capers, cream cheese, and huge chunks of salmon and avocado. A variety of quiches, omelettes and acai bowls. Lunch means a host of sandwiches, paninis, even Libby’s street tacos (taco-seasoned chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, cheddar and avocado on a warm softshell, served with black bean salsa, sour cream, and corn chips). Everchanging but always hearty soups — from a mug-full to a soup-sampler flight — and a vast daily selection of salads rounds things out. Libby’s is also renowned for its pies.
Find Them: 11283 N Straits Hwy., Cheboygan. (231) 445-9330. You can follow Libby’s Cafe on Facebook.
Big Buck Brewery – Gaylord
Indeed, “big” is an apt description for everything about this place. It starts outside the building with a giant grain silo posing as a Big Buck beer bottle. Inside, a grand entrance hallway is flanked by life-sized carvings of bears and lit by a huge, multi-tiered chandelier. This space opens up to a sprawling dining room with a soaring post-and-beam vaulted ceiling and massive stonework pillars. Generously sized, cushioned bentwood chairs slide up to heavy lacquered wood dining tables arranged on the polished concrete floor. Elevated slightly from the main level and illuminated by yet another huge antler chandelier, the bar — a 360-degree expanse of black granite — boasts an impressive, custom-carved mahogany surround. Beyond it all, visible from every angle, looms the massive brewing room with its huge gleaming copper-and-stainless steel fermentation tanks.
On the Menu: Not surprisingly, the food menu is also big (read: both extensive and large-format). The very first item on the menu is Pierogies (the potato and cheese variety from Srodek’s in Hamtramck, topped with grilled onion, bacon, and melted Cheddar Jack). The house-smoked Sausage Duo features sauerkraut from The Brinery in Ann Arbor (along with sautéed Brussels sprouts leaves, spicy mustard and marbled rye). Plath’s meats in Rogers City provides pork chops, bacon, and other pork products to the restaurant, and all seven Big Buck burgers are made with Michigan Craft Beef. A top pick in the entrées section is the Blackened Lake Huron Steelhead (with fresh mango salsa, grilled vegetables, and wild rice). The Antipasto salad (romaine, salami, ham, fresh mozzarella, banana peppers, black olives, tomatoes, fire-roasted artichokes, and red onion) is a customer favorite. Beer makes its way into the cheese dip for the restaurant’s Bavarian pretzels. And should you choose blue cheese or ranch dressing to top one of the menu’s eight substantial salads, they also incorporate beer.
Find Them: Shawn and Cathy Smalley’s Big Buck Brewery is located at 550 S. Wisconsin Ave., Gaylord. (989) 448-7072, www.bigbuckbrewery.com.
Raduno – Traverse City
The name Raduno means “a gathering” in Italian. And as the restaurant’s chef/baker/pasta maker Janene Silverman explains, it could be gathering of your food, a gathering of friends, a gathering of ingredients; whatever your interpretation, Raduno seemed like a good match for the vision she and chef/butcher Andrea Deibler shared for the European-style delicatessen and cafe they opened together. Silvermanoffers four to five types of fresh pasta daily on Raduno’s rotating menu and in its take-out deli case, as well as at least two house-made sauces. A recent menu listed tagliatelle, rigatoni, lasagna, and potato gnocchi. The deli case might contain fresh ravioli (with varying fillings), fettuccini, bucatini and pappardelle, or a fanciful extruded pasta like creste di gallo (ribbed macaroni-shaped with a cockscomb ridge). Gluten-free pasta is also an option. Meanwhile, Deibler’s handles the butchering and charcuterie-making occupies, as well as concocting the café’s popular stews, pot pies, and salads.
On the Menu: Raduno’s deli case almost always offers four salads. Chock full of vegetables and greens from Leelanau Peninsula’s Loma Farm, these are healthy, hearty dishes, like gigante bean salad (with kale), fingerling potato salad, and roasted parsnip salad with pine nuts, balsamic and mint. Deibler also provides a selection of three different kinds of fresh sausage (such as bratwurst, andouille and Italian), as well as meatballs, one or two pates, and her irresistible chicken liver mousse. Best-sellers from the menu include the butcher’s lunch, the Cuban sandwich (house-smoked ham, pickles, melted Gruyere, and Dijon aioli on house-made ciabatta), the deli salad trio, and, of course, the pasta dishes, especially the variations on tagliatelle and rigatoni.
Find Them: 545 E. Eighth St., Traverse City. (231) 421-1218, www.radunotc.com.
Mode's Bum Steer – Traverse City
Mode’s started back in 1975, when there were very few restaurants in town. Today, they’re the longest-running restaurant under the same family ownership in Traverse City. The familiar tan brick façade of Mode’s, with its bright red awnings and the whimsical steer painted on the front, is almost as retro as its interior, which sports cushy red leatherette dining chairs, colorful faux Tiffany lamps, tufted green-backed bar stools, and red and green plaid carpeting. Part of the charm of Mode’s, its décor gives the place the feel of an old Chicago steakhouse, and its popularity over the decades has made it the site of countless first dates, engagements, breakups, meetings, and folks simply talking, drinking, eating, and lingering. It long list of loyal customers includes well-known Traverse City businesspeople and residents. The staff is equally loyal; some of them have been with the restaurant for over 30 years.
On the Menu: Mode’s website puts it in a nutshell: Steak. Seafood. BBQ ribs. When you think of a traditional steakhouse, you also think of traditional appetizers, and Mode’s has them: jumbo shrimp (with homemade cocktail sauce), baked brie (with pineapple-horseradish chutney), and Chicago specialty escargot deJonghe (snails coated in garlic-sherry bread crumbs), for example. One section of the menu is labeled “On the Lighter Side,” which is apparently relative in the steakhouse world, since it includes the very popular Polish sausage (on a roll with hot mustard and onion), prime rib French dip, a “BBQ pig” sandwich, and the McMode Burger (a cheeseburger with Canadian bacon and special sauce). Mode’s Angus beef — prime rib, porterhouse, filet mignon and other cuts, charbroiled and served with a baked potato, wedge salad and Texas toast — is what the restaurant was built on and what brings in both old and new customers. Another signature dish is fresh walleye, sourced from the northernmost shore of Lake Superior.
Find Them: 125 E. State St., Traverse City. (231) 947-9832, www.modesbumsteer.com
Lake Street Pub – Boyne City
In a freshly renovated building, part of a larger project that replaced a block of tired, underused storefronts, Lake Street Pub pays homage to industrial style: clean lines, natural brick and wood, generous windows, and an open ceiling with exposed trusses and ductwork. Tables are large and long with ample space for groups to spread out. LSP is cozy enough for a date but big enough for groups of 40. The rear seating area offers comfortable, curved banquettes, a softening counterpoint to the massive garage-style glass door that dominates the opposite wall. The door is raised in the summer, opening out to the patio, creating dramatic and comfortable al fresco dining. Umbrella tables protect against sun and the occasional pop-up shower, and overhead, an industrial-style pergola defines the patio space, which offers an amazing fireplace and views of sunsets over beautiful Lake Charlevoix.
On the Menu: Pub food is casual, yes, but the best pub fare is made to exacting standards with thoughtfully sourced ingredients. The LSP philosophy says it all: “Simple food, made with care, using local ingredients when it makes sense.” You can come in any day of the week and get a 10-ounce hand-cut prime sirloin steak; the same piece of meat is also butchered into a beautiful roast with only fresh garlic, salt, and pepper to their Cheese Steak Sandwich. Whitefish is delivered fresh from John Cross Fisheries in Charlevoix, and bacon comes from Plath’s [Meats, in Rogers City and Petoskey.] The workhorse of the kitchen is a small portable smoker that turns out a rich, hickory-smoked pork shoulder and whole brined-smoked-and-braised corned beef brisket. Picking a customer favorite is difficult, but beyond the award-winning pulled pork and the famous Reuben, popular items include the pub burgers; fried cheese curds; wings; fried brussels sprouts with balsamic, bacon, and almonds; the Club Sandwich; pub salad, and the aforementioned turkey Cobb salad. For the kiddos: Hot picks are the mac and cheese, the chicken strips, and a giant pancake served with syrup.
Find Them: 202 S. Lake St., in Boyne City. (231) 497-6031, www.lakestreetpuboyne.com
Rose And Fern – Traverse City
Opened by Becky Tranchell, a graduate of NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute (GLCI) who worked in the restaurant industry in California and as a personal chef in New York before moving back to Traverse City in 2012, Rose and Fern is “the little neighborhood eatery that could.” Originallypart of Potter’s Bakery on E. Eighth Street in Traverse City (as an event space and then deli), the new café is named for the two streets it sits between. Big and bold fern wallpaper lines one wall. Bench seating and small tables fill the space. A cozy and intimate living room vibe is what Tranchell is hoping for, with floral prints, pastels, plants, and shelves decorated with favorite things. And much to her neighbors’ delight, a long-wished-for coffee bar is also open, with Jeff Brown of Stockist Company roasting the beans on site. A mug wall — similar to what you might find at your neighborhood brewery — offers old-school coffee mugs for purchase. Monthly dinners are also on the menu, starting with a festive and fun Valentine’s Day event and a “sous vide and smoke” dinner in March, with the dinners featuring everyone from local chefs and home cooks to culinary students.
On the Menu: The Rose and Fern menu offers just six items for breakfast and six for lunch (all available all day), but with an incredible amount of variety. The cafe makes good use of its neighbor on the other side of the wall; Potter’s makes the English muffins, baguettes, and focaccia for the sandwiches. The $5 All American, an English muffin breakfast sandwich with Louie’s maple sausage, egg, and sharp cheddar, topped with a secret sauce, quickly staked its claim as a menu staple. As did the Morning Missile, a breakfast burrito with maple sausage, egg, black beans, feta, pickled red onion, and toum chili sauce, $9 (also available with no meat for $8). For lunch, the Basic B turkey sandwich has become a crowd favorite. For the more adventurous flavor seeker, visitors can try the Butternut Za’atar, with tahini, toum, and lemon kale on pita; the Yemen Beet with labneh and zhoug; or the curried egg salad. All sandwiches are $8 and can be turned into a brown bag special with chips, cookie, pickle, and drink for $11.
Find Them: 910 E. Eighth St., Traverse City. (231) 947-5125. You can follow Rose and Fern on Instagram and Facebook.
Sauce at Incredible Mo’s – Grawn
Incredible Mo’s isn’t just like home (unless, of course, home is a 35,000-square foot structure with a 16-lane bowling alley, huge arcade, laser tag and escape rooms, a little kids’ zone, and a full-service restaurant), but on some days and occasions, it might be just the right place for your family to be … even if (or maybe especiallyif) you’re a large group with different wants, needs, and appetites. The entertainment component of Incredible Mo’s may be the initial big draw, but its in-house restaurant, Sauce, has become an attraction in its own right, offering appealing dining options for everyone from toddlers to grandparents.
On the Menu: The menu offerings to appeal to a wide range of preferences and palates, starting with the really little kids — they’ll find the Mini Mo menu, a large, colorful laminated mat with photos of eight different meals, all plated playfully. For the adults, artisan pizzas, starting with handcrafted dough and sauces made in house, are the go-to pick for many guests, both young and old. The Sauce menu lists sixteen specialty pizzas, among them the Maui Wowie (pulled pork, pineapple, goat cheese, crispy onion, house bbq sauce), BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing) and Spicy Cheesesteak (steak, mushrooms, roasted red pepper, crispy onion, spicy aioli). And the Customize Your Own Pizza section lets you choose from dozens of toppings, six different crusts (plus gluten-free), and 12 different sauces (the original red sauce alone contains 19 ingredients). Other specialties include the Vic’s Chicken sandwich (seasoned and lightly breaded chicken, sharp cheddar, bacon, banana peppers, artichoke truffle spread); mozzarella bread bites; Irish eggrolls (corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, 1000 island dressing); parmesan garlic fries with artichoke truffle aioli dip; and eight variations on wings (habanero honey, house BBQ, parmesan garlic, buffalo, dry rub, sesame ginger, Thai sweet chili, spicy sriracha) served with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Find Them: 1355 Silver Lake Crossings Blvd., Grawn, about 5 miles south of Traverse City. (231) 944-1355, www.incrediblemos.com