Geri Dietze | Author
Coffee, Community, and Conscience
Nov. 11, 2023
If you’ve been to Commongrounds Coop in Traverse City, you’re familiar with its mission to combine “food, family, arts, and wellness” in one inviting space. If you’ve yet to visit, your timing is perfect, coinciding as it does with the recent opening of NoBo Mr…
Read More >>
Dammm. Good. Food. (and That’s a Quote)
Oct. 28, 2023
The Foundry Craft Grillery celebrated its Elk Rapids opening this summer in the space previously occupied by American House Pizza and, before that, Siren Hall. Here you’ll find upscale bar food in generous portions, with craft cocktails, wine, and brews—all in a no-nonsense indu…
Read More >>
Hoop’s Pet Food Pantry
Oct. 21, 2023
No one should go to bed hungry, including our pets. To help financially strapped pet owners—and to keep fur babies in their homes rather than being surrendered—Hoop’s Pet Food Pantry steps up to feed between 250 to 300 pets per month at their Saturday Pet Pantry. The nonpr…
Read More >>
Heart, Soul, and Saltimbocca
Sept. 30, 2023
The Golden Stag in Manistee opened its doors July 2023 to glowing reviews and enthusiastic repeat customers. In fact, first timers not only returned to the Mediterranean restaurant, and returned quickly, but they brought their friends along as well.
“The response was overwhelm…
Read More >>
Where Old and New, Renovation and Regeneration, Meet
Sept. 2, 2023
Something’s been blooming on the corner of Northport’s Mill and Third streets, and it’s not just the gardens. Yard & Lake, an eclectic, quirky, wonderfully inventive collection of spaces and experiences, is the result of a four-stage business plan, thoughtfully planned…
Read More >>
Welcome to Archie’s Social House
Aug. 12, 2023
The folks behind Archie’s Food Truck parked their rolling stock this past May and moved to a permanent location at 237 Lake Ave., just on the edge of downtown. (The site was previously occupied by Benedict, and before that, Patisserie Amie—a brunch dynasty, if you will.)
Read More >>
Fingers Crossed for a New Era of Dining
July 22, 2023
When Garage Bar owner Bruce Viger finally decided to end his three-decade career in the restaurant business, it was hard on the legions of regulars who loved the Garage. But Viger’s exit was an opportunity for Detroit entrepreneur Dave Kwiatkowski, who already had nine eclectic, high …
Read More >>
Draken, Kraken, and Nuts
July 8, 2023
An intrepid crew of sailors, aka Unsalted Nuts, left Port Townsend, Washington, on June 5 to compete in the Race to Alaska (R2AK), a grueling, dangerous, 750-mile run up the inside passage from Washington through British Columbia and Alaska.
The route is a labyrinth of islands with …
Read More >>
Life is Just a Bowl of Tart Cherries
June 24, 2023
It seems that the whole world is catching on to the magic of tart cherries, both for their clean, fresh flavor and for their value as a nutritional powerhouse. Even Martha Stewart is singing the praises of this wonderful fruit. (We can’t help wondering about the collab possibilities: …
Read More >>
Hidden Dragons in the Forest
June 17, 2023
Karl Rykert is a self-taught sculptor who was enjoying anonymity until he chose to carve a dragon’s head jutting out of the woods on a busy section of US-131 south of Boyne Falls, near the Charlevoix/Antrim county line. Drivers took notice, word spread on social media, and before he k…
Read More >>
Dig This
June 3, 2023
The Friendly Garden Club of Traverse City, with over 50 active members, is still going strong after a century.
The group enjoys an advantageous mix of skill sets: master gardeners trained in the science and art of gardening, enthusiastic novices, self-taught hobbyists, retiree…
Read More >>
Introducing The Social
May 27, 2023
It’s tempting to call chef Eric Nittolo an overachiever, but perhaps he just channels his enormous energy and prodigious talents into doing what he loves and comes out the other side looking like a visionary.
If you know the name—and you probably do—you understand …
Read More >>
Home Improvement, the Natural Way
April 29, 2023
What’s your style? Hip and earthy? Sophisticated and minimal? Current decorating trends are embracing natural materials, colors, and finishes, and they are finding their way into a variety of design styles. Because today, if it comes from terra firma, it’s cool. Below, read abou…
Read More >>
Kingsley Inn Redux
April 15, 2023
Sometimes a name just sticks. Even after the Kingsley Inn was sold in 2020 and was briefly renamed the Judson Market and Restaurant, the place was still known to locals by its old name—or its nickname, KI, for short.
That name is back for good. Today, new owners Brian McAllist…
Read More >>
Soup, the Universal Comfort Food
Feb. 11, 2023
Call it soup, sop, le potage, zuppa, or juha, among others, but they all mean the same thing: a big bowl of goodness. Northern Express has found seven standout soups from some of the region’s most popular eateries to fill you up and chase the February chills away.
Vi…
Read More >>
The Beacon Beckons
Jan. 21, 2023
Searching for elevated comfort food? A menu that changes often enough to keep you coming back again and again? Petoskey’s Beacon Bistro fits the bill, thanks to the vision of owners Mark and Tawna Naturkas.
The Naturkas—she, a Mackinaw Island native, and he, a Detroiter …
Read More >>
Resolution Dining: Vegetarian Dishes & Dry January Drinks in TC
Dec. 24, 2022
We all know the benefits of a plant-based diet—it’s good for us and good for the planet. But just how hard is it to make that transition to a new way of eating and experiencing food?
Thankfully, going vegetarian or vegan in Traverse City is getting easier and tastier all…
Read More >>
Libby’s Downtown
Dec. 10, 2022
Libby Davis is a big part of the Cheboygan scene, and she’s come full circle from where she began; the original Libby’s Café, in operation until 2008, was right across the street from the new Libby’s Downtown. “I’m so excited to be back…for anothe…
Read More >>
The Palette of the Pastry Artist
Nov. 26, 2022
Pastry chefs are wildly talented, serious about their art, and super busy this time of year. Northern Express talked to three baker-designers about craft, creativity, and business—though for the full experience, visiting each one is a must.
Ruthann’s Gourmet Ba…
Read More >>
Never a Dull (Senior) Moment
Nov. 5, 2022
All people have one thing in common: We’re getting older day by day. Then again, Mick Jagger is 79 and still tours with that band of his…so clearly, this is not your grandfather’s retirement. While Jagger’s lifestyle may be anathema to the lives of most seniors, in … Read More >>