Jillian Manning | Author

Drive It Like You Stole It — er, Rented It

July 4, 2020

’Tis the season for summer cruisin’. With gas prices still hovering around $2 in most of Northern Michigan, there’s never been a better time to go for a drive … especially if you’re taking a trip back in time.

No, we’re not taking a DeLorean, but… Read More >>

Gaylord’s C.R.A.V.E.

June 20, 2020

Opened in May of 2018, C.R.A.V.E. Pasta Pizza Pub serves up creative pizzas and pastas in one of Gaylord’s most iconic Main Street buildings. For the history buffs, The A.B.C. Comstock Hardware store was built in 1878 — that’s 142 years ago — and housed the well-know… Read More >>

McGee’s 72

May 23, 2020

When John McGee and Glen Harrington met working at Apache Trout Grill, they had no idea a friendship would one day turn into a multi-restaurant partnership. Today, the duo owns and operates McGee’s 72, McGee’s 37, Harrington’s by the Bay, Sorellina, Slate, and Grand Traver… Read More >>

The Dish Cafe

April 18, 2020

For 14 years, husband and wife duo Randy Waclawski and Patty Hickman have owned The Dish Cafe, located steps from the busy corner of Front and Union streets in downtown Traverse City. The bright, intimate space offers a healthy take on fast-casual dining, featuring crowd-pleasing salads, sm… Read More >>

Fried Chicken Po’ Boy

Jan. 25, 2020

Perfectly crisp fried chicken. Fresh warm bread. Honey jalapeno mayonnaise. (And then lettuce, onion, and tomato, because vegetables are supposed to be important.) This is the Fried Chicken Po’ Boy at Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen in Elk Rapids. For those who haven’t been, P… Read More >>

Snowbelt Brewing Co.’s Pie Pants Cider

Dec. 7, 2019

Imagine if two favorite northern Michigan ciders — Tandem’s Smackintosh and Left Foot Charley’s Cinnamon Girl — had a love child. That baby would have bright, tart notes of apple paired with the perfect amount of holiday spice, begging to be enjoyed alongside a Chris… Read More >>

A Present and Your Presence

Nov. 30, 2019

’Tis the season for holiday parties! As you run to and fro in the snow, you’ll need the perfect gift for your hostess, and while there are dozens of great bottles of wine to choose from around town, we challenge you to get a little more creative. Below, check out seven gifts you… Read More >>

Fishing, Fashion, and Family

March 2, 2019

You can take the girl out of northern Michigan, but you can’t take northern Michigan out of the girl.
 
At least, that’s the case for Cara Summers Smith, creator of Summers&Co, a line of feminine fishing apparel and accessories that launched this past winter. … Read More >>

Made in Michigan: Blunt Swimwear

Aug. 4, 2018

 

Do you know where your swimsuit was made? If you check the label, you’re likely to find China, Vietnam, or Sri Lanka listed on the tag. You probably won’t see “Made in Michigan” or even “Made in America.”

Unless you’ve been sh… Read More >>

Jennifer Shorter: Changing the Face of Petoskey Retail

May 26, 2018

This month, Jennifer Shorter opened her family’s fourth store in downtown Petoskey. No, she doesn’t manage a fast food franchise or a tourist chain — she’s the third-generation proprietor of Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts, and present-day owner of J.W. Shorter & S… Read More >>