Lynda Wheatley | Author

MI Coffee’s Snickerdoodle Lattes (& Bonus Adventure)

Jan. 16, 2021

Consider it kismet: Just steps from BATA’s Route 12 bus stop at Blue Vase Book Exchange in Interlochen — home to thousands of used books and, just recently, a fab new section featuring vinyl from Traverse City’s RPM Records — a new drive-thru coffee hut has opened. <… Read More >>

Sufjan is Back

Jan. 16, 2021

Petoskey-born and raised musician Sufjan Stevens released his eighth studio album, The Ascension, last September, but for those of you who (like us) can’t get enough of his poetic lyrics and ethereal sound, you can enjoy a bit of both on a new tune, “Song of Trouble,” whic… Read More >>

Brys Estate’s Spiked Hot Cider (& Hot New Trail!)

Jan. 2, 2021

Per the governor’s order, tasting rooms are closed to indoor wine and food service through Jan. 15, but that doesn’t mean Brys Estate’s gorgeous Old Mission Peninsula property — or its inspired libations — are off-limits. Just one day after Christmas, the inven… Read More >>

Are You Up for the Mocktail Challenge?

Jan. 2, 2021

Michigan sure is making “Dry January” easier this year, eh? The annual tradition in which the tough and puffy among us swear off alcohol after so much holiday-induced imbibing, this year’s detox time poses less temptation than usual. With our beloved bars, restaurants, and… Read More >>

New Year, New You

Jan. 2, 2021

It won’t be hard to top 2020, a year that we’ll remember for all that it wasn’t and couldn’t safely be. So while you probably could do nothing but sit on the couch and wait for the calendar to plod toward an almost-certainly better tomorrow, why not invest the singul… Read More >>

Food Arabia’s Shawarma

Jan. 2, 2021

Tanjina Noushin, Roksana Yesmin, and Sabina Yesmin immigrated to America to flee life-threatening political persecution in Bangladesh. So opening a restaurant in the middle of the pandemic … ? For these brave business partners, that’s small potatoes. Their Food Arabia, opened l… Read More >>

Leelanau’s Double Bubble (& Double Gold!) Winners

Dec. 19, 2020

If you and your New Year’s Eve kiss recipient plan to toast 2021 with a bit of the bubbly, might we suggest selecting from two big-winning bottles from our own Leelanau Peninsula? Bel Lago Winery’s Auxerrois Brut 2019 and Black Star Farms’ 2018 Sparkling Riesling both won … Read More >>

Lu Bian’ General Tso’s Chicken

Dec. 19, 2020

Amid the ever-changing restaurant environment of 2020, the Wineguys Restaurant Group (owners of City Park Grill, Palette Bistro, and Roast & Toast in Petoskey, Michigan) last week launched a new delivery-only venture focused on Chinese-centric cuisine. (“Lu Bian” is a Mandar… Read More >>

Tillie’s Tafel’s Cinnamon Roll

Dec. 12, 2020

At Petoskey’s newest downtown bakery, Tillie’s Tafel, 437 E. Mitchell St., they like to keep things simple. They have a simple storefront. Inside are basic chairs and tables. The menu is simpler yet, containing just two items. Wait … what? Yep. At Till… Read More >>

Paper Station Bistro’s Bees Knees

Dec. 12, 2020

Like the Sidecar, the Gin Rickey, and the French 75, the Bees Knees cocktail is a Prohibition Era compote that, in the proper hands, could be very dangerous.

At Harbor Springs’ Paper Station Bistro (145 E. Main St.) three simple ingredients make their Bees Knees ($12)… Read More >>

Stream It: Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy

Dec. 5, 2020

We don’t know about you, but one of our favorite things about pandemic life is the opportunity to peek inside the personal spaces of newscasters and celebrities taping their shows from homes. This month, you’ve got an opportunity to peek internationally, with Celtic hubs-wife fi… Read More >>

Mama Lu’s Taco Tote

Dec. 5, 2020

At Traverse City’s ever-pivoting Mama Lu’s, there are Taco Kits, and there are Taco Totes. The $60 Taco Kit feeds five to seven folks. The Taco Tote theoretically feeds a couple or small family, but if you’ve ever eaten Mama’s tacos or drank her sec… Read More >>

Esperance’s Prosecco & Panettone

Dec. 5, 2020

Full disclosure: We once bought a panettone from a CVS. It was still delicious.

But if you want to up your game substantially, consider splurging on this perfect pairing from Charlevoix’s longtime purveyor of some of the most lovely local and international food and wine availa… Read More >>

Special Touches for an Unforgettable Meal

Dec. 5, 2020

Whether you’re sending dinner to someone you love, hosting an intimate with your immediate, or supping alone, you should celebrate the occasion with as much gusto as you’ve done in years past. Gone is the hustle and bustle, the many obligations to go to and fro. This season, we&… Read More >>

Northern Latitudes’ Bernie’s Brandy

Nov. 28, 2020

The legendary spirit of Bernie Rink — aka The Godfather of Northern Michigan Wine — has been, you might say, bottled. Northern Latitudes Distillery in Lake Leelanau just last week released its latest spirit, Bernie's Brandy, which is distilled from a blend of the late winem… Read More >>

Treat Yourself

Nov. 28, 2020

If ever there was a year to reward yourself in a big (make that HUGE) way, this is the one. Here’s five utterly extravagant splurges you shouldn’t just put on your wish list but actually make come true, just for you.
 
The Bed of Roses
You kn… Read More >>

Let the Local Cash Registers Ring

Nov. 25, 2020

If you love the look and feel of the North’s quaint downtowns, skip shopping at the Big Box stores and online behemoths this year. Instead, spend your hard-earned holiday money supporting our local shops, artists, and community gathering places. Here, a short list of virtual and in-pe… Read More >>

Walloon Lake Inn’s John Cross Whitefish

Nov. 21, 2020

Used to be when the wife suggested takeout, you hefted your keister up to the local pizza shop, Chinese eatery, or burger joint and got you and your lady a few Styrofoam containers of delicious chow to eat in saggy sweatpants on the couch. Thanks then to the single silver lining of COVID-19… Read More >>

Fonseca 10-year Tawny Port

Nov. 21, 2020

Should you be blessed with a snowy night and fireside this season, be prepared with the ultimate in moment making: a bottle of Fonseca 10-Year-Old Tawny Port. Born of the famed port house founded in Portugal’s Douro Valley in the early 18th century, the 10-year-tawny requires no decan… Read More >>

Bubbie’s Super Nova

Nov. 14, 2020

If you can get past the initial brutal realization that you just spent $52 on a bagel breakfast for a family of four, you will be justly rewarded.

Fact is, Bubbie’s Bagels isn’t just any bagel shop. It’s a bagel shop that upends a Midwest-born-and-raised gal&rs… Read More >>