Lynda Wheatley | Author

High Five Spirits' Mi Senorita Vodka Rita

June 9, 2018

We swear, it’s not only High Five Spirits’ gorgeous presentation of its Mi Senorita Vodka Rita that had us swooning. (But seriously, who wouldn’t fall hard for a chilled copper vessel cut in the shape of an upside-down pineapple and packed with thick rings of citrus, High … Read More >>

The Tonic

June 2, 2018

For ’80s kids from the Detroit-area’s eastside burbs, it wasn’t autumn without a trek to Blake’s cider mill in Armada, Michigan. Class trips, family jaunts — you filled up on all the fall accoutrements at Blake’s: fresh-pressed cider, hot-from-the-oven-do… Read More >>

Dirty Thirty

May 12, 2018

You might not expect a lace-curtained tea shop to bring the heat. But the speakeasy hidden behind Traverse City’s Teetotalers does exactly that — once your password gets you permission to step behind the bookcase anyway. Inside the moody, elegant space done up in hyper-detailed … Read More >>

We Put Three Look & Feel-Better Methods to the Test

March 31, 2018

I’m not a vain woman. But I am a profoundly lazy one. So the idea of any facial treatment, no matter how pricey or painful, that promises I’ll look good without makeup, intrigues me. Fact is, I’m 43 years old. My face sports wrinkles, pimples, unreasonable shades of red on… Read More >>

Espresso Bay’s Bulletproof Coffee

March 31, 2018

It’s not farfetched to say this issue was brought to you in part by Espresso Bay’s Bulletproof Coffee, the new addiction of several Northern Express staffers. Based on the concoction made famous by biohacker entrepreneur Dave Asprey, Bulletproof Coffee is said to suppress hunger… Read More >>

The Morning After

March 10, 2018

There’s only one surefire way to avoid a St. Patrick’s Day hangover: Stay home, swallow some corned beef and cabbage, then go to bed. But if you’re like most American revelers who head out on March 17, you’ll likely find that a pint of Guinness often leads to two or … Read More >>

Bradley's Braised Short Rib

Feb. 10, 2018

Bradley’s Pub and Grill might be the best-kept secret Up North right now. The cozy eatery is easy to forget this time of year, nestled as it is among the frozen fairways of the hibernating Interlochen Golf Course, but make no mistake: Under the crafty talents of new head chef Mike Fra… Read More >>

Mammoth Distilling’s William Tell Cocktail

Feb. 10, 2018

The only thing we like better than drinking Mammoth Distilling’s William Tell cocktail (shown here)? Learning how to make the short pour of subtly sweet and winter-spicy Apple Pie Shrub in it. A half-ounce of the shrub — a macerated blend of apples cold-steeped in apple cider vi… Read More >>

Food for Thought’s Great Lakes Pear Organic Preserves

Feb. 3, 2018

Every September Leelanau County organic farmer Gene Garthe drops off a 600-pound box of fresh-picked Bosc Pears. The folks at Honor’s Food for Thought peels and dices each precious fruit, then transforms the lot into a limited number of Great Lakes Pear organic preserves. The lightly … Read More >>

The Hot List

Feb. 3, 2018

If you’re looking for love, the Northern Express this week is the right place. In honor of the impending holiday of hearts Feb. 14, we’re unveiling a hot list of single ladies and gents nominated by friends, family, or coworkers, and whittled down by the Express staff. All have … Read More >>

Opioids Up North

Jan. 29, 2018

This fall, President Trump directed acting Health Secretary Eric Hargan to declare opioid abuse a public health emergency. The epidemic has taken hold all over the country, reaching across age, gender, and socio-economic lines — and, as anyone who reads the headlines is familiar, righ… Read More >>

Cheboygan Brewing Company’s Blood Orange Honey Beer

Dec. 9, 2017

Brace yourself. We’ve got a helluva long haul until spring. And until those clouds crack open and daylight outlasts the dark, you’re going to have to find another source of sunshine. Enter Cheboygan Brewing Company’s Blood Orange Honey. Tastier than a tanning bed and far e… Read More >>

Civilized Spirits’ Bourbon Manhattan

Oct. 14, 2017

Maybe it’s the towering 24-plate column that master distiller Mike Hall designed for ultimate purity in his spirits. Maybe it’s the vanilla flavor compounds seeping from the oak barrels in which his whiskey marinates alongside oak wood chips. Whatever the cause, the effect is un… Read More >>

5 Veggie-Heavy Recipes from the Food-Service Front Lines

Sept. 30, 2017

 

Restaurant chefs get all the attention. And while certainly deserved — the North is home to loads of lauded food artists, after all — the acclaim overlooks an equally admirable culinary caste, one that doesn’t face dainty groups of self-appointed foodies exp… Read More >>

The Humble King

Sept. 16, 2017

Twenty-one years ago, Philip Asplund ate a turkey sandwich that changed his life. He was 46 years old. He had a degree from Michigan State University and a couple of decades experience as a registered social worker. And he had just completed a treatment program for alcoholism at Traverse Ci… Read More >>

The Woman Behind the Ladies Behind the National Cherry Queen

July 1, 2017

If you’re talking to Kay Relyea, the longtime director of queen’s activities for Traverse City’s National Cherry Festival, you’d better get two things straight: First, the court- and queen-making system Relyea and her team of 12 women orchestrate and oversee isn&rsqu… Read More >>