Food
Some Things Change, but These Restaurants Stay the Same
Three local establishments that have been around the block (and back again)
By Eric Cox | Oct. 4, 2025
There are a lot of grand old restaurants in northern Michigan. (Looking at you, Sleder’s Family Tavern, aka the state’s oldest continuously operated restaurant, having opened way back in 1882.) When we started thinking about eateries that have stood the test of time—serving up the same beloved recipes, holding onto the same beloved staff—there were too many to fit in a single article. But, for now, here’s a start. Let’s take a … Read More >>
Fresh Coast Sliders' Hot Chicken
Tastemaker
Oct. 4, 2025
We love a trip to the Back Lot in Charlevoix, complete with a tray full of sammies from Fresh Coast Sliders. (And the onion rings—don’t forget those.) Now, if you look a little closer at the photo above, you’ll see our favorite of their offerings—the Hot Chicken ($5)—tucked in the top row on either side of the ketchup. Here’s what you need to know: the chicken is crispy and piping hot. The … Read More >>
Glen Arbor Wines' Lake Dog Sparkling Grüner Veltliner
Bottoms Up
By Anna Faller | Oct. 4, 2025
Celebration is the name of the game at Glen Arbor Wines in downtown Glen Arbor—celebration of northern Michigan, of lake life, and top-notch local wines—and nothing says year-round celebration like their Lake Dog Sparkling Grüner Veltliner. Named for Crystal Mountain’s effervescent former K-9 ambassador, Fisher, this stainless steel-fermented sparkling features 100 percent Grüner Veltliner grapes, a zippy white varietal sourced from the Leelanau Peninsula. The result is a delightfully dry and complex … Read More >>
Variety Is the Spice of Life at K-Pocha
Time to try Korean street food in Traverse City
By Ross Boissoneau | Sept. 27, 2025
Who knew Froot Loops were a staple of Korean street food? Well, Phong Nguyen, for one. A Froot Loops-coated corn dog is one of the many popular dishes at his restaurant K-Pocha. “Kids love Froot Loops. It’s sweet and savory and really pretty,” says Nguyen, the owner of the recently-opened K-Pocha. As Nguyen explains, the restaurant’s name comes from the Korean term for a type of outdoor food and drink stall, a … Read More >>
Frank’s 231’s Meatloaf Sandwich
Tastemaker
By Anna Faller | Sept. 27, 2025
Based on the southern “meat-and-three” setup, where you pick a main and sides to go with it, the rotating menu of seasonal goodies at Frank’s 231 in Traverse City makes choosing nearly impossible. The cult-favorite Meatloaf Sandwich, though, is a must. This handheld take on the comfort staple starts with a hearty slice of homemade meatloaf—featuring Anavery Fine Foods beef, which is ground, seasoned, and slowly baked in-house—is drizzled with a sweet … Read More >>
Five Shores Brewing’s Precious Cargo Fruited IPA
Bottoms Up
By Craig Manning | Sept. 27, 2025
Are you ready for the last sip of summer? We aren’t either. Fortunately, Five Shores Brewing out in Beulah has one of those beers that can make Earth’s most glorious season last a little bit longer. Meet the Precious Cargo, a flagship since Five Shores launched back in 2020, and a beer that can fairly be described as “warm weather in a glass.” It’s the rare fruited IPA that doesn’t drown in … Read More >>
How ’Bout Them Apples? Michigan Apple Harvest Is Looking Bountiful
Local growers react to the 2025 crop
By Todd VanSickle | Sept. 20, 2025
For the fourth consecutive year, Michigan is on track for an above average apple harvest thanks to mild weather conditions, low disease outbreak, and more high-density orchards. Michigan farmers are estimated to harvest a combined 30 million bushels or about 1.26 billion pounds of apples this year. The announcement was made on Aug. 15 during the USApple Outlook meeting held in Chicago. “As growers continue to plant high-density orchards and adopt other … Read More >>
Café Exalt Shifts with the Seasons
Brengman Family Wines leans into fall fare
By Ellen Miller | Sept. 20, 2025
The Brengmans are a third-generation hospitality family from the Detroit area. “Our grandfather and dad operated restaurants in the east side mostly of the Detroit area and downtown,” says Robert Brengman. “It was pretty cool to be able to go to all those places as a young man and experience and work in them. I left hospitality, but once it’s in your blood, it’s always in your blood.” In 2000, an uncle … Read More >>
What Does It Take to Make an Award-Winning Wine?
Aurora Cellars and Black Star Farms on their national and international medals
By Eric Cox | Sept. 20, 2025
Black Star Farms Head Winemaker Lee Lutes wasn’t sure what to think. His ringing phone had yanked him from a midnight sleep. Who could it be? Dead-of-night phone calls often portend some grim new development. But not this time. This was a call from the future—literally—and it brought some of the best news he’d ever heard. It was 2018, and when Lutes groggily answered his phone, he was greeted by an excited … Read More >>
Apple of My Eye Recipes
Inside the Ingredients
By Nora Rae Pearl | Sept. 20, 2025
Paula Red, Zestar, Ginger Gold, Jonathan, Northern Spy… These are just a few names you need to keep a lookout for this apple season in additions to classics like Honeycrisps. Seek out these beautiful northern Michigan varieties at locations with ready-to-grab bags like Royal Farms in Ellsworth. Or, to enjoy the great outdoors and pick your own, visit King Orchards for picking apples fresh off the tree. Then, head to the kitchen … Read More >>
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