7 Monks’ Braised Pork Nachos

Tastemaker

By Anna Faller | Nov. 26, 2022

While the rest of us pulled out our winter boots and grabbed an extra blanket (or five) this past week, 7 Monks Taproom in Traverse City was cranking up their menu’s heat in the form of a creamy queso, which they’ve spiked with flecks of flaming ghost pepper—and frankly, we’re sweating a bit just thinking about it. The sauce is the crowning condiment of the pub’s recently winterized Braised Pork Nachos ($15.50), which arrive heaped with apple cider-braised pork atop handfuls of hand-cut tortilla chips. A drizzle of that fiery queso (cut with Dijon mustard and lime) separates each savory bite, before the whole shebang is doused in homemade honey-barbeque sauce and finished with a pop of pickled red onion and diced apple-jalapeño salsa. Pair it with a crisp draft cider or a featured Pilsner on Wednesdays. Either way, you won’t be needing the jacket. Thaw out with a plate at 7 Monks Taproom 128 S. Union St., downtown Traverse City. (231) 421-8410, 7monkstap.com