The Michigan Riviera

This Torch Lake eatery embraces 88 years of tradition...with some fresh twists

By Greg Tasker | June 29, 2024

The azure blue waters of Torch Lake in the summer often inspire comparisons to the Caribbean or exotic locales, so it’s no surprise that the coastline of this northern Michigan inland sea boasts a spot known as “the Riv,” short for riviera.The azure blue waters of Torch Lake in the summer often inspire comparisons to the Caribbean or exotic locales, so it’s no surprise that the coastline of this northern Michigan inland sea boasts a spot known as “the Riv,” short for riviera.

In this case, that spot is Johnny’s Torch Riviera, an eatery popular with locals and tourists alike and situated at the south end of Torch Lake in Rapid City. The expansive building has been around for decades (since 1936, according to their website) and has served various roles in its lifetime, including as a grocery store, Chinese restaurant, and dance hall. 

A Family Affair

John and Jody Feola, a brother-and-sister team from metropolitan Detroit, are the newest owners of the beloved dining spot. John purchased the business with another business partner—an entertainer—in 2019; that partner succumbed to the lure of the road and left a few years later. Jody came aboard in 2022.

Like their mix of customers from Detroit, Chicago, and beyond, the Feolas sought out Torch Lake because of the slower pace of life, the abundant nature and beauty, and the friendliness of the locals. 

“My brother had been coming up here for 30 years. He has other businesses and was going to retire, but he likes to work. This is his retirement,” Jody says, noting her brother splits his time between Rapid City and St. Thomas. 

Jody, formerly of Grosse Pointe Park, had been visiting the area since her brother purchased the restaurant. “The area is incredible,” she says. “Everyone is so nice. When I first moved up here, there was a horribly snowy night. A woman at the top of the hill came down to help shovel me out. I didn’t even know her but that’s how people are here. They’re really kind and helpful.”

Keeping Traditions Alive

The Torch Riviera has long been a hub for social gatherings, connections, and community building, something the Feola siblings are continuing. 

“In one way or another, this place has always been the Torch Riviera or the Riv,” Jody says. “That has always been in the name. That’s not going to change.”

Indeed, the Feolas welcome hearing customers’ stories about the restaurant’s past.

“We have a lot of people who remember coming here as a child, and they’re in their 70s now,” Jody says. “They can remember when the bar was over there or when it was a grocery store … The stories go on and on. 

“One gentleman came in with his mother’s diary … he was so excited to share it with me. His mother came in here all the time to dance and danced all night,” she recalls.

While the dance hall is no more, the original dance floor—made of two-inch pine planks—has been left intact. John redid the floors and installed booths when he became owner, and Jody added some stained-glass windows from the early 1900s to separate the bar from the dining room, which seats 150 people. 

Some Things Change, Others Stay the Same

Keenly aware of the restaurant’s traditions, the Feolas have strived to maintain menu staples, including the cedar-planked whitefish, a popular entree available only on Sundays. Daily seafood entrees include salmon, shrimp scampi, and Cioppino, a fisherman’s stew of sauteed mussels, clams, crab, and shrimp in a tomato sauce with capers and shallots.

“What they had in place was really good,” Jody says. “We’ve tweaked things a bit here and there. People expect certain things from the Torch Riviera. It’s been here a long time and there are certain traditions. We’ve kept a lot of them.”

The Feolas also kept the Italian fare—including tortellini and cavatappi—but added their own sauces and make their own bread for bread baskets. In the case of the lasagna, they changed the dish to a family recipe.

“It’s my grandmother’s lasagna recipe,” says Jody, who has a background in food and beverage and a long history in the restaurant and bar industry. “The lasagna is about four inches high and you can see all the layers of noodles, cheese, meat, and sauce. It’s pretty popular. It’s enough for two people. A lot of people take half that meal home.” Other changes include the addition of a New York strip steak and barbecue ribs. The beer-braised spareribs are finished on a charcoal grill, then slathered in a house-made barbeque sauce. “The recipe comes from a friend who sells barbeque ribs on a street corner in Detroit,” Jody tells us. “The ribs are really popular.”

They’ve also added burgers and a selection of sandwiches, including a Reuben and Philly Cheese Steak.

Desserts are homemade and adapted to Jody’s likings; for example, Johnny’s version of tiramisu includes Kahlua. The kitchen regularly creates cannoli with different flavors, including raspberry, lemon, and pistachio. The key lime pie—not so common in northern Michigan—has delighted customers. 

“We have one customer that comes in here all the time. He’ll order two pieces at the table and take the rest of the pie home with him,” Jody says. 

On the drinks side, Johnny’s serves a large selection of Michigan craft beers, changed seasonally, including Short’s Bellaire Brown and Local’s Light. Drink specials run throughout the summer. A must is the Torch Lake Sandbar—named after the famous sandbar in the lake—a blend of Blue Curacao, Malibu rum, banana liqueur, and orange juice. Crushed graham crackers mimicking beach sand rim the glass. 

The Summer Swing

As the summer season takes hold, the Feolas are keeping an eye on the progress of the state’s efforts to improve a boat launch across the street. They’re enjoying the expanded view of Torch Lake and hoping that view remains. If so, they plan to add onto an outdoor deck, where customers linger with cocktails.

In a nod to the boating culture of Torch Lake, one room of the restaurant is already dedicated to Chris-Craft boats, and boaters are encouraged to post photos on a wall. 

Entertainment is offered on weekends and some week nights during the summer. The Feolas are also involved in Rapid City’s annual fireworks display and help with fundraising by selling T-shirts and Detroit Coney Dogs.

Find Johnny’s Torch Riviera at 12899 Cherry Avenue in Rapid City. (231) 322-4100; johnnystorchriviera.com