How do you define an area of the country?
We often characterize somewhere new by the food and drink that are part of the regional cuisine.
Que the Mission Impossible theme ….
Our job for this day is – if we choose to accept it – to sample a wide variety of food in the greater Traverse City area.
The Schulz family replied in unison “Mission accepted!”
It was a beautiful sunny day perfect for sampling food and beverage offerings in Traverse City – or as locals call it – TC.
We always like to have one fine dining establishment on our list – as well as a local brewery or cidery – and oftentimes an ice cream or donut shop.
We choose these using a variety of different ways – from internet surfing to YouTube videos to recommendations from people we meet up with in the local area.
This time – we choose our first dining spot of the day from the KOA brochure which had several local attractions listed as “if you are looking for something to do in our area” part of the campground map.
Consider us in the “we are looking for something to do” category.
We checked out “The Little Fleet” for our lunchtime meal. This was a local brewery that had a series of permanent food trucks as part of a fenced in plaza that served Pizza, salads, tacos, hot dogs and other “street” food options.
The nice thing about such a place is that everyone can get what they want – and our group of four wandered around and all picked different foods to sample.
It all looked good – and I am always up for a street taco or an oven fired pizza. Noel, Tim and Tricia sampled a pizza, some cheesy French fries with pulled pork, and a salad.
My choice – and anyone that knows me would never have guessed – was a chili hot dog served from an Airstream Camper called “Dogwood”. I mean – how could you say “no” to an opportunity like this?
It was a bit spicy – and I must confess I did eat it with a fork and knife. I washed it down with a nice light and crisp Kolsch from the attached brewery.
Noel found a salad place that served a salad with local cherries and chicken. It looked good – but not quite as appealing as my chili dog from Dogwood.
We were lacking a good dessert option – so we turned to the other members of the Schulz family for our next stop.
Tim and Tricia are ice cream aficionados – and they found us an amazing Ice Cream place in the TC.
It is called “Moomers” and it has won several awards nationally for its ice cream.
Many restaurants have lots of awards posted on the walls about how much people like them. Sometimes they are right – and sometimes they may reflect a previous history that does not quite match the current experience.
Moomers was selected several years ago as the best place to get ice cream in the nation. The judges were right – it may be the best ice cream I have ever had!
After my hot dog and a sundae – it was time to head back to the campground for a short rest period before heading out to our next eating establishment.
I had secured a dinner reservation at Trattoria Stella in Traverse City a couple of months ago for dinner. They advertised Italian food with a Mediterranean flair and an extensive wine list with many selections from Italy.
The restaurant is located on what looked like an old college campus. However, it was one of the first businesses to locate in what was formally the Northern Michigan Asylum built in the late 1800’s as a mental health treatment facility. The restaurant had multiple photos taken by local artists showing the conditions of many of the spaces prior to renovation and rebranding as Grand Traverse Commons.
In short – while the architecture was interesting – the meal itself was outstanding. Good food, nice wine and excellent service – what more could you ask for?
We enjoyed a bottle of Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto Toscana that paired perfectly with the wide variety of dishes we all enjoyed. The asparagus soup was some of the best Noel and I have had – and we would certainly get it again on a return trip.
After an outstanding dinner – we were not yet done with our culinary journey for the day.
We elected to have an evening time family campfire that included the 4 humans (Kirk, Noel, Tim, and Tricia) as well as both dogs (Zeus and Aurora).
It was time for Chef Noel to do some campfire cooking – so we enjoyed baked savory pies cooked over the campfire. These delicious treats have Brie cheese, dried cherries and pecans baked in crescent roll dough.
After the pies and some family visiting time – we called it a day close to midnight.
The food scene in the “TC” was fun and delicious. We only got to try a couple of different places – but will certainly add some new dining experiences to the list before departing in a few days.
Food trucks, ice cream, Italian food and savory campfire pies. What more could you ask for in a day?
In keeping with the Mission Impossible theme –
Mission Accomplished.
Kirk’s Travelogue 