The podcast above features me, and only me, as Chef Tom and I were unable once again to connect for our weekly podcast. I know it’s not as great when Tom’s not here, but I hope that you will bare with me while I recount the travel-eating that I recently did with my wife, Dawn…
Podcast Contents
00:00 - 01:15 INTRO: Stu is Flying Solo
01:16 - 04:39 BREAKFAST AT AVL AIRPORT: Just the Hug I Needed
04:40 - 08:38 TRAVEL DIARY: The Journey Northward Begins… Kinda.
08:39 - 17:38 ATL LAYOVER: Sky Lounge & Liminal Hotel
17:48 - 32:15 WELCOME TO THE U.P. Home of Moofinfries, Lothrop & Son’s Fisheries, Peterson’s Fish Market, Fitzgerald’s, Arturo Ristorante, The Vierling Restaurant, Zephyr Wine Bar, Sinbad’s, Le Supreme, Frank’s Place
32:16 - 33:01 MANNA SPOT: Please Donate to MANNA Foodbank.
33:03 - 54:47 THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL: Penny’s Kitchen, Birdseye Outfitters, Velodrome, Bodega (Marquette), Trenary Toast Cafe, Suomi Home Bakery & Restaurant, Nisu Bakery, Goodale’s Bakery & Deli, Hanson House, The Grayling Restaurant, Red Hook Cafe, Frederick Stearns House, Josie’s
54:48 - 56:36 OUTRO: Shout Outs to Spike’s Keg O’ Nails, Grayling Coffee & Tea Company, The Original Gonella’s, & Coriander Kitchen & Farm, Bye!
Prt 1. AIRPORTS: ✈️ Y'all, Dawn and I just got back to Asheville, after an epic road trip that started in Sault Ste Marie, MI! My culinary journey technically began right at the Asheville Regional Airport’s Blue Ridge Trading + Tavern, where I got a super traditional American breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast & taters, and enjoyed the shit out of it. It was exactly what I wanted and it was cooked just right. Service was great too, and this was the perfect start for my trip!
Aaand it was pretty much the last perfect thing that happened that morning. 😂 Because of a thunderstorm, my plane was delayed on the tarmac so long that I missed my connecting flight in Atlanta so after a quick and tasty bite at the ATL Delta Sky Club, I checked in for an overnight stay at the airport Marriott. I got a fairly mediocre cheeseburger at the hotel restaurant that more or less met my expectations, and the excellent, friendly service exceeded my expectations. The next day I flew into Detroit, where I caught a much smaller plane to Pelston, Michigan, which is a tiny little town in the Upper Peninsula! Dawn met me at the airport, and had our first bite all planned out…
Prt 2. MOOFINFRIES: From the Pelston Airport, we drive directly to Moofinfries in Naubinway, MI. It’s a great little family owned place that sells locally raised beef burgers, locally caught fried whitefish, plus French fries and ice cream. We shared a burger and fried fish, and a lemon cheesecake ice cream cone. Everything was great!
We also had a chance to meet and chat with the owner, Wayne, who was super friendly and engaging! This meal set the tone for much of our trip. We ate a lotta great wfood, prepared and served by super nice people.
Prt 3. FRANK’S PLACE: You could call Frank's Place my favorite restaurant in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, and you wouldn't be wrong! I went to Frank’s three times in the one week that Dawn and I were in The Soo. Frank's is an olde school diner, that looks and feels like stepping into the past. During my three visits I got a fried fish sandwich, a full traditional American style breakfast, and a bacon egg and cheese sandwich on a toasted English muffin!
All three meals were exactly what I wanted, hit every nail on the head, and solidified my love of Frank's Place! If you find yourself way up there in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, be sure to stop into Frank's, and tell 'em Stu sent ya! ❤️
Prt 4. CLYDE’S DRIVE-IN SOO. No trip to Sault Ste. Marie, MI would be complete without a visit to Clyde's! It's an old fashioned drive in, where you park your car and the server comes out to take your order. There's also a counter inside. We got our classic Clyde's burgers and fries to go, and sat at a picnic table by the river.
To me, it was the perfect lunch, and one of the most iconic and satisfying meals you can get in The Soo, so I made sure to get in with Dawn and the family, and I'm so glad we did! Clyde's rules. 🍔🍟 ❤
Prt 6, SAULT STE MARIE, CANADA: We also ate at a very nice Italian restaurant called Arturo Ristorante in Soo, Canada. It’s old school in decor and classic in their menu offerings, tho elevated. We got some perfectly seared scallops, on a bed of spinach, plus some very delicious crostinis, drinks, and a unique and wonderful pistachio ice cream dessert that we both enjoyed very much.
On my own I also got the strangest, but surprisingly tasty and satisfying meatloaf sandwich at a place called Mane St. Cafe & Lounge, and a very rich and yummo butter cream cookie from a really cute shop called JCC Sugar. Sault Ste Marie, Canada is a trip. Lots of geese. So many geese. ❤ 🇨🇦
Prt 5, HOUGHTON & HANCOCK: Eventually, we drove all the way up to Houghton/Hancock, which are sister cities, with a rich history of mining, fishing, and hockey! We had an awesome breakfast at a place called Suomi Home Bakery & Restaurant in Houghton, where I got eggs, toast & corned beef hash, Dawn got a veggie omelette, and we shared something called a Pannakakku, which is a delicious oven baked custard-like pancake. We enjoyed everything thoroughly!
A few days later we went to Nisu Bakery & Cafe in Hancock, where we got the things to go, a thumbprint cookie, a cardamom roll, and a very unique piece of rhubarb cake that was very simple and very delicious!
Prt 7, EAGLE RIVER, MI: After saying goodbye to our family in Sault Ste Marie, Dawn & I drove all the way out to Eagle River, MI where we went to a great, old school, family style restaurant called Fitzgerald's, and it was perfect. My whitefish was cooked just right, and came with roasted potatoes, tomato chutney and seasonal vegetables. It was delicious.
Dawn opted for the chickpea and fennel Tagine with preserved lemon, raisins, roasted carrot, fresh herbs, focaccia, and smoked chicken, and we both agreed that it was excellent! For dessert we had some chocolate cake, and crushed every bite! 🙂 Thanks, Fitzgerald's!
Prt 8 - MARQUETTE, MI. Marquette is a town so frickin' cute and charming, that I felt like, "If I didn't love Asheville so much, I'd be making plans to move here." Dawn ate a lot of great food, drinks and coffee, and I had some good legal weed while we were up there. We first enjoyed coffee and a pop tart at Velodrome Coffee Company.
We also had some very nice toast at Trenary Toast Cafe. I had coffee twice at a really cute cafe called Dead River Coffee Roasters, and enjoyed a joint from Higher Love cannabis dispensary with my coffee the second time. One night we pregamed dinner with a salad nicoise and drinks an elegant little place called Zephyr Bar, then met our friends at a classic historical venue called The Vierling Restaurant and Marquette Harbor Brewery for whitefish (of course!), and ended the night with ice cream from Provisions MQT and drinks at the rooftop bar of the Landmark Inn, where we were staying. The next day I hit up The Crib for coffee, and then Dawn and I enjoyed a truly satisfying breakfast at a really bumpin' restaurant called Bodega before heading out of town to our next destination!
If you ever get a chance to go to Marquette, Michigan, I think you're gonna love it! We sure did!
Next Time: Well folks, I ran out of space, so the Travel Blog will be continued in my next newsletter, with stops in Grayling, Detroit, and Lexington, KY!
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