The Restaurants page has been updated; always a bittersweet process. There is a bitter taste with the closing of a restaurant and some were real favorites.

On a much sweeter note, a number of new restaurants have been added to our lists of Great Lakes representative restaurants, inspired in part by the recent James Beard Finalist announcement. It is incredibly encouraging to see great new restaurants on the list focused on the unique traditions and products from the Great Lakes region. Though I have yet to try all of these restaurants, I have included some details from each of their websites to provide context.

As always, we have listed each on our Restaurants page with a dish representative of our working definition of Great Lakes Cuisine. So without further ado, here are the additions:

Cordelia – Cleveland, Ohio, with a menu self-described as Modern Grandma and a banner on the website declaring “MIDWEST NICE”.

“Named Cleveland Magazine’s 2023 Best New Restaurant and among Tasting Table’s 22 Best New Restaurants in the US. Cordelia features heritage-rich recipes and cocktails inspired by the farmer’s bounty and generations past, reimagined and showcased in new ways through the lens of our kitchen led by James Beard Award Finalist Chef Vinnie Cimino”

The menu is a series of recognizable dishes taken in interesting new directions.

Slyman’s, Danny’s Deli, and Larder, Cleveland, Ohio, all suggested by Cordelia’s as places they like to frequent, these three represent a spectrum from traditional to contemporary delicatessens in Cleveland.

The Cook’s House, Traverse City, Michigan, is another James Beard finalist, focused on showcasing local cuisine:

Patterson and Blakeslee worked together in Las Vegas, where they had been cooking in Michelin-starred kitchens, namely under iconic French chef André Rochat and hatched an idea to open a small restaurant in Blakeslee’s native Traverse City built on the bounty of locally grown and foraged foods….The eponymous retrofitted address on Wellington Street speaks to the inspired minimalism of farm-to-fork cuisine that has established The Cooks’ House as one of the Midwest’s cultiest eateries. 

A recent menu including Walleye with a green tea dashi, crispy rice, and scallions or Smoked whitefish, with radish, dill, shoots, and sprouts or Potatoes with melted raclette with cheese, bread, and garnishes, are all in our Great Lakes tradition.

Pennyroyal Cafe & Provisions, Saugatuk, Michigan, is another James Beard finalist and the menu has me planning a trip. Melissa Corey trained under three James Beard award-winning chefs in Maine and Chicago and now specifically focuses on the local produce of southwest Michigan. Her partner being farmer Ryan Beck makes it a bit easier to access that produce. I love this description of their name on their website:

Like many herbs that were once widely useful and abundant, Pennyroyal is now overlooked as a weed. Herbs uniquely represent the overlap in the past of food and medicine. Our style of cooking reflects this idea. We start with humble ingredients and enhance them by utilizing historic recipes with a tasteful, cultivated touch.

Humble local ingredients enhanced with historic recipes and a modern, cultivated touch – I’d suggest that is a very concise definition of Great Lakes Cuisine.

There are so many fantastic dishes on their menu I cannot wait to try including Duck leg confit with squash pureed, roasted, and pickled, with a creamy mustard sauce or Campfire trout with speck, roasted cauliflower, brown butter, and charred lemon. Oh, and a house poutine? I’m in.

Bonus restaurant – White Lily Diner, Toronto, a Michelin Bib Gourmand honoree, this traditional diner makes our list as well. Here is the description from the Michelin Guide:

Old school diners are rare creatures these days, but ones that smoke their own bacon, make their own biscuits and donuts, bottle their own hot sauce and grow their own vegetables? Even rarer. A culinary unicorn, this bright yellow nook sets the standard not just for diners but for any restaurant that aspires to serve both people and planet. While also partnering with local farms, husband-and-wife team Ben Denham and Ashley Lloyd live on their 10-acre farm in Uxbridge, which supplies a handful of restaurants and a CSA.

Sometimes staying traditional is the best way to elevate an experience. I look forward to visiting when next in Toronto.