*Update: Buttermint permanently closed in 2024. The same folks that brought us Storyhill BKC have another offering we're adding to our Restaurant Guide, Buttermint. They describe it as "new interpretations of Continental cuisine" and it feels at home in it's 1960's inspiration both in atmosphere and in menu. The food and cocktails are classics all [...]
Restaurant – Birch
In a few weeks from the writing of this post, James Beard Foundation will announce it's winners for Best Chef for 2024. The Great Lakes region in the awards includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, which puts Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland all in the same category. Tough sledding for the Great Lakes cities. Milwaukee (thankfully!) [...]
Foraged Fiddleheads and Pheasant Back Mushroom with Broiled Walleye
Spring comes late to the northern woods of Michigan, extending the early spring foraging season well into mid-May. This year it provided another opportunity to return to our indigenous-inspired cooking approach we have been exploring for a few years now. We have already shared one walleye recipe in our indigenous-inspired cooking approach here. But a [...]
Quest for the Ultimate Patty Melt
A few years back we did a post featuring some local and some house-created burgers, in which we went into the history of the burger at some length. We mentioned the patty melt and by many accounts it appears to have originated in California. But that didn't stop us in our effort to create the [...]
Lakeside Campfire Cooking
‘When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.’ ~Shunryu Suzuki-roshi The immediacy, even intimacy, of cooking over a campfire adds layers of warmth to any meal. Outdoor firepit cooking requires thoughtful consideration to the preparation of the fire and the food, as well as a [...]
Great Lakes Cuisine 