Living the good life in Michigan yesterday wasn't hard at all. We left Chicago in the morning, determined to take full advantage of the afternoon, despite the one-hour time change to EST. After a quick stop at the outlet mall in Michigan City to stock up on summer t-shirts for the guy (I also admit to buying just a couple of things...surprise), we drove ASAP to our favorite find from last summer: Froehlich's in Three Oaks. What can I say about Froelich's that would do it justice? Sigh. It's simply the most charming purveyor of the absolute best jam available--canned on the premises. I know "absolute best" is a broad statement, but when's the last time YOU spent $50 on jam? Good stuff, right?
After a snack of housemade hummus and deviled eggs, washed down with refreshing mint iced tea, Joe took a spin on an Electra "Rat Fink" at the bike shop next door while I shopped for Strawberry-Rhubarb and Black Cherry & Ginger jams. Oh, and also canned yellow & red tomatoes and a peach pastry. Joe didn't buy the bike (big thumbs down on the handle bars that were taller than my head), but I did buy a tiny chunk of liver sausage at famed butcher shop Drier's. Check this online mention--I think I found it on Chow Hound.
In tiny Three Oaks, Michigan, 75 miles east of Chicago, the 1875-vintage Drier’s Meat Market is a national historic site. Immortalized in poetry by patron Carl Sandburg, it makes a subtly spiced all-beef ring bologna worthy of the trek. The 100-year-old smokehouse has been run by the Drier family since 1913. Drier’s Meat Market, Three Oaks, (888) 521-3999, www.driers.com.
Last on our list for the day was what I described as "cheesy fun." A visit to a really yummy Italian restaurant (and I don't use the term "yummy" loosely) in Stevensville called Casa Tosi's. It's pure North Woods lodge meets Little Italy in this very large restaurant on the edge of Lake Michigan. The drive in is beautiful, cruising through wooded roads dotted with stately houses and beach cottages. The gardens in front of the restaurant are lush with rhododendron and silky green grass, and lead to a cozy outdoor patio.
But eating indoors was our style last night, and we found ourselves among 16-year-old prom- goers sitting stiffly in formals and tuxedos, as well as groups of 60-year-old weekenders cozying up to the red leather bar with glasses of wine and cocktail nuts, listening to an Al Jarreau cover singer until their tables were called. We may have been some of the only 30-somethings in the entire restaurant, but it was my cheesy fun all the way! And the food was fabulous. Joe chose the gluten-free risotto with porcini mushrooms and roasted chicken while I ate penne Arabiatta with shrimp (what else?). This is a great place to visit the next time you head up to Saugatuck or Grand Rapids...even if the restaurant looks slightly more German than Italian inside!
As M. Henry's so sweetly puts it, chow for now.
After a snack of housemade hummus and deviled eggs, washed down with refreshing mint iced tea, Joe took a spin on an Electra "Rat Fink" at the bike shop next door while I shopped for Strawberry-Rhubarb and Black Cherry & Ginger jams. Oh, and also canned yellow & red tomatoes and a peach pastry. Joe didn't buy the bike (big thumbs down on the handle bars that were taller than my head), but I did buy a tiny chunk of liver sausage at famed butcher shop Drier's. Check this online mention--I think I found it on Chow Hound.
In tiny Three Oaks, Michigan, 75 miles east of Chicago, the 1875-vintage Drier’s Meat Market is a national historic site. Immortalized in poetry by patron Carl Sandburg, it makes a subtly spiced all-beef ring bologna worthy of the trek. The 100-year-old smokehouse has been run by the Drier family since 1913. Drier’s Meat Market, Three Oaks, (888) 521-3999, www.driers.com.
Last on our list for the day was what I described as "cheesy fun." A visit to a really yummy Italian restaurant (and I don't use the term "yummy" loosely) in Stevensville called Casa Tosi's. It's pure North Woods lodge meets Little Italy in this very large restaurant on the edge of Lake Michigan. The drive in is beautiful, cruising through wooded roads dotted with stately houses and beach cottages. The gardens in front of the restaurant are lush with rhododendron and silky green grass, and lead to a cozy outdoor patio.
But eating indoors was our style last night, and we found ourselves among 16-year-old prom- goers sitting stiffly in formals and tuxedos, as well as groups of 60-year-old weekenders cozying up to the red leather bar with glasses of wine and cocktail nuts, listening to an Al Jarreau cover singer until their tables were called. We may have been some of the only 30-somethings in the entire restaurant, but it was my cheesy fun all the way! And the food was fabulous. Joe chose the gluten-free risotto with porcini mushrooms and roasted chicken while I ate penne Arabiatta with shrimp (what else?). This is a great place to visit the next time you head up to Saugatuck or Grand Rapids...even if the restaurant looks slightly more German than Italian inside!
As M. Henry's so sweetly puts it, chow for now.
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