So many reasons to visit Traverse City Michigan. Great food. Are you hungry yet?

Thousands of visitors come to Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan each year to fish, water ski, bike, golf, play in the snow and explore shore towns. But the area’s riches run deeper than resorts and golf courses. The lake produces boatloads of whitefish, lake trout and chubs. The lakeshore climate lets hundreds of thousands of cherry trees flourish on the hillsides. Prize mushrooms hide in shady forests. Dairy cows graze in rich pastures. The rich aromas of locally made food taunts your senses and lures you in. You may just find this area one of the best for fresh local fare in the entire Midwest. Come visit us!

CHEESECAKE
The recipes featured in the area’s restaurants reflect this abundance of food resources. The Chocolate-Dried Cherry Cheesecake (left) — thick, rich, with a touch of coffee and speckled with dried cherries — is a favorite dessert at The Cove restaurant in Leland.

MICHIGAN MUFFELTTA
Stone House Bread Cafe in Leland gave us the recipe for this version of the New Orleans classic, layered with Olive Relish.

CHERRY VINAIGRETTE
Chefs at North Peak Brewing Company in Traverse City, Michigan, make this tangy, thick, cherry-color dressing for tossed salads. We like it over fresh fruit, too.

MOREL MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE WITH PASTA
The forest floors around Grand Traverse Bay yield delicately flavored morel mushrooms for crepes, omelets and sauces.

When Sam Hybels bought Hattie’s restaurant in Suttons Bay, Michigan, he also acquired the recipe for this creamy morel sauce for pasta. Today, Hattie’s is called Samuel’s, but the sauce remains the same. “I’d never dare tamper with it,” Sam says

OATMEAL-CHERRY COOKIES
Dried cherries make oatmeal cookies even more memorable in this recipe from American Spoon Foods, which has locations in the Traverse City area. We like its crisp edges and chewy centers.

GRILLED WHITEFISH
Visitors find hardworking fishermen at charming Fishtown in Leland, Michigan, west of Traverse City. On the other side of the fish case, staff members at Carlson’s prepare that day’s catch for sale. Whitefish is the local favorite used here in their recipe. Try the smoked fish too.

THE COVE’S WORLD FAMOUS CHUBBY MARY
Ordering this drink at The Cove in Leland is an experience. A Bloody Mary mixture arrives in a tall glass with a whole smoked fish sunk, head up, into the beverage. Play along, take a sip, and prepare to be pleasantly surprised at the smoky flavor the traditional Bloody Mary gets only when a smoked chub plays the role of swizzle stick.

CREME FRAICHE
George and Sally Shetler (left) shared this versatile recipe using two products from their Shetler Dairy in Kalkaska, Michigan. It’s similar to sour cream, only sweeter. They like it in soups, sandwiches and wraps — and as a fruit dip.

THE CHERRY CAPITAL
Since the first cherry tree was planted here in 1852, the Traverse City area has grown into the world’s self-proclaimed Cherry Capital. It’s a prime part of Michigan’s Fruit Belt, which grows 75 percent of the country’s tart cherries and about 20 percent of the sweet cherries. The area holds an annual National Cherry Festival in July, and the fruit stars in local soft drinks, wines, bratwurst, ice cream, jams, salsas and pies.

“SMOOCHING THE MOOSE”
While the Traverse Bay region features nearly a dozen fine dining restaurants, not all of the region’s exceptional food comes served on white linen. Serious chefs make regular pilgrimages to Sleder’s Family Tavern, a white frame building that opened just west of downtown in 1882. “Except for the electric lights and fans, everything is pretty much the same as then,” says Deb Cairns, a Traverse native who, with her husband, Brian, has owned the hugely popular eatery since 1992.

Under the tin ceiling and stuffed animal heads, diners feast on fresh-ground burgers, fried perch and smelt. It usually takes a few beers before diners plant the traditional kiss on the nose of a moose head. Afterward, they can buy T-shirts reading, “I Smooched The Moose.”

Maybe it’s odd, but it’s decidedly local. And that, like everything around Grand Traverse Bay, is the secret to the flavor.

Bon Appetit’!

(Midwest Living feature article)