Looking for that perfect place to find breakfast in Northern Michigan? Traverse Magazine Food and Wine Editor Tim Tebeau recommends these restaurants from Traverse City to Boyne City. Custom griddlecakes and inventive Benedicts abound!
The Remedy Cafe
221 Garland St. | Traverse City | 231.421.8967
Swing open the doors of The Remedy Cafe to collide with the tantalizing stimuli of confited chicken and waffles, verde-braised pork belly huevos rancheros and fruit-filled crêpes. Hiply appointed in an old school apothecary aesthetic, this wildly popular breakfast joint in Traverse City’s warehouse district is the doing of The Workshop Brewing Company owner Pete Kirkwood and Chef Matt Knickerbocker. Emulating the scratch-made self-reliance of its sister establishment, The Remedy delivers inventive breakfast and brunch fare built on artisanal Michigan farm products and cooked with passion. Drawing on the diner’s overarching theme, Remedy’s menu is sectioned into subheadings like “doctor’s orders,” “folk remedies” and “clinical trials,” each featuring laboriously crafted plates like the signature sausage benedict: crisped housemade sausage patties sitting atop slices of custom-toasted English muffin loaf with poached eggs, a smashed home fry and hot sauce hollandaise. The fluids menu of Higher Grounds coffee and fresh- pressed juices will soon be joined by Workshop’s Journeyman series brews and a host of beer-centric brunch cocktails.
Lenz Country Side Restaurant
13940 Nine Mile Rd. | Kaleva | 231.362.3116
This cozy family-owned country eatery in Manistee County serves fluffy flapjacks, housemade hash, and eggs as you like them.
Ham Bonz
1108 East Eighth St. | Traverse City | 231.929.9288
This vintage micro-diner on Traverse City’s Eighth Street harnesses meats from its wood-fired pit smoker into hardcore hash creations that leave no room for lunch. Intrepid carnivores should check out the Hog Wild.
The Drawbridge Bistro
100 Michigan Ave. | Charlevoix | 231.758.3801
A new lakeside eatery in the Stafford empire, Drawbridge Bistro slings creative morning fare like bacon and Brie pancakes, a lobster and asparagus Benedict with citrus hollandaise or classic bagels and lox.
Cafe Santé
1 Water St. | Boyne City | 231.582.8800
Start your day with an eyeful of Lake Charlevoix and Euro breakfast delights like airy French omelets with Gruyère, croque madame or quiche Florentine. Wash it down with one of Santé’s signature mimosas.
Brutus Camp Deli
4086 US31 North | Brutus | 231.529.2222
Northern fortitude in the form of farm eggs, Plath’s smoked meats and planetary pancakes are available at this shrine to big food and taxidermy between Alanson and Pellston. Come hungry.
Sagamore’s
3600 Village Harbor Dr. | Bay Harbor | 231.439.4000
Channeling heirloom nautical charm, this classy Bay Harbor breakfast spot offers panoramic peeks of Little Traverse Bay and signature brunch plates like lemon soufflé pancakes with berry compote and an Up North Eggs Benedict of Plath’s smoked pork and sautéed spinach.