Grab a well-crafted bite and an apreĢs-shopping buzz at these hip Up North hangouts and restaurants near Traverse City, Petoskey and Bellaire.
Pour Public House
422 E. Mitchell St. | Petoskey | 231.881.9800
In the buzzy cosmos of Petoskeyās Pour Public House, asymmetrical charcuterie boards land on tabletops studded with speck, soppressata and bright pickled vegetables. An Industry Sour, nearly luminescent with Chartreuse, slides across the bar, and a bottle of grower bubbly gives up its cork with an audible pop, to be sipped with a plate of airy gougeĢres and fresh-shucked oysters.
Tall exposed-brick walls, a high-back leather banquette and urchin-like luminescent fixtures invoke an urbane swankiness and chic vibe that had been missing from the Petoskey shopping district. Pourās artfully presented menu appeals with sandwiches, zeitgeisty sharing plates like bone marrow and mustard seeds, tuna tartare or pickled shrimp bruschetta, cheese and charcuterie boards and colorful composed salads. The wine bar/craft cocktail loungeās main point of pride is its draught system that pours forth everything from Amador County barbera to keg-batched Tiki punch. A supplementary bottle list ropes in Chianti, grand cru riesling and small batch California cab.
The Franklin
160 E. Front St. | Traverse City | 231.943.2727
Geek out on Basque cider or beaujolais while feasting on housemade smoked trout or pork and pistachio terrine.
Ballaro Wine Lounge
700 Cottage View Dr. | Traverse City | 231.929.1960
Bring your runway strut to the newly dolled-up PepeNero to sip Prosecco or slam negronis while gnoshing arancini and salt-cured tuna.
Olives & Wine
201 E. Front St. | Traverse City | 231.943.2850
O&W brings the temptation candy storeāstyle with a smartly curated 50-bottle Enomatic wine tap system and toothsome Lebanese small plates, like baked lamb kibbeh.
Siren Hall
151 River St. | Elk Rapids | 231.264.6062
Itās cold out, so own it with a well-shaken martini and an iced platter of briny oysters and mignonette.
Starlight Lounge
102 North Bridge St. | Bellaire | 231.533.6262
Sip the 2510 spicy, tequila-based mojito riff, and swallow mahi tacos or banh mi sliders at Mokaās micro lounge.
7 Monks Taproom
202 S. Lake St. | Boyne City | 231.459.4215
Experience rare Trappist ales, a tap handle universe of culty craft brews and suds-friendly vittles, like sriracha maple wings, sweet potato pizza and flank steak nachos to soak it up.
Mustang Wendyās
129 E. Bay St. | Harbor Springs | 231.242.4810
Quell the holiday frenzy with lamb sliders and a spicy glass of zinfandel, then raid Wendyās well-stocked bourbon shelf.
Check out more foodie hangouts in the December 2016 issue of Traverse, Northern Michiganās Magazine. Get your copy here!