Enjoy village vibes with a big city glow when you get in on the bold, globally inspired goodness at 876 Baldwin. This Northern Michigan restaurant is a love letter to culture, travel and the owners’ outdoorsy roots.
This article first appeared in Traverse Northern Michigan. Find this story and more when you explore our magazine library. Want Traverse delivered to your door or inbox monthly? View our print subscription and digital subscription options.
The Northwoods Outpost of Baldwin, approximate population 1000, is already a well-known destination among outdoorspeople. But tonight, we’re here to experience a newer thrill putting it on the map: 876 Baldwin, housed in a reimagined former Masonic Temple.
Photo by Allison Jarrell
Photo by Allison Jarrell
Photo by Allison Jarrell
The restaurant ’s co-owner Dina Velocci, a first-generation Italian, grew up in New York City. Her family owned the award-winning T&M Deli, rated one of the best in the city by The New York Times in the ’70s. Her husband, Paul Santoro, a second-generation Sicilian, was born and raised near Detroit, and visited Baldwin often to fish the Pere Marquette River, a blue-ribbon trout stream that ’s also revered nationally for its steelhead and salmon fisheries.
876 Baldwin is a masterful blend of the couple’s love for culture and travel and Baldwin’s outdoorsy roots.
Drawing a mix of regulars and road-trippers are seasonal brunch and dinner menus featuring North African, Spanish, Cuban, Korean and, of course, a kiss of Italian. A few dishes on our short list: shakshuka, steamed mussels, ropa vieja and the eight-layer lasagna. A few of those layers? House-crafted Bolognese, béchamel, marinara and walnut pesto. The kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef and General Manager Glenn Forgie, a classically French-trained chef who brings 35 years of experience.
Photo by Allison Jarrell
Photo by Allison Jarrell
Photo by Allison Jarrell
Also special is the atmosphere. There are duos out for date night, camo-clad hunters just back from the woods, a group grabbing cocktails after work. It’s lively, warm, neighborly. A community table anchoring the historic space features a map of the flies-only stretch of the Pere Marquette carved into the white pine top. Above it, a wooden drift boat has been repurposed as a light fixture. The showstopper, however, is an intricate, 18-foot metal and wood art installation by Caleb Goins depicting the river—and its ecosystem of mayflies, fish and eagles.
We already vowed to come back after taking one last bite of a crisp, wood-fired pizza laden with roasted squash and earthy gorgonzola. Then Velocci puts a perfect, pillowy slice of tiramisu in front of me. It’s her grandma’s recipe. Yes, I’m still dreaming about it. Knowing Baldwin is exactly an hour-and-17-minute drive from my Traverse City apartment, I can rest easy.
Photo by Allison Jarrell