Back when Ginny and Gregg McCallum were in culinary school (she at Macomb Community College and he at Kendall College) they learned that Tapawingo, tucked into the tiny town of Ellsworth in Northern Michigan, was one of the best restaurants in the entire country. Lured by that knowledge, the couple made an annual pilgrimage to the restaurant on beautiful Ellsworth Lake, where the James Beard Award–nominated chef Harlan “Pete” Peterson turned out his widely acclaimed dinners.

Peterson closed Tap, as the restaurant was known, in 2009. By then the McCallums had followed their hearts north and opened a catering business, A Matter of Taste, in Charlevoix. When they found that the Tapawingo building was for sale, well, it had to be destiny. Today, the McCallums live in, and operate A Matter of Taste out of the former Tap. They also host weddings and other upscale events in the gracious former restaurant. When Ginny told us she’d like to submit a recipe for Parmesan encrusted whitefish, she added that while she realizes it is a ubiquitous Northern Michigan dish, it is a superbly delicious ubiquitous Northern Michigan dish when prepared correctly, as it is here.