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Tempt Your Taste Buds

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There is no shortage of tasty things to tempt your taste buds in West Michigan!  From farm-fresh produce, homemade goodies, and dockside dining to locally crafted brews, wines, and desserts, here are some mouthwatering options for you to try! 

Find more foodie tips in our Carefree Travel Guide.

SOUTH

Greater Lansing sets the table with diverse restaurants with locally sourced menu items that will tantalize your taste buds and take you for a trip around the globe. Whether you’re looking for some comfort food and enjoy Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives recommendations or enjoy a great food truck or a terrific farm-to-table experience, Greater Lansing is the perfect destination for your inner foodie. 

Head to Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Hastings for BBQ, Music, and Family Game Night Sunday, August 11th. Dinner is at 5:00 pm, music and games 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Come enjoy the last days of summer vacation with good food, great music provided by the Hastings Community Music School, lawn games, family-friendly relay races, and giant-sized versions of your favorite games. Member adults $16, children $8; Non-member adults $19, children $10.

Home to many locally owned and operated diners, restaurants, and pubs, Coldwater Country is the place to grab a delicious quick breakfast, find a destination restaurant, or a gourmet dinner. 

Crane’s Pie Pantry bakery and restaurant offer farm fresh products that will make you think it came right from grandma’s kitchen. Specializing in Michigan fruit pies and desserts, Crane’s bakery also includes bread, cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies, apple cider donuts, and much more to make your mouth water. They offer a complete menu of handcrafted meals including soups, salads, and American mains, served in a historical surrounding of local memorabilia and antiques. Crane’s is focused on supporting Michigan agriculture and aims to incorporate many local ingredients in the restaurant and bakery offerings. You can count on Crane’s to be welcoming and warm, from their pies to their personnel. Crane’s has been pressing apple cider since 1968 and branched out in 2014 making small-batch hard ciders and wine. Crane’s Winery was established with the goal of bringing only high quality wine and cider to you with small batch expertise and artistry. Their products are locally grown, locally produced, and without artificial flavoring or coloring. Stop in to the Saugatuck Tasting Bar or Fennville Restaurant & Winery to grab a taste! 

More delicious options in Southern West Michigan

CENTRAL

If you’re in Mecosta County to tempt your taste buds, then you have come to the right place. They have quite a selection of newer restaurants throughout the county that each offer their own variety of flavors, insuring that you’ll always find something to satisfy your stomach. With great food, good times, and phenomenal service, the restaurants throughout Mecosta County need to be scheduled into your next visit. For more places that will “Tempt Your Taste Buds”, check out the Mecosta County Restaurant Guide.

Bring the kids to Kitchen 242 at The Muskegon Farmers Market for a “Princess Party” with Chef Char Saturday, August 10th from 10:30 am – 11:30 am! Come and bake cookies with Chef Char and Princess Tiana and Princess Elsa. Be sure to wear your princess costume because there will be plenty of opportunities for photos with the princesses. Each little princess will roll, decorate, and bake a dozen princess-themed cookies to take home. This is for ages 5 and up. The cost is $45 and tickets are available through Eventbrite. 

Ludington dining options include 50’s diners, Italian restaurants, breweries, barbeque, and the best ice cream in the Midwest!  

Herman’s Boy is a great Rockford stop for a made-to-order deli sandwich. Everything is done in house, a 100 year old farmhouse to be exact, from fresh baked bagels to smoked meat & cheeses, there is sure to be something for everyone! Herman’s Boy is also “Home of the Bagel Dog” – a German style wiener wrapped in bagel dough and topped with the fixings of your choosing. Herman’s Boy is a local roastery, bakery, confectionary, deli, smokehouse, kitchen, grilling gadget shop. Be sure to check out these and other treats, snacks, and coffees all done in house!

Throughout the Holland area you will find an array of dining options that are sure to satisfy any craving. Grab a slice of pie made with fresh Michigan fruits or enjoy a lake perch dinner. This year welcomed a few new restaurants to downtown, which include HopCat, and Sperry’s Moviehouse Restaurant. Click through for more information on Holland’s local dining options.

HopCat restaurants in West Michigan have launched new brunch and lunch menus for guests in need of either a quick weekday meal or a well-earned weekend fun day. The restaurant family’s 9 Under $9 lunch menu is a selection of quick-service items priced at $8.99 or less and created for guests who have places to be and budgets to watch. It includes exciting new choices like the California Club Sandwich, Pork Tostadas, and the Dbl Smash Burger alongside updated HopCat favorites like the Madtown Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Better Living Through Tacos entrée, available from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday thru Friday, alongside HopCat’s regular menu. The restaurants have also unveiled new brunch menus with mouthwatering options such as the Monte Cato (HopCat’s take on the Monte Cristo), the Light Side of the Sun brunch salad, Baked French Toast, Chicken & Waffles, a Mediterranean Breakfast Wrap, and more, plus a handful of brunch-specific cocktails. The updated selections are available at HopCat’s locations in Kalamazoo, Holland, and Grand Rapids, where the original downtown restaurant now serves brunch from its recently renovated kitchen.

More Tempting Options in Central West Michigan

 

NORTH

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa’s Aerie Restaurant & Lounge is proud to announce its third consecutive Wine Spectator Award of Excellence win. Wine Spectator magazine bestows the Award of Excellence to restaurants with wine lists featuring at least 90 selections that include a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style. Come celebrate the award with a glass of wine and a stunning view from the 16th floor of Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.

From family-friendly and casual to fine dining, Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire has what you crave. With stunning sunsets, award-winning steaks, pasta, and homemade desserts, The Lakeview Restaurant offers simple, local, social dining. Enjoy the Macadamia Crusted Whitefish, Twisted Pasta with shrimp and lobster, or a traditional steak. Make sure to save room for one of the chef’s dessert creations. The River Bistro at Shanty Creek Resort offers a more casual atmosphere to enjoy burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and classic dinner entrees including fish & chips, salmon, stir-fry, and more. Enjoy a fresh-squeezed cocktail or one of more than 45 regional or international beers while playing pub games including foosball, darts, pool, and more. Both restaurants are also open for breakfast and lunch.

From daily Summer Nights on the Patio to al fresco dining in the estate vineyard, Black Star Farms near Suttons Bay has something for every palate.

Crystal Mountain’s Farm-to-Table dining series brings the fresh flavors of northern Michigan to the Thistle Pub & Grille at the resort in Thompsonville the third weekend of each month, May through September. Their chefs work with local farms, making personal visits to many of them, to build a custom three-course menu.

Come to Traverse City and enjoy the ultimate Bonobo Winery experience. Join Cornel, Bonobo’s winemaker, on the patio for a 3-course lunch. Learn more about the wines paired with each course by the winemaker himself while taking in views of the rolling vineyard with Grand Traverse Bay in the distance. The next lunch is Friday, August 16th from 12:30 pm-2:00 pm. Reservations are $50 per person/$40 for members. Reserve your seat now! The view from the patio is great, but why not have your own table in the vines? Picnic lunches in the vineyard are available at 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm Monday through Friday. Just reserve a table for $50 (seats up to six people), buy your lunch from the picnic menu, and select your favorite bottle of Bonobo wine, and they’ll drive you out to your special place among the vines. Reservations recommended.

More mouth-watering places to try in North West Michigan: