The menu board at the Upper Crust Deli

Lunch at the Upper Crust Deli

Back when I wrote about “Manistique’s Best Kept Secret,” I mentioned The Upper Crust Café Bakery and Deli. It really is a wonderful place that you should get familiar with. Trust me on this one.

Located in the Trader’s Point area of Manistique (right on the river), The Upper Crust Deli is one of those bright open air bakeries where the smell of fresh bread  lingers in the air and the full menu is sketched out on a chalkboard overhead.

Manistique was a booming lumber area back in the day and the minimalist décor of the Upper Crust pulls from that history. A few cool photos from the glory days hang below an old two-man saw.

As you might expect, the bread at the Upper Crust Deli is baked fresh daily and then used on all of their sandwiches. Among other things, they also make sourdough soup bowls and delectable garlic Parmesan oyster crackers. Honestly, there isn’t a thing on the menu at this place I don’t want to try.

Oh, and for you vegetarian and gluten free folks, they’ve got more than a few options that mesh with your dietary requirements.

This sandwich (kind of like a reuben, but not) was awesome!

My Experience at the Upper Crust Deli

On my most recent visit to the Upper Crust I had a Reuben-like specialty sandwich and a cup of clam chowder with a side of the aforementioned homemade oyster crackers. My friend had what looked like the worlds greatest grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of tomato soup. The presentation was above what I expected from a place with “deli” in it’s name and everything tasted awesome.

Unfortunately for us Yoopers, it’s not often that you stumble upon a place up here that delivers consistently excellent food. The Upper Crust Café Bakery and Deli is definitely one of those places, however, and well worth stopping in for lunch next time you pass through Manistique!

Bottom Line: The Upper Crust Bakery and Deli serves up a mean lunch. If you’re hungry and anywhere near Manistique, MI, seek out this place and your stomach will thank you.

Address: 375 Traders Point Drive Manistique, MI 49854

Website: wix.com/lsmith09/upper-crust

Phone: (906) 341-2253

For more photos of the Upper Crust Cafe Bakery and Deli, visit the Upper Crust album on my Facebook page.

Other things to note: This is mainly a lunch place. I don’t believe they have dinner hours.  Also, if you feel like doing a little wine tasting while in the area, the Mackinac Trail Winery is about a minute way, just on the other side of the river. If you’re visiting Kitch iti Kippi, the Upper Crust isn’t too far away.

Midtown Bakery from the street

Visiting during the winter months is my favorite. When it’s dark earlier in the evening, the dim lights and fogged windows in Negaunee’s Midtown Bakery are exactly what winter should feel like. Especially before the holidays, the decorations in the bakery complete the feeling. There’s something about the colorful fence decorations inside the bakery and the mismatched table and chairs that come together for a no-judgment zone full of personality, in the middle of the somewhat drab downtown area. Especially from the outside, the bright blue building is hard to miss.

The best part about Midtown is available year round: the food. It wasn’t until I started going to Midtown that I tried a Peppadew, which is a spicy mix between a pepper and a tomato. Their Peppadew sandwich is my favorite, and I get it every time I go. Always with a side of coleslaw. When I go with friends, though, they prove that no matter what you get it’s always delicious. In fact, recently I went with a friend who has a gluten-free diet, and she was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating Midtown was for her dietary restrictions. She said, “It’s like being able to eat normally at a restaurant,” something that she isn’t able to do so often.

And when you’re done eating a sandwich or salad, you must save room for dessert. The dessert counter at Midtown is vast with their “almost famous cheesecake”; plenty of cookies; and, in the summer, ice cream sandwiches made with homemade cookies and a layer of chocolate ganache.

Pro tip: The peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are always a safe choice if you can’t make up your mind.

For me, it’s worth the twenty-minute drive from Marquette. The atmosphere in Midtown is what I look forward to after a long work week. Everyone who works there is friendly, always calling hello when I walk in the door or chatting me up about my week before my food is ready. There aren’t many places that are so relaxed: you don’t have to pay right away, only after you’ve eaten and considered dessert options.

Another example of the friendly atmosphere is how often they feature local artwork or jewelry. Looking around the bakery is like getting a glimpse of the creative people in the area, especially with the number of postings for local events that cover the wooden walls that divide the room.

The inside is just as bright and full of character as the outside.

Midtown’s deliciousness isn’t just found in Negaunee. Their cookies are available at Border Grill locations in Marquette and Negaunee, and Midtown is also largely a catering company making wedding cakes or food for other occasions.

The atmosphere at Midtown Bakery is part of the reason why I had my post-college graduation lunch there, and my family and I enjoyed a long meal and a delicious white cake with raspberry butter cream filling and chocolate frosting. Since then, my parents continue to ask whether I’ve been to Midtown recently. I always feel lucky to be at Midtown because you can tell that it’s such a community and personal effort, and I feel like I’ve been welcomed into that family with open arms.

Bottom line: There’s something for everyone at Midtown Bakery in Negaunee. It’s a pretty simple place but the warmth of the people who work there and the quality of the food make it my favorite place to go.

Other things to note: Negaunee is often visited for quality antique shopping, with stores like Lowenstein’s Antique Marketplace and the Old Bank Building. It’s easy to make a day of perusing the antique shops and then getting a bite to eat at Midtown.

Address: Midtown is located at 317 Iron Street in Negaunee and its phone number is 906-475-0064. Check them out on their Facebook page.

Trader’s Point – Manistique’s Best Kept Secret

This is how the signs for Trader’s Point look up close.

You see, I recently stumbled upon a little spot in Manistique I never knew existed. This surprised me, because I’ve driven through the town nearly 200 times. (I went to college at CMU and Manistique was on the way.)

The good people of Manistique aren’t trying to hide this place by any means. They’ve even got signs out with big arrows pointing you toward some really cool stuff.

The problem is that the signs are all a little bit off U.S. 2, and as you pass by them unknowingly you’re most likely eyeing up the Shell station ahead and glancing at your fuel gauge because you know it could be miles before the next signs of civilization. (And you’d be right about that.)

For more nearly 200 trips through Manistique, I was that guy.

Don’t be that guy.

…And this is how they actually look when you’re driving by. (See them there, the little signs on the right?)

Here’s what you do:

Just after you go over the bridge for the Manistique River (if you’re coming from the east) or just before you go over the bridge (if you’re coming from the west), turn south (that’s toward Lake Michigan if you’re directionally challenged like me) onto Trader’s Point Drive.

You’re now on a road that looks like it goes absolutely nowhere. Keep driving. Turn right on the first paved road, which also looks like it goes nowhere, and all of a sudden you’ll very much be somewhere. You’ll be at Trader’s Point.

So what the heck is Trader’s Point?

Trader’s Point is location on the Manistique River that houses a few cool small businesses. Among them are:

• The Upper Crust Café & Deli
• Trader’s Point Antique Mall
• Tamarack Books & Toys
• The Lake Effect Art Gallery

When I visited Trader’s Point I had lunch at the Upper Crust Deli and the moment I walked in I began kicking myself for not knowing about this place on my countless car rides between the central U.P. and CMU. It’s awesome.

The view of Trader’s Point as seen from the Mackinac Trails winery.

I also spent a few minutes perusing the wares at the Lake Affect Art Gallery and was really impressed by all the cool stuff. Everything was reasonably priced, too!

I’ll have more on those places soon, but for now just know that when you’re driving along the seemingly endless stretch of road that is U.S. 2 between the Mackinac Bridge and Escanaba, Trader’s Point in Manistique is an excellent place to get out, stretch your legs and grab a bite to eat if you’re in the mood.

Bottom Line: The shops (and restaurant) at Trader’s Point in Manistique make an excellent stop on that long stretch of U.S. 2 between Escanaba and the Mackinac Bridge.

Other Things to Note:

The Mackinac Trail Winery is directly across the river from Trader’s point, and also well worth checking out if you’re at all into wine.

Address and phone for The Upper Crust Café & Deli: 375 Traders Point Drive Manistique, MI 49854 (906) 341-2253

How to get there? Just west of the Manistique River, turn south onto Trader’s Point Road then take the first right.

To view more photos of Trader’s Point (including “photo directions”), click here to visit the Trader’s Point photo album on my Facebook page.

Lake Superior Brewing is right in the Middle of “town.”

Grand Marais is the type of laid-back harbor town that embodies the word “vacation.” With its amazing beach and harbor, lakeside living vibe and cool local businesses, it’s definitely the sort of place you could go to de-stress for a while (and maybe never come back). The Lake Superior Brewing Co. is Grand Marais’ social hub.

It’s the sort of upscale dive bar where it almost seems like writing on the bathroom wall is encouraged. (Don’t worry, though. The graffiti says stuff like “We love Grand Marais!” and “Johnson’s Family trip to the U.P. 1997!”)

The décor in Lake Superior Brewing channels a 1970’s vibe, with wood tiled ceilings and a few stained glass lamps on the wall. The locals, tourists and staff here appear to all mix together just fine. They sort of have to, though, since it’s the only bar in town.

The beer is brewed on site, the wood fired pizza never disappoints and there always seems to be Van Morrison playing on the juke box. Aside from the excellent pizza, their garlic parmesan popcorn is a standout snack and the rest of the menu is pretty solid as well. I’ve had everything from burgers to fresh whitefish here and it’s always been good.

The interior of Lake Superior Brewing. Check out that wood titled ceiling!

The first time my wife and visited this hub of the Grand Marais social scene, it was a gorgeous day in August, a small band was playing live music outside under a tent and the place was packed.

We were told it’d be “at least an hour, maybe two” wait for a table and that the pizza would be sold out soon. Not really having many other options, and also not being in any sort of a hurry (Grand Marais seems to do that do you) we decided to wait it out and just enjoy the scene.

About twenty minutes later, a table opened up. We ordered a beer sampler and a pizza (as luck would have it, we got the last one) and proceeded to hang out and people watch for a  couple hours.

Then through their big picture window we watched an awesome August thunderstorm roll through, realized it was headed straight for our campsite at Blind Sucker #2 and high tailed it back to the site to put up the rain fly! (Next time we’ll probably camp at the very nearby Woodland Park Campground so we can hang out here all night, then walk a few feet and crawl into our tent!)

More recent visits have given me a better feel for the place, and now I like it even more.

On a recent camping trip with my stepson (when we camped at the Hurricane River campground) we made two stops into Lake Superior Brewing. One time we just popped in for a snack. He had their regular popcorn, which he dubbed “the best popcorn in the world.”

Later the next day, we returned for supper. Again, he had the popcorn and confirmed that it was “still the best popcorn in the world.” He had a small pepperoni pizza and I had a small Greek style pizza. They were both awesome.

A Greek pizza from Lake Superior Brewing, Co. Great pizza, but it’s even better after a few days of camping.

And I can’t wait to go back.

Bottom line: The Lake Superior Brewing Company in Grand Marais is a family friendly brew pub that serves decent beer, great pizza and solid pub food. It’s also the social hub of Grand Marais’ night life.

Address: Lake Avenue Grand Marais, MI 49839

Phone: (906) 494-2337

Website: http://www.grandmaraismichigan.com/LSBC

To view more photos of the Lake Superior Brewing Company, click here to visit my Facebook page and browse to the “Lake Superior Brewing” album. (And if you haven’t already, please “LIKE” the page!)

D & M Subs – Escanaba, MI

D & M Subs is an Escanaba Institution. This is the type of place you hope to stumble across on a cross country road trip, when your sick of Subway and just want to find a little small town sub shop with employees that can actually put a sub together without asking you fifty times if you wanted tomatoes.

What? Is that just me?

At any rate, I’ve been frequenting D & M for well over a decade and they deliver consistent quality every time. It’s a simple sub shop just off Ludington Street in Escanaba, MI, but they go a little over and above on the quality. They bake their bread fresh daily, and they’re super generous when they pile on the meat and veggies. (I’m pretty sure everything here is already “double meat.”)

Oh, and these subs are BIG. The regular is as long as a sixteen ounce bottle of soda is high, and their “mini” is almost enough for me, and I’m not small.

On top of that, the people behind the counter don’t screw around.

You know how at some “other” sub shops, you shudder if there’s a crowd because you realize you just blew half your lunch break (because the line moves like molasses)? Well, you’ll find none of that here. These people can crank out subs like nobody’s business.

My family and I will sometimes grab subs from D&M for the road while driving through Escanaba on the way to Munising or Mackinaw Island. We just pop them in the cooler, then pull over along some scenic stretch of shoreline and have lunch.

You could also snag a couple subs on a nice summer day and continue down Ludington Street to Ludington Park for a lakeshore picnic. Aww… how romantic, eh?

To see more photos, browse to the “D  &M Subs” album on my Facebook page.

Bottom Line: D & M Subs cranks out consistently good subs. You should try one!

Location: (Two locations. One in Escanaba and one in Gladstone)

Escanaba Location: 110 North 14th Street Escanaba, MI 49829
Escanaba Phone: (906) 786-0016

Gladstone Location: 5 South 10th St. Gladstone, MI 49837
Gladstone Phone: (906) 428-2233

Website: www.dmsubs.com

The Jalapeno Burger at the Thirsty Whale

The Thirsty Whale in Norway, MI is definitely one of the Upper Peninsula’s hidden gems. It’s well known to everyone in the Norway / Iron Mountain area as the best place to get a burger, but if you’re not from the area you could easily blow past it without stopping.

Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.

Owned and operated for years by an always cheerful woman named Paula, the Thirsty Whale isn’t you’re average bar and grill. And what makes it “not your average bar and grill” are the people and the service. Paula makes a real effort to hire “fun girls,” as she told me, and because of it, the atmosphere is always cheery and the service is consistently excellent.

Now lets talk about those burgers. Most of the award winning burgers are half pounders, served on a toasted bun. Each one comes with that special “something” that just makes your eyes go wide with burger induced happiness after the first bite. I could probably ask Paula what makes her burgers so good, but I don’t need to know. I know that whenever I want a great burger and great service, I go to “The Whale,” and I’m never disappointed. (My favorite is the Jalapeno Burger.)

Mmm... sweet potato fries...

But the Thirsty Whale’s great food doesn’t stop at burgers. No sir, Paula often makes homemade soups and chili, and the beer batter they use for their Friday fish fry is also homemade.  This place is part bar, part home cooking.

The Whale also hosts the area’s most popular summer volleyball league, so it’s often a fun place to be on weeknights. They also have free Wi-Fi Internet in the bar, free pool on Thursdays, and weekly specials.

What’s not to love?

Next time you’re looking for a meal in the Iron Mountain area, give the Thirsty Whale a shot. You won’t be disappointed!

To see more photos of the Thirsty Whale Bar & Grill, check out my Facebook page and browse to the “Thirsty Whale Bar & Grill” album.

Bottom Line: The Thirsty Whale Bar and Grill has the best “bar food’ in the area. If you’re in the mood for a burger, this is a great option.

Address: 825 W US Highway 2 Norway, MI 49870

Phone: (906) 563-5466

Facebook Page

Other Things to Note:  The Thirsty Whale is right off the snowmobile trail, and across the highway from the Norway, MI AmericInn Hotel .

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