Eating Out in TC: Bubba's

Greetings, everyone! January is coming to a close, but it's still comfort food season up north. This time of year, I find myself indulging more in dining out at different restaurants in downtown Traverse City. With all the posts I've made on this blog in the last year and a half, I'm shocked that I've left out one of my favorite makes-everyone-happy restaurant: BUBBA'S!

The owners of Bubba's are no strangers to the TC restaurant game: they own Bubba's, Firefly, The Kitchen, Maddy's Tavern (out in Interlochen), and Grandview Catering. I don't know how they manage to maintain so many fantastic restaurants, but they certainly do. Whenever we have guests come into town, we know Bubba's is a safe bet: it has great food with lots of options for whatever anyone would like to get (including gluten-free and vegetarian choices), is reasonably priced, and is located downtown so we can continue the night out on the town if we feel so inclined. It checks everything off the list.

It has a fun bar vibe, but it's also very kid and family friendly. They do table sharing for couples (it's never been uncomfortable, even though it might seem like it could be) and the wait staff really knows their stuff. Plus, with fantastic specials--including 1/3 off the menu Monday-Friday from 3-5 p.m., or a burger and beer for $6 every Tuesday--it's budget and belly friendly.

My three favorite things on the menu are their homemade black bean burger, the avocado salad, and SWEET. POTATO. TOTS. Seriously, get the sweet potato tots. And then ask yourself why people don't serve garlic aioli and Bubba Sauce with everything.

Locals and visitors agree: Bubba's is a TC restaurant staple, and after so many years in business, I'm happy it's here to stay. Whether you live in the area or are coming in for a visit, make sure to add Bubba's to your list of places to visit!

Delicious Carb Overload at Spaghetti Jim's - Cindy Evans

Pasta is one of my favorite foods of all time. It doesn’t matter the season: it's good on super hot days and the most frigid winter days and all weather in between. 

The first time I walked into Spaghetti Jim's I was intrigued because it was so small yet there were people standing and waiting for a table. I didn’t stay because, well, it wasn’t the usual atmosphere for a restaurant. The cramped tables and large number of people waiting made me nervous that I wouldn’t make my next appointment. But I did go back another day when I was out of the office for lunch and had more time to sit down and enjoy a meal. 

The rest is history; Spaghetti Jim's is one of my top favorite places to eat out in Traverse City. The homemade noodles were by far the best I had ever tasted along with their homemade local ingredient menu, which quickly won me over. 

Now it has become one of my favorite date night spots with my husband because the atmosphere is fun and relaxed. Jim, who is owner and chef, always comes out to check on us and see how we liked the meals. His wife Ann waits on us and we've had the opportunity to hear their story and how they started the business. You can see how much pride he took in developing each and every dish and how he likes to make people happy with his food. Back before they expanded their seating and menu, Jim would make our favorite dish even if wasn’t on the specials menu that night. But, we know he would make it if we asked. 

Jim is always looking to please and make people smile. The following quote from the Spaghetti Jims website really describes the heart beat of this little place:”We believe that food doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to be good. Our mission is to serve delicious, simply prepared meals, made with the freshest local ingredients available; we even produce our homemade pasta onsite. For this reason, our specials change frequently as the local growing season progresses.”

So last Friday night my 6-year-old son and my husband took me on a date to Spaghetti Jims. We were the fourth group in line waiting for a table.  No one complained about waiting. As a matter of fact, customers would tell people who came in behind us it was worth the wait. I knew this and so I waited patiently, (well, as best I could with a very active kid who was rummaging through their coloring books and crayons). 

We were seated fairly quickly and then the hard part began: which entree to choose? My son knew right away he wanted the 5-meat lasagna. This kid eats meat like a carnivorous dinosaur so this was the best choice for him.  The lasagna is really good, and there is no skimping on the ingredients. My husband had one of the specials, which came with Papardelle pasta and shrimp, and I chose the Eggplant Parmesan. The pictures say it all. As always, the food was awesome. I couldn’t believe the size of the shrimp that came on my husband’s plate! 

The deserts are also wonderful and homemade. My two favorites are the tiramisu and the Key Lime pie. I had the Key Lime pie this time and I swear it is the best I have found in all Traverse City.

Jim came out and chatted with us and the other customers, as he usually does, in his charming way. Jim’s wife Ann informed us as she waited on our table that Jim needing to retire due to a health scare and they were looking to sell the restaurant. Jim said he wanted to find the right person who would keep the recipes and the happy environment. We could tell it was hard for him to discuss and he really struggled with the idea of selling. We sure wish Jim the best and hope the right person comes along because it would be a shame to lose this great treasure in Traverse City. 

If you haven’t tried Spaghetti Jims yet, check it out soon. You can buy Jim's noodles from the little market in the restaurant if you prefer to cook yourself, or you can call and place an order for takeout. If you’re adventuresome and like to eat out, you may just get the opportunity to meet Jim himself and see why it’s such a great place. They are located next to Big Apple Bagel on South Airport road...away from downtown traffic as Cherry Festival kicks off this weekend!

Restaurants in TC: Spanglish at the GT Commons

Alright, folks. It goes without saying there is some truly great delicious unbelievable food in the Traverse City region. As a local who happens to be incredible frugal and cooks a lot of my own meals, I admit that I don’t get out to eat as often as I’d like. The nice thing about that, I guess, is that every time I do make it out to eat it ends up being a really enjoyable experience and I often choose to go someplace new (to me).

Enter Spanglish, one of the best Mexican meals I’ve had in far too long.

The cuisine is traditional Mexican flair, and even though I’ve never been to Mexico I can only hope the food down south is as good as they serve it up here. Everything is fresh, made-to-order, and smells like a spice-filled heaven. I was famished after walking around the GT Commons area (where Spanglish is located), so I ordered up a vegetarian burrito and took in the vibe.

Outdoor seating is prime territory in Traverse City during the summer, and Spanglish has the most enjoyable little patio with spots for sun or shade. Inside, the restaurant is lively, colorful, and fun—three of my favorite words.

As I know I’ve mentioned before, I tend to gravitate towards restaurants that offer plenty of vegetarian options, and Spanglish absolutely delivers on that front. I rarely end up in a situation where there are TOO many good vegetarian options, but that’s precisely what happened! They have great combinations, different than your normal run-of-the-mill Mexican fare, and everything I saw on the menu (or on other customers’ tables) looked awesome. Just seeing and smelling all their great cookin’ made it clear that I’ll certainly come back…hopefully soon!

In addition to their menu, they have take-them-home-to-heat-up-and-eat tamales, a few Mexican grocery items, and freshly-made drinks that I’ve never tried before but looked especially tantalizing after being out in the warm sunshine. Thank goodness they had complementary water to help quench my thirst; I love when restaurants do that.

When my burrito was served up and it felt like it weighed ten pounds, I knew I’d made a great choice. It was soooo good and really filling, and I entered burrito nirvana on my first bite. Lucky for Sam, I share some with him.

If you find yourself at the Commons area and can’t make up your mind about where to eat out of all the great eateries in the area, I’m putting in my vote for Spanglish. It’s one of the best Mexican fixes in town, and I truly believe you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu. Plus, you can walk right over to Left Foot Charley’s and grab some wine or hard cider when you’re all stuffed up on delicious food! I’m pretty sure that’s what summertime in northern Michigan is all about (even if Kid Rock says otherwise).

Brunch at the Centre Street Cafe

Greetings! We're coming off a fantastic weekend here in Traverse City, and to celebrate, I thought I'd share some inside knowledge about one of my absolute favorite eateries in our town: Centre Street Cafe. 

It's pretty easy to find a good restaurant in downtown TC, but finding one off-the-beaten path can be a bigger challenge. I had no idea I stumbled across such a gold mine the first time I discovered Centre Street a few years ago, but that's precisely what I found. When we have guests in town and want to splurge on a fantastic lunch that highlights unique but delicious eats in our town, this is the first place we go.

Last time we went to enjoy brunch at Centre Street, we arrived after the lunch crowd cleared out. The café is only open for brunch and lunch, so hurry up to get it while you can because it gets slammin' in there some days. You can always order carry-out, too, which is perfect if you're looking for a satisfying meal to take on the road or back to the office.

Local art decorates the walls, and the kitchen staff works right there behind the bar. It's a homey, cosy vibe that I really love, because I never feel like I am under-dressed even though I'm eating top-notch food.

And, umm, can we talk desserts here for a second? Because they always have a way of tempting me before I even sit down to order. I mean, the cookies are the size of my face! What's not to love?

If you ever eat at the Centre Street Cafe, I have two words for you: SWAMP. SOUP. I have tried to duplicate this soup on more than ten occasions, and I just can't do it right. It seems like such a simple soup--essentially it's just tomato and spinach topped with swiss cheese--but it is complicated to replicate. I find it so hard to resist this soup any time of year.

Since it's was brunch for us, my husband Sam went all-out and ordered their Greek Eggs Benedict. HOLY WOW. This is the second time he's ordered this off their weekend brunch menu and it knocked us both off our feet again. They make a lamb chorizo patty that tempted me to side-step my vegetarianism for a few bites, and I have positively zero regrets about that. It's not always on their weekend brunch menu, but if you see it on there sometime, I can't recommend it enough if you're a fan of gyros and eggs benedict. Home run, my friends.

Personally, though, I'm all about the sandwiches. Day in and day out, I could eat a Centre Street sandwich every day. One of my favorite go-tos is the Whole Earth sandwich. Avocado, gouda, cucumbers, sunflower seeds...a true vegetarian masterpiece. They also have plenty of vegan and gluten-free options, so if you're struggling to find a place that satisfies everyone, I can't recommend Centre Street enough.

Keep updated about the daily soups and specials on the Centre Street Facebook page, or preview their menu. Remember, even though it's a little outside of the central hub of TC, there's a reason it's a local favorite...and definitely one to keep in mind when the tourists start filling in downtown! Hope everyone is enjoying this sunshine!

Bingo Night at The Little Fleet

Who says that Monday nights in northern Michigan are boring? If you know where to go to scope out a good time, it's hard to be bored in Traverse City at any time of the year. There are lots of great businesses, organizations, and clubs out there insuring that life is never dull in our town.

Point and case: Monday night Bingo at The Little Fleet. My husband and I are taking turns surprising one another with a date night every month. Ever since I learned about The Little Fleet's Bingo nights, I knew I had to take Sam! I love Bingo. It's casual, fun, and completely based on luck: my lack of gambling skills have no weight in my likeliness to win, which is a major bonus for me. When you add in a fantastic hangout like The Little Fleet and some great booze, it's a recipe for a great night.

The Little Fleet is one of my absolute favorite places to visit in the summer, but after spending a relaxing Monday night there for Bingo won my heart for a fun winter locale, too. It's hip, laid-back, and well designed. The atmosphere helps me release the tension in my shoulders after a long workday, and being in the presence of all their happy customers never ceases to put a smile on my face. Life slows down at The Little Fleet, and all the good things in the world float to the top: that's the kind of place I like to be.

In the summer, The Little Fleet hosts food trucks in their parking lot. Since it's winter, the food trucks aren't running but guests are still welcomed to bring food in to accompany the Fleet's awesome drink menu. We decided to pair our drinks with some pizza from Paesano's across the street, and I dare say it was a match made in (carb-loaded) heaven. (Yes, pictures of food never really look that great, but trust me when I say the pizza was DEE-LISH.)

We played a few rounds of Bingo, and the place starting filling up as the night went on. Admittedly, I never really knew there was such a vibrant after-10 p.m. crowd roaming around in February up here, so it was a pleasant surprise to see people out and about during what many claim to be a "miserable" time of year. Joy follows optimism!

Of course, we may be a bit biased about how awesome Bingo night was...because Sam won the second round of Bingo! When we finally left, we had full bells, happy hearts, and a sweet new Rubik's Cube koozie. In my opinion, that's always a win.

So, next time you're feeling down-and-out about the cold weather, visit The Little Fleet for their weekly Bingo nights (every Monday at 8 p.m.). I promise it'll warm you up and make Spring seem so much closer!

Business After Hours: Opa! Uptown

Hello, everyone! I wanted to check in and share the most recent Business After Hours (BAH) that I went to this week, working the registration table on behalf of TCYP. It was my second BAH event since joining the YPs this past January, and I had a lot more fun this time around because I saw many familiar faces!

This month's BAH took place at Opa! Uptown, which was already great because their food is FANTASTIC. I was really glad that we were able to sneak some nibbles while working, and that everything tasted so good. I've never had a blueberry pierogi before, but I'll be surprised if I deprive myself of having another one over the next few weeks...

The place was packed. It was great to see so many people walking about and enjoying the new digs at the restaurant (they opened up a few months ago) and people were all over the place. No doubt Opa! got some good exposure, because people were raving about the food and service. 

One of my favorite things about Opa! Uptown is the artwork they have around the restaurant. Yes, perhaps it's a bit of a curveball in terms of what most people notice when they go out to eat, but I think their restaurant has some of the coolest, most unique, and intriguing artwork in this town. As a History of Art major in college, I can't help but notice stuff like that! It does so much for the ambience, and it has made a strong impression on my the times I've visited. I love the "wow" factor of each large-scale piece they have...it's refreshing to see a place unafraid to fill their walls with big, bold works of art!

But, of course, my favorite thing about BAH is spending time with my fellow YPs. We had a really fun group working this week, and it's always nice to talk with YPs in a more casual setting where we can really spend time getting to learn more about each other. We spent two hours working the registration table and chatting with various Chamber members, but my favorite conversations were the ones I had with the YPs I was working with that night.

Well, that's all from me. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Winter is beginning to settle in Traverse, and while we've had a few snowflakes fall there isn't anything sticking on the ground yet...I hope it stays that way until December, but I know how Michigan weather has a mind of it's own. We'll see!