Grand Traverse Bay
Locals will all agree, Michigan summers are as fleeting as they are fabulous. So before the leaves of autumn started to fall and school bells ring, we eked out one last trip to glorious northern Michigan. Perhaps we were saving the best for last, with a Grand Traverse Bay sail to some picturesque towns: Traverse City, Sutton’s Bay, Northport, and Charlevoix. All the while enjoying vegan eats, treats and bevvies, of course! Our best-of-the-bay food tour starts here!
Rad.ish Street Food
Traverse City, MI
Fusion food at its plant-based finest! This eatery, tucked away in the Coin Slot (a hip, old-school arcade area on Front Street), serves up locally-sourced vegan eats ranging from innovative sushi rolls to reinvented burgers. The only thing that we love more than its positive vibes and playful food? The fact that it’s women owned and operated!
Our eclectic takeout order was bursting with different flavors, from start to finish! The ginger salad was simple yet satiating, thanks to the mouthwatering house made ginger dressing. Greens, check!
We followed up with a sampling of sushi rolls, including the aptly named “That’s fire”, “Sublime”, and the sassy “Hey there tiger”. Sorry readers, there’s no way we could pick our flavorite roll, as each came with its own vibe, spice profile and fresh factor. We’d order everyone single one of them again! What we can advise? If you like zing like us, order anything with the cilantro pineapple habanero sauce and enjoy the burn!
But wait, we aren’t done yet! We wouldn’t dare pass up the chance to try an In & Out animal-style vegan burger. And we are here to say, the In & Out beef burger has nothing on the heavenly indulgent “no animals harmed style” burger we devoured. (Careful readers may have noticed that there is nary a photo of this burger. We were just too damned excited to pause for pics before chowing down.) Our only regret? Not ordering our burger as a double! Rookie mistake. Next time, guys, next time!
I know what you are thinking. Mary, that’s a hell of a lot of food just for dinner! Yeah, it may seem like food overload, but sailing is hard work! 😉
At the top of our vegan eats hit list for the fall? Rad.ish Street Food’s sister locale (in Williamsburg, Michigan) for authentic Mexican street food! Taquitos anyone?
Third Coast Bakery
Traverse City, MI
Anyone who has ever been on a sailboat knows that mornings come early. And for this self-described sleep-in-aholic, this is often my least favorite part of the adventure. The only bright spot in these crack of dawn mornings (okay, besides the lake view sunrises)? We are up early enough to get prime donut selections!
Third Coast is known for its gluten-free baking genius and its products can be found at its own storefront, as well as other shops around town. What you might not know? It is 100% vegan and soy free too! What, pray tell, do they bake with? Gluten-free flour mix, chocolate morsels, molasses… and perhaps sunshine and rainbows. At least that’s what our taste buds were saying after our decadent donut first bites. We tied specials like mint chocolate and double chocolate cake with sprinkles, but found our heart really belongs with the classic cinnamon sugar; a perfectly spiced, not-too-sweet, version of the cider mill cake donut. And we love that you don’t need to wait for an autumn trip to an orchard to enjoy.
Although still in the pre-dawn light, we couldn’t help but buy some ‘gooey peanut butter brownies’ for dessert later that day. So rich and decadent, we would challenge anyone to eat a full brownie in one sitting!
If none of this gets your mouth drooling, (maybe check your pulse 😉), rest assured Third Coast also bakes cookies, cupcakes, scones, and cakes! Selections abound and options may change daily, so visit often we like to say!
Bay Burrito
Sutton’s Bay, MI
Bay Burrito’s vivid blue building called to us the moment we docked in Sutton’s Bay. We quickly followed our eyes and our stomachs to this quaint, quick serve eatery downtown. Local veg lovers know its vegan-friendly option as the “carmi”… a sweet potato-forward blend accompanied with rice and beans. Although not listed on the menu, we order our carmi not as a burrito or bowl, but crunch wrap style! And promptly loaded it up with every vegan topping possible, including plenty of pico and guac (sauce lovers, rejoice!).
While Bay Burrito offers covered patio seating, we chose to enjoy our dinner just a few steps away in the marina’s park area. From the first bite to the last, it was crusty, flavorful, and pleasingly substantial! What a delightfully tasty way to end a day a sail.
Mundos Coffee Bar
Sutton’s Bay, MI
Another early morning meant another chance to find some yummy breakfast food! We found ourselves at Mundos Roasting Co. for avocado toast and coffee. Our toast was adapted a bit from its standard menu offering (sans eggs), but still offered a rich flavor profile thanks in part to the generous helping of pickled onions and savory tomatoes. Additionally, the locally baked sourdough bread made for a delightfully hearty vessel. If this sounds like your cup of tea (er, coffee), check them out in Traverse City or downtown Sutton’s Bay.
Northport Pub & Grill
Northport, MI
After a day of rain sailing (arguably our least favorite type of sailing), we found refuge in Northport on Grand Traverse Bay. This soggy day had left us seeking libations, satiation, and relaxation. In that order.
We found it all at this newly renovated downtown grill, complete with arcade and bowling alley. While the vegan eats weren’t apparent on the published menu, we made quick friends with the bar staff who offered the inside track on all that was possible in vegland. We elected for an off-menu vegan burrito, loaded with veg and slathered with pico and sauteed kale. And thanks to our gracious server (who made a special note on his tablet that my custom order be “not sucky”) and an open minded chef, it didn’t disappoint. You have to love that kind of support for a custom vegan order! The food and vibes were so to our liking, we bought t-shirts and came back for brunch the next day. This vegan’s pre-sail brunch was a robust scramble with lots of seasonal veg, peas, and grains. The flavors were reminiscent of our previous night’s burrito. No complaints here!
Around the Corner Food and Fun
Northport, MI
Ever on the look-out for tasty offerings (least we starve or miss a chance to sample vegan eats), we spied this food truck across the street from Northport Bar & Grill. While its nearby restaurant construction is underway, the food truck was in business! Although vegan beverages ranging from bubble tea to kombucha, chai tea to shaved ice, really peaked our interest, we choose to sample a few vegan sides instead: pickled cabbage slaw and peanut sesame noodle salad. At only $3.50 each, these already prepared sides were as economically as they were enjoyable. Flavorful but not overpowering, both sides were great accompaniments for our lunch-at-sail the next day.
Its soon-to-open restaurant features expanded vegan menu offerings like loaded taters, poutine, chik’n barbecue sammie, burgers, and pasties. Which makes this a must-return on our next trip and a must-try for anyone new to town!
Bridge Street Tap Room
Charlevoix, MI
Come for the beer. Stay for the pretzels, bruschetta, and pizza. Yes, we carbed it up at this harbor-side Charlevoix hot spot. Bavarian baked pretzel with mustard, carb perfect. Bruschetta sans parm, carb-licious. Pizza loaded with all the veg and none of the cheese, carb-tastic. Not one morsel was spared in this vegan carb fest. We will say this, dear vegan friends, if you are low carb, this menu might not be the best fit for you.
While the proverbial sun may be setting on our Michigan summer, we take solace that most of these eateries offer year-round vegan awesomeness. Travel and enjoy!
