The New Year is upon us, and for many people, that means extended holiday vacations, family visits or traveling around to try something new.
Fortunately, Southwest Michigan is teeming with top-quality culinary and craft brew/fine wine destinations galore.
As a Southwest Michigan property management company, Juniper Holiday and Home has several excellent recommendations for excellent restaurants.
Thanks to an abundance of local know-how and Chicago expats, this region has become home to plenty of superb restaurants, bakeries and watering holes, many of which proudly serve locally raised ingredients. Check out this excellent sample from our long list of noteworthy places to eat and drink in Three Oaks, New Buffalo, Saugatuck and Harbert.
Froelich's
Froelich's, located in Three Oaks, is a tourist staple that has been in business since 1946. Not only do they have a cafe and extensive retail gift space, but a bakery as well (with homemade artisan breads, pastries, jams and more), just across the street. Hit the deli for a picnic lunch to go, or step into the dining room for a sit-down meal. Froelich's also has a full-service bar, and a "beverage boutique" where you can pick up a bottle of fine wine, handcrafted beer, or any one of hundreds of liquors to choose from. (By the way, we get our cookies for Juniper's "welcome gifts" from Froelich's bakery!).
Froelich's
26 North Elm Street
Three Oaks, MI
Phone: 269-756-6002
Patellie's
Also in Three Oaks, you can find some of the tastiest pizza in the entire Midwest—using only responsibly sourced, high-quality ingredients—at Patellie's. In addition to amazing pizza pies, Pat & Ellie Mullins—former owners of LOCAL, a specialty grocery store in New Buffalo—also serve mouthwatering sandwiches, salads, and even whole organic, pasture-raised chickens!
Patellie's
28 North Elm Street
Three Oaks, MI
Phone: 269-820-2066
The Hummingbird Lounge
Head to New Buffalo for The Hummingbird Lounge or the Terrace Room. Both are popular, stylish restaurants and drinking establishments. The Hummingbird Lounge, set in a beautifully rehabbed Victorian House, is well known for its bar food and being the first to bring craft cocktails into an area that was previously more saturated with wineries and breweries. Try the homemade smoked whitefish dip, the fried chicken tacos with hot honey, or any of their featured dishes!
Hummingbird Lounge
9 South Barton Street
New Buffalo, MI
Phone: 269-231-5292
Terrace Room
Another fine place in which to cozy up in the New Year is the Terrace Room, especially if you can sit near the fireplace looking out over the New Buffalo Harbor. Nestled in the basement of The Harbor Grand waterfront boutique hotel, this intimate, appealing restaurant features a modern Italian menu (made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients), while serving some of the strongest drinks around!
Terrace Room
111 West Water Street
New Buffalo, MI
Phone: 855-391-3915
Pennyroyal Café and Provisions
Melissa Corey, Executive Chef at Pennyroyal Cafe and Provisions in Saugatuck, was named one of Chicago's top chefs in 2015 by Thrillist! The restaurant, which also highlights local farms in its ingredients, is a collaboration of the Pennyroyal team's culinary, pastry and horticultural backgrounds and boasts an Instagram-worthy menu of delicious offerings, including excellent fish dishes. They also have a fine selection of after-dinner drinks, aperitifs, and wine, to go along with one of their lip-smacking desserts.
Pennyroyal Café and Provisions
3319 Blue Star Highway
Saugatuck, MI
Phone: 269-455-5133
Gather All Day
Gather All Day, a self-described "casual modern lounge," is a top-notch spot to check out in Harbert. They feature New American quick bites, full meals (both small plates & large plates are uniquely prepared with fresh, quality ingredients), a "thoughtfully curated" natural wine and cocktail menu, and a retail section for a little shopping! Not only a fabulous place for lunch or dinner, but also a desirable place to stop for a coffee or enjoy a cocktail for date night. Don't miss the fried chicken sandwich!
Gather All Day
13565 Red Arrow Highway
Harbert, MI
Phone: 269-231-5886
Luisa's Harbert Swedish Bakery & Market
For a truly sublime bakery experience, get yourself over to Luisa's Harbert Swedish Bakery & Market (originally opened in 1912) in nearby Harbert. From breads and cookies to savory cakes and pies, they have absolutely got comfort food figured out! (They have lots of take-and-bake options, as well.) For sheer scrumptiousness, try the peach-berry or caramel-apple-walnut pies.
Luisa's Harbert Swedish Bakery & Market
13698 Red Arrow Highway
Harbert, MI
Phone: 269-469-1777
A trip to visit any of these Southwestern Michigan delights will surely satisfy your taste buds and tickle your fancy in the New Year! As Juniper Holiday and Home handles vacation rentals and management in Michigan, we are a great source for information on local restaurants, shopping, and attractions, as well as managing your Lake Michigan vacation house or cabin rentals.
