UP Michigan

Milkweed Inn (update), Wetmore, Michigan, 7/18-20/25

~ hsnixon ~ Leave a comment
main lodge – 15.5 Rd, Wetmore, MI 49895

You can read the previous write up of Milkweed Inn from 2022 here.   It was recently featured in Art Culinaire Magazine so we thought it was time to re-visit and check out any changes.  First and foremost the food and hospitality were equally superb and I think this year’s group of guests was even more fun than the last.  Chef Regan is transitioning from Iliana to Lane but that seems to only have focused their culinary talents.  The hunting lodge in the Hiawatha Forest now offers 4 interior bedrooms to stay in, some glamping tents and the Air Stream is now a Mercedes Sprinter Camper Van.  It is definitely off-the-grid and a totally laid back weekend of eating, drinking and chatting with like minded foodies.  Regan is still an expert forager as well as gardener and incorporates that into the meals in addition to hunting donations from neighbors.   There is also a sauna which you sign up for in pairs and lots of friendly dogs, pigs and soon to be horses on the property.  Reservations are through the website <www.milkweedinn.com> and often are made a year in advance.  One tip we took advantage of is to watch for vacancies that pop up to re-sell.  Since retiring we have that flexibility and can skirt the long wait.  Last visit the weather was uncomfortably warm which was not at all usual.  This time it was nice and cool with a good breeze.  Chef Regan and her partner Eve are absolutely delightful and will make every effort to ensure you have a memorable visit.   If you are seriously into food and enjoy very casual surroundings this is an experience you should sign up for.  Chef can make some adaptations to the menu for the dozen people in attendance, but check first if you can’t eat some things.  There was no printed menu, so all descriptions are what I could jot down. Continue reading →

Fitzgerald’s, “The Fitz” (update), Eagle River, MI., 7/31/23

~ hsnixon ~ 6 Comments
exterior – 5033 Front St, Eagle River, MI 49950

We were at the Fitzgerald about a year ago (as well as in 2019) but this time we stayed on the second level in the newly re-done large rooms.  The view and sounds of Lake Superior are fabulous and with so many hot places, the cool breeze here was refreshing.  The staff are super friendly and there’s plenty of parking out front.  The restaurant does get full, so reservations are a must.  Guests at the hotel have first grab at reservations and I found out they hold the window tables for guests.  This visit the fires in Canada were making a haze on the horizon but last time we were at the windows and the sun is so bright I believe I prefer the inner tables.  It’s a small place though, so there aren’t any tables without a great view.  Another thing I learned is to come early as they have limited quantities of some items and the later in the evening the more they’ve run out of.  Unfortunately, they were out of ribs again when we arrived and no ends were available.  They did look large and meaty from what I saw on earlier tables.  Service is friendly and helpful but their wine list is small, especially compared to the array of whisky that is available.  It’s a fun lovely place but the food is mixed.  Some of the desserts looked and sounded good but those were all gone by the time we finished. Continue reading →

Parkview Lodge and Grill, Toilvola, MI., 7/30/23

~ hsnixon ~ Leave a comment
exterior – 32423 State Hwy M-26, Tiovola, MI, 49965

Parkview Lodge and Grilll is a large place in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  The lodge has 16 rustic rooms ready to house those enjoying the snowmobile and ATV trails nearby.  Attached is a large bar and restaurant open 11 to 9, seven days a week.  It was opened in 2005 by two sisters and their husbands, but after 10 years they closed for 2.  In the middle of being closed, it was taken over by their brother, Scott Johnson who started doing renovations.  The bar and restaurant can hold up to 200 people and one new feature was the addition of some cutout trees dividing the bar and restaurant.  They are fabric covered to help with noise.  We didn’t have any noise issues as it was empty when we stopped but the middle of the afternoon would be prime time for the explorers to be outside.  The bartender took our order, helped with suggestions and was very friendly.  I don’t know about staying here but it’s definitely a place I’d recommend for a good burger. Continue reading →

Milkweed Inn, Wetmore, Michigan, 8/5-7/22

~ hsnixon ~ 2 Comments
lodge building – 15.5 Rd, Wetmore, MI 49895

Milkweed is a small bed and breakfast in the Hiawatha National Forest in the UP of Michigan.  Totally remote, they will pick you up at the nearest convenience store or you can bravely follow them on a 45-minute trek on unpaved roads through the woods.  Chef Iliana Regan, a Michelin-starred chef in Chicago, grew up on a farm and wanted to re-create that environment for small groups, in an off-the-grid culinary experience.  She is joined in this effort by her wife Anna Regan, who provides the sommelier portion of the fine dining experience.  Numerous friends and neighbors support the duo in providing a dreamy vacation during the summer months in a hunting lodge they purchased.  Reservations are in advance through the website (www.milkweedinn.com), where you also reserve lodging that is either glamping tents, a small AirStream or 3 bedrooms in the main house.  Your reservation starts Friday evening with dinner, then continues Sat. with snacks, breakfast, lunch and a huge tasting menu in the evening.  It concludes with breakfast Sunday morning before you start the trek back through the woods. Continue reading →

Fitzgerald’s (update), Eagle River, MI, 7/22/22

~ hsnixon ~ 4 Comments
exterior – 5033 Front Street, Eagle River, MI, 49950

We visited The Fitzgerald in 2018 and much has changed at the Eagle River Inn where it is located.  The dining room is the same but the menu seems smaller.  They still have the whiskey bar but the 12 rooms have now become 6 and they are (you guessed it) twice as big and have air conditioning.  The waves of Lake Superior are still right off the dining room or any room at the inn, so the scenery is excellent.  The dining room is wood-filled with lots of light from the windows.  The crowd is casual and they did have specials for the night.  Service was excellent, friendly and helpful.  They still specialize in barbecue and you can see evidence of adding-on to the kitchen in front of the building, so not sure what will be added.  Portions are generous and combined with the beautiful scenery, this is a lovely place to spend a meal and then retreat to your room to sleep with the sound of the waves.  It’s out of the way but go if you get the chance, especially if you’re a whiskey lover. Continue reading →

The Pines Café, Ironwood, MI, 7/22/22

~ hsnixon ~ 1 Comment
building – 120 S. Suffolk St., Ironwood, MI, 49938

The Pines Café had been running successfully for about 20 years and underwent a complete renovation in August 2019. Then the wife of the upstairs tenant poured lighter fluid on her husband’s bed and set the place on fire.  Fortunately, no one was hurt and she was sentenced to 11-50 years in prison.  The owners Susan Craumann and Janice Miskovich chose to not shutter the place and instead to rebuild.  A year later, in August 2020 it re-opened.  That’s why you feel the disconnect when the cute front of the place doesn’t match the clean, almost sterile interior.  On the main street of the old town, it is a good-sized place with booths along one wall opposite a long counter and tables in the middle.  They serve breakfast and lunch till 3 every day and have tried to decorate the place with woodsy bric-a-brac.  There are windows to the street and the lighting is turned up.  The only music is what bleeds into the room from the kitchen radio.  Service is friendly and efficient, portions are generous and the food is good.  They take no credit cards, have only a Facebook page, and no website.  It’s worth stopping by. Continue reading →

Mikes Restaurant, Ironwood MI, 8/19/19

~ hsnixon ~ Leave a comment
IMG_1418
building

Mikes is a small restaurant of about 9 tables and some counter stools.  It bills itself as an Italian style place but they do serve breakfast all day.   It has been in business for 30+ years with the current owner having it for 20 of those.  Her name isn’t Mike but the name stuck with the place cause it was so well known in town.  The large menu offers lots of choices and portions are generous.  Service was super friendly and efficient.  It was a casual place and felt like it had a lot of regular customers.  The food was mixed but it was satisfying. Continue reading →