Eat
I cannot impress anyone enough that there is nothing quite like the food in the Midwest. I have yet to find a town or an area with nothing good to eat. Since it rained and this was a weekend-long date night, no one was cooking. We ate at all that Bellaire had to offer—well, and a few in Traverse City, too.
First Breakfast.
Driving just down the road a little bit towards Downtown Bellaire lies M88 Morning Grind. It looked unassuming enough, as the perfect neighborhood coffee house, and we were not disappointed. Each of the two days we spent in town started at M88. The breakfast pastries and simple dishes are delicious. The coffee is STRONG. The latte's affordable and made to perfection. What is there not to love.
Then you need a real meal…
At some point, you have to eat a whole meal. Or be like us and at least order multiple appetizers to share. For the first night, we began at Hello Vino. It was such a fun atmosphere. The server was so kind to us, and the food was delicious. It was hopping for a reason beyond the extensive local wine list!
We also HAD to eat at Shorts Brewing. They are everywhere here in Michigan, and the food was massive! So why do we eat at breweries? Here's a tip, it's not for the beer; it's for the food. For some reason, they pile it on for CHEAP! Everything was perfect although it was so loud where we sat we couldn't hear each other. Then the live band that night played my mom's favorite song.
Jolly Pumpkin is not in Bellaire, but we went there for lunch anywhoo, the guys were all about it. I had one of the most delicious pizzas of my life in the loft of this place. The grounds surrounding it also have a ton of history, making it a destination in its own right.
Oh, and Mead…
I am not a big drinker. Not my thing, but the other half was like, and you must try mead. I trust him fully, although I wasn't quite sure what the heck mead was. At Bee Well Mead and Cider, I had apple pie mead, and it was nothing short of AMAZING. A dessert in a glass but AMAZING!
