Like most travelers, one of our favorite parts of vacation is having the opportunity to sample new foods at the restaurants in the towns we are visiting. Every state, every city actually, has a food that represents the “flavor” of the region and if you are planning an upcoming visit to Traverse City, we know you will want to enjoy a taste of our town. This guide to some of the top local restaurants in Travers City, is just more proof that we at Elevated want to ensure that every treasured guest will return home at the end of their stay feeling well fed and pampered during their winter escape to Michigan.
Top Local Restaurants In Traverse City
Doctors will tell us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, making one of our favorite breakfast spots the perfect place to begin. The Cottage is a casual place, reminding one of a grandmother’s home where good smells are always coming from the kitchen and tables are laden with the best foods in the world. Offering pancakes the size of plates, fluffy omelets, and a menu filled with your favorite breakfast foods, The Cottage is open every day of the week from 8 until 8, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so if you love breakfast as much as we think you will, feel free to explore the later day options as well!
Raduno, 545 E 8th Street
Your breakfast at the Cottage was hearty and definitely fueled your body for the morning’s activities, but a midday break and a deli lunch at Raduno will ensure that you won’t peter out during your afternoon activities. Raduno means gathering in Italian and as you gather with your family, chatting about your morning adventures, devouring sandwiched piled high with meat (or pasta dishes, their butcher’s lunch, or any of the delicious items on their menu) you may find yourself making plans to revisit this wonderful place when dinner time rolls around; they are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 to 6.
Oakwood Proper Burgers, 1108 E Eighth Street
Choices are important in life, and although the menu at Raduno is definitely varied, sometimes, the only answer to the age old question “what are we eating?” can only be a burger and Oakwood Proper Burgers provides the definitive burger of choice. A relatively new addition to the culinary landscape of Traverse City, having only opened in 2021, their menu is simple and beautiful, offering 10 gigantic burgers, all of which deserve to be washed down with their rich and creamy peanut butter shake. Oakwood is open every day of the week with varying hours, mostly for lunch and dinner.
The Cook’s House, 115 Wellington Street
We’ve explored the casual side of Traverse City, something most travelers will appreciate, but when you are in town for a special occasion, we think a visit to the Cook’s House will be exactly what you seek. Chef driven, this intimate restaurant offers an ever changing menu, so the items we mention here may not be available when you visit, but we can promise, there isn’t a bad dish on the menu. Offering an ala carte menu and a 5 or 7 course prixe fixe menu filled with farm to table offerings and the opportunity to add wine pairing to your choice, their elevated selection of delicious cuisine will provide a dining experience that will enhance whatever occasion you are celebrating. Open from 5 to 12, Tuesday through Saturday, there are only 24 tables in the Cook’s House, so reservations are required.
Forrest, A Food Studio, 408 S Union Street
The pandemic changed the direction of many a restauranteur’s life, and Forrest, A Food Studio, offers a delicious example of how going with the flow can be a good thing. Originally opening as a cooking school, today Forrest is one of our favorite special occasion restaurants at dinner only, and just as at the Cook’s House, reservations are required at least one month in advance. Reservations are released at 8 AM on the first of the month. Their menu also changes on a monthly basis, but trust us, even though you may need to work at getting a table at Forrest, every bite you take will be your favorite, making it worth the effort.
An Elevated Choice
Today we have simply provided a glimpse of the culinary landscape of our hometown, and we can promise there is so much more to explore. However, on those nights when it is a little too chilly to venture out, or you are just so comfortable lounging in your Elevated sanctuary that you can’t imagine leaving your place by the fire, our fully equipped kitchens will ensure that the best meal in town will be enjoyed at home! Contact us to reserve your favorite escape today!
