By Gina Limbocker, (0 Comments, Add yours!)
Thursday, May 23, 2013
With warmer weather, longer days and heavier traffic, summertime in Northern Michigan is quickly approaching. We all know there isn't a shortage of fun things to do in Traverse City in the summer. But here is one idea that is sure to be a blast. Why not grab a group of close friends and tour some of downtown TC's best breweries and restaurants on a 14-passenger bike bar?
TC natives Kevin Farron and Troy Daily saw that pub bikes were sprouting up all over the country, and they decided to bring TC Cycle Pub to their hometown.
TC Cycle Pub owners Kevin, left, and Troy, right, pictured with Carly, Los Bob, and Shauny Boy from Drink My Brewcast.
"Troy and I realized that Traverse City - given its growing number of breweries within close proximity to one another, its flat, 25-mph downtown roadways, and emphasis on local businesses supporting one another - simply needed one of these," explains Kevin. "Plus, who doesn't love outdoor fun in TC?"
Kevin lives in Bend, Oregon, where the country's first vehicle of this kind debuted about two years ago, and which he happens to drive as a part-time gig. When Kevin and Troy began scheming their idea of bringing a pub bike to TC, their friends and family were all on board, and were eager to help. Gaining support for the business was the easy part; getting the bike here was a different story.
The bike was built by Cycle Pub Manufacturing in Bend. Shipping the bike to TC proved to be a challenge, as this is one BIG bike! There were plenty of modifications installed on the Cycle Pub to give it added safety and a sleek operation, including a seat belt for the driver, motorcycle-grade gears and chains, back rests for all riders, headlights, turn signals, a horn, and two braking systems.
Also, some of the modifications on the bike were challenging. "I found out quickly that I'm no electrician," Kevin states. "We've had to rewire a few things."
But rest assured, everything is working fine now, and the TC Cycle Pub has already hit the streets. Over the past couple months many groups have enjoyed a ride around town; and reservations are filling up fast, especially on nights and weekends. The bike is available 7 days a week, and the standard, 2-hour tours start and end at the Filling Station. The TCCP is allowed to venture wherever you'd like, within reason, of course. There is always a driver on board and they will provide some recommended routes. In addition to the driver, 14 passengers are allowed to ride, with a minimum of 8.
At this point, the pub is unable to serve beer on board, but they are optimistic that with community support and a flawless safety record they will be able to offer this soon. Kevin and Troy hope to add more bikes someday, and they also encourage groups to use the bike for tours having nothing to do with drinking.
"It's a great way for families to celebrate reunions or spend a visit to TC, seeing the town in an intimate and leisurely way," Kevins says. "We can stop at parks, Kilwin's, Cherry Republic, M22, or any other downtown favorite. Kids and families are encouraged to consider the bike for summer fun. It's also a great way to sample the local food in town, spending 15-20 minutes at each stop."
The Cycle Pub is also available for private parties and off-site events. If on private property, they are allowed to have beer or wine on board.
Interested in finding out more? You can email info@TCCYCLEPUB.com, visit their Facebook page, or website for more info.
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By Paula McIntyre, (2 Comments, Add yours!)
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Traverse City has topped many national lists over the past few years as a place to live and visit. This fall the city will celebrate the many reasons why residents and visitors alike love Traverse City so much with a weekend festival so delicious, it will tempt any foodie and wine or beer lover. The 1st Annual Taste of Traverse City Festival will take place September 13-15, highlighting the city's epicurean specialties and shops.
Along with its breathtaking beauty, the Northern Michigan town has emerged as a dynamic epicurean and event destination over the years for those seeking a more unique culinary experience. It comes as no surprise that Traverse City has been named among "The Top 5 Foodie Towns in America" by Bon Appetit Magazine, "The Top 5 Food Towns in the Midwest" by Midwest Living Magazine, "Top 10 Place To Enjoy Local Wine" by USA Magazine and "Top 3 Emerging Beer Towns in the USA."
With so many accolades, dedicating an entire weekend to showcase Traverse City's culinary specialties, extraordinary wine, beer and spirits, and merchandise all in one single weekend seemed only natural.
The 1st Annual Taste of Traverse City Festival will provide visitors an opportunity to sip, sample and shop as it features tasting, culinary and shopping events throughout the weekend, including a downtown Grub Crawl on Friday, September 13, and the festival's showcase event, Taste of Traverse City, on Saturday, September 14. Festival guests will enjoy seeing premier chefs and culinary personalities; tasting the cuisine and libations from area restaurants and eateries, caterers, wineries, and breweries; attending demonstrations and workshops; and much more.
"We are anticipating the Taste of Traverse Festival will be an annual destination event that draws the local food enthusiast as well as gourmet food and wine/beer travelers from across the country," says event organizer, Carol Lewis of Lakeshore Event Group.
A full schedule of events and ticket information will be announced at a later date. Visit the event website, where details will continue to be added. Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are available for the festival; for more information, contact the Lakeshore Event Group at info@lakeshoreeventgroup.com or (231) 714-4646 or (248) 619-9696.
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By Paula McIntyre, (0 Comments, Add yours!)
Monday, April 1, 2013
Next up in our series of Favorite Foods Around Town, Chocolate, is a bit of croissant nirvana from 9 Beans Row.
When we started Up North Foodies in 2007, I wrote in my bio that I was on the lookout for a good chocolate croissant. I had been spoiled by the pain au chocolat from Zingerman's Bakehouse, just a short drive from our previous home in Ann Arbor. Tender and light, with just the right amount of chocolate, these croissants are a dream. The ones I found around Traverse City were usually heavy, dense, and cloyingly sweet.
And then Jen Welty came to the rescue.
She and her husband Nic got their start running a CSA farm at Black Star Farms in 2008. That fall they decided to start their own farm, 9 Beans Row, based in Northport. Jen also decided to add baked goods to their business, so with Nic focusing on the farm, she set about working magic to produce delicious pastries and breads.
"I was trained to make bread at La Chatelaine Bakery/Cafe in Columbus," Jen says. "This was a family-owned business, the family being from Belgium."
While working at the bakery, Jen ate a lot of croissants but never made them. Clearly though, one can learn by the eating. One bite of Jen's croissants shows that's just what she did.
Searching online, Jen found a promising recipe from Julia Child and tried it out. It proved to be a great recipe. With just a few tweaks, Jen came up with a keeper that has found a receptive market in Northern Michigan. In the summer, the bakery makes anywhere from 250 to 1,000 croissants per day. In the winter, they make about 250 on busier days, like for the farmers market on saturdays.
Jen uses Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate chips, about 10 big ones per croissant. "And the not-so-secret ingredient is....BUTTER, mais oui!," she says. "One pound of butter makes 16 croissants."
Until recently, you could find Jen's baked goods at their shop on Front Street in Traverse City. But the bakery outgrew that space, and Jen and Nic are looking for bigger quarters closer to their home.
In the meantime, you can find Jen's croissants at the indoor Village Farmers Market each Saturday at the Grand Traverse Commons, as well as Brew in downtown Traverse City and the Pedaling Beans Coffee House in Lake Leelanau.
Also in this series:
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By Paula McIntyre, (3 Comments, Add yours!)
Friday, March 22, 2013
The calendar might say spring is here, but Mother Nature didn't get the memo. And with a couple feet of fresh powder out there, ski conditions are great on the trails and slopes alike. Those good conditions on the TART Trails are also thanks to a group of hard-working guys who groom the trails each year. They normally wrap up the season somewhere between March 6-20, but this year they'll be grooming through the end of the month. Little did we know they are fueled by a special cookie made just for them by Cilla Payne of Traverse City. She makes the cookies every ten days or so for them all winter long.
Here's Cilla's recipe for TART VASA Groomer Cookies along with a story she shared about the cookies, the guys, and the trails. Thanks Cilla!
A tale of a cookie and the TART VASA groomers
By Cilla Payne
Groomer fuel, a cookie made with love especially for our local groomers.
Chocolate Chunk and Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
otherwise known as the TART VASA Groomer Cookies
Put the following ingredients in a small bowl and mix together well with a whisk:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Put the following ingredients in a small bowl and mix together well:
2 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 generous cup of Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1 generous cup of Traverse City dried cherries
Put the following ingredients in a large bowl:
12 1/2 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1-2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream the butter and brown sugar well, add egg and beat for a minute or more until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix well. Add flour mixture a little at a time until well blended. Add a handful of the oats, chocolate chucks and dried cherries mixture and mix into batter. Continue to add the oats, chocolate chunks and cherries mixture until all of it is completely mixed well into the batter. Put small amounts of the dough mixture on cookie sheets that either have a Teflon coating or are covered with wax paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until just beginning to brown. Let cool on cookie sheet before transferring to a rack to cool. This recipe makes 24-28 cookies.
These cookies are addictive! The TART & VASA groomers love these cookies and have an ongoing bi-weekly request for them to be delivered to the VASA Barn (also known as the TART Groomers Club House) throughout the year and especially during the cross-country ski season. In fact, they have threatened to go on strike if they run out of these cookies for more than a day or two. We want to keep our awesome groomers happy, so when you bake these cookies consider dropping off a dozen or so at the VASA Barn located at the VASA Trail head just off of Bunker Hill and Bartlett roads in Acme. We promise, you can't eat just one. Enjoy!
The Groomers
The TART groomers work diligently throughout the year on the over 60 miles of TART Trails in the Grand Traverse region.
The groomers: Glen Rauth, Paul Tata, Jim Dombrowski, Doug Scofield, Roger Rahel and Gary Joslin with his dog Lilly the pizza snatcher. Photo by Glen Rauth.
From December through March they groom the Leelanau Trail weekly and the VASA Trail almost daily to provide some of the best cross-country ski trails in the Midwest. They groom the VASA and Leelanau Trails with snowmobiles and heavy equipment during the wee hours of the night in well below freezing temperatures, just so skiers can safely enjoy the trails all through the day.
Enjoying a groomed trail. Photo by Yvonne Hunter.
The groomers can also be found cleaning up dead trees and other debris throughout the spring, summer and fall months.
We encourage you to get up, get out and get-going all year long. Bike, walk and ski our beautiful TART Trails. They are one of the greatest treasures in northern Michigan. To learn more about the TART Trails, please go to traversetrails.org.
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