Sweet’s Bar & Grill Honor
Meet Bill Sweet, an outgoing guy who — along with his wife and partner in entrepreneurial optimism, Toni — opened Sweet’s Bar & Grill in Honor last summer. The spot? Inside the former Sleepy Bear Lounge, formerly Lumberjack Tavern, on Main Street. “We opened July 12,” he says. “That was after months of refurbishing and changes to make the place lighter, fresher, and more welcoming. We did it ourselves, and it was a lot of hard work — a lot of 8am to midnight. Our goal was to make this place as welcoming as we can,” he says. Consider the Sweets’ mission and vision accomplished. “Folks who visited here before were surprised,” he says. “They said ‘Oh, it’s so bright, and it smells so good.’” On the Menu: Expect what Sweet calls “upscale bar fare”: sandwiches, wraps, burgers, pizzas, nachos, burritos, and quesadillas. But drill down a little, and you’ll find one of the tastiest Reuben Sandwiches ($10) in the region. It features a hefty pile of tender corned beef on swirled rye. Next comes a crown of mild but flavorful sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and an ample topping of Thousand Island dressing. One of the most popular handhelds is the French Dip ($12): stacked beef topped with grilled mushrooms, onions, and Swiss cheese on a hoagie bun, with a flavorful side of au jus for dipping. The best seller on the menu, according to manager Jen Plamondon, is the new and improved Wet Burrito ($12). It’s built with seasoned ground beef or chicken, refried beans, red enchilada sauce, romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion, and black olives. It comes with a side of rice and nacho chips. Other Mexican fare includes Nachos Supreme, a Quesadilla, and a Veggie Quesadilla, each priced at $12. In the familial fashion that has come to define the Sweets’ way of doing business
with customers and employees alike, each of Sweet’s eight different burgers is named after one of the grill’s friendly staffers, such as “Jen’s Olive Delight” or “John’s Hot As We Can Make It.” Despite their differences in toppings, every burger starts with a 1/3 pound of hand-patted beef that’s cooked medium-well unless (otherwise requested) and delivered with lettuce tomato, onion, and a pickle on a brioche bun. Lighter appetites might be tempted by one of five salads, including a Michigan Summer Delight, featuring spring mix lettuce, cucumber, carrot, red onion, sliced apples, dried strawberries, dried cherries, pecans, and feta cheese ($15). Find Sweet’s Bar & Grill at 10919 Main St. in Honor. (231) 227-1148. Bahia
Traverse City
Offering up delicious tapas and enchanting cocktails, this Spanish fusion eatery makes it easy to pretend you’ve been transported to a bar on Las Ramblas, in the heart of Barcelona. (And Grand Traverse Bay, just a short walk north, provides a solid stand-in for the azure blue coastline of the Mediterranean — and clearly, a little inspiration for the restaurant’s name; Bahia means bay in Spanish.) Walking into the space — with its exposed brick, soft lighting, and a chill indoor-outdoor flow — sets you instantly at ease. It is time to slow down, relax, and take in the laid-back vibes. Owner Tim Kiel and Managing Partner and Chef Bryan Welburn have created a space focused on bringing people together through the enjoyment of food, and there is a lot to enjoy. On the Menu: Heating things up in the kitchen is Head Chef Allante GarrettJackson, a well-known veteran of long-time Traverse City hotspot Apache Trout Grille. He has teamed up with fellow Chef Welburn, who designed the menu, to bring the tapas creations to life. Garrett-Jackson’s advice for any first-time guest: “Order everything.” The
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portion sizes are perfect to share, and heaps of small plates will satisfy big appetites. Right now, Bahia is offering a host of tapas plates. A standout: the blue corn tostada — a crispy tostada with refried pinto beans, crunchy habanero coleslaw, and succulent leg of lamb paired with two house-made sauces, the mojo Roja, the spiciest sauce on the menu, and a mellow lime crème. The pair work together to bring this dish just the right heat. Then there is the Potato Bravas, diced potatoes perfectly pan-fried to be crunchy on the outside yet still smooth and fluffy on the inside. Topped with a smoky and spicy bright red sauce and silky truffle aioli, this dish is essential to any traditional Spanish tapas menu, and Garrett-Jackson pays a great homage to it with what he serves up. You will never want to go back to regular pub fries again. Dessert at Bahia is not to be overlooked. Once you try the Benelos, or “Spanish doughnuts,” you will not know how you have gone through life thus far without them. They have a taste reminiscent of oversized elephant ears from the fairgrounds but made and presented with a lot more finesse. Fluffy, fried deliciousness topped with salted caramel sauce, they are a decadent and lipsmacking way to end your meal or start it. Find Bahia at 127 South Union St. www. bahiatc.com Randy’s Diner Traverse City
Randy and Norma Vyverberg, hospitality pros who met while working at the Grand Traverse Resort in the ‘80s, have experience working every role in the house. However, with each passing job, Norma and Randy grew closer to achieving their shared dream of owning their own restaurant and working for themselves. Initially, their plan was to start something from scratch. But when an opportunity to purchase a restaurant named The Diner appeared in spring of 1997, they
saw it as destiny and bought it. In years past, the little blue and yellow building on Carver Street had not only been home to The Diner, but before that, it had also been Marty’s Diner, Magee’s Fish Shed, King’s Burger, Mr. Doolies, and The Pigs Tie. In May 1997, however, it became Randy’s Diner, and for almost 25 years now, it’s been a locally loved favorite. On the Menu: You’ll find two pages of breakfast classics — French toast, short and tall stacks of pancakes, Biscuits with gravy and eggs — alongside nearly a dozen three-egg omelets (the Jalapeno Popper with Bacon Omelette, featuring Jalapeno bacon cream cheese, “more bacon,” and pepperjack cheese is a must-try), pork chops and eggs with potatoes, and a Stuffed Hash Brown dish that might just keep you full for a week. But be warned: You must leave room for their grilled cinnamon roll. It’s a wallflower on their menu, hiding out on the sides list, but it deserves a category of its own — to be exalted, set apart, canonized even. Sliced in half, grilled, and served drenched in warm, melty icing, it’s a lovely add-on to a salty breakfast if you can manage it, and enough to eat alone with black coffee. The cinnamon caramelizes on the near-blackened top while salty butter bits create a lacy crunch around the bun’s edges. Randy’s favorite item on the menu is the cod dinner. He’s proud of the quality of fish the diner uses. Both he and Norma have always prioritized the customer experience when crafting their dishes. Norma, who eats a gluten-free diet herself, makes sure Randy’s offers several gluten-free menu items for customers. Find Randy’s Diner at 1120 Carver St. www.randysdiner.com. (231) 946-0789 Forrest – A Food Studio Traverse City
Everyone knows what an artist’s studio is, but what about a food studio? For Forrest and Nicole Moline, it’s
