Top Ten

this week’s top ten

Online Gambling and Sports Betting: Not a Great Bet

It’s been one year since Michigan lawmakers legalized sports betting and online gambling, and it appears the seemingly nonstop barrage of radio and television commercials aren’t the only problem for Michiganders.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reports that more than 4,400 calls were made to Michigan’s problem gambling helpline in 2021 — a number nearly triple those received in 2020, the year before online gambling was approved. Referrals for people to receive gambling treatment also grew significantly, from 295 referrals in 2020 to 420 referrals last year, a 42 percent increase.

That said, it’s probably a good time to check out MDHHS’s 14th Annual Gambling Disorder Symposium, “Gambling: The New Direction,” which will be held virtually on Thursday, March 3, through Friday, March 4. Says Alia Lucas, MDHHS gambling disorder program manager: “Resources are available at the symposium to identify and learn about the steps you can take if you or a family member are struggling with a gambling disorder.” Search “Gambling New Direction” at cmham.org to learn more and register.

2 tastemaker

Parm-crusted Grilled Cheese

At Pond Hill Farm in Harbor Springs, playtime is the name of the game for adults and kids alike. Founded in 1995 as a family-owned egg and produce stand, the place has since blossomed into a full-blown agritourism park. Visitors can play with the “kids” — pun intended — in the livestock barn, embark on a gnome-house hunt, or frolic along one of the freshly-groomed trails. And whether you’re busy being a kid or playing with some, shouldn’t snack-time follow suit? Before that mid-day nap takes hold, treat yourself to their ParmesanCrusted Grilled Cheese. A favorite of foodies tall to small, this sandwich stacks Muenster, Havarti, and Swiss cheese between two slices of Parmesan-sprinkled sourdough. Griddled until golden-brown, this delightfully adultified classic is served alongside a slaw of farm-fresh kale, carrot, and crushed peanuts, all finished with a house-made peanut and Thai noodle sauce. For an extra dose of decadence, add caramelized onions in the winter or estategrown tomatoes and basil in the summer. Either way, don’t skimp on the napkins. $15. Find Pond Hill Farm at 5699 S. Lakeshore Dr., Harbor Springs. (231) 526-3276, www.pondhill.com 4 • february 28, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

Like, There’s a Totally Tubular ’80s Ski Bum Party at Timber Ridge

Get out your puffy neon snowsuit and pop that collar: The ’80s are moonwalking into the 15th Annual Suds & Snow at Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort on Saturday, Feb. 26. You can meet the magical decade in all your ski bum finery by snowshoeing a half-mile into the Traverse City campground’s backwoods, where the party takes place from 1pm to 6pm; expect an afternoon filled with beer, wine and cider, food, lots of live music, and, if you’re lucky, maybe a Molly Ringwald sighting. Tickets are $40-$70. Search “Suds Snow” at eventbrite.com to purchase.

4

Hey, watch It! Pam & Tommy

Joining the annals of dramatic retellings of real events from the ’90s that make us rethink the way we treated and vilified the women at the center of headlines (think I, Tonya; Impeachment: American Crime Story, etc.) comes Hulu’s limited series Pam & Tommy. Giving viewers the story behind America’s most notorious sex tape, the show delivers a funny, poignant, and penetrating look into the marriage of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee and the scandal that followed. Starring a truly uncanny Lily James and Sebastian Stan as the notorious couple and featuring Seth Rogen and Nick Offerman, this is utterly captivating and endearing entertainment that never loses sight of the gravity of the violation that occurred.

5

6 Abracadabra at Otsego

Bring the kids for an enchanting all-ages night of magic at Otsego Resort in Gaylord. The March 5 show stars magician Gordon Russ, who promises an evening of awesome tricks, humor, and hoodoo that’s fun for all ages. Best of all, it starts at 6pm, so you and your crew can spend the day on the slopes – or snowshoeing or XC skiing the resort’s 8.5 miles of groomed Sturgeon River trails and still be in bed before the littles shift into meltdown mode. $10 per ticket; overnight stays for families of four start at $119. See otsegoclub.com for more information.

Murder with a Side of Scalloped Potatoes

Pageantry and entertainment! Dinner and a used car showroom! Murder and a United Way fundraiser! Believe it or not, all of these things will go together like PB&J March 5, when the United Way of Wexford and Missaukee counties hosts its annual murder mystery theatre at the Fox Motors Theatre and Used Car Showroom in Cadillac. Attendees — invited to dress to the nines or as their favorite star of stage and screen — will dine, be delighted by a performance of Ami Peltier’s “Death by Foul Play” murder mystery, then become detectives as they work to determine whodunit. Cocktails begin at 6pm, dinner — provided by Hermann’s (with main dish choices of penne pasta w/ grilled chicken, Scottish salmon, or spice-rubbed pork tenderloin) and show start at 7pm. Get your tickets, $75 per person, at helpothersnow.org/murdermystery or call (231) 775-3753.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Author Virtual Visit - April 19

Reserve your livestream ticket now.

https://tinyurl.com/joyharjo22

Copies of Ms. Harjo’s books are available at local libraries, including tadl.org and sbbdl.org. Ask about book club kits too! Visit tadl.org for more details.

The next TADL book discussion will be March 5 at 2 pm. Register at: https://tinyurl.com/848xv7vw

Stuff We Love: A 10-day Week of Deals

We don’t generally need a reason to indulge in a night out at any restaurant, but from now until March 6, Harbor Springs is offering up 12. Yup, one dozen restaurants in that sweet city by Little Traverse Bay are participating in this spring’s restaurant week, which (bonus!) runs not a week but 10 straight days. Each restaurant has the flexibility to offer whatever specials work best for them — there are no pre-set price points — but every one brings something extra special to your mouth and wallet. See for yourself; all the restaurants have shared their menu (click on Events) at www.harborspringschamber.com.

bottoms up Mammoth’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

If a Moscow Mule and a Dark & Stormy met on the banks of the Volga River and had a passionate but brief affair that culminated in what passionate, brief nighttime affairs in storms often do, their lovechild no doubt would be this bundle of joy: Mammoth Distilling’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Blending Mammoth Distillery’s own whiskey with house-made pineapple jalapeno mixer and Northwoods Ginger Beer, it’s at once sweet, refreshing, and alarmingly spicy. Much like its comrade dad and mercurial mother upon learning the results of their union, this baby will leave you saying, “WTF?” (But in a very, very good way.) $10. We got ours at Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge, 221 Garland St., Suite D, in Traverse City. Find other locations at mammothdistilling.com.