Top Ten

this week’s top ten

Bird Is the Word

Mmm, Morels!

The National Morel Mushroom Festival is…almost…here. The fun guys (get it?) take over Boyne City May 12-15 for a weekend of celebration in honor of the North’s favorite mushroom. Yes, we do know our beloved, spongy little friends have only just started to return after this cold spring, but we’re ready to party! Here’s what to expect: An arts and crafts show can be found in Veterans Park on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and you can catch a free morel seminar from expert Tony Williams at 3pm Friday. But the yummiest event of the weekend is the Taste of Morels on Saturday, May 14, from noon to 3pm when local chefs serve up their favorite morel-inspired dishes. The day caps off (more puns!) with a concert featuring the Family Tradition Band. Get all the details at bcmorelfestival.com or on their Facebook page. Birders, these events are for you. Saving Birds through Habitat offers guided birding hikes at Charter Sanctuary Discovery Center in Omena, May 14, 21, and 28 from 8:30-10am. Must reserve your spot: 231-271-3738. They will also host the Leelanau Birdfest June 2-5 (mibirdfest.org). Michigan Legacy Art Park in Thompsonville holds birdwatching tours the second Saturday of each month through Sept. Meet at the trailhead at 8am, rain or shine. $5; 17 and under are free. crystalmountain. com/event/birdwatching.

4

Hey, Watch It! under the banner of heaven

Based on the bestselling book by Jon Krakauer and adapted by Oscar-winning writer Dustin Lance Black (Milk), the gripping, true-crime drama Under the Banner of Heaven is true appointment viewing. This moody murder mystery set in the 1980s focuses on a pair of killings in a devout Mormon community and the detectives—righteous family man Jeb (Oscar-nominee Andrew Garfield)) and his secular partner Bill (Gil Birmingham)—looking for answers in a case that only gets more and more shocking. With the investigation woven together with flashbacks focused on the victim (Daisy EdgarJones) along with LDS founder Joseph Smith, the show questions belief as much as it offers a twisting whodunit. On FX, streaming on Hulu.

5

2 tastemaker Birch & Maple’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Honestly, it’s hard to pick one thing to order off the Birch & Maple brunch/lunch menu. (This has led Northern Express staff to order five entrees for two people, less from hunger and more from sheer enthusiasm.) Whether you’re ordering in bulk—did someone say leftovers?—or just out for a normal, one-dish meal, go for the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Spicy, but not too spicy, the sandwich punches up the heat with the restaurant’s “dynamite sauce” and a zesty cabbage mixture. Your taste buds are cooled with pickles, fresh greens, and a melt-in-your-mouth brioche bun. In between it all is the perfectly crisp and juicy fried chicken that will make you wish you had a fryer at home. Served alongside the finger-lickinggood sea salt, pepper, and onion chips from Great Lakes Potato Chips, this sammie hits all the marks. If you need dessert—come on, we all need dessert—the Maple Banana Bread Pudding topped with bourbon toffee sauce is utterly divine. 727 Main Street Frankfort, (231) 399-0399, birchandmaplefrankfort.com

6 Off to the (Art) Market

Let’s face it. Winter was loooong this year. Extra long. You need to treat yourself. Your artistic neighbors also need a boost, which means it’s the perfect time to hit up the Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City for their Spring Art Market on Saturday, May 14. From 11am to 5pm, more than 20 artists will be selling their pieces, and the museum gift shop will be open with new and amazing gifts. You’ll also get free admission to the rest of the museum, which is always worth a visit to see the permanent and rotating exhibits. Take your art-ing up a notch with a guided tour from Dennos Executive Director Craig Hadley at 2pm, or bring the kiddos between 11am and 4pm for kid-approved art activities. (And if they haven’t already seen the new dino mural in the Discovery Gallery installed by local artist Brianne Farley, they are in for a treat!) Learn more at dennosmuseum.org.

Calling All Race Hosts and Promoters

This one is for the runners, the swimmers, the bikers, and the paddlers. It’s even for those brave and wild souls who do triathlons. (We bow to you, even if we don’t understand you.) Do you want to see your upcoming race included in Northern Express’ summer race calendar in northwest Lower Michigan? Step one: Open an email to events@traverseticker. com. Step two: Include the race name, race date, race location, website address for race information, and the website address for online registration. Step three: Click send. The comprehensive race roundup will be featured in our Memorial Day issue, so be sure to send everything in no later than May 18. We look forward to cheering all you exercising people on. (We’ll be the folks at the beer—ahem, water—station.)

Stuff We Love: Making our Mailbox a Food Pantry Pick-up Point

Keep an eye on your home’s mailbox this week. You might receive a postcard inviting you to be a part of the 28th annual National Association of Letter Carrier Food Drive. And if you do, you can easily help feed the one person of every four in our community who can’t afford three square meals each day. Simply leave a bag or box of non-perishable food by your mailbox on Saturday, May 14. Your mail carrier or a volunteer in a marked car will pick up your donation for a community food pantry in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Wexford, or Leelanau County this spring and summer—a time when shelves are at their barest. According to Feed America, donations like peanut butter, canned soup, canned fruit, canned vegetables, whole grain pasta, and brown rice are great non-perishable staples. If you can, consider rounding out those staples with salad dressings, dried fruit, healthy seeds and nuts, nut butters, spices, or microwave popcorn. If you don’t receive a postcard but want to participate, call your local post office to find a donation location.

bottoms up Coffee by Steph’s Samoa Cookie Draft Latte

Celebrating 25 Years Entertainment, Charity Events, Features History Tours, Giveaways, Morel Wine Dinner

What do you get when human connection meets craft? For West Coast transplant Stephanie Mora, the answer is an outrageous cup of coffee. A java junkie since college, Mora’s highly-caffeinated career was sealed by her experience on Central American coffee farms, where she saw first-hand how international purchases impacted the lives of local growers. “I keep that experience at the forefront of every business decision I make,” she says. Open since 2020, Coffee by Steph in downtown Grayling offers an array of fair-trade beans which are roasted on site in small batches. Guests can choose from traditional espresso selections, or, if a creative coffee is more your style, give the Samoa Cookie Draft Latte a try. Featuring foamy nitro cold-brew and your choice of milk (both dairy and plant-based are available), this dessert-worthy drink is flavored with coconut and caramel simple syrup and finished with a drizzle of rich Dutch chocolate. Girl Scouts, eat your heart out. $7.50/16oz. 223 Michigan Ave., Grayling. (989) 459-1888. coffeebysteph.com