Restaurant Roundup

western half of the building.

The Little Finger Eatery menu — a small but tasty array of sandwiches, wraps, and salads — boasts beach-ready summer staples such as cherry chicken salad wraps, a turkeyavocado-cheddar Panini sandwich, and kids’ choices like grilled cheese and PB&J. A newer addition is chicken Shawarma, which Mark said has been the most popular item on the menu.

Besides providing customers with a multitude of options for food and beverages, Tiffany’s — and Little Finger — have a unique draw that underscores the quaint town’s classic vibe.

“It’s nostalgic,” says Tina, noting the shop has changed little inside or out over the past several decades, from the turquoise spinning stools at the ice cream shop’s bar to the vintage tables and sweetheart-wire chairs on the cafe side. Also nostalgic: The shop doesn’t accept credit cards, Apple pay, or the like. It’s all cash — and luckily for outof-town customers who aren’t already in the know, there’s an ATM across the street.

Find Tiffany’s Café and Little Finger Eatery at 10213 W. Front St., in Empire. (231) 835-2168.

Spanglish Traverse City

Vicente and Anna Serrano were both raised — he in rural Mexico and she in Traverse City — and met in 2000 when they worked together as cooks in a kitchen in California. They fell in love, got married, and moved to Traverse City in 2003 to start their family and pursue possible business prospects.

Anna had strong connections to what is today The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, where Spanglish is located. Her maternal great-grandmother and three great aunts had graduated from the nursing school that was part of the old State Hospital, which occupied the grounds at the turn of the century. And her maternal grandmother was an RN and had also worked at the hospital, as had her paternal grandfather, a doctor, and her paternal grandmother, a nurse.

“I never expected that Vicente and I would end up opening a restaurant right here,” she says. “That was pure serendipity.”

On the Menu: High on the list of customer favorites on the Spanglish menu are tamales, which started it all. Each begins with soft corn masa steamed in a corn husk and guests can choose from four fillings: Three Sisters (vegetarian, with butternut squash, specially prepared house-made pinto beans, and corn), New World (vegan, with roasted pepitas, roasted tomatoes, garlic, onions and Mexican oregano), Pork (with tomatillos) and Chicken (with chilis).

Tacos, made with soft corn tortillas (gluten free), are the biggest sellers, though, and are offered in pork, beef, chicken, vegan, or vegetarian varieties (the latter with sauteed poblanos, red bell peppers, onions, sweet corn, and refried beans, garnished with the same taco toppings that go on the meat versions — shredded cabbage, onions, cilantro, salsa verde, and feta).

Another customer favorite — and Anna’s — is the Cali Bowl (a serving each of rice and pinto beans, topped with avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, feta cheese, and a scoop of sour cream). Customers can also opt to add a protein to the bowl.

Spanglish makes its two salsas — a mild salsa verde and a spicier salsa roja — from scratch. Says Anna: “A lot of places use canned tomatoes or canned tomatillos and make their salsa, but we roast fresh tomatoes and steam fresh tomatillos, which our staff then peel by hand. In the summer, we go through about 600 pounds of tomatillos a week!”

Then there are the tortas — i.e., sandwiches that started as a special, but were in such demand that they become part of the daily menu. Choose from the Carnitas Torta (house-made jalapeno mayo, roasted pork, cabbage, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro) or the Veggie Torta (refried pinto beans, sautéed poblano, red bell peppers, onions, and sweet corn, topped with queso and jalapeño mayo).

Find Spanglish at 1333 Yellow Dr., in Traverse City. (231) 943-1453, spanglishtc.com.

The New York Harbor Springs

The New York’s atmosphere feels and looks like a restaurant in its namesake city. Linen tablecloths contrast with the hunter green walls, dark hardwood trim, and gleaming brass fixtures. Vintage multi-pane windows pour natural light into the snug dining areas where comfortable, upholstered booths line the walls and linen-covered tables are deftly bussed and reset.

On the Menu: Starters include Roasted Garlic and Red Peppers with Goat Cheese and Grilled Baguette ($11), Chilled Cauliflower Soup with Bacon and Croutons ($7), and the interesting Deviled Eggs with Smoked Whitefish ($8), among other diverse appetizers.

Though The New York’s entree roster is peppered with tantalizing options of fine American cuisine — a 6 oz. Chargrilled Filet of Beef with Bearnaise Sauce, Dauphinoise Potatoes, and Asparagus ($38); Sauteed Veal Cutlets with Tomato, Bacon, and Tarragon Demi-Glace ($36); a New York Strip Steak with Blue Cheese Butter and Red Wine Sauce ($35), and the much-indemand Whitefish Sauteed with Caper Sauce or Broiled with House Seasoning ($27) among them. But we chose more pedestrian fare: The Rosemary Roasted Half Boneless Chicken with Fingerling Potatoes and French Beans ($23), which didn’t empty our wallets but certainly filled our bellies.

The New York’s dessert menu, like its slate of salads, keys on locally sourced ingredients, like the berries in its Farm Market Strawberry Shortcake ($8) and Cherry Crisp with (Crooked Tree) Breadworks Granola Topping ($7).

Find The New York at 101 State St. in Harbor Springs. Dine-in reservations required: (231) 526-1904. The carry-out menu can be found at www.thenewyork.com.

PLEIN AIR PAINT OUT & WET PAINT SALE July 23 & 24, 6-8pm

Painting by Gene Rantz, 2020 Plein Air Paint Out

Artists will paint throughout the Northport area, capturing the beauty of our village, beaches, marina, orchards, vineyards, landscapes and landmarks. Yes! Northport is full of inspiring painting sites. The artists one of a kind, local, freshly painted artwork will be available to see and purchase at the Village Arts Building Friday & Saturday.

Buy Tickets Online $10* - EACH DAY - *$15 at the door

NorthportArtsAssociation.org

Gallery Exhibit (12-4pm Daily) and Online Sale of remaining paintings continues 7/25 thru 8/1

We THANK our volunteers and the following organizations for their support!