Top Ten

this week’s top ten

IRONMAN Races Back to Frankfort

IRONMAN returns to northern Michigan this weekend, and dozens of brave, tough locals will be competing in the 70.3-mile race across water and land. The main competition will be held in Frankfort on Sunday, Sept. 11, with a 1.2-mile swim in Frankfort Harbor, a 56-mile bike ride on M-22 and other Benzie County roadways, and then a half marathon in Frankfort and the surrounding area. (We’re exhausted just thinking about it.) For some, it’s a weekend to stay home and off the roads, but for others, it’s a chance to revel in the excitement of the event. In addition to watching the race itself, you can sign up your future triathlete for the IRONKIDS Fun Run on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 9am in Frankfort’s Open Space Park ($20) or partake in Vita Bella’s pasta dinner on Saturday night. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 night of, and proceeds go toward the Frankfort High School football and track programs. Get more details at ironman.com/im703-michigan.

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Common Good Bakery’s Paris Brest

This year, Common Good Bakery added a line of patisserie-inspired desserts to their ranks of breads and breakfast pastries, and we couldn’t j’adore them more if we tried. The menu’s crowning glory is the traditional Paris Brest, named for the final destination of a popular French cycling race. This wheel-shaped dessert comprises a delicate cream puff ring—constructed from classic pâte à choux dough—that’s been piped full of hazelnutpraline crème and finished with crunchy, candied hazelnuts. (The menu says it’s a twoperson portion, but we think that’s totally up to you.) Try one for $12 at Common Good Bakery, and don’t forget your beret. 537 W. 14th St., Traverse City. (231) 933-8002. commongoodbakery.com P.S. Mark your calendars: Following months of construction, the business’s new Eighth St. location is well on its way to an autumn launch. This 75-seat space will feature the same menu and operating hours as its sister store, but with weekend brunch, a pizza and pasta dinner menu (which they’re calling Common Good @Night), and plated patisserie desserts. 4 • sept 05, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

Harvest BBQ Party

Slow-smoked BBQ and wine? Don’t mind if we do. Enjoy a delicious catered barbeque by Smoke and Porter to accompany Shady Lane Cellars’ handcrafted wine at the 2022 Harvest BBQ Party at the Suttons Bay winery on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 4pm to 7pm. $65/person. Call (231) 947-8865 or visit shadylanecellars. com/event-home/events.

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Hey, read It! Delilah Green Doesn’t Care

There’s still time to get a few more beach reads in before fall, and Ashley Herring Blake’s Delilah Green Doesn’t Care is at the top of our list. Protagonist Delilah is back in her hometown of Bright Falls for her stepsister Astrid’s wedding, and she is determined to hate every minute of it. Delilah is a New Yorker now, with a photography career poised to take off, and she refuses to let her small town make her feel small like she did when she was a kid. There’s definitely no chance she’d fall for cute, bookish Claire Sutherland, Astrid’s bridesmaid and one of the very people who used to make Delilah’s life miserable. But it turns out, Claire is surprisingly sweet and fun, and everyone else in Bright Falls isn’t quite as terrible as Delilah remembers. (Except, that is, for Astrid’s groom.) Laugh-out-loud quips, steamy scenes, and poignant family moments make this romcom a stand-out in the genre. And best of all, book two will be hitting shelves this fall.

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6 Lessons in Living

Tuesdays with Morrie, the stage adaptation, continues its run in northern Michigan with a trio of performances at the Great Lakes Center for the Arts Sept. 9 through Sept. 11. The play celebrates the 25th anniversary of Mitch Albom’s #1 New York Times bestselling book of the same name, a moving tale about Albom’s friendship with his mentor Morrie Schwartz in the final months of Schwartz’s life. Shows are at 8pm on Friday, 8pm on Saturday, and 3pm on Sunday. The Saturday, Sept. 10, show is a “VIP Night” featuring a talkback following the performance that includes Albom himself, the play’s actors, and other guests. The event will benefit Michigan College Alliance’s Have Faith Haiti scholarship fund. VIP tickets are $225 and include a meet and greet opportunity with Albom, a signed copy of the book, and a preperformance cocktail hour at 6pm. Tickets for the other shows—and non-VIP tickets for Saturday—range from $37 to $100. Learn more at greatlakescfa.org/events.

The 2022 40Under40 List Is Out!

Congratulations to the 40 talented folks who were selected for this year’s 40Under40 (sponsored by Hagerty) through our sister publication, the Traverse City Business News. Well over 100 nominations poured in this summer highlighting the amazing work of local individuals in their 20s and 30s. While we won’t spoil the surprise of who made the list, we can tell you that there are folks from breweries, banks, healthcare centers, farms, real estate agencies, nonprofits, and restaurants. There are entrepreneurs, business owners, shining-star staff members, and volunteers. And all of those people—and their impressive achievements—help to make our area a more vibrant, connected, and exciting place to live. You can read the full bios and interviews with the winners in the September issue of the Traverse City Business News. Find the print issue ($3) in locations like Horizon Books and Tom’s Food Markets throughout town, or head to tcbusinessnews.com.

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Stuff We Love: PINE CONE PICKING

It’s scavenger hunt time! Throughout September, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is putting out the call for Michigan residents to hunt for red pine cones—and get paid for it. Per the DNR, red pine seed is constantly in high demand due to the fact that red pine trees are fastgrowing, great for the environment, and used commonly for lumber and other important products and materials. The DNR is trying to make sure Michigan will “always have forests by maintaining responsible management certifications and regenerating or replanting cut trees.” Want to play a part in that forest regeneration process? Get out in the woods and start hunting for red pine cones! The DNR is paying $100 per bushel of fresh red pine cones through Sept. 30. To learn more about pine cone identification, DNR drop-off locations, and what you’ll need to do to get paid, go to michigan.gov/dnr.

bottoms up The Parlor’s Strawberry Mojito

September is the second strawberry season—a real thing for the strawberry plants that fruit not just in spring but again in late summer and early fall. Make the most of this sweet renaissance with a trip to The Parlor in Traverse City for their Strawberry Mojito ($11). You’ll find all the usual suspects—mint, lime, Bacardi Light rum, and simple syrup—elevated with a bold infusion of strawberries. Really, the only downside of this refreshing beverage is that you’ll have to wait for the ice to melt before you can gobble up the rum-infused fruit at the bottom of your glass. Pair your mojito with one of The Parlor’s cleverly-named and oh-so-delicious pizzas, and you’ll be feeling like it’s the start of summer all over again. (And, for those who aren’t into strawberries, you can have your mojito “classic” or choose from other fruity goodness like raspberries, blackberries, and pineapple lemongrass, or go veggie with cucumber.) Find it at The Parlor, 205 Lake Ave, Traverse City. (231) 753-3131, theparlortc.com. Northern Express Weekly • sept 05, 2022 • 5