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Restaurant News

Traverse Citians who recall the all-too-brief build-your-own salad shop Radish, on Union Street in the late aughts, will be happy to hear that the Grosse Pointe Woods-born The Big Salad is opening at 332 Front St., this July. With more than 38 veggie and assorted “dry” toppings, 30 dressings, eight meat and seafood choices, plus, 11 signature entrée salads and a variety of soups and sandwiches, The Big Salad is a quickly spreading fast health-food chain with locations in Troy, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Charlotte, and more.

Due west of The Big Salad’s location, another build-your-own concept — this time with tacos — has readjusted its targeted spring 2021 opening date to early summer: the Ohio-based Barrio Tacos chain. The Traverse City location, on the ground floor of the new 4Front Credit Union, is Barrio’s second Michigan location; its first opened in East Lansing in March 2020.

Up in Petoskey, Mi Tequila Bar & Grill opened its doors at 751 Spring St. (formerly Big Boy) last week — just in time for Cinco de Mayo). The family style Mexican restaurant offers all the tacos, enchiladas, ensaladas you’d expect, plus specialties like homemade carnitas, la parrillada, and camerones mi tequila, as well as a variety of seafood, vegetarian options, and of course, gordo lindo cocktails like the one shown above.

Family PJ Party: Interlochen Arts to Livestream The Little Prince Opera

You and your kids love the book but know nothing about opera? Then here’s the best opportunity to “get” what all the fuss is about. Every weekday during the week of May 10, the classical channel of Interlochen Public Radio (WIAA) will use its usual Kids Commute show to introduce young listeners to the story, music, and performers of Interlochen Arts Academy’s upcoming performance of The Little Prince opera.

The performance of the opera — composed by Rachel Portman and based on the beloved book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry — will entertain both ears and eyes at 7:30pm May 14, when it’ll be streamed for free on the Interlochen website at live.interlochen.org.

Opera novices, be not afraid: With an English libretto by Nicholas Wright, an easy-tofollow plot suitable for all ages, and rich cinematic music that Interlochen Arts Academy Instructor of Voice Dr. Laura Osgood Brown calls “ear candy,” IAA says its take on The Little Prince is ideal for experienced opera listeners and newcomers alike.

And, bonus: Just before the curtain rises, kid viewers can enjoy another pre-show experience designed for them: a virtual watch-along pajama party with Kids Commute host Kate Botello and producer Tony Bero. • To sign up to join the May 14 Zoom watch party, email kidscommute@interlochen.org. • To listen to the Kids Commute preview, tune in to Classical IPR (88.7 FM, Interlochen, 94.7 FM, Traverse City, 88.5 FM, Mackinaw City or online at InterlochenPublic Radio.com) at 7:40 am the week of May 10. • To livestream the IAA performance, go to live.interlochen.org at 7:30 May 14.

Stuff we love New Course at Shanty Creek

Shanty Creek Resort is expanding with the addition of Hawk’s Eye Golf Club. This is the fifth 18-hole course at Shanty Creek’s nearly 5,500-acre property. Since its introduction in 2004, Hawk’s Eye has been named to several “Best of” rankings, including “Top Courses in Michigan” three times from Golf Advisor and Michigan’s “Best Public Courses” by Golf Magazine. It joins the Tom Weiskopf-designed Cedar River course and Arnold Palmer’s Legend, along with the Schuss Mountain and Summit courses. All told, the resort now boasts 90 holes, making Shanty Creek one of the 10 largest golf resorts in North America. Mike Mooney, director of golf for Shanty Creek, said having five courses adds significant appeal to golfers looking for a world-class getaway. “The addition of Hawk’s Eye is huge, literally and figuratively,” he said. It’s the latest addition to the resort, which also includes its Topgolf Swing Suite golf simulator in The River Bistro.

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tastemaker Brasserie Amie’s French Cruellers

It is said that French girls (and guys) don’t get fat — or at least not as fat as Americans — despite the fact (or perhaps because) they typically take le goûter. The tilted-beret version of the Brits’ high tea, le goûter is the French’s afternoon tradition, a languorous and fortifying pause between lunch and the traditionally light, traditionally late French dinner, which usually happens around 8pm.

Le goûter fare is always sweet — think bakery-made cream cakes, a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants), or fruit-filled crepes — but never just a snack. It is, in fact, considered a meal. And Brasserie Amie makes certain nothing is lost in translation with its French Cruellers ($6). Deep-fried croissant pastries that are in no way petite seem to have rolled around in a bathtub of powdered sugar before dancing under a stream of honey. We ordered some on a whim while waiting for brunch (a Crabe Benedict of soft-shell crab, Canadian bacon, choron; and a Choucroute omelette, filled with house sauerkraut, country ham, and raclette — both outstanding), and nearly fell off our barstools at the first warm, buttery, sweet, crunchy yet pillow-soft bite. We had the good sense to stop, albeit regretfully, after six bites to save room for our main courses. But we need not have regretted a thing.

That afternoon, with nary an American tool of microwave or air fryer in sight, we bit into them again, and sacré bleu! Their refrigerated hours had degraded neither taste nor texture. Seems some of their compatriots — looking at you “French” fries — could learn a thing or two. Find Brasserie Amie, currently open for brunch and dinner Thursday through Monday, at 160 E. Front St., (231) 753-3161, brasserieamie.com Northern Express Weekly • may 10, 2021 • 5

Continued from page 3 election, the winning candidate(s) seldom get much more than 50 percent of total votes cast, which means victory is determined by less than 3 percent of the total membership.

According to Cherryland management, the 97 percent of nonvoters are happy with the way the co-op is run, even though all board meetings are closed to members, monthly board discussions and decisions are kept secret, and even these yearly elections are cloaked in secrecy and closed to public scrutiny.

Perhaps the elections are rigged, and the outcome is predetermined, but I will encourage members to vote for candidates Vicki Olsen and Mark Ames, just to show the incumbents we care and we want a better co-cop.

David P., Interlochen

Observations on May 3 Express

Opinion columnist Stephen Tuttle is back at it with his scare tactics regarding COVID-19. It is and always was just another flu. The difference is that it was politicized to help get rid of Trump, which it did mainly through mass unverified mail-in ballots. It was simultaneously used to justify the suppression of civil and constitutional rights via gubernatorial decree. This has never been necessary before, so why now? There’s a flu season every year. There’s a new “variant” every year — that’s why there’s a new vaccine every year. Covid has a vanishingly low fatality rate if just left alone anyway. So drop it.

Guest opinion columnist Barbara Stamiris rants for a half-page about Line 5. Like all environmental activists, she screams doom and gloom and offers exactly zero viable solutions for the cause du jour, whether it’s Line 5 (just shut it down and use what? The fuel is going to be moved somehow), global warming, global cooling, space invaders, hair loss, whatever.

Isiah Smith’s opinion column is racist itself. Well, I’m white, and I am going to stay that way. He can call my kind whatever he wants; it won’t change anything except to possibly make white people who never gave race a second thought become racist in selfdefense. After a while, most people get tired of being called names. Speaking of which, Smith engages in the despicable practice of telling outright lies about President Trump, who is none of the things Smith says he is.

By the way, the s*!#hole countries are exactly that; why do you think people flee them for the “racist” U.S.?

By the way No. 2: Where does he get the idea that attacks on minorities increased under Trump? First I’ve heard of this one.

Charles K., Maple City

The Race Myth

“Race is a scientifically indefensible concept with no biological basis as applied to humans,” said Harvard anthropology professor Daniel Lieberman. Joseph Graves, a geneticist at North Carolina A&T State University and author of 2005’s “The Race Myth” notes that contemporary scientists have analyzed DNA collected from diverse populations — Aboriginal Australians, Papua New Guineans, Basques, Bedouins, and Pygmies. These groups are distinct enough that their DNA matters in deciphering the human story, but not so distinct that it represents separate races. The newest data suggests that there was a single journey — that sometime between 50,000 and 80,000 years ago, a single population of humans left Africa and went on to settle in Asia, Europe, the Americas, the South Pacific, and beyond.

Says Harvard geneticist Swapan Mallick: “We are all part of the tapestry of humanity, and it’s interesting to see how we got where we are.” People vary in skin color and other visible traits. Whether you’re dark or light, lanky or stocky depends in part on the sunlight intensity and climate in the regions where your ancestors lived. Racism reflects a misinterpretation of those superficial characteristics. “Racial categories are not rational,” says Graves. One reason U.S. citizens are stuck in the 19th Century when it comes to race is that many teachers are unprepared to teach human evolution or refuse to out of fear.

Nancy A.G., Frankfort Holes in Spectator

In his April 26 Spectator column, “Give Reform A Shot,” Stephen Tuttle documents the increase in violence in our large cities. His call for universal background checks for gun purchases is positive. However, his piece contains a few errors and a questionable assertion.

Tuttle says “264 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year, a staggering 94 percent increase from 2019.” But the actual figure, released by the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, was 48, compared to 51 in 2019. The 264 number includes 145 deaths from COVID-19, more than all other causes combined. Another 44 officers were killed in traffic incidents.

The column goes on to state that among those killed by law enforcement officers were “457 white people, 241 Black people, and 169 Latinx people ... .” It then says that “more than twice as many white folks were killed by police as Black and Latinx people combined ... .” However, 457 is not more than twice 410.

Tuttle then asserts that “there is no question about the legitimacy of the overwhelming majority of police shootings.” However, large numbers of Americans, especially African Americans, do question the legitimacy of many police shootings.

At times the initial police justification for the death is at odds with important facts. George Floyd’s death was attributed to “medical distress” by the Minneapolis police, and this coverup might have worked except that Darnella Frazier had videotaped the whole murder. In Chicago, in 2014, the police claimed that Laquan McDonald lunged at them with a knife, but when a videotape was finally released, it showed him walking away from them.

In the 1,000 or more killings each year by the police, about half the civilians are reportedly unarmed. In some of the cases where civilians were armed, it might be resolved without deadly force, especially when a knife rather than a gun is involved.

Michael C. Stratford, Traverse City Kudos

Appreciated the kind, thoughtprovoking, and encouraging writing from Guest Opinion columnist Isiah Smith Jr., in the April 18 issue.

Also, why has the Northern Express Letters page gone to identifying letters by initials? If we want freedom to speak and write, we must take the risk to be identified. I think an atmosphere of respectful dialogue would be helpful, along with truth, facts, and how about some new topics, eh? Like the traffic around Traverse City is bad but the people driving the cars do not understand the beehive mentality to move with rules and laws of the road.

Lois B., Interlochen

We agree with you, Lois. Unfortunately, while we still reject any letter submitted to us without the author’s full name and address (we require both for verification purposes), we have chosen to temporarily remove the last name of each author from all letters we publish. The decision was precipitated by reports from several authors — of different political persuasions, it’s worth noting— who received threatening and disturbing (and, of course, anonymous) letters to their homes shortly after their letters (signed with their full names and cities of residence) appeared in our paper. Like you, we look forward to getting back to a place in time when differing opinions don’t spark threats of bodily harm, and our Letters page will return to a forum for transparent civil discourse again.—Ed.

Correction: In our May 3 profile of American House Wood Fired Pizza, the final lines were inadvertently cut off. It should have read: Open Tuesday – Saturday from 4pm to 8pm. Call (231) 264-6062 for reservations or to place an order. Note: In summer, a walkup kitchen on the restaurant’s large outdoor patio sells ice cream, barbecue pulled pork, hot dogs, chili dogs and a selection of salads and other healthy options to go. Visit americanhousepizza.com or Facebook for more information.

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