Sometime in late August, Jen and Nic Welty, who own 9 Bean Rows bakery on M-204 between Lake Leelanau and Suttons Bay, will use their new, state-of-the-art, wood-fired clay convection oven for the first time. The oven, which measures 12 feet in diameter, occupies 144 square feet, weighs 70,000 pounds, and emits exceptional radiant heat, was built on-site by a team of four Barcelonians during one week in mid-July.
Cherry Republic has announced that Sara Harding will fill the company’s new role of vice president of Climate and Community Impact. Harding will be a member of the company’s leadership team and will lead Cherry Republic’s newly formed impact department.
If Jody and DC Hayden, owners of Grocers Daughter Chocolate, didn’t already win you over with their high-quality dark chocolate truffles, sumptuous cookies, or perfect-on-a-summer-day fudgsicles, you’ll almost certainly submit to their smooth and creamy gelato. In fact, don’t even try to resist. The Haydens will officially open their long-awaited gelateria next to the chocolate shop on M-22 in downtown Empire on Saturday, July 23.
Northern Latitudes, the popular distillery in Lake Leelanau, will soon open a second location in downtown Suttons Bay, in the space previously occupied by Bayside Coffee & Tea—possibly at the end of July. Amidst training 10 new employees and running the Lake Leelanau distillery, co-owner Mandy Moseler shared with the Sun why she’s excited to open in Suttons Bay.
“I can’t imagine a town like ours continuing without the heavy support system that these workers coming from other countries provide to allow our economy to thrive,” said Randy Chamberlain, the co-owner and chef at Blu. Glen Arbor’s fine dining establishment currently employs five workers who are visiting the United States on J-1 student visas. “They are unbelievably focused and dynamic workers. They’re up since 5 a.m., working different jobs around town. Their work ethic is very present,” said Chamberlain. “I don’t know what we’d be doing right now without these kids. They are a business saver.”
Eric Nittolo is continually upping the ante. Not satisfied with a trendy pizzeria, he added a fine dining option to his Lake Leelanau establishment—though to be fair, that was always the plan. Nittolo’s Pizza and Nittolo’s Seafood and Social quickly became hits. But he had another idea up his sleeve. He added Nittolo’s Powerhouse Speakeasy to the mix, and the members-only jazz club has quickly established itself as another success.
Northport seems to reinvent itself every couple of years, with new restaurants and bars popping up or changing hands,new boutiques in town, and now even a stylish cannabis shop up the road. Still, a few things have remained constant. First, the people are continuously warm and hospitable, with that eccentric twist that keeps Northport … Northport. Also, it’s still one of the best places for families with small children in the entire region. As a parent, I think about three main keywords when looking to take the family somewhere: Food, playgrounds, easy.
This latest addition to the waters of West Grand Traverse Bay, the 65-foot tour boat, “Discovery,” takes passengers for a tour on the bay by her capable owner and captain, Harley Hoy. He gives a colorful narration that brings past history back to life again for those listening onboard, as well as other little known but interesting tidbits about fascinating West Grand Traverse Bay, many of them even new to some of us locals, as I might add from first-hand experience.
That quaint bed & breakfast in the heart of Glen Arbor, across M-22 from bustling Anderson’s Market, is approaching a major milestone next year—the building’s 150th birthday. The evidence lies in a newspaper clipping from the July 5, 1873, edition of Woodhull & Claflin’s Weekly, which inn owners Patricia and Larry Widmayer found beneath five layers of wallpaper when they renovated the interior.
If you’ve spent any time in Beulah, on the east shore of Crystal Lake, you’ve probably enjoyed a bagel from L’Chayim (the Hebrew word for “to life”), the deli which has been a mainstay of Benzie County life for 30 years. L’Chayim has expanded its business to Glen Arbor, where a deli opened on July 1 in the M-22-facing retail space of the building owned by the Martin Company.