Glen Arbor’s foodies get The Inn and Trail Gourmet

By Norm Wheeler

Sun editor

It all started at the holy waters of the Au Sable River. Julie Zapoli and Liz Erdmann first met when they both volunteered with the Reeling and Healing Organization for a three-day retreat at the Gates Lodge near Grayling to help women in any stage of cancer learn fly fishing. 

Julie hatched the Inn and Trail idea after years of combining fly fishing and fine food. She moved to Glen Arbor in 2017 after she had owned a fly fishing shop in Ketchum, Idaho called Ketchum on the Fly. She sold gear and also made lunches. “I was named Guide of the Year mostly because people loved my lunches,” she smiles. “When one of the head guides bought the fly shop, I pivoted into a catering business called A-Z Catering with business partner Tracey Allen.” Once in Glen Arbor, Julie spent the first year “looking around.” The next year she worked in the kitchen at the Leelanau School to cook and to meet people. She settled in and got comfortable with the locals and the local food culture. 

Meanwhile, Liz was living in Washington, D.C, working as an analyst for the federal government (“How agencies administer programs and spend money”). Liz had been coming to Glen Arbor her whole life. “I grew up in Chicago, and there are pictures of me at 18-months-old walking on the dunes.” She didn’t want to stay in D.C. forever, and when she figured out in 2018 how to work from here and go there occasionally, she “had the best of both worlds.” After they met at the fly fishing retreat, “Julie talked a lot about the idea, and we realized it was an incredible opportunity.”

Carol Worsley, owner of the little house across from the post office, used to own a pastry shop/deli there called Thyme Out. (Mimi Wheeler started making chocolate truffles in that little kitchen before she launched Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate in Empire.) Then it was Haystacks for a while until that closed. Julie saw the opportunity and cast her fly: “I cold-called Carol to ask if I could rent the building. I gave her the whole take-out gourmet story, and she told me to come and see her ‘right now!’ In minutes it was like I’d known her my whole life!”

“Right in the middle of Covid seems like a crazy time to start a business,” Liz laughs. “But doing carry out food means you are ready to roll with the punches.”

“We hand-picked things I knew from my travels,” Julie explains. “We focus on hand-curated gourmet foods, especially women-owned, veteran-supported, socially-conscious, small family businesses, like Fox and Otter from Grapevine, Texas, a small batch, mom and pop business.” (Don’t leave Inn and Trail without a jar of their spicy sweet pickles. They are to die for!) 

Liz adds, “We want to support other great projects, like Spicy Peanut Butter from Reed’s Gourmet, and Wildwood Chocolates from Oregon, and Runamok Maple Syrup.” Shelf–talker cards tell the story of many of the products. And there are super-fresh daily specials as well.

“Everything is a story, and we want to share them,” Julie says. “In 1983 I went to 21 Club NYC as a kid, and right now I’m making a batch of 21 Club chicken hash with poached chicken, sherry, and gruyere cheese. We also make a country pate sandwich (also to die for!). We make a variety of sandwiches daily depending on what’s fresh. There’s always a variety in our dairy case, including Aunt Rita’s chicken salad, yellow fin tuna, smoked salmon, French brie on a baguette, pork with caramelized onions, and classic roast turkey.”

“In August we couldn’t keep up with the sandwich demand,” Julie remembers. “Every day we offer something different depending on the freshest ingredients. You never know what’s going to be in the deli case. And then you can grab-n-go on with your day!” There are also daily soups, and if you want protein that’s healthy, try a cup of bone broth instead of coffee. “We do it because it’s something we love, but it’s also a community service. You learn from talking to the people who walk in that Glen Arbor is a secret foodie haven. They so ‘get us!’ It’s born of our love of food, but then it’s an extra gift when people embrace it.”

“Some families get the frozen dinner we offer every week,” Liz adds. “We asked what they wanted, and they requested a really good mac & cheese. So we’ll do what folks are hankering for.” Whether you are grabbing a lunch or a dinner to go, don’t miss Inn and Trail Gourmet. For dessert you can even add a Compass Cookie, a joint venture with Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate!

Inn and Trail Gourmet is open 9-4 from Wednesday through Sunday, but holiday hours may be different. (They are closed Dec. 22-28.) Check out the schedule and the menu with daily and holiday specials at the website: innandtrailgourmet.com. Yum!