One of the things I’ve come to love about living in West Michigan is the proliferation of excellent artisan foods. We have award-winning goat cheese, several wineries, a bakery that uses traditional fermentation methods, and more. No matter where you live, I’ll bet you have similar people making excellent foods.
It might take a bit of research, but one of the things I want to do this summer is to take a road trip picnic. We’ll take along a picnic basket (including wine glasses and a bottle opener, of course) and blanket and chart our course. Some of the places we might stop:
- cheese shop. Did you know that Michigan even has a Cheese Makers Cooperative? I’m sure that if you do a little research, you can find a cheesemaker in your area. Watch the cheese being made, sample their wares, and add a little chunk to your picnic basket.
- local chocolatier. Small batches, often made with fair trade chocolate, make a huge difference in flavor. Ask around to find one in your neighborhood.
- bakery. Every city has a favorite bakery, and there’s nothing like fresh-baked bread straight from the source.
- charcuterie. This might be a bit more difficult to find, although it’s catching on in several places. In Michigan, beef and venison jerky is popular and everyone seems to have their favorite spot to pick some up. There are also places to get smoked fish along the lakeshore. This will add some protein to your picnic basket.
- winery. This is often the last stop, because many wineries have a picnic area where you can eat. Of course, you’ll want to pick up a bottle of your favorite wine after visiting the tasting room to accompany your meal. It’s the ultimate romantic picnic.
What are some of your favorite local artisanal foods that would be great for a picnic?
This post brought to you by http://picnicworld.net, which has lots of great picnic baskets, picnic backpacks, and all kinds of picnic supplies. All opinions are my own, natch.
Ooh, good idea! I am putting together a picnic post myself, I’ve become obsessed with picnics this year. So – what is your favorite bakery? I don’t love any of them, unfortunately… maybe kinda Wealthy Street or that one by Martha’s Vineyard but only because they are close. I’d drive a good distance for somewhere really amazing, like Sarkozys or Mackenzie’s in Kzoo.
I really like the Little Rooster bread company for regular bread. The Underground Bakery is my fave for just eating bread (look her up on FaceBook – she fires her brick oven every so often. Or the farmer’s market has some great peeps. For pastries I like Van’s.
A Saturday afternoon picnic sounds marvelous! I too can travel locally exploring the beautiful countryside here in South Western Ontario. It can be fun discovering our local historical attractions. I in particular enjoy learning how our area was settled. Believe it or not, a stop at a very old way-side graveyard with picnic in hand is a nice quiet and serene atmosphere. It is so interesting visiting pioneer graveyards to learn how your area was settled and the people and families who began it all.
I would love to explore sw ontario someday. I drive through for work every couple of months.
All the W MI-local suggestions are great. Especially like Sarkozy’s, which I’ve just learned about from a friend @ monthly writers’ group who drives up to GR from K’zoo. (Hope to do a story on Sarkozy’s soon)
A great place UpNorth place for provisioning a picnic — like there are any “bad” foodie stops up that way? — Leland. Bread (and great “Ginger Zaps” for dessert) at Stone House; smoked fish at Carlson Fisheries out in Fish Town; cheese (or sandwiches) at the cheese shop, also in Fish Town; there’s even a Brownwood Acres shop for condiments in a little group of shops just up from Fish Town. In season, you’ll find heirloom apple varieties at Kilchermans Christmas Cove Farm outside of Northport, just before the turnoff to Christmas Cove — a usually-sparsely-populated beach (great for rock collecting) and good place for picnicking. Or drive on out to the state park at the tip of the peninsula (fee involved) and tour the lighthouse, or walk some nature trails to work off Picnic Calories…
No winery right in Leland (although the local grocery undoubtedly carries local product), but the road up Leelanau Peninsula takes you right past Leelanau Cellars in tiny Omena, Blackstar Farms outside Suttons Bay, Good Harbor just before Leland, and Gills Pier between Leland and Northport. And that’s without mentioning Shady Lane, just a short detour off the main road.
We are, indeed, most fortuitously located for easy access to great food in almost any direction.
Oh, and don’t forget that if you’re in the Holland area, Shaker Messenger Gallery and Food Pantry has a unique mix of mostly-made-in-Michigan arts and crafts and a back room that is full floor to ceiling with all kinds of specialty foods from small food producers, also mostly from Michigan. The owner, Diana Van Kolken, is not only a published author on Shaker crafts, but can also tell you the story behind any of the almost-80 food lines she carries. AND she always has lots of samples out. Too, too much fun!
thanks so much for these ideas! Now I want to take a road trip!