Host Mercedes Mejia and Producer Ronia Cabansag went all around the state this year exploring divinely delicious food.
Here's a collection of all the places they went to for your holiday bingeing pleasure!
Do you want more information on the locations? Click here for an interactive map.
Pączki Day: A Polish tradition with a modern twist
It’s that time of year again. Deep fryers sizzle and sweet aromas waft the crisp, March morning air luring crowds to bakery doors at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday, all for a taste of pączki.
Although it’s a day of sweets for others, for Suzy Ognanovich, owner of the Hamtramck’s New Palace Bakery, it’s a two month process culminating in a reunion of sorts.
“All our friends are our family, our customers are our family, and we all kind of get together and everybody helps us out,” Ognanovich said.
Founded in 1908, New Palace Bakery is a family-owned business, with its pączki recipe passed on from generation to generation. While they do make the traditional flavors, like prune, they also make sure to introduce a new flavor each year. This year’s is called “cook-zki.”
Although it’s a day of sweets for others, for Suzy Ognanovich, owner of the Hamtramck’s New Palace Bakery, it’s a two month process culminating in a reunion of sorts.
“All our friends are our family, our customers are our family, and we all kind of get together and everybody helps us out,” Ognanovich said.
Founded in 1908, New Palace Bakery is a family-owned business, with its pączki recipe passed on from generation to generation. While they do make the traditional flavors, like prune, they also make sure to introduce a new flavor each year. This year’s is called “cook-zki.”
How EK's Cheesecakes became a second chance
The storefront of EK’s Cheesecakes is unassuming, sitting on a street corner directly across the street from a dispensary, and just seconds from the highway exit. And yet, the bakery’s steady stream of customers sometimes forms a line out the door.
Eric Kinsler-Holloway, the baker and businessman behind the bakery, emphasized the importance of patience and attention to detail when making a high-quality cake.
“There's ways that we can make the cheesecake faster, or make a little bit more out of the batter that we have,” Kinsler-Holloway said. “But we know when we cut corners, there's a potential that people might notice, and we don't want that.”
Regulars know Kinsler-Holloway for his rotating menu of cheesecakes, which includes flavors like lemon raspberry, baked apple, almond poppy, s'mores, and key lime. But he’s starting to experiment with muffins, brownies, tarts, and other baked goods.
Eric Kinsler-Holloway, the baker and businessman behind the bakery, emphasized the importance of patience and attention to detail when making a high-quality cake.
“There's ways that we can make the cheesecake faster, or make a little bit more out of the batter that we have,” Kinsler-Holloway said. “But we know when we cut corners, there's a potential that people might notice, and we don't want that.”
Regulars know Kinsler-Holloway for his rotating menu of cheesecakes, which includes flavors like lemon raspberry, baked apple, almond poppy, s'mores, and key lime. But he’s starting to experiment with muffins, brownies, tarts, and other baked goods.
Hemlock's Maple Grille cooks farm fresh with fire
Two things stand out in the gravel parking lot of the Maple Grille in Hemlock, Michigan: the smoke wafting out of a long pavilion, and an enormous pile of firewood.
“The Maple Grille started out here,” Josh Schaeding, chef-owner of the restaurant, said.
Before the six-acre property just off M-46 became a restaurant, it was home to a construction company owned by Schaeding’s father and grandfather. The family built two long maple syrup evaporators in front of the business, near the roadside.
“So many people stopped by and thought we were cooking ribs,” Schaeding said. “We were just cooking maple syrup. I decided as soon as syrup season was over to… start a restaurant here.”
The restaurant, which is surrounded by farmland, draws in a mix of locals, loyal seasonal customers, and vacationers passing through on their way up north. Nearly everything on the menu is locally sourced, from the meat to the produce to the firewood that fuels all three of their grills.
“The Maple Grille started out here,” Josh Schaeding, chef-owner of the restaurant, said.
Before the six-acre property just off M-46 became a restaurant, it was home to a construction company owned by Schaeding’s father and grandfather. The family built two long maple syrup evaporators in front of the business, near the roadside.
“So many people stopped by and thought we were cooking ribs,” Schaeding said. “We were just cooking maple syrup. I decided as soon as syrup season was over to… start a restaurant here.”
The restaurant, which is surrounded by farmland, draws in a mix of locals, loyal seasonal customers, and vacationers passing through on their way up north. Nearly everything on the menu is locally sourced, from the meat to the produce to the firewood that fuels all three of their grills.
Flipping the script on Detroit pizza, one vegan slice at a time
Brittany March, the owner of a culinary pop-up called It’s Food Detroit, has a deep love for pizza that goes all the way back to childhood. When her mom told her to “get your own money” for takeout, March did just that.
“Me and my friend would paint rocks, go around the subdivision, sell the rocks, and we'd come back with at least $10 to go get pizza,” she said.
Today, March cooks her own pizza, offering a vegan-first take on Detroit-style. She has plans to open up her own brick-and-mortar called Roots and Dough next spring.
Other local pizzerias, like Mootz Pizzeria + Bar, Michigan & Trumbull, Pie Sci Pizza, and Grandma Bob's Pizza do have vegan options, March said. But she hopes to bring something unique to the city’s East Side.
“Me and my friend would paint rocks, go around the subdivision, sell the rocks, and we'd come back with at least $10 to go get pizza,” she said.
Today, March cooks her own pizza, offering a vegan-first take on Detroit-style. She has plans to open up her own brick-and-mortar called Roots and Dough next spring.
Other local pizzerias, like Mootz Pizzeria + Bar, Michigan & Trumbull, Pie Sci Pizza, and Grandma Bob's Pizza do have vegan options, March said. But she hopes to bring something unique to the city’s East Side.
Fry bread and family traditions in Peshawbestown
Tanya and Wasinade Raphael are the mother-daughter team behind Raphael Foods. You’ll find their food truck drawing long lines at powwows and other tribal events across Northern Michigan. Most of their dishes are built on hot, pillowy fry bread – a Native American flat bread with a complex history.
“I can go through over 200 pounds of flour at a powwow,” Tanya said. “And that's a two-day powwow. We get into the three days and it's a little bit more.”
When they’re not out on the circuit, the Raphaels cook and live in Peshawbestown, a small community just north of Suttons Bay. The town sits on part of the Grand Traverse Band Reservation.
The Raphael Foods truck is usually parked on the town’s main road, across the street from a Catholic parish and the Grand Traverse Band Tribal Court.
“I can go through over 200 pounds of flour at a powwow,” Tanya said. “And that's a two-day powwow. We get into the three days and it's a little bit more.”
When they’re not out on the circuit, the Raphaels cook and live in Peshawbestown, a small community just north of Suttons Bay. The town sits on part of the Grand Traverse Band Reservation.
The Raphael Foods truck is usually parked on the town’s main road, across the street from a Catholic parish and the Grand Traverse Band Tribal Court.
Traverse City chefs on the Sichuan flavors that inspired Crocodile Palace
Think about the spiciest dish you’ve ever had - maybe it was a tray of hot wings with a little too much sauce. Or a vindaloo curry that was richly flavorful, and a little bit painful.
The sensory experience of spice can create lasting memories around a dish.
Brothers Patrick and Michael Evans, along with fellow chef Ryan Corbin, run Crocodile Palace, a takeout-only Sichuan restaurant in Traverse City, and most of their menu incorporates mala, that notorious spice profile of Sichuan peppercorns and chili oil.
Patrick encourages people to try spicy food that might fall outside of their comfort zone, even if they think they don’t like heat.
“I think that experience is so nice – like, you’ll never forget that, right?” he said.
None of the three chefs grew up in Chinese communities or around Chinese cuisine. But their time in San Francisco’s fine dining scene introduced them to Sichuanese cuisine that they came to love, as well as the skill and knowledge they needed to recreate it.
The sensory experience of spice can create lasting memories around a dish.
Brothers Patrick and Michael Evans, along with fellow chef Ryan Corbin, run Crocodile Palace, a takeout-only Sichuan restaurant in Traverse City, and most of their menu incorporates mala, that notorious spice profile of Sichuan peppercorns and chili oil.
Patrick encourages people to try spicy food that might fall outside of their comfort zone, even if they think they don’t like heat.
“I think that experience is so nice – like, you’ll never forget that, right?” he said.
None of the three chefs grew up in Chinese communities or around Chinese cuisine. But their time in San Francisco’s fine dining scene introduced them to Sichuanese cuisine that they came to love, as well as the skill and knowledge they needed to recreate it.
From Chicago fine dining to Michigan’s wild peninsula
Deep in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, there’s an off-the-grid bed and breakfast called the Milkweed Inn. It’s not the kind of place you stumble upon.
The Milkweed Inn is run by Michelin-starred chef Iliana (Lane) Regan. Regan ran Elizabeth, a fine dining restaurant in Chicago, before moving to the UP. They said the Milkweed Inn has been a dream years in the making.
“I've wanted to do this for such a long time, probably even before I started my restaurant,” they said. “I think that Elizabeth was the stepping stone to get to this, which is what I really wanted to do.”
Regan has built a reputation on hyper-local and foraged ingredients. That vision has landed them on “Best Chef” lists and earned Michelin recognition. Today, the same creativity shapes weekends at Milkweed, where up to 12 guests are hosted across a couple of cabin rooms, an Airstream camper, and two large tents.
“Here, it's perfect. I get to use all the little things that I'm foraging and gathering and all my little tinctures and such,” Regan said. “Trying to forage for 30 people a night, five days a week is way different than 12 people on one weekend.”
The Milkweed Inn is run by Michelin-starred chef Iliana (Lane) Regan. Regan ran Elizabeth, a fine dining restaurant in Chicago, before moving to the UP. They said the Milkweed Inn has been a dream years in the making.
“I've wanted to do this for such a long time, probably even before I started my restaurant,” they said. “I think that Elizabeth was the stepping stone to get to this, which is what I really wanted to do.”
Regan has built a reputation on hyper-local and foraged ingredients. That vision has landed them on “Best Chef” lists and earned Michelin recognition. Today, the same creativity shapes weekends at Milkweed, where up to 12 guests are hosted across a couple of cabin rooms, an Airstream camper, and two large tents.
“Here, it's perfect. I get to use all the little things that I'm foraging and gathering and all my little tinctures and such,” Regan said. “Trying to forage for 30 people a night, five days a week is way different than 12 people on one weekend.”
Where to get authentic French crepes in Northern Michigan
In Boyne City, a little lakeside town in Northern Michigan, there’s a bakery offering crepes of a quality that you'd expect to find in France. It’s owned by a classically trained French baker, Gildas Berrou. The shop offers a variety of savory and sweet fresh-baked goods, including traditional crepes made to order.
Berrou’s made small adjustments to his offerings over the years and been open to suggestions. Well, most suggestions.
“One time I think we gave in and we put American cheese on a crepe for a customer,” he said. “Don't ask me how we had it in the bakery to begin with.”
The bakery serves staples including croissants, breads, crepes, soups, quiches, and more. The previous owner of the space ran a donut shop, and when Berrou took over, longtime customers expected donuts. But Berrou insisted on executing his own vision.
“And I said, ‘No, I'm going to keep it the way I'm doing it,’” he said. “And people were very, very open minded to try it.”
Berrou’s made small adjustments to his offerings over the years and been open to suggestions. Well, most suggestions.
“One time I think we gave in and we put American cheese on a crepe for a customer,” he said. “Don't ask me how we had it in the bakery to begin with.”
The bakery serves staples including croissants, breads, crepes, soups, quiches, and more. The previous owner of the space ran a donut shop, and when Berrou took over, longtime customers expected donuts. But Berrou insisted on executing his own vision.
“And I said, ‘No, I'm going to keep it the way I'm doing it,’” he said. “And people were very, very open minded to try it.”
How Chef Kieron Hales turns wedding meals into memories at Cornman Farms
For Kieron Hales, food is a time machine. A single dish can transport him back to his childhood — to his father at the candy store, or his mother's kitchen where she transformed leftovers into dozens of different meals.
“Both my parents have passed away and food to me is that time-travel device,” he said. “I can go back to be with my dad at that candy store, eating rope apple candy and [drinking] dandelion and burdock.” His most cherished dish is his mother’s crepe cannelloni. It’s a labor-intensive lasagna-like creation of crepes stuffed with bolognese and baked in bechamel sauce.
“That's like being with my mother in the home kitchen, and I feel like I'm 6 or 7 years old doing that,” he said about making the dish now.
Hales is a Michelin-starred chef who has cooked for presidents and royalty at establishments including the three-Michelin-star Paul Bocuse in France, Dal Pescatore in Italy, and The French Laundry in California. But he calls his current role the most fulfilling job he's ever had.
“Both my parents have passed away and food to me is that time-travel device,” he said. “I can go back to be with my dad at that candy store, eating rope apple candy and [drinking] dandelion and burdock.” His most cherished dish is his mother’s crepe cannelloni. It’s a labor-intensive lasagna-like creation of crepes stuffed with bolognese and baked in bechamel sauce.
“That's like being with my mother in the home kitchen, and I feel like I'm 6 or 7 years old doing that,” he said about making the dish now.
Hales is a Michelin-starred chef who has cooked for presidents and royalty at establishments including the three-Michelin-star Paul Bocuse in France, Dal Pescatore in Italy, and The French Laundry in California. But he calls his current role the most fulfilling job he's ever had.
