On the Road: Michigan's West Coast

My idea of summer vacation was shaped by many trips over the years to Cape Cod, MA. To me, summer just isn't summer unless you spend copious amounts of time lounging in the sand, overdosing on fresh seafood, plowing through stacks of fluffy beach books and eating ice cream for dessert every night. We got our summer fix this year by a side trip to the West Coast of Michigan after our Chicago visit. I hadn't spent much time in that part of the country before, and I found it delightful. The towns we visited were quaint and picturesque, the days relaxed and the people friendly. We ate plenty of fresh Michigan blueberries, visited a few farm stands to check out local produce, and had some enjoyable meals while exploring a few of the quaint towns dotting the coastline. What more could you ask for in a vacation? A few of our food highlights are outlined below!

Marro's Restaurant
147 Water Street
Saugatuck, MI 49453
(269) 857-4248

Saugatuck is one of the most charming towns I have stumbled upon in a long while. A quaint artists community situated in the heart of Michigan's Western Coast, we were delighted wile away an afternoon browsing through the many art galleries and gift shops in the area. As far as food is concerned, nestled among the myriad sweet shops hawking homemade fudge, ice cream and caramel corn, you'll find Marro's Restaurant. Operated by the Marro family since 1971, this is the kind of authentic place where you expect to find a little Italian grandmother wander out of the kitchen at the end of your meal, wagging her finger in your face and chastising you for not cleaning your plate. The place was packed for a weekday, so they must have had a whole team of Italian grandmothers in the kitchen, churning out classic Caesar salads, pillowy ravioli and decadent Alfredo. We ate enough to feed a small country (and avoid a clean plate club lecture!!), but that didn't prevent us from sampling one of Saugatuck's ice cream shops on the way out of town...

K2 Pizzeria
2 Washington St.
Grand Haven, MI 49417
(616) 846-3299

Our home base in Michigan was the charming Boyden House Bed and Breakfast in Grand Haven. The town's claim to fame is their musical fountain...a large fountain placed at the top of a hill that "performs" water and light shows nightly, all set to music. Never ones to shun local traditions, we decided to participate in the nightly pilgrimage down to the lakefront for the festivities. We enjoyed some pre-dinner drinks at The Grand, right on the main drag, and then ventured down to the waterfront for a little dinner before the show. I never met a white pizza I didn't like, and K2's version was more than acceptable. Our pie contained a generous amount of asiago cream in place of tomato sauce and was topped with feta cheese, grilled chicken, bacon, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Fortuitously, the rooftop balcony of K2 had an excellent view of the fountain, so we didn't even have to leave the comfort of our seats, and, umm, our beers, to enjoy the display.

Everyday People Cafe
11 Center St.
Douglas, MI 49406
(269) 857-4240

Douglas is Saugatuck's next door neighbor. While we didn't get as much of an opportunity to explore this town, we did stop at the highly recommended Everyday People Cafe on our way back to Chicago. We wanted a light but delicious lunch and this fit the bill perfectly. We sat in the garden on a sunny afternoon, tucked away from the (relative) hustle of the main street in Douglas and feasted on a fresh Caprese Salad and a tangy Greek Pita sandwich. Perfect fuel for our journey back to Chicago!