As May rolls in and the cold weather rolls out (hopefully!), the need for comfort foods begins to reside a bit. But comfort or not, food is still a big part of our lives from everyday sustenance to celebratory meals, to seasonal favorites and memory-making dining experiences.
The Petoskey Area is the perfect place to visit if you’ve got an appetite for great tastes. Our small waterfront communities – Harbor Springs, Walloon Lake, Petoskey, Bay Harbor, Alanson and Boyne City – add up to one palette-pleasing vacation destination.
Check out the May special foodie events that we’ve got cooked up for you.
Morel Fest Wine & Dine – Friday, May 18, 5:30 pm & 8:00 pm
Always a sellout, this event is a wonderful treat for four of your senses – taste, smell, vision and hearing. You’ll love the tastes of the gourmet appetizers prepared by Boyne Mountain’s Beach House Restaurant. The aromas will delight, the views at Boyne Mountain’s Beach House are breathtaking and all the while, you’ll be surrounded by the sounds of live entertainment. This is truly a dining experience you won’t soon forget.
Taste of Morels – Saturday, May 19, 12 pm to 3 pm
The largest collection of morel dishes you’ll find anywhere is in Boyne City on the shores of beautiful Lake Charlevoix. Skip breakfast and come early to get your place in line for mouthwatering creations like smoked duck and morel tacos, creamy morel mushroom risotto and the more basic, but still incredibly yummy, morel pizza.
Petoskey Restaurant Week – May 18 – 25
Your taste buds will thank you for visiting Petoskey during the first of their two annual Restaurant Weeks (the other is October 19 – 26). More than a dozen restaurants, eateries and breweries invite you to take advantage of $15 lunch specials and $25 three-course dinners highlighting their chefs’ creations. Make the most of your time in Petoskey and explore the wineries, then take some flavors of the area back home with you.
Taste of Bay Harbor – Sunday, May 27, 12 pm to 3 pm
A new event and new restaurants in Bay Harbor have us excited! Main Street Market and Fox and Rose are the new kids on the block in the Village at Bay Harbor. The new event – the Taste of Bay Harbor – will feature a tasting tent touting, among other items, lamb chops, muffuletta sandwiches, Cuban sliders and seared ahi tuna. And expect nothing but amazing food from Knot Just a Bar, Bay Harbor Yacht Club, The Cabana Bar, HotDoggers, the Original Pancake House and Bob Vala Catering. Advance tickets are $25/$30 at the door and include live music along with the tastes.
For those who want to do more than just taste, Bay Harbor is offering a VIP Tasting and Gourmet Cooking Demonstration. A shuttle will whisk guests away for VIP tastings and cooking demonstrations at four locations including on a private yacht with the Great Foodini, Renee Chodkowksi. Admission for this event is limited to the first 100 guests and tickets are $100.00. Taking place Memorial Weekend, it’s very fitting that proceeds will benefit Military Veterans.
Foodies celebrate! Put chores and work on the back burner. Break bread in the Petoskey Area this May. Need somewhere to pass out when the food coma sits in? We’ve got you covered with plenty of Petoskey Area lodging options.
About the author
Diane Dakins is passionate about all the lakeside communities that comprise the Petoskey Area of northern Michigan: Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Bay Harbor and Boyne City. As assistant director of the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau, she has ‘been there — seen that’ when it comes to virtually every area attraction. Her blogs give potential visitors the scoop on planning a northern Michigan vacation.