Tables made from an oak tree grown on the property. Waterfront views. Historic surroundings. An old train station. A working farm. A winery villa. Original, local cuisine. These are just some of the features that characterize purely Michigan dining spots where groups can gather.
As meeting planners strive to arrange events that include memorable food and drink experiences, locations around the state oblige by providing distinctive—not cookie cutter—cuisine and backdrops.
DINE AND STAY
Take The Terrace Inn in Petoskey, located in the heart of the historic Bay View Association community with its hundreds of Victorian homes near Little Traverse Bay. Built in 1911, the inn doesn’t appear to have changed much since.
“It is substantially the same,” says Mo Rave, who with his wife, Patty Rasmussen, has operated the inn since 2004. “There is a lot of natural woodwork and vintage wall- paper. The chandeliers are not original, but you have to ask to know they are not. It’s the elegance of a bygone era.”
Its 1911 Restaurant is a charm itself with an original maple floor, chandeliers, and lace curtains. It can accommodate up to 100 for the entire dining room, or smaller groups can occupy parts of the room.
The typical menu is resort-style, three-course, and fixed-price with guests choosing from multiple selections for a soup or salad, entree, and dessert. A sampling of recent offerings includes Great Lakes Walleye, Maple-Planked Whitefish, Shrimp and Scallop Linguine, and Squash Ravioli. The Terrace Inn also offers lodging, with additional options for overnight stays in the surrounding community.
Two restaurants in nearby Bay Harbor—Nomad and Maple + Batter—also feature dining options for groups. “Our main concept for the restaurant is shareables,” says Laura Morrison who represents both restaurants. Nomad sweeping views of East and West Grand Bay Pointe Bar & Grille in Shelbyville offers an array of small plates like Chicken Parmesan Bao Buns, Buffalo Chicken Lollipops, and Smashed Sweet Potatoes; and full plates like Italian Sausage and Veal Ragu Bucatini and Faroe Islands Salmon Carbonara—along with desserts and craft cocktails.
Maple + Batter, open seven days a week during brunch hours, has an assortment of upscale breakfast choices including build-your-own omelets and quiche, and lunch items like a roasted beet salad and spicy tuna melt.
Nomad recently opened a private dining room that can seat up to 12, and also rents out the main dining room for semi-private events for up to 45 guests. Alternatively, buyouts of the entire restaurant are available for larger groups. Morrison says group events lend themselves to food stations, with limited family-style menus being another option.
Maple + Batter, which is also available for full buyouts, offers outdoor space for up to 50 guests in the spring, summer, and fall. Here, limited menus are tailored based on guest count, Morrison adds.
About an hour south of Petoskey on the Old Mission Peninsula, Chateau Chantal Winery and Inn is a hilltop villa with sweeping views of East and West Grand Bay Traverse bays. With 12 rooms, including a luxury apartment, it provides cozy on-site lodging. Nearby Traverse City has plenty of additional options for overnight stays.
Meanwhile, the winery can accommodate seated dinners for up to 68 and standing events for as many as 100, says Marie-Chantal Dalese, president and CEO of the winery.
“Tasting wine and cuisine from grapes and crops grown right outside the window provides a connection to the land and peo- ple that make these delicious creations,” Dalese says. Wine dinners include tours that give guests a behind-the-scenes look at winery operations.
Several menus and tiers are available for appetizers, salads, entrees, and des- serts. A sampling of offerings includes Zucchini Fritters and Lemongrass Chicken Skewers as appetizers, Steak- Frites and a Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with wild mushroom and leek cream sauce for entrees, and Dark Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Pecan Tartlets for dessert, with many other options on the list.
Bay Pointe Bar & Grille in Shelbyville on the shores of Gun Lake can accommodate groups as small as 20 and as large as 300, says Marketing Manager Marlee Meads. “We have our large table that seats roughly 20 in the center of the restaurant, our new Waterfront Room that can be reserved for private events, and our Fireside Room that is great for showers, receptions, and corporate events [for] up to 70 guests,” Meads says. “Additionally, we have our Boathouse Villa, Lakefront Pavilion, and Bay Pointe Woods available for larger group dining options.”
Events can be designed to feature plated or buffet options ranging from casual to upscale dining. Signature dishes feature options from Lake Perch or Carnitas Tacos to Miso-Glazed Salmon and a creamy Tuscan Chicken with white cheddar risotto. Bay Pointe also has lodging with its inn,
cottages, and villa.
WATERFRONT WONDERS
In Traverse City, The Hagerty Center at Northwestern Michigan College has six room configurations that make it possible to host groups from 25 to 300 people. Offering a full menu for each meal of the day, Director Chad Schenkelberger says, “Our event planner and chef are also willing to work with clients to customize their menu.” Food options are plentiful, with appetizer offerings including Smoked Whitefish Pâté, Pot Stickers, and Spanakopita; entrees such as Pesto-Crusted Salmon and Herb-Roasted Chicken Thighs; and desserts like Chocolate Torte and Key Lime Pie.
“We like to encourage our clients to experience the downtown Traverse City Area. [And] one of our most exciting features is being located right on West Grand Traverse Bay. Our guests are able to explore the waterfront area after events or during breaks,” Schenkelberger says.
FRESH FROM THE FARM
Robin Hills Farm, located just outside of Chelsea, hosts groups of all sizes and configurations, says Adam Kovsky, managing director.
We can accommodate 250 seated and more if it’s a strolling event.” he says. “Some of our events have [made use of] the entire campus, so depending on the nature of the event, nothing is too big or too small.”
That campus is a 129-acre education and event center with a working farm. There are miles of walking trails, ponds, and diverse landscapes. Robin Hills’ Prairie House features Nest cocktail bar serving local beer and handcrafted cocktails with a focus on fresh ingredients.
Kovsky notes that Robin Hills works with chefs to create menus for its events. Themes are “upbeat and exciting, casual fare with great drinks and made-from- scratch ingredients,” he says. A Nest kitchen with a menu of farm-inspired comfort food is set to open later this year.
RECLAIMING THE PAST
The Barracks Room at Thompson & Co. in Ypsilanti serves Southern-inspired comfort food in a cozy setting. Its menu features savory bites like skillet corn bread, fried okra, pizzas with smoked brisket or fried chicken, and entrees like bayou pasta and shrimp and grits.
Built in 1861, the building started as a hotel and storefront before it became bar- racks for Civil War enlistees—hence its name. Aside from the building itself, its most unique feature might be its tables.
“All of our tables were made from an oak tree that needed to be cut down for construction,” comments General Man- ager Disa Brown. “There is also an art piece that was made from the same wood and various other wood by a local artist and woodworker.”
The Barracks Room can accommodate up to 45 people, with a variety of dining options that range from plated and limited menus to buffets. Up to 150 can fit in the whiskey bar, Mash, for a buffet-style feast.
Nearby in Detroit, Grand Trunk Pub is housed in a historic building that was home to a Grand Trunk Railroad ticketing station for several decades in the early 1900s. The interior pays homage to its history, with the old rail trunks found abandoned in upstairs storage and office areas now adorning the upstairs Whisky Parlor. The long and elegant main-floor ticket counter serves as the bar. Grand Trunk features semiprivate spaces including a dining room for up to 60 people seated or 80 standing, and a balcony that can accommodate up to 25 seated or 30 standing.
“Our food is approachable and eclectic with a nod to our Irish roots, reaching back to when the bar used to be Foran’s Irish Pub,” says Emily Sweeney Handy, reservations and event coordinator, adding that the menu focuses on Detroit and Michigan- made products. Groups can choose from regular, limited, or buffet-style menus. The regular menu includes appetizers like corned beef and Swiss cheese eggrolls, entrees such as chicken and waffles and fish and chips, an array of desserts, and a variety of brunch items.
The Detroit Beer Co. is in another piece of Detroit history, located on the first two floors of the iconic Hartz Building and built in the early 1900s. Its central location makes it an easy walk to Comerica Park and Ford Field, with a People Mover stop nearby. Groups of up to 100 people can rent the second-floor dining room for a private event. A buyout of the entire space is an option as well.
Detroit Beer Co.’s extensive menu is available for event planners to select from appetizer-style trays and buffet options with bites like hummus platters, artichoke dip, shrimp cocktail, and chicken or beef skewers.
