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| Green House Cafe in downtown Traverse City is where those in the know go for great breakfast and lunch fare. |
Ahh, downtown Traverse City in the Spring! Thoughts turn to fresh, crisp fare that satisfies and energizes, am I right? Well, if you're downtown Traverse City, and on foot, that means that you're a bit too far from Centre Street Cafe to enjoy their amazing offerings. So, I'd suggest one of downtown's best breakfast and lunch spots - Green House Cafe!
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| DO NOT miss the muffins! |
This place has long been a favorite of the downtown wanderer, the lunch hour rusher, the casual meeting....ers, basically everybody loves this joint!
Why do they love it? The answer to that is both simple and delicious! The food!
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| Whether you're seated inside or out on the sidewalk watching the world go by, the atmosphere is uniquely TC. |
That's right, nothing more, nothing less. The food here is always outstanding, especially so if you're in the mood for a lunch or breakfast that will leave you completely satisfied, but still able to continue shopping, beaching, movie-going, etc. without that "good lord, I'm going to burst" feel.
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| Keep an eye on this board! Amazing things happen here. |
Speaking of breakfast, let's dive right in, shall we?
We start with a section entitled simply "Basic Breakfast." But, as you'll soon discover, there's not too much Basic about Green House Cafe.
The Basic selections run from $4-$6. They include things like biscuits and sausage gravy, granola/fruit/yogurt, pancakes, French toast, etc. This section is perfect for the wayward traveller on a budget or the person with simple tastes.
We next see "Omelettes". These range in price from $8-$9. Some fun combinations can be had here. My favorite is the asparagus and Swiss omelette for $8. Yum!
We move onto the House Specialties next. These range from $8-$11. My preferred house specialty breakfast is the Eggs Neptune for $11. This would be poached eggs on top of two crab cakes smothered with hollandaise sauce, served with hash browns or fresh fruit. This hits me in the sweet spot every time!
After house specialties comes Sides, Kids and Beverages. The sides consist mostly of the usual suspects and the kids menu is affordable (ranging from $2-$5) and full of selection.
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| Amazing things happen here as well! |
Jumping into what is most likely their most popular reason for existing now - lunch.
Please note that house specials, features and the chalk board are constantly changing. This includes the homemade soup selections. However, their freaking amazing French onion soup is almost always available. For $8, you can take a trip to soup heaven!
Salads here are fresh and tasty, they range in price from $6-$11 and there are a few yummy options to take advantage of to kick your salad up a notch.
Burgers come next. These range in price from $8-$10. My favorite slab is the crab burger, described simply as "our homemade recipe." Delish!
After burgers comes sandwiches. This is the menu that I usually utilize when I visit their downtown Traverse City location. The prices in this section range from $8-$10. The best selection here, in my humble opinion, is the shrimp salad sandwich. This thing is $10 and comes on a croissant. I dig it VERY much!
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| Green House Cafe compliments downtown Traverse City style to a "T"! |
When most locals think of Green House Cafe in Traverse City, they picture the muffin bar. So, as my closing thought, if you go here for only one thing, let it be one of their outstanding (and HUGE) muffins! Lemon Poppy, chocolate chip, pineapple coconut, pumpkin and many more. Yeah, you can't forget to snag a muffin.
Downtown Traverse City is jam packed full of eateries that seem to have their own perfect niche. Green House Cafe is no different. Whether you're doing a bit of take-out for the beach or boat, or you're dining in with friends or family, this place is certain to scratch whatever culinary itch you may have!
(All photos by Brooks Vanderbush)
