Spanglish of Traverse City

Spanglish inhabits the former home of the Underground Cheesecake Company on the grounds of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons.

First and foremost, I apologize for the absence! I am back, traversing this wonderful area with my little family, eating outstanding food, taking pics and blogging about it here. My goal is 1-2 restaurants per month, so do continue to check back often!

Anyway! Onto the fun stuff. The above picture may be a bit familiar to those of you who have read through this blog a time or two. There's a very good reason for that. This building that now houses Spanglish once housed the Underground Cheesecake Company.  For those of you that love cheesecake, have no fear, the cheesecake brilliance is now located in the building directly behind this one. 

The interior is small, but, since takeout is an option, this won't matter at all!

Now that I've put your no-cheesecake-induced panic attack to rest, let's discuss this Spanglish, shall we? I've noticed that the blog on Osorio's continues to be the most read blog on my little site. Obviously, you folks enjoy authentic Central American fare. Well, here at Spanglish, you get just that!

The bean dip is the best in town!

A brilliant native chef and his equally brilliant wife have put together a little bit of Mexican heaven. right on the grounds of the Grand Traverse Commons here in Traverse City. Together with their team, they are putting out some of the very best Mexican food available in the region today!

Outstanding, simple creations flow from this Traverse City kitchen.

Their tag line is "A Fresh Tradition." And that is exactly what they are. Their offerings are simple and traditional. They know what they are good at and they produce that excellence daily. Since their opening, their small restaurant has become a hub for hungry locals and visitors alike. In fact, the one sure thing that I used in Central America to find excellent food can be seen here at Spanglish everyday. That thing is the line of folks who live in and work at the Grand Traverse Commons seeking their daily fix of Spanglish. When the true locals love it enough to stand in line, especially when there are so many other options available to them, you know that it has got to be good. 

And it is!

Spanglish is quickly becoming an institution within the Traverse City dining scene.

Let's talk about food!

To begin with, from 9-11AM, they serve an outstanding breakfast burrito, consisting of eggs, queso cheese, potatoes, salsa roja, sour cream and your choice of Michigan pork sausage or a veggie option, which includes onion, poblano, sweet corn and bell pepper. All for only $5.50.

Before we continue, you should know that all of their ingredients are locally sourced. Awesome.

Now, for $9 you can snag 3 tacos. These are corn tortillas topped with shredded cabbage, salsa verde, chopped onion, cilantro and feta cheese. You can choose roasted pork,, braised beef, grilled chicken or the veggie option.

If you're a burrito lover, check out the Big Daddy for $9. This thing really is BIG. It consists of refried beans, rice, salsa verde, shredded cabbage, onions, cilantro and feta with your choice of Carnitas roasted pork, barbacoa beef, chicken or veggie.

One of the most purchased items here are the Tamales. You can snag one for $3. The options here are Carnitas and Tomatillo - consisting of roasted pork with a tomatillo sauce, chicken and guajillo - consisting of chicken with a mild red chili sauce, Three Sisters - consisting of butternut squash, corn, beans, and red bell pepper, and the New World - consisting of zucchini, roasted tomatoes, potatoes, onions and pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds). These things rock!

They also offer Quesadillas and Tostadas, both very tasty! 

Sides offered include beans, rice, hot sauce, chips and salsa and more. The sides range in price from 50 cents to $5. Pretty decent pricing! In fact, nothing on the menu tops $9.

You can even take home some of their salsa or layered bean dip (one of my favorites!).

And, of course, they offer a bit of sweet as well. This is in the form of a Polvorone - an orange zest shortbread cookie for $1.50.

These cookies hit the spot for sure!

There really is nothing quite like an authentic experience, brought to you by folks who truly love their art! At Spanglish, you will find just that!

(All photos by Brooks Vanderbush)