Bradley's Pub and Grille

The more formal dining room at Bradley's Pub and Grille.

Popped collars, weird saunters with one hand partly in the pocket of some pastel colored short pant, raucous joking about holes and balls, and the smell of drying Bud Light. 

Seems to me that no matter how swanky the club, many golf course restaurants hold some or all of the above. Some adore that, some loathe it. Luckily for both, Bradley's has none of it - but also has quite a bit more!

A fun bar area with plenty to drink and see!

Bradley's is located at the Interlochen Golf Club. This little gem of a course has seen its fair share of me. I've whacked balls on the driving range, downed brews in what was once the club gathering place, I even broke my driver head clean off here! An annoying day, that was.

Yet, despite all that history, I only just recently chose to experience the newly minted Bradley's. And I am glad that I did!

The aforementioned (or soon to be mentioned, whatever the case may be) beef tips.

My lovely wife, wiggly son, and I met my parents-in-law for dinner here. I had no idea what to expect. They bill themselves as a "pub and grille" and, while those two words excite me greatly, I understand that one must proceed with caution. Doesn't Applebees call itself a pub and grille? If so, my point is most excellently illustrated - yuck.

I have ventured into PLENTY of pubs and grilles and left feeling completely deflated....in the wallet....from the absolute robbery that just happened at the hands of the liars who had named the place.

The smoked salmon dip.

Not so at Bradley's. The chef here knows exactly what he is doing. He also knows that folks in these parts (read: people in this region) have come to expect excellence from their pub and grille set! 

Enough babbling. Let's talk food and drink!

First and foremost, the house brew is a lighter IPA made by Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City - one of my favorite breweries. It is most satisfying! If you happen upon a place in our region that counts Right Brain as their house brew maker, get it! Minerva's has the Park Ale, Sleder's has a cream ale. Boone's Long Lake Inn has another cream ale. All are excellent!

Starter salad and wine....with crayons!

Appetizers on the menu run the gamut. We were served the blackened beef tips -  a wondrous concoction consisting of Spanish rice cakes, blackened beef tips (hence the name, yeah?), diced roasted red peppers, cilantro ( my wife's favorite!) and shredded smoked cheddar cheese. There's a picture of these things on this blog somewhere. Read the captions and take a look! They were outstanding! We also partook of the smoked salmon dip, consisting of house smoked salmon whipped into cream cheese with chives, red pepper, and seasonings, served with pretzel toast points. Also divine!

The appetizer menu also features pulled pork nachos, southwest eggrolls, and more!

My lovely wife's feast of walnut crusted rainbow trout.

For dinner, one particular dish caught my eye - beer battered bluegill. As a kid, I would go fishing with my dad and catch a mountain of these tasty little fish (some not so little!). I wanted to take a trip down that memory lane. And so I did!

This dish features a half pound of pale ale beer battered bluegill drizzled with malt vinegar gastrique. It was served with roasted red skin potatoes and house slaw. I soon discovered that I had made an excellent decision!

Wings by the pound, walnut crusted rainbow trout, charbroiled beef tenderloin, smoked baby back pork ribs, and much much more was also to be found on that wonderful menu.

This be the Bluegill! Along with that Right Brain Brewery IPA.

A couple of tasty salad and sandwich choices rounded out the menu. And the wine and beer list, along with available mixed drinks, were quite extensive! With abundant local options. 

The views here are pure Michigan!

The ambiance of the joint is none to over the top. All windows look out onto the green rolling fields of golf, it even has a rive rolling through. The dining areas range from a bit more formal seating to the old standard of bellying up to the bar, which has a welcoming design and ambiance as well.

In short, Bradley's of Interlochen is a grand place to visit before that Interlochen Center for the Arts concert, after a round, or just because. Get there and try it for yourself!

Tall Ship Manitou

The Tall Ship Manitou is one of Traverse City's most unique dining and drinking experiences.

(After a way too long hiatus, one that consisted of still eating at and loving all of our area's awesome joints, I am back! Let's get this thing up and going again!)

One condition that any local of the Grand Traverse Region suffers from, whether they know if or not, is Proximitus Notus Waterus, also known as the "we're HOW FAR from a beach??" syndrome. 

You see, here in Traverse City, and throughout its surrounding towns and villages, one is always a short walk or drive from some glorious beach. When that TC local is removed from this area and plopped into the middle of, say, Iowa, the mind tends to be blown at how far away one can truly be from swimmable, open water.

See the Grand Traverse Region in a whole new way!

Knowing that, you'll understand the love that every local, and most visitors, to this area has for the lakes and rivers that run through our state. And, you know what they say! "When in Rome!"

Traverse City's West Bay is this ship's playground.

Well, you can't get much more Traverse City than drinking craft beer on a boat. But, the Tall Ship Company's Manitou is much more than just "a boat."

Tall Ship Manitou is a replica of an 1800’s “coasting” cargo schooner, similar to those that sailed the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. Specifically designed for passenger service, her hull was constructed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1983 and finished by Vermont carpenters on Lake Champlain. With a 59 passenger capacity, there is plenty of space for sitting and moving around the decks while under sail. Her overall length of 114 feet, beam of 21 feet, and displacement of nearly 100 tons ensures a comfortable, relaxing motion, soothing to both landlubbers and “old salts” alike.

Great for families! Kids get to steer!

This cruise through Traverse City's West Bay is fun and freeing! Do be warned that, while this ship is a pleasure boat, it is also one that can take on the bay's various moods, as I found out during our recent cruise when a mighty wind began to blow and we were soon keeling at a most impressive rate. This would be when the wind really catches the sails and pushes the ship along at an impress clip, whilst also causing it to lean at what could be an alarming angle to the not so seasoned.

The Manitou has many various options for the curious sailor when it comes to specialty cruises. Do you like live music with your craft beer? Well, the Manitou features "Entertainment Nights" every Wednesday evening through July and August, featuring Song of the Lakes, a grand and much loved local band whose music comes from this nautical life.

How about ice cream? Again, the Manitou has you covered with a Moomer's Ice Cream themed sail. Moomer's is America's favorite ice cream and is made right here in Traverse City!

How about wine? When you come to the Grand Traverse Region, you must try the wine! And Manitou has you covered there as well, with a Wine Tasting Cruise featuring Mediterranean cuisine provided by local favorite eatery Silver Swan.

Craft beer on the bay! No other way!

For our 2 hour cruise, we chose a simple pleasure cruise, a loop around Traverse City's West Bay. On this cruise, you were free to move about the ship and explore, kids could steer a bit, you could help the crew hoist the sails (a real workout, that! I loved it!), and more! Once cruising, the aboard bar kicked into service. Our cruise featured a beer from Petoskey Brewing Company, one from Bell's Brewery, and a cider from Starcut Ciders. Various small, packaged snacks were also available for purchase. The brews were inexpensive, $4-$5 for a good size pour, and for a couple of dollars more, you could snag a glass pint emblazoned with the Tall Ship Company's logo.

For the longer sails, and the bed and breakfast option, there's an amazing dining room and kitchen aboard.

Our cruise was amazing, there's nothing quite like kicking back on the deck of a schooner with a local beer in your hand, watching Traverse City, the Old Mission Peninsula, and Leelanau Peninsula pass by.

But, this particular ship offers one more option for cruising - the "bed and breakfast" sail. This sail consists of cruising around the bay, then securing at the dock for the overnight bit, where you'll sleep in one of the on board cabins (there's room for 20 guests!) or, weather permitting, you'll be able to sleep under the stars on the deck. 

Bright and open, despite being below decks.

In the morning, a fresh cup of coffee will be waiting, as will a full, scratch made breakfast from the ship's kitchen, which holds a massive wood burning stove. If I heard the captain right at the conclusion of our voyage, they also offer multi-day overnight stays up and down the coast.

A huge wood burning stove is ready to rock!

One does not get much closer to Traverse City perfection than this! Seeing TC from a whole new angle, one that many will never see because they just won't bother to climb on board. Do not be one of them! Get aboard this boat for a 2 hour cruise, or for a few nights. Great brews, views, and dining await!