Memory of Bowers Harbor Inn: Decked out in a decidedly too-fancy, but oh-so-90s black-and-white frilly prom dress, my hair in a french twist and adorned with white rose buds, I eagerly anticipated a fancy dinner with my then-boyfriend and several other couples. It was spring 1992, and yes, I ordered the ever-popular Inn entree Fish in a Bag. Photos of me and the boyfriend, my once coiffed 'do disinigrating in the wind, followed dinner across the road along West Grand Traverse Bay. (If I could find a photo, I'd post it here, embarrassing attire and all. I swear.)
Flash forward 17 years (17?): The Fish in a Bag remains on the Inn's menu, but much has changed -- most notably my taste in clothing, thank God. But that's for another post. On this day, I'm sitting on the front patio of the Inn, sipping a glass of "unwooded" chardonnay on a most beautiful late summer afternoon on Old Mission Peninsula. Earlier the gray skies promised dampness, a warm dreariness, but the sun somehow won them over, pushing through and offering a glint of warmth for a true golden hour. It's heavenly, I think as I sit gazing out across the sparkling waters to a distant Power Island.
This is not the Bowers Harbor Inn of years ago. And yet, it is. Sort of.
You may know the history, or at least some of the history, of this restaurant. It's one of those places that's hard to forget once you visit. Built in 1882 as a summer retreat for Chicago lumber baron J.W. Stickney and his wife Genevive, the Inn sits along Traverse City's West Grand Traverse Bay, several miles out Old Mission Peninsula. Maybe you've heard the ghost story of Genevive, how she's haunted the place because her husband took a mistress and left his fortune to her. Since 1974 it's served as a restaurant, a scenic spot known for its fine dining. It's why high school students -- like my early 1990s self -- make prom night reservations at the Inn each spring.
In more recent years, I've made only a couple of trips to the Inn, to celebrate our December birthdays one year and on another occasion to partake in a wine dinner we hoped would rid us of the middle-of-winter blues. (Mostly, quite honestly, it just broke our budget. But the food and wine? Fantastically amazing.)
Chef Paul Olson, who took the reigns of the Inn's kitchen a little over a year ago, acknowledges the reputation the Inn long has held. In other words, this married dad to two school-age kids gets that the restaurant has a hoity-toity past -- and he's doing what he can to change it for the better.
Far from compromising the historic integrity of the restaurant - the goal of current owners Jon Carlson and Greg Lobdell, after all, is to preserve the Inn -- Olson simply wants people to feel good about coming on a regular basis and not just saving a visit for special occasions.
Consider the deck on which I sat. "It's the most under-utilized place in the world," Olson says, motioning with his arm the gorgeous lake view from where he stands on the 50-seat deck. "It's phenomenal."
Shouldn't more people take advatage of this beautiful spot, Olson asks me. I nod in agreement, soaking up the the view all the while.
Inside, the Inn looks much the same but has undergone several upgrades, including freshly-renovated restrooms both upstairs and down and re-done banquet/reception rooms above the main dining area. A refurbished side patio is the perfect spot for cocktail hour. Then there's the simple touch of adding parchment paper to tabletops to create a more casual dining experience, Olson says. (It's something great NYC restaurants do, says Olson, who graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and refined his talents in Manhattan and Connecticut).
"Also, my price point is lower. Entrees are between $20 and $26 -- there's only one thing over $30, the grilled filet mignon," he says. "We're trying to give a good value."
Just as exciting is the Inn's commitment to buying local whenever possible. Just one example: vegetables come from farmer and winemaker John Kroupa, who happens to live just down the road. Cherry Capital Foods also supplies much of what Olson uses in his cooking.
Olson's Summer 2009 menu includes scrumptious items like cured wild salmon, Werp Farms rocket arugula salad, pan roasted walleye and grilled lamb chops. Olson kindly prepared samplings of these, and they were absolutely delicious.
Then there's the wine.
I'm a red wine girl at heart, but whites are starting to make an impression on me, thanks in part to Olson's great suggestions. The "unwooded" chardonnay (it's aged in stainless steel rather than an oak barrel, he tells me) is from Bowers Harbor Vineyards and is pleasantly crisp and refreshing. I also have a taste of BHV's pinot grigio that's very good because it's not too sweet. A final sampling -- a red, cabernet franc from Peninsula Cellars -- is a perfect pairing with the grilled lamb chops.
If you're looking for great beer, Olson promises you'll find it at Jolly Pumpkin, the newly-renovated, much more casual restaurant next door that longtime fans of the property will remember as The Bowery. Starting this month the brewery will offer beer made on site, in the 8,000+ square-foot building that also houses a great space for wedding receptions and other events. Not to be missed is the outdoor fireplace and benches on the flagstone patio between Jolly Pumpkin and what's called The Peninsula Room.
As you may imagine, leaving this picturesque spot wasn't easy. But I plan to head back that way soon. No prom dress involved. Hope you get a chance to check it out soon, too.
The Inn is at 13512 Peninsula Drive. Call (231) 223-4222 for more information or go here.
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