[jamesbialas]

I think this is my 5th year for this. It's such difficult work ivestigating these places, I often forget.

Houghton/Hancock
----------------

Northern Lights/Franklin Square Tap Room- It's the restaurant and bar at headquarters. Kinda pricey and the food isn't really mind-bogglingly awesome, but I have a few favorites there. You really need to go just to check out all the rally pictures covering the walls. It's like an LSPR/POR museum. Favorites: Chinatown Nachos and The Bomb.

The Library- It doesn't matter what I say about this place, you'll probably go anyway. The Waitress That Hates Us still works there, and they still love to pull my favorite things off the menu, but I still go anyway. Favorites: Anything with Chipotle Pork and Shafthouse Stout (now only $2/pint from 4-6pm on weekdays!)

The Dog House- Formally known as the Douglas House Saloon and Armando's restaurant. I don't eat at Armando's much but I seem to recall they have pretty good Italian food. I just go to the bar. A nice, solid, competent bar without any gimmicks. Also has a good pool table. Favorites: Pitchers of LaBatt and Pickled Eggs.

Suomi Cafe- Rockin' breakfast spot. Blueberry pancakes are excellent and gigantic. Oddly enough, this is the only thing I ever order there.

Victoria's Kitchen- Owned by my boss's sister so it definitely gets a plug. Breakfast is good with unique and tasty omelets. This is the place for lunch though. I love their sandwhiches. Favorites: Chicken Fiesta Omelet and Siberian Turkey Sandwhich. And be sure to always get a side of Spicy Potatoes.

KBC- No food, but great beer for $2/pint. Order food from someplace else and bring it in or have it delivered- they encourage it and have take out menus behind the bar. A great place to enjoy a pizza from The Studio just up the road. Favorites: Hilde's Brown Ale and Kraken Malt Liquor.

Hunan Gardens- Chinese food, duh. Sometimes you just need Chinese Food. The tall guy behind the bar is the owner, and yes, he looks like he despises you because he probably does. Favorites: General's Chicken

Ambassador- Fishbowls! For when you really need to get trashed and not realize it's happening until you try and stand up and can't. Good pizza and sandwhiches. Favorites: Long Alaskan, Garlic Chicken Pizza, Chicken Caesar Salad (best caesar salad in Houghton!)

Nutini's- Everybody seems to think this place is an overpriced dive. And well, they're right. But if you have to ask, you'll never know...
Favorites: Pints of Guinness (normal sized pints, not those piddly 14.5 oz. things), any pizza on sourdough crust, lasagna.

South of Houghton
-----------------

Carla's Restaurant- On 41 just north of Baraga. Awesome view of the bay, watch for eagles. Best whitefish in the history of the universe. You've never known whitefish until you have their broiled whitefish.
Favorites: Whitefish, broiled.

The Hilltop Restaurant- On 41 in L'Anse. Stock up on baked goods for the day. Favorites: Breakfast buffet.

The Cozy Inn- NOT the one in South Range, the one on 41/28 in Nestoria at the end of the herman stage. Burgers are excellent, but it's the sarcastic abuse of the customers that keeps us coming back. Also, frequent bets for beer with the bartender tend to make this place rather cheap for us. One of the bartenders is a ham and keeps a radio behind the bar. Favorites: Burgers, self serve beer cooler.

North of Houghton
-----------------

The Michigan House- Located in downtown Calumet. Best food in the Keweenaw in my book. Everything I've ever had there is great. And surprisingly inexpensive if you can stay out of the beer and wine menu. Favorites: Cedar Plank Trout and Fish and Chips.

The UP Pub- Downtown Calumet. I think my friend's are scared of this place or something. Positively cavernous bar with a huge collection of bar mirrors. Favorites: $1 mugs of Labatt.

Fitzgerald's- On the shore in Eagle River. If you need to take the SO someplace to apologize for blowing all the retirement savings on rally, this is the place. Get a reservation for a window seat at sunset. Fancy gourmet type food at fancy gourmet type prices, but it's worth it. Favorites: Whatever grilled slab of flesh sounds the most exotic. I think it was elk last time I was there.

Mariner North- In Copper Harbor. If I can get away from my post on Saturday at all, I'll be heading up here for a bowl of seafood chowder. Favorites: Seafood chowder, Freighter sandwhich.



There are lots more great places in the area other than those listed above. It's really hard to go wrong dining out in the UP as long as you avoid fast food and chain type restaurants.

Invariably people will ask about Pasties. They all taste mostly the same to me, so I really have no great insight. Lots of grocery stores sell hot pasties and I've heard they're some of the best. But I'm firmly in the gravy camp, so what the hell do I know anyway.

-james

 

[JC_595]

Best BBQ ribs I ever ate were at Greenlight cabin bar in Chassel (sp?)

for what it's worth. Lousy karaoke, GREAT ribs.

JC
#595
www.gnimotorsports.com

 

[Bruce]

>
>for what it's worth. Lousy karaoke, GREAT ribs.
>
Is there such a thing as GOOD karaoke? (Or bad ribs, for that matter...)

Bruce

 

[jeffy]

Sooo close to Canada ...but no Tim Hortons , where do we get the good crullers?

 

[Eric Burmeister]

Kaleva Cafe in Hancock has good breakfast if the Soumi is packed.

What about all the dive bars, James? Who has the pickledest pickeled eggs?

 

[jamesbialas]

>Kaleva Cafe in Hancock has good breakfast if the Soumi is
>packed.
>
>What about all the dive bars, James? Who has the pickledest
>pickeled eggs?


Somehow, the Kaleva has managed to go out of business. I can't figure out how they managed that.

Sadly, Houghton has no real dives. The closest would be the B&B, but ever since they got rid of tap beer, they're too expensive to be a dive. If you want a close approximation to the yooper dive bar experience, try the Monte Carlo or the Crystal Room over in Hancock. But if anybody wants a personalized tour of dive bars in the area, find a designated driver and I'll give you the full tour.

And pickled eggs? Men have died over pickled eggs. Children still sing songs about the best of them. The Dog House in Houghton and Bleachers in Hancock are good bets though.

 

[jamesbialas]

>Sooo close to Canada ...but no Tim Hortons , where do we get
>the good crullers?


I know Econo (grocery store) has 'em. Never had them though. What you really want is a good nisu though.

 

[jamesbialas]

> Is there such a thing as GOOD karaoke?


In 2003 a group of friends and I went down to the ottawa national forest 2 weeks before the rally to post road closing signs. A stop at UP Chuck's in Kenton after we were done proceeded to launch a bender of epic proportions that eventually ended up in Eagle River, WI at some bar doing a Karaoke Night. There, a fellow MTC worker and I, delivered the most stunningly beautiful rendition of "I am a man of constant sorrow" the world has ever heard. You had to be there. It was a night of pure poetic magic. Why, just a few hours later, I delivered the most ravishingly romantic pickup line I've ever divised- "You know, there are two things that come out of Chippewa Falls, WI- Leinenkugel's beer and Cray super computers." Sadly, it failed, but that may be because I was holding my head off the bar with a pint of MGD at the time.

 

[Mad Mike]

LSPR Dining Guide - L'Anse VFW pastys

I noticed mention made elsewhere that the service at L'Anse has returned this year and that brings back GREAT memories of my involvement with P.O.R. as Crew Chief for John Crawford's CMC Motorsports, Inc. and the championship we (even Clerk of the Course Uncle Joe Andreini who wasn't even competing) locked up on da U.P. in 1986. The event was long, grueling and complicated by the failure of our main service barge (Moby Truck) which refused to start after a L'Anse service. Fortunately for us, Dougie had DNF'd by then and was kind enough to loan us his box truck to complete the weekend.

But back on topic ... despite all that tulmult one of the things that I remember most about service in L'Anse (and something we made certain got transferred into the replacement truck) was the pastys we bought from the VFW post near that lakeside service area! Yum Yum - if there's a better pasty around I want to eat it!

SERVICE CREWS!!! If you have time be sure to ask if the VFW Post is still doing pastys there in L'Anse and give one (or half a dozen) a try!

http://www.realautosport.com/pics/CMC/longyear.jpg

Me, after POR '86 and a LONG ProRally season. Imagine how I'd have looked without pastys to keep me going that weekend!

Halley ...
BBBBB (Bring Back Big Bend Bash)
http://www.realautosport.com