Burger's, Pizza & Pasties up North

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
-Where WI meets MI in the U.P and the food they eat

Some chow from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this past summer. I like to post about spots during there prime season, however. I can still share these spots here today since this area is also alive during winter with people skiing and snowmobiling. It really doesn't matter what season this area is a beautiful place with plenty of lively outdoor activities.


Where Wisconsin meet Michigan along Lake Michigan

The Pass-ty, Paste-e or whatever you call it is something I'm not sure why I like but I eat. Simple flavors and somewhat bland I still like a pastie once or twice a year when up that way. The breakfast ones if offered tend to be much better but both these places featured here today were without them on my visit. I stopped into the U.P Pasty Express when riding by while taking a cruise to Lake Superior from the Northwoods of WI. I guess the main reason I'll get a pastie is b/c of the reason they were made for the miners. They're fine if you eat them an hour or three after you get them and both these ones tried were eaten when I got a little hungry while along the lake.


Ironwood, MI

Miners special (beef, potatoes, carrots and rutabaga)

Well as seen in the pic above the potato to beef ratio is about 90% to 10 and the taste was so damn bland I used the ketchup it came with to liven it, I don't use that sweet shit on fries. I would of enjoyed it much more if I was working in a cave mining coal, starving hungry on the 2nd part of a double day/night shift. Dobber's was a place I stopped in at while up in Marinette, WI. This location was in Menominee, MI right over the WI/MI border. I liked theirs better than UP Pasty due to there being a tad more beef and enhanced flavor with the side of gravy it came with. I don't know why but I'll probably order a pastie the next time I pass a place in Yooper Land that sells them. I just hope they arent out of breakfast ones.

Dobber's Pasties (Multiple U.P locations)

An Old Family Vaca favorite

Next stop was a place we found while driving along the lake near the WI/MI border last Spring. Jozwiak's looked like a classic Midwest tavern from the outside. The fact they've been around since 1948 and that there was a nice pizza aroma outside along with plenty of cars in their lot made it a stop despite not having much hunger in me.



Menominee, MI

Oh boy, whats that? Gonna have to try one of them too now...

Well if there was any night to stop in when I wasn't all that hungry, the night we went was it. It turns out the Wabash is their famous burger and on this night the special was a small, one topping pizza, two Wabash's and two drinks for $11 and those drinks can be beers. Not bad especially since the other fellow I was with, an amateur when it comes to chowing with the King, wasn't able to withstand any more food after the order was placed and thus left before it arrived.

The "Wabash"

Which left me with two burgers, two beers and a small pizza pie. Not bad for cheap tavern eats. The Wabash is a double cheeseburger served in the same way of many places in Wisconsin along Lake Michigan such as Mickey Lu's (report coming soon) in neighboring Marinette. I didn't see a real charcoal grill on display but the patties are charred and placed inside a crunchy toasted semel hard roll and topped with a nice chunk of butter and slice of Wisconsin cheddar. Pickles, ketchup, mustard, onions and relish are your options.


Two all beef charcoal grilled patties inside a crunchy toasted semel hard roll and lots of butter

The pizza was also pretty good especially for the price. 'The brothers three' was a place started in Marinette, WI in 1972 which was started by The Brothers Three who's original place is in in Cicero, IL. So they say the pizza made at Jozwiak's today is the same recipe the family used in 1962 at their pizza place in Cicero and the other WI locations. Good tavern thin sausage pie, worth the stop on a trip into the UP thru Wisconsin with the fam or friends.


"the brothers three" sausage pizza from Jozwiak's

U.P Pasty Express
1310 East Cloverland Drive
Ironwood, MI 49938-1606
(906) 932-4414

Dobber's Pasties

Jozwiak's Bar & Grill
1010 16th Avenue
Menominee, MI 49858-2854
(906) 863-2229
Website

Four Seasons in Michigan

Eating like a local: Regional food specialties
-The Hub of the U.P (Marquette, MI)

Over the summer I took a trip around Lake Michigan that took us through four states and along side three great lakes. We took a detour up to Lake Superior to stop in Marquette Michigan located at the bottom of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula. It was the best stop on the circle tour. It was a real scenic little city that had good eating and a fairly wild nightlife during the summer. It seemed everyone I talked to that lived in the area loved it and wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon...I could see why.




The beach early morning.

Now I know why they call it Lake Superior. I was really impressed with the great great lake. The water was cold and I saw lots of ships transporting whatever they do and it just seemed so much more great than lake Michigan.

Now before you start asking yourself "why is this being posted now, its 10 degrees in the UP right now" well this true but Marquette is also the home to Northern Michigan University and the UP is home to some so called mountains for skiing and snowboarding, good in this part of the country anyway and its fun for kids and adults who like to have a good time. For adults there is snowmobiling and hunting and a few casinos for the party people along with the outdoor jacuzzi's and fireplace's at all the ski cabins around the area. Its also the home to Christmas MI and home of the worlds largest Christmas store. So as you can see this post has some relevance goddamnit.


For the kids amusement...the kids!

Marquette had a really nice eating scene and the beaches were packed by day and the bars were packed into the night. I really like the ladies up there, great time in a great town. The first place we got to check out for food was one of my favorite stop's on the trip. The coney joint was within a stones throw from our hotel the Ramada Inn's entrance and they served coney dog's and sliders along with shakes and some really good thin cut fries. I ended up eating here a total of four times during our time spent...really good roadfood type place, which is what I'm all about. Don't ask me why but Coney dogs are chili dogs from the Detroit area and the state of Michigan while Michigan dogs are hot dogs with chili like "sauce" from upstate New York.


The Coney Joint "eat now jog later"


Coney Dog and Slider from The Coney Joint (Marquette, MI)


DatNizPiz felt the need to get two Chicago style dogs...


Im a sucker for sliders...these were good ($1 after 7p everyday)

Marquette is a nice little town on the lake with a very high average of good food to population total. Like alot of of the little Midwestern cities there's alot of different independent local favorite dining type options for a city of 20,000. Two of the better spots for sit down dinner and drinks are Vierling's and Lagniappe.


Vierling's has some fresh, fresh whitefish


You wouldn't expect to find great Cajun/Creole cookin' in the UP

As expected the super fresh whitefish at Vierling's is superb. They get it fresh from Thill's daily, the local monger is located just down the block on the lake. We each had it a different way, grilled, blackened and baked, all were exceptional. Sorry but no pictures of the food for the first time ever.


Tucked underneath the towns main drag

I love Cajun and in Chicago there really isn't anything good so I always jump on the chance when I see a spot on the road. We ate at the bar where the bartender was very friendly in giving us advice and tips on what to do around the area and where to go at night, this was my favorite restaurant of the trip. Everything was really good including the live music and atmosphere each time we were there.


category 5 hurricane

The bartender who's name escapes me poured some damn good Hurricane's. Unlike the Pat O'Brian's version these were a different recipe that were made by pouring dark rum into the bottom of the glass, fresh squeezed mix of juices in the middle and light rum on top. The reason I cant remember the name of the dude bartending was b/c I had three category five hurricanes before we ate. Hurricanes were served category 3, 4 or 5. Higher the number the more liquor.


fried Boudin balls


bowl of real gumbo with the basket at the bar's selection of hot sauces.


hot sauce bar for your food

We also got introduced to the owner who was a nice super nice lady who wanted to know all about our trip and how we liked the UP and her place. It turns out she has a daughter who graduated from cordon bleu in Chicago and is now working at a restaurant down in New Orleans and will one day move back home with some new recipe's and knowledge of the cuisine and take over the family spot.

Lagniappe was a very satisfying spot and all the food was darn good each time. Lagniappe closes around 9p so our first night there, a local Cub's fan directed us to "The dog house" a bar directly across the street and where they carry the MLB season ticket and show all the Cubs games. After the game we stumbled over to the up-front which was the spot on Wednesday's. Very fun although I don't remember much. The days were spent on the beach and the nights on the town. Its a different place in the winter but still as satisfying if you like the outdoors during winter. Its scenic no matter what season your there and I assume they do a good tourism biz year round.


ham, potato and cheese breakfast pastie from Michigan's U.P

Don't forget to eat a few pasties if you make it to the area!

The Coney Joint
500 W Washington St
Marquette, MI 49855
(906) 225-5570
Website

Lagniappe
145 Jackson Cut Alley,
Marquette, MI 49855
Closed on Weekends for private parties
Website

Vierling Restaurant
119 S Front St
Marquette, MI 49855
(906) 228-3533
Website