Day three

The Mackinac Bridge: five miles long, two dollars and fifty cents each way, and only two cars have wound up in the water.

Continued from the last post.

Day 3 - Lunch: Pellston Market (again). It's just that good, and convenient to where I was working. This time I had the pork tenderloin sandwich. It didn't have the caramelized onions that were part of what made yesterday's steak sandwich so great, but it definitely did not disappoint. The pork was perfectly cooked, and there was a fennel/cumin combination that was a pleasant change from what I've been eating recently. And of course, the greens on the sandwich were fresh and organic. I wish there was a place like this back in C-town.

Day 3 - Snack: Mackinac Island, one of the many fudge shops by a ferry drop off. I did not, however, get fudge, but instead went for a sugar cone of Mackinac Fudge ice cream. The one generous scoop full of Island fudge (according to the lady behind the counter, actual Island fudge is sent away to be incorporated into the ice cream) mixed with vanilla ice cream was terrific. I forgot the name of the place I went to, but all of the places seemed to serve the same brand of ice cream, and most of it looked good. Between Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island, and the U.P. I saw more fudge shops than I had in my entire life. None looked bad, and it's fun to watch them make the fudge. Still, a few samples and the ice cream was all I needed. The Island itself was amazing, but this is a food blog, not a tourist bureau.

Day 3 - Dinner: Mitchell St. Pub & Cafe in Petoskey, MI(http://www.mitchellstreetpub.com/). I wasn't expecting much from the town I never heard of, but I guess I should have expected more. A great town with a New England/Coastal/Ski area/Midwest feel loaded with restaurants, galleries, great views, and great houses (really, this isn't a tourist bureau). Method for choosing a place to eat--stopping a random nice looking lady walking a not-pure-bred dog and asking for a good affordable place. She, along with others we had previously spoken to, recommended the Pub, and also Roast & Toast (http://www.roastandtoast.com/). Unfortunately, there was no time for Roast and Toast, but the Pub was perfect. I had a bowl of chicken and white bean chile and a some fried cheese curds (which were much better than the U.P. cheese curds). Both were very good, and I'm not a chicken chile person. The coworker had a great looking veggie sandwich. Also, for drink I had a pint of Huma-Lupa-Licious IPA brewed by Short's Brewing Company in Bellaire, MI (http://www.shortsbrewing.com/brews.htm). It was pleasantly hoppy, but was by no means overboard (Disclosure: In college I worked for a PA brewpub that produced Hops Infusion, and I didn't think that was too over the top either.). Also, the Pub had a nice no smoking section, so both huffers and nonhuffers were accommodated.

Another day of good food in Northern Michigan. But, it was a working trip, and the job out here is done, for now. Hopefully I'll run low on gas near The Jerky Outlet tomorrow, but it's not looking good.

And here's why I'm a fudgie (That's me in the reflection, but not my bike. And the pictured marble tables and fudge theatrics were de rigeur in the area.):