For decades, locals and visitors have been flocking to Everyday People Café. That popularity is indeed for the food, but also for the restaurant’s other charms—its cozy, lively bar, comfortable dining rooms, and warm, polished hospitality. Menu items span regions and cuisines: roasted salmon with sauce soubise, vadouvan vinaigrette, and pea shoots; miso-sake marinated sea bass with Chinese eggplant and lemon-ginger beurre blanc; pesto pasta with gemelli noodles, teardrop tomatoes, and parmesan. Whatever the creation, the team here excels, wielding a true grasp of balanced, flavorful dishes. House-made desserts like the key lime pie or blueberry crisp (try it a la mode) serve as a rich and comforting finale.
Chicago native Melissa Corey moved to Saugatuck and opened Pennyroyal Café and Provisions, where she and her team put forth seasonal, from-scratch dishes celebrating Michigan farms. Book a table for dinner, or visit during daytime hours for billowy blueberry pancakes, hearty breakfast sandwiches, and a popular whitefish melt. Pastries are baked fresh daily and beautifully conceived—a Basque-style cake with a pastry cream center, rotating croissants, and a caprese danish on weekends (a seasonal favorite with marinated tomatoes and herbed chevre). Dine indoors to witness Corey and team at work on the line, or outdoors in the dreamy, lush garden. It is walk-ins only for brunch, so be sure to arrive early—tables here fill up fast (credit the hospitable team and Corey’s impressive titles, including Chopped winner and James Beard Award nominee).
Take a 15-minute drive to Fennville for dinner at Salt of the Earth, a local favorite for seasonal, sustainably sourced cooking. Start with the bread board, featuring several house-baked varieties alongside local butter, followed by the pizza. The team features several wood-fired renditions: wild mushroom (with caramelized onions and arugula), short rib (with white cheddar and cream sauce), and vegetable (with zucchini, peppers, and corn). When it’s time for dessert, don’t miss their S’more Cake, complete with a toasted marshmallow, graham cracker crumbs, and milk chocolate pudding.
Dining at Bowdie’s Chophouse is at once elegant and unfussy, and a nod to some of the best big city steakhouses around. Settle in with big band swing sounds and a house cocktail, then go big with the steaks—filet mignon, or the bone-in ribeye for two. Accompany it all with a few of the restaurant’s signature sides—sautéed mushrooms, truffle fries, or brussels sprouts and pork belly.
Leaving town, stop for a bite at Farmhouse Deli & Pantry, a beloved spot for sandwiches, salads, and baked goods—all made in-house and from scratch with local, seasonal ingredients. Don’t miss the turkey club or BLT, or earlier in the day, the breakfast burrito (with cage free scrambled eggs and local white cheddar).
