We rarely went to the famous Moosewood Cafe when we were Cornell students: too far from campus and too pricey. But we all had the cookbook, of course. We had a lovely lunch there. I had a Peruvian Stew that was excellent.
@ Simply Cookie’s
We also had more luck at Sew Green downtown which resells gently used Eileen Fisher clothing. We hoped to get to two other places downtown — odyssey bookstore and Found, antiques —but ran out of time. Same with Food Lab, an interesting looking restaurant downtown.
Dinner was at the golf course up on a hill behind the now defunct Wells College in Aurora, with hearty home cooked meals by a chef named Cookie. Hence the name: SimplyCookie’s Kitchen. Excellent burgers, fries, brisket bowls and quiche.
Dirck and Mike enjoyed the Sims-Jennings Preserve at Cayuga Cliffs, near the cottage, which has an almost 2 mile trail through meadow, woods, waterfalls and gorges. Next trip! Our favorite place was the new porch at our friend’s new improved cottage on Cayuga Lake. A mesmerizing view before and even more so now.
The waterfalls at Watkins Glen were running full as we trekked along the gorge trail, thanks to the recent rains and the views were as spectacular as ever, although the trail was wet and somewhat slippery. We parked at the main entrance which proved to be more convenient than the south entrance. We did the north rim trail back which was fine except at the end when there were lots of steps going downhill.
Lunch was at Grist Iron brewery, yet another brew pub that has popped up along the east side of Seneca Lake. Great views, decent food (bbq brisket, pulled pork, steak sandwiches. Then we drove east to the western shore of Cayuga lake to get some award-winning cheese at Lively Run.
Not only did we contend with 95 degree weather during our visit to Busch Stadium. The Cardinals and Nationals game lasted 11 innings after they tied in the 9th and then in the 10th. So it was a long hot game, although this didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of our two Cardinals fans (dirck and Noah). One of the better deals: a free shuttle bus to the stadium from Duke’s, a sports bar in Soulard. Other area bars also offer shuttles. All you do is buy a drink (and only 2 of the 4 of us did). The bus was ready and waiting after the game. Amen! We saved time, money, and aggro.
@ Soulard Airbnb
We wandered around City Foundry, a post-industrial entertainment complex with a food hall, retail shops and entertainment options. The highlight was Golden Gems, a women-owned gift shop with attitude.
Near the World Museum of Chess (home of the world’s largest chess piece), we had brunch at chess-themed Kingsbury Diner. (Thinking of our chess-crazy friend Russ!)
Then onto the imposing St. Louis Art Museum, in an elegant building built for the famous 1904 worlds fair here. It sits high on a hill overlooking a huge reflecting pool/lake with fountains, and the city fanning out beyond it.
The first thing encountered as we walked in the main entrance: five enormous and spectacular floor-to-ceiling paintings by german painter Anselm kiefer commissioned by the museum and installed in 2025, inspired by his visit to the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers here and the Rhine from his native land. Rivers flow into and become the sea, hence the name of the installation: Becoming the sea.
One of two decks at our Airbnb
We spent time in American Art with familiar regionalism artists from this part of the world including Thomas Hart Benton (of Kansas City) and John Steuart Curry (he painted the famous murals in the Kansas state house in Topeka).
The car weather gauge clocked in at 102 degrees as we drove into St. Louis, over the Mississippi and past the famous arch, reminding me of an earlier trip here with searing heat and humidity.
We’re staying in a beautifully renovated red brick building in historic Soulard, a tight neighborhood of streets lined with w/19th and early 20th century red brick buildings in various stages of restoration.
Central West End (Maryland & Euclid)
We stopped at the famous Ted Drewes along Route 66 for frozen custard (what else!), then has a very old fashioned Sicilian dinner (toasted ravioli, eggplant parm, lots of red sauce) on The Hill at Gian-Tony’s.
Bogarts
Today we walked up the street to the Soulard farmers market in the oppressive heat, trying to stay on the shady side of the red brick streets, where we had some beignets and bought another local delicacy, “gooey yellow butter cake.”
Lunch, Noah’s pick, was very good bbq at Bogart’s (in Soulard (owned by the same folks as Pappy’s BBQ) and pretty good ribs, burnt ends and brisket.
A Soulard street, with golf cart
We attempted to walk around the central west end neighborhood by Maryland and Euclid (home of the world chess hall for fame), past gated streets with elegant mansions (Pershing Street) near the green-tile domed basilica. We also drove down the even fancier Portland place, lined with huge mansions on enormous lots and gated shut at either end (we got in through a side street). Also drove around the beautiful homes adorning Lafayette square.
Both the New York Times and Midwest Living have published glowing articles about tourism in southwest Michigan, around New Buffalo, an area we’ve come to know well thanks to my sister who moved to Bridgman, a short walk from Weko Beach, a perfectly sandy stretch along Lake Michigan, just north of Warren Dunes State Park.
This trip we stopped at Farmette, outside New Buffalo, a farm-to-table food store and bakery with delicious breads and a good selection of cheeses, dips, pastries. No great sandwiches. Farmette reminded me of the Farm Club outside Traverse City.
We returned to the mango dispensary in new Buffalo that, yet again, didn’t have the sleep gummies I like (Camino sours, deep sleep).
We have eaten very well this trip at sophisticated, veg-driven farm-to-table places with lovely gardens and garden ingredients. The “farmer’s Scramble” (eggs, cheese, sautéed onions, squash and tomatoes) at PennyRoyal Cafe on the outskirts of Saugatuck was wonderfully fresh and tasty, served with perfectly browned crispy potatoes and muesli bread.
The place looks humble from the two lane BluE Star Highway, outside downtown Saugatuck but chef Missy Corey is a James Beard award semi finalist producing interesting takes on classic fare, with a focus on quality ingredients. We waltzed in at 1:45 pm on a Saturday and ate in a lovely shaded courtyard with native plants but the small casual dining room is cool – with an open kitchen, copper bar for seating and landscapes by a local artist. Easy in and out, minus the tourist crush in downtown Saugatuck.
Esch beach, Honor, MI
We also made a quick stop at the Fulton Street Market in a transitional neighborhood of Grand Rapids. The open air market is one long corridor, with a roof, packed with Michigan produce. We arrived around 1, when some vendors were looking to unload their produce. We may be eating green beans and basil for days.
Last stop, two cannabis dispensaries (yes, you read that right) in New Buffalo. I’ve been trying CBD/CBN gummies as a sleep aid but both stores I visited (Mango and Bowdega) were sold out of the kind I’ve been using (Camino deep sleep) so I ended up with another brand and a bunch of free samples that I don’t know what I’ll do with!
On our one slightly rainy day (the weather has otherwise been perfect, sunny, in high 70s and low 80s), we took a,pretty 1/2 hour or so drive to Traverse City where we had a lovely meal at a farm to table place called Farm Club that is perched on the edge of a pretty swath of yes, farmland.
Arcadia,Mount Baldy
We shared a fresh vegetable plate with two refreshing dips and delicious onion rings that were surprisingly light, tempura style, crunchy with drizzled hot sauce.At Higher Art, a gallery on Front Street, I found a perfect housewarming gift for a friend who may be reading this.
Airbnb diningAirbnb, HonorFarm Club
The next day we went to Arcadia, a very pretty village south of here,where we took a short hike through the woods and around a sandy bluff to huge dune called Mount Baldy overlooking shimmering blue Lake Michigan,drove around the lovely old Watervale Inn and resort and had a good lunch at the food truck KEtch 22 and neighboring coffee truck.
Ketch 22
There’s another new restaurant, MT Plate Diner, across the street that looked promising. We also stopped at the famous Gwen Frostic studio outside Beulah.
Gwen Frostic
Although this Airbnb maybe too expensive to stay at again, we really liked it. Great location on Martin Road, a pretty dirt road technically in Honor, only a 3 mile drive to Esch Beach. Very ice rooms and porches.An old fixed up farmhouse in the woods.
Farm clubPyramid Point (further north, Glen arbor)
Empire has a beautiful contemporary library (Glen Lake Community) on its main drag, where I had book event #16, which was fun, attended by old friends from high school and people I’d never met. Great combo. Dinner was at Joe’s Friendly Tavern, a local favorite with knotty pine walls, Detroit Tigers memorabilia and big round wood tables quickly filled with one group after another. Terrific burgers, and kid food including nothing fancy but serviceable Kraft Mac and cheese.
Book event pals
This morning we got goodies at the weekly Tuesday farmers market in bustling Glen Arbor, then hit the bike trail (sleeping Bear heritage trail) cycling north past lake houses, the Homestead Resort and pretty preserved farmsteads that are part of the national park shoreline. We got as far as Point Oneida, then turned around. Pyramid point was too far for the ride which began on paved trail but soon became gravel and crushed stone and sand. Not my favorite surface but a gorgeous ride through bucolic farmland and woods. Another day we rode from port Oneida to good Harbor beach, an easy 10 mile ride, primarily paved but with about a mile of gravel.
We had a late lunch at the cafe at The Mill, a hip new place in a restored grain mill bordering a gentle stream. We sat outside on a small deck overlooking the stream and enjoyed a delicious pesto chicken sandwich and inventive watermelon salad with tomatoes, dill, feta, and pistachios. (trust me, it worked!) we liked the place enough to go again for lunch, having a banh Minh sandwich with pork belly and a chilled spicey corn soup.There’s also an outpost called Up River in town near the bike store
The MillLunch at The Mill cafe
Supper (the name of the evening meal) is pricey and reservations can be hard to get but I’d like to try some time time. Emma and rocket enjoyed their meal there. We also brought home an excellent walnut cranberry bread. The place also has three rooms for lodgers. The decor in the dining areas is rustic chic.
Cottage Book shop
Somehow we had never been to the Cottage Book Shop, which turned out to be totally charming, inside a rustic wood cabin and has a fantastic selection of books (including mine, aka Our Diaries, Ourselves)
We discovered there is a Vic Steimel Park in the area. Word has it he was a Leelanau county lifer who owned property on Suttons Bay’s Stony Point, died in 1984, and was the son of George Steimel. Dirck says he had an uncle George Steimel who lived Baltimore but we doubt it’s the same guy.
Back to glorious northern Michigan where we are staying this time in a lovely mi casa, su casa, a farmhouse in the woods (Airbnb) outside the village of Honor, close to our favorite Beach (Esch), two towns we’ve stayed in before, Beulah and Empire. The Airbnb is shockingly expensive (I’m embarrassed to say how much) especially since one room is unexpectedly uninhabited (sadly because our son and daughter in law had to cancel). But it is nice to have such a great place after some dodgy ones in the past.
The Bakers Burrow
We visited some golden oldies: the empire bluff trail (always spectacular views from on high of the dunes and the varegated blue/green water of Lake Michigan and Esch Beach, which had fun waves. Lunch was at a new place my brother and family discovered in Benzonia- the eatery at up north fields, a cute little food hut with open air dining my area in a flower garden. The brisket Mediterranean bowl was pricey but good. Didn’t like the chicken one as much.
The eatery
Near us, we chanced upon an adorable bakery in a tiny cupboard outside the Honor village center at the edge of Indian Hill road, off Highway 31. It’s called the baker’s burrow, run by mother daughter bakers. We got a delicious looking blueberry muffin.
