Great Eats (and Drinks) Across the Great Lakes
We recently embarked on a family road trip across a broad stretch of the upper United States and Canada. For two weeks we drove from Illinois to Michigan to Canada (Toronto, then Montreal) to Vermont to New York to Cleveland. There were a lot of amazing sights and many ups and downs to get into, but we wanted to start with the information we know you’re most anticipating: how was the food?!
The short answer is that it was almost universally incredible. Below are some standout establishments and some of the unique foods we enjoyed. Don’t worry, there’ll be a separate post regarding the desserts.
Ma Lou’s — Ypsilanti, MI
We visited Ma Lou’s when we went to Michigan back in July 2020, and when we realized our route would take us close enough for a return trip, we knew we had to take advantage. Ma Lou’s specializes in fried chicken and receives most of its earned praise there, but what makes it a standout for us (besides the inclusion of a delicious veg-friendly sandwich on their menu) is The Bonut (biscuit donut), a warm, sweet, perfectly textured treat that I’ve spent more time daydreaming about than I care to admit.
Hungary Thai Food Bar & Eatery — Toronto, Canada
Have you ever wished you could eat pad Thai and schnitzel in the same restaurant, potentially as part of the same meal? Well, have I got news for you.
On a trip where we wanted to make the effort to eat some cuisines we don’t usually encounter, Hungary Thai was an obvious addition to the list. The restaurant is nestled among a lot of other restaurants and bars, but seems to be holding its own. Everything about this place was cute — from the decor to the chopsticks wrapped in instructions for how to use chopsticks (which as an absolutely abysmal chopstick user, I appreciated) to the attentive staff — and the food was really good! Most of the dishes weren’t themselves a combination of the two nationalities’ cuisines as I had hoped (though now that I think about it, I’m not sure what exactly I was picturing), but it was definitely fun to get to order the noodle dish I was craving while Mark had a plate of schnitzel and potatoes, both of which were absolutely delicious.
Papyrus — Toronto, Canada
Speaking of cuisines we don’t often get to sample, Egyptian food was another new experience we wanted to prioritize. On first look, this place looked like just a counter service situation, but when we walked in with our reservation they led us to a curtained-off dining space with only 10 or so tables, warmly lit and decorated with a hieroglyphics motif. It was insulated from the noise of the busy street where it resides, which was an added bonus after a long day.
The food had a familiar Mediterranean influence and composition, but everything had just a little twist to make it unique.
Madame Smith — Montreal, Canada
We stumbled across this bar and restaurant in the neighborhood where we were staying, and weren’t sure what to expect. The vibe was frankly too cool for us, as was the clientele, but our hunger won out and we stayed for dinner. Sometimes you read a list of ingredients in a dish on the menu and think “I’m not sure how that’ll work out” — that was Madame Smith’s in a nutshell. But fortunately for us the creative dishes worked, with the highlight being the flatbread/pizza situation that contained smoked almonds, pomegranate, feta cheese, and a handful of other items, warm and fresh. Definitely not a bad introduction to the city.
La Bete a Pain — Montreal, Canada
A notable number of restaurants in Montreal that were otherwise non-Asian included Banh Mi on their list of vegetarian offerings, which means that you’ll find more than a few restaurants offering a blend of French and Vietnamese cuisine (sort of). Ordering this was a gamble that paid off, along with the potatoes we ordered alongside it.
This place makes the list for one more reason, though. In a pastry case full of traditional French offerings, one item stood out. It was a log of chocolate that we were told was a homemade Snickers bar. Obviously we had to try it. And folks, it was perhaps the Dessert of the Trip — every detail was perfect, and they even improved on the original by replacing the layer of nougat with a chewy, buttery cookie. I’m not saying you need to go to Montreal just to try this bar, but I’m not not saying it, either.
Cook Sisters / Wally’s Bagels — South Hero, VT
What to say about this double-duty restaurant by night, bagel shop by day, other than that this is my personal Platonic ideal of a restaurant? It’s all run by one woman who makes most if not all of the food herself. The bagel shop does huge business, as we learned when we stopped in for breakfast on a weekend morning, and rightfully so — I wasn’t expecting to continue the Excellent Bagels streak from Montreal, but Wally’s stepped up and pleasantly surprised me.
Dinner at Cook Sisters was the best first night in town experience we could have asked for. The ambiance was perfect — it’s a small space, quiet, and even the music seemed tailored to the meal. Everything we ate burst with home-cooked goodness, and our table spread even included some colored pencils to entertain ourselves with drawing (I am a fierce proponent of the idea that coloring is not just for kids). The cherry on top of it all was the homemade carrot cake, a light and moist confection which perfectly completed the meal.
The Hive Cafe — South Hero, VT
This was less a cafe and more of a food truck, but that didn’t matter. The kale pesto grilled cheese was one of the better things I’ve gotten from any cafe in my travels, and it was made with fresh, high quality ingredients in just a few minutes. The Hive had a variety of creative offerings, and it’s so unassuming we almost missed it, but I’m very glad we didn’t.
Citizen Cider — Burlington, VT
This is a Burlington hotspot, judging by the crowd that began forming while we were there, as well as the hip staff. Citizen Cider offers lots of options for sampling their ciders, including curated flights that show off their best depending on what flavors you’re seeking.
The food is pretty good too — comfort food offerings with local ingredients and the occasional creative spin. A standout for us was the fried cauliflower, and (believe it or not) the house-made ranch dressing, which made for a perfect appetizer.
Guud and Evul Vegan Eats — Tonawanda, NY
We’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed some internationally-renowned vegan “junk food” in the past, and this little place ranks right up there. The cooks at Guud and Evul clearly know comfort food well and have found savory, creative ways to present vegan dishes in a format you might not expect. A particular highlight was the “3 Little Pigs” (fried macaroni and vegan cheese surrounded by 3 different thick sauces, topped with faux bacon bits), and the “Big Parm” (to which a rubbery eggplant will now sadly never live up).
Dosa Place — Niagara, NY
This was an entirely brand new food category for us — Southern Indian. We’ve coincidentally been exposed to mostly Northern Indian food in the restaurants we’ve visited, so we were excited to see how the food from another region of this country would compare. The verdict: it was pretty good! There was quite a bit of overlap in flavors and techniques with Indian food we’ve had, but Dosa Place definitely puts their own spin on things. The food was fresh and tasty, and everyone working there was incredibly pleasant.
Blue Habanero — Cleveland, OH
I know what you’re thinking. Mexican food? Cleveland? Are we sure about this? But yes, Blue Habanero could easily compete with any midrange restaurant in any number of other cities. From the margarita flight to the smothered veggie burrito, this place delivered satisfying dishes for a reasonable price. Can’t ask for much more than that.
