Reporter Food: Legs’s Inn on Lake Michigan
(Crystal A. Proxmire, July 2, 2018)
Cross Village, MI- A recent up north excursion led to one of the most interesting Reporter Food meals ever. Thirty Minutes south west of Mackinaw City, in an area high on dunes, is a beautiful place called Cross Village. Overlooking Lake Michigan with a view of four lighthouses is a restaurant that has delighted customers since 1921 – Leg’s Inn.
The restaurant is an amazing mix of eclectic décor and history, with Native American art mixed with relics of the founding family’s Polish heritage. A pool table sits off to the side of a bar, in a room made of large stones. There is a kid’s game room and a gift shop. Guests can dine inside in a room rich with wood and large windows. Or they can sit out back, in a garden-like setting with a sunset view.
The menu is packed with Polish fare, and the Taste of Poland Platter was a good choice for sampling several items. I ordered that while my friend had the Polski Poutine, which is not like the typical French Canadian version.
The Polski Poutine had fresh cut fries topped with traditional Goulash, which is a hearty stew made of beef, pork, herbs and garden vegetables cooked in a savory gravy, with a layer of melted mozzarella on top.
The Taste of Poland Platter had Golabki (stuffed cabbage), Polish Kielbasa, Sauerkraut, veggies, and a trio of Pierogi (beef and pork, potato and farmer’s cheese, sauerkraut and mushroom). The platter also came with a choice of soup or salad, and I opted for the creamy Zurek soup, which had slices of potato, Polish sausage, and slices of hard boiled eggs in a meat and rye broth.
Everything was delicious and filling, and the kielbasa was the best I’ve ever had.
To wash it down my friend enjoyed Poland’s best selling beer Zywiec. I had a sweet and spicy liquor with a long history called Krupnik Honey.
The evening was complete with a drive through the nearby Tunnel of Trees, a winding road with peeks of the lake and the sunshine through a glorious cover of greenery, ending with a lovely Lake Michigan sunset.
The Smolak family has owned Leg’s Inn for nearly 100 years. There is even an historical marker honoring the restaurant, with one side of the sign telling the story in Polish.
Learn more about this delightful up north spot at their website http://www.legsinn.com/
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