Harvest Time Dining Spotlight
Savor the flavors of autumn’s bounty at farm-to-table restaurants and let your taste buds explode with the zests, spices and sensations of locally-grown fruits, vegetables, roots and herbs. See how local ingredients, creativity and passion raise our featured restaurants to delicious heights. We invite you to experience Pure Michigan at its purest as skilled chefs create mouth-watering cuisines and decadent desserts. Fall for the agricultural bounty found in farm-to-table restaurants that explode with imagination. See how local ingredients, creativity and passion raise some Pure Michigan stellar restaurants to delicious heights.
Community is at the heart of Salt of the Earth, located in a renovated storefront in downtown Fennville. The farmers and ranchers who supply the kitchen live just down the road. The vineyard and orchard owners are neighbors, as are the faithful diners who make it their hangout. That’s just what the owners hoped for when they opened this small-town venue five years ago. But this favorite is also becoming a dining destination because of the creative touch of head chef Matthew Pietsch, who uses the area’s top ingredients to create exquisite, rustic dishes. Fresh wild mushrooms fill tender ravioli. Just-snipped greens become a family-style salad. Braised succulent pork tops polenta. And just-picked blueberries dot a heavenly gelato of Tahitian vanilla and honey. The restaurant also pours a selection of Michigan wines and has an in-house bakery that makes addictive crusty breads in a brick oven. This trendy spot is a unique venue for local musical acts and is recognized as one of Michigan’s hottest new culinary destinations.
A suburban parking lot is an unlikely location for fresh-from-the-garden cuisine, but that’s what Café Cortina has been creating in Farmington Hills since the Tonon family opened it in 1976. More than just a restaurant – the owners pride themselves for hosting a gathering place for special, meaningful celebrations – a place to break bread, build relationships and embrace the true meaning of hospitality. Inside a plain brick building, gently diffused lighting warms brick walls and upholstered chairs and white tablecloths set the scene for upscale Italian dining. Long before “local” was trendy, the restaurant had a garden next door on land that was once an apple orchard. That’s where the veggies and herbs for the seasonal menu are grown. Starters such as shrimp eggplant and olives are delectable prequels to main dishes of halibut with toasted root vegetables and grilled prawns with spicy arugula. Salads feature fresh flavors of greens, kale, tomatoes and cucumbers—sunny mixes that brighten cool fall days. The wine list, impressive both for its breadth and reasonable prices, features many area vintages. The restaurant also has house-made pasta sauces available for purchase.
Red Haven in Okemos is Mid-Michigan's premier farm-to-table dining experience. Its ever changing menu is composed of small plates with an emphasis on local, seasonal and creative food always with an element of surprise. Visit for any occasion, we are a great place to stop in for a hand-crafted artisan cocktail made with one of their many Michigan spirits. Or, make time to sample a few small plates or join friend for dessert made by our in house pastry chef. The trendy eatery offers a relaxed, comfortable and elegant dining experience.
Mission Table is a farm-to-table restaurant serving seasonal, locally sourced fare and craft cocktails. The atmosphere mimics that of California wine country, with an inviting place for guests to relax and feel welcome at this Traverse City favorite. This eatery also serves a great selection of Michigan wines.
Terra, located in the Grand Rapids Eastown neighborhood district, connects urban neighbors to their local agricultural heritage is a priority. Terra is all about fresh, seasonal produce from the region's most dedicated growers.
More fresh finds:
The Common Grill
Chelsea
A bustling bistro in a renovated department store serves top-notch seasonal menu emphasizing area suppliers.
Evans Street Station
Tecumseh
Midwestern fare takes a sophisticated turn and reflects the chef’s mastery of local ingredients.
Martha’s Leelanau Table
Suttons Bay
The Northwestern Michigan restaurant sources neighboring farmers for a creative spin on old favorites and is located in a charming vintage house
Crane's Pie Pantry
Fennville
Apples, cherries, peaches and pumpkins fill flakey piecrusts before being snatched up by hungry customers. Enjoy a fresh slice after a salad or sandwich in the restaurant or take a frozen pie home for a future sweet treat.
Hungry Village Tours
Saugatuck/Douglas
The local establishment reveals secrets of area restaurants and food producers. Put your tastes buds to use on freshly roasted coffee, fruit spreads, wines, oils and vinegars and smoked meats.