MICHIGAN ‘BEST FOOD TOWNS’ NAMED BY MIDWEST LIVING MAGAZINE

MICHIGAN ‘BEST FOOD TOWNS’ NAMED BY MIDWEST LIVING MAGAZINE

Editors’ Top Picks for the Michigan’s Best Food Towns Plus More Michigan spots to Have a Great Meal

DES MOINES, IA (May 12, 2010) – Ann Arbor and Traverse City have been honored among Midwest Living^® magazine’s five Best Food Towns. Eight other Michigan communities made the list of 54 towns with meals “worth the trip.” The awards recognize the communities’ increasingly rich and varied food scene, according to Midwest Living^® Editor-in-Chief Greg Philby.

In its annual Best of the Midwest issue, Midwest Living serves up editors’ top picks for the five best small to midsize food towns in the 12-state region. (Since most big cities have strong dining scenes, the magazine skipped metro areas of 1 million or more.). After eating more than 700 meals at locally owned restaurants, the foodies at Midwest Living ranked their favorites.

“Researching these awards was tough duty,” Philby joked, as he presented the Michigan awards recently at the Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Mackinac Island. Then, he explained, “We check everything out in person so we can be sure the restaurant will be a good experience from a visitor’s perspective. We looked for quality, for a rich variety of restaurants and prices, and for use of fresh and local ingredients. We particularly love when a restaurant or town really expresses its heritage and sense of place. Part of culinary tourism is about food that tastes great, and part is about personality and a unique experience.”

In addition, the magazine highlights 54 smaller don’t-miss destinations, such as great places to stop for pie, for comfort food, for fine-dining surprises, for coffee, and more.

Midwest Living’s Top Five Food Towns:

Traverse City, MI. This food town boasts farm-fresh menus, and its lake climate makes for bountiful harvests. It does an exemplary job of showcasing local foods such as cherries, fish, and wine.

Ann Arbor, MI. Led by Zingerman’s Deli, the town takes chances with food, has a lot of personality, and is consistently high quality. It has a terrific menu range.

The other top-five winners were Bloomington, IN, Des Moines, IA and Madison, WI.

54 More Meals Worth the Trip:

Michigan towns/restaurants recognized include:

Sawyer: The Lark and Pear (coconut-plum cake)

Petoskey: Jesperson’s (cherry-berry pie with a perfectly flaky crust)

Grand Rapids: Marie Catrib’s (fudgy chocolate pudding, extra-rich thanks to duck eggs)

Fenton: Uncle Ray’s Dairyland (made-to-order frozen yogurt).

Bay City: Krzysiak’s House (Polish golabki—stuffed cabbage rolls).

Sault Ste. Marie: The Antlers Restaurant (steaks and burgers, eaten under of the gaze of 200-plus taxidermic critters).

Wakefield: Randall’s Bakery (pasties—the UP’s trademark pastry pillows stuffed with meat, potatoes and veggies).

Kawkawlin: Turkey Roost (Thanksgiving dinner year-round).

Midwest Living’s Best of the Midwest, an annual guide to the region’s best restaurants, hotels and attractions, is on newsstands until September 7, 2010 or available at midwestliving.com.

About Midwest Living
Midwest Living magazine (www.midwestliving.com), published by Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP), is a regional publication that celebrates the richness of life in the Midwest. Founded in 1987, the magazine is dedicated to providing its readers with a wealth of region-specific information and inspiration, focusing on travel and events, food and dining, and home and garden, as well as other editorial content categories. Midwest Living magazine, which reaches over 4 million readers, is published bi-monthly and has a rate base of 950,000. Midwest Living also partners with Travel Michigan to produce Michigan Travel Ideas®, an annual guide to getaways in Michigan, from parks and outdoor activities to city weekends and upscale resorts. For a free copy, visit michigan.org.

CONTACT: Barbara Morrow (515/284-3085; barbara.morrow@meredith.com).