Fire Fly Cafe and Lounge

Photo Credit: Nick Perez

After much harassing from my fellow Swaggy contributors of my penchant for Umbros at home, and my lack of blog contributions, I hereby present you with my first blog post for Northern Swag. Through my role as the Digital Janitor, I mostly keep out of view and make sure things run smoothly around here, while also contributing photos when I can.

Admittingly, this would have likely been a review of another downtown establishment, except for the fact that there was an hour plus wait to get into most of the main downtown restaurants. I thought Cherry Festival and Film Festival were over? Guess us locals have to wait until after Labor Day to reclaim our town. So for now, indulge away Mr. and Mrs. Tourist, we do appreciate your added economic contributions.

One place that seems, at least for me, to be off the radar a bit is Fire Fly Cafe and Lounge, situated along the beautiful banks of the Boardman River. Though they”ll probably forever be known as 310 to me. (Anyone actually know why they changed their name?) They’re mostly known for their small plates, or tapas, as well as their sushi and steaks. I’m not sure I’ve ever had anything there other than the tapas, because there are so many to choose from. Currently, they range anywhere from $8 to $14, or you can get three for $30. For the record, Fire Fly was also busy, they just have more seating I believe, and we were able to sit outside without too much issue.

Part of the TC Food group of restaurants, and much like their other downtown establishment Bubba’s, Fire Fly also offers a daily special. Tonight happened to be “Half Off Martinis and Mojitos” night which went perfectly with our assortment of calamari, tuna tartare, crab cakes, roasted pork tacos, coconut curry and filet mignon skewers. Remember, these are small plates folks. There were four people there, I swear it wasn’t all for me.

Happy Hour is everyday until 7 PM and includes a pretty good selection of Michigan craft beer, which is always a plus for me.

If the weather is nice, I highly recommend sitting on the sidewalk patio along the Boardman River as we did tonight, and take in the surroundings of downtown.

So thank you busy downtown Traverse City restaurants, I’m glad your hour wait got me back to a great dining spot of Traverse City.

Laker Shakes’ Burdickville Market

Guest blogger and ice cream aficionada, Cora, is back!  Check out her review of Laker Shakes’ Burdickville Market, one of a grand total of three businesses (including restaurants La Becasse and Funistrada) that call hustling Burdickville, Michigan (located on the southeast shore of Big Glen Lake) home.  Grab a Laker Shakes’ malt, shake, or cone and enjoy it down on the dock at Old Settlers Park.  You won’t regret it!

Peegeo’s

Photo Credit: Nick Perez

What’s better than visiting a bar you’ve heard people talk about for over 20 years but never stepped foot in? Absolutely nothing! I was thrilled to travel off the beaten path to visit Peegeo’s for the very first time. If you were wondering where it is, try Googling it. My dad said his buddies regularly snowmobiled over for food and drinks back in the day. He wasn’t kidding because back in the day was 1983 when they opened!

Peegeo’s is known for their cheesy bread, pizza, and wings. I’m happy to report I enjoyed all three. The cheesey bread could easily block you up for days and the wings were the perfect mix of saucy and hot. We decided to try two pizzas; first, Todd’s Spud Lover Pizza, which was covered with sour cream and topped with shredded potatoes, bacon, onion, and three cheeses. Amazingly delicious and even better for breakfast the next day. Second, the Deluxe Pizza, everything you would want baked to perfection. Add in a few pitchers of PBR, live music on the

outdoor deck, and I can’t think of a better place to spend an evening.

Some say Peegeo’s is a dive bar, I like to think of it more as a hidden gem nestled in the middle of Spider Lake with good food, spirits, and fun.

Sugarkissed

When we walked into the new store Sugarkissed, it took my breath away. It’s bold, bright, and beautiful!  The couches are neon green, bright blue, and one was pink and orange.  They have cake-pops, cupcakes, and delicious frozen yogurt. When I saw all of the bright colors, I thought that they would have frozen yogurt, because for some reason most frozen yogurt places have very, very, colorful and bright décor.

I have not had their cake-pops or cupcakes, but I did have their frozen yogurt. You wouldn’t guess that it was yogurt if you didn’t know what it really was, because it tasted like ice cream, and you don’t have to feel as guilty for eating it. I had the Texas peanut butter, which tasted like real peanut butter. To top it I put on caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, peanut butter chocolate chips, chocolate chips, and a piece of graham cracker. It was so creamy, smooth, and mouthwatering. It definitely satisfied my sweet tooth. It just all came together.

Oh, and they also give a shot of frosting for $1. Cora, my brother Jack, and I all had a frosting shot.  The choices were peanut butter or marshmallow, and we all got the marshmallow flavor. It was served in a little paper cup with some sprinkles on top of it. It was very delicious, sweet, and it kind of melted in your mouth. It even tasted like a real marshmallow.

Next time I want to get cake batter or vanilla yogurt with some strawberries and chocolate sauce.  In the wintertime they’ll have a hot chocolate bar that I’m excited to try!  I can’t wait to go back to Sugarkissed!