Dining
Come and enjoy rustic worldly food at the Lodge, either at the Little Cabin Cafe (open every day to the public) or in the Tasting Post (private dinners only). Each of our food and beverage operations are unique with their style.
[ See hours of operations ]
Reminder: Payment is by credit or debit card only.
We are not your typical dining services. As a result you will find our operations are different than an everyday restaurant. Our dining services focus on food and culinary experiences that are a luxury (as opposed to a necessity and everyday meal).
Below, learn more about our food that focuses on being rustic and worldly.
Little Cabin Cafe @ the Lodge
The Little Cabin Cafe is focused around craft gourmet coffee — hot and cold — and supplementing the coffee with gelato, sorbet, and other various food items. As defined as “cafe” (i.e. by definition), table service is not provided in the Little Cabin Cafe. The Little Cabin Cafe is located in the back portion of the Lodge building. [ See Current Menu ]
The Tasting Post @ the Lodge
The Tasting Post revolves around having a slow dining experience, where one is not in a hurry, but rather wanting to enjoy the atmosphere of the Lodge and the company one is with. Meals from the weekly menu are served in the historic dining room of the Lodge, where one can sit and enjoy the atmosphere. The Tasting Post is open for private dinners only. [ See Current Week’s Menu | Advanced Reservations Required ]
Grilling Kit, S’mores Kit, & Wine Kit
You can also utilize the grills around the cabins, and order a ready-to-grill grilling kit. You can get a s’mores or wine kit to complement the grilling kit. [ Learn More about the Grilling Kit, S’mores Kit, and Wine Kit ]
The Concept of “Rustic Worldly Food”
At the Lodge we are working to build a culinary experience for our guests that is built around a “Rustic Worldly Food” concept.
Simplicity is the basis of this concept (the “Rustic” portion of the concept). It is a concept that entails food being cooked simply, using simple, quality ingredients (locally-sourced when available), and presented simply (without being “dressed up”). Executing on this concept tends to highlight authentic flavors that are strong, vigorous, and vibrant — not subtle.
When alone, each ingredient we use is of high quality, yet simple. Anyone can find these ingredients from their local food source. However, when combining simple ingredients together, we are able to make the flavors strong, vigorous, and vibrant — making the ingredients sing.
The food is connected to the way we live (the “Worldly” portion of the concept). As a result, our food is worldly, as people that work at and visit the Lodge are from different parts of the world. We are well traveled. As well, our team members all have friends and colleagues from all over the world — which influence our creativity when developing dishes.
To add to the flavor of our food, we are offering our dishes in a setting that is close to nature, in a wilderness area. You are closer to the earth — where you can feel the earthiness and the soil that one stands on — feel the raw open and pure air. We are able to provide that environment by our location at the top of the Keweenaw in Michigan — in the north woods, in a historic log building that feels like you are in a Lodge at a national park.
Authentically simple quality food from around the world, offered in a rustic environment in the north woods of Michigan.
The Concept of a Limited Menu
Our menus are limited, and done so on purpose.
As an example, in 2021 before we transitioned to private dinners, the maximum number of menu items we have had on our dinner menu was 15 (including appetizers, dinner entrees, dinner salads, sandwiches/wraps, and desserts). For private dinners in the Tasting Post, and in the Little Cabin Cafe, we continue to have limited menus.
[ See the current Dining Room Menu | See past Menus ]
By offer a limited number of items, we are able to focus on making each dish unique and EXCELLENT. We do not strive to be mediocre, but strive to be excellent. We feel we have a better chance of building EXCELLENT dishes by limiting our menus.
It takes time to build EXCELLENT, and we are only in our 3rd full year under new ownership and working on this aspect of our dining operations. Building anything of quality is a step-by-step process, and we feel we are moving in a good direction with our dining services. However, we do realize that it takes time to build each dish to an EXCELLENT level.
If you are looking for a wide array of dishes, the Lodge is not going to be able to satisfy your desire. There are other food establishments around the Keweenaw that can provide a wide array of menu items if that is what you desire. We can provide recommendations for you so you can find those food establishments.
[ See past menus here. ]
Slow Food Concept
We believe in slow food and slow dining. This means we take our time preparing your food, and provide you the ability to enjoy the entire dining experience in a historic lodge setting.
What is Slow Food? The slow food movement began in Italy with Carlo Petrini when he protested the fast food entry into his country. From that protest, where he provided bowls of penne pasta, he gave voice to another way of thinking that is based upon the Slow Food Manifesto, providing food that is:
- GOOD: quality, flavorsome and healthy food
- CLEAN: production that does not harm the environment
- FAIR: accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for producers
The slow food movement also has a more down-to-earth mission: to teach people to appreciate the taste, presentation, and preparation of food and drink, while taking time to enjoy life with family and friends. Come together and enjoy what you eat, savor the pleasures of the table while learning about each dish.
What is Slow Dining? This does not refer to the service one receives while dining out. It refers to the pace at which the meal is eaten. A pace which is meant to slow you down and let you relax. A pace which allows you to savor your food and enjoy the company you are with. A pace which allows your body to digest and process the good, wholesome, nutritious food we have prepared as it is eaten.
Savor your food, unwind your pace, sit, and relax in the rustic Northwoods
Chef Wi
The rustic worldly culinary flair at the Lodge is led by Chef Widad “Wi” Mueller. Guided by a passion for flavors derived from worldly-influences, Chef Wi adds unique twists to the menu each week to create dishes that bring the world of food to the Keweenaw. She is known for developing dishes using simple ingredients in such a manner that exhibits the flavors from the dish’s country-of-origin. [ Learn more about Chef Wi ]
Food Waste
We focus on minimizing our food waste at the Lodge. On average, restaurants through out 30-33% of their food at the end of each night. At the Lodge, our food waste is closer to 3%. [ Learn more about how we manage our food waste ]