Cedar Tavern Surprise
- Robert Adams
- Apr 3
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 5
SUCH A PLEASANT SURPRISE came my way this past Saturday. I was driving through Leelanau County with Nancy, enjoying the beautiful landscape on a sunny afternoon.
The sun was working hard at melting the leftover snow, but there were still piles of it, reminding us of winter’s lengthy grip in northern Michigan.
Nancy and I, who enjoy our wandering ways, decided to stop in at the Cedar Tavern for a bite and a beer. It had been years since my last visit, and I was surprised at all the impressive updates that caught my eye as we entered the tavern from their parking lot.
We shared our first impressions, surprised by how packed the place was and how sparklingly clean it appeared. Nancy also echoed with hearty approval at the cleanliness of the ladies' bathroom after her quick visit. This brought me back in time, remembering traveling the entire UP with my mother, when she held her bladder because she refused to use the toilets in the string of modest gas stations along U.S. 2. Modest might be an overstatement now that I think of it.
We bellied up to the bar and noticed signs over the entrance and on the menu expressing a welcoming thought from the tavern owners.
“The Best People in the World Walk Thru Our Door”
I pointed out the slogan over the entrance to Nancy, and we both smiled, knowing we were in that group.
The great surprise that would soon move us to near ecstasy was sharing a bowl of their Chicken Jalapeño Soup. I kid you not, this was a near-perfect copy of Art Tavern’s Wednesday soup special. It might have been better.
How can two people using two spoons polish off a bowl of creamy and spicy soup, trying to find something to improve upon - it wasn’t possible. I was able to secure a few oyster crackers, but only a few. Nancy had dibs on the packet of crackers.
After our hour-long stay, we paid our bill, tipped generously, and headed to our car.
Maneuvering around the maze of randomly parked cars proved a challenge, acting as my self-administered sobriety test. We let out a sigh of relief as we made it to the main drag, smiling all the way, and headed back to Traverse City.
The Cedar Tavern proved to be a five-star experience!
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