Michigan’s Best Outdoor Dining: See winners from across the state
Updated Feb 23, 2021;
Posted Feb 23, 2021
We had more than 130 nominations for Michigan s Best Outdoor Dining. The Hearthstone Bistro in Muskegon - a great place for date night - was the winner of the Muskegon and Lakeshore Poll. See all of our 11 regional poll winners below.Courtesy of Ben Soyars
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The next week it’s 40 degrees.
That’s Michigan for you.
Regardless of the weather, one thing we know for sure, restaurant and bar owners across the state have been working hard to meet your needs, and to offer a variety of dining options.
How this tiny village made its local bar the Best Outdoor Dining spot in Northern Michigan
Updated Feb 16, 2021;
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Along with friend Julie Saunders, they took over ownership of the bar on Oct. 28.
After some remodeling, painting and cleaning, they reopened it on Nov. 14.
Then, four days later, they had to close for indoor dining like all Michigan restaurants to adhere to health department guidelines because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“But it was a fantastic four days,” Jeff Lay said.
“The locals were all pouring back in, and they were happy what we had done with the place, and excited we didn’t change the name or get rid of any of the artifacts or history that’s in the bar.”
Ann Arbor outdoor dining poll winner has enticing dishes, great ambiance
Posted Feb 13, 2021
Pacific Rim in Ann Arbor was picked as the area s best outdoor dining. Asian inspired dished come out gorgeously plated.Pacific Rim Courtesy Photo, used with permission.
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Garnering votes from around the world, Pacific Rim by Kana was named the poll winner for the Ann Arbor region in our search for Michigan’s Best Outdoor Dining. This popular downtown spot has been serving the community for 20 years, and offers Asian inspired cuisine created by a the chef owner who just happens to have degrees in both biochemistry and theology.
A Michigan-made yurt village can be found at this spot in Chelsea
Updated Feb 10, 2021;
Posted Feb 10, 2021
The Grateful Crow in Chelsea has a yurt village on their patio to enjoy cozy outdoor dining.MLive.com
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CHELSEA, MI - A plan seven years in the making doesn’t let a pandemic stop it. The Grateful Crow in Chelsea opened its doors in October 2020, and promptly had to close them due to the shutdown in November. With the help of a good friend who happens to own Great Lakes Yurt Company, the restaurant quickly erected a yurt village, and kept on serving - outdoors.
See our Poll Leaders for Michigan’s Best Outdoor Dining
Updated Jan 29, 2021;
Posted Jan 27, 2021
The Benstein Grille in Commerce Twp. has two igloos. The BG Lodge is decorated in a cozy lodge theme. The Ice Globe is decorated with white faux fur pelts on the chairs and a ice glacier looking chandelier. Both igloos have two heaters each, air purifiers as well as Bluetooth speakers.Courtesy of Sheila Richardson
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The voting for Michigan’s Best Outdoor Dining kicked off on Tuesday, Jan. 26, and we’ve already received more than 6,500 votes in just one day.
Thanks to everyone who voted for their favorite restaurants in Michigan. Trust me, they appreciate it. We talked to several restaurant owners, as well as employees, over the last few days who are thrilled for the recognition as they battle months of business loss because of the Covid-19 pandemic.