Matt Norcross, co-owner owner of the popular bookstore McLean & Eakin, weighs in on where to go in Petoskey and tries to settle up a long-simmering local score.
Must-know breakfast spot in town? And your go-to dish on the menu?
Sam’s Graces and the blueberry pancakes.
Best book to bring along for dining solo?
Anything by David Sedaris. If you can’t have dinner with your favorite snarky friend, then a book of David’s writing is the next best thing.
Favorite chef memoir or cookbook?
Kitchen Confidential. I’ve read it multiple times but I’ve listened to the audio repeatedly. Bourdain is the reader, and it feels like you are sitting at the bar with him talking in your ear.
Beach read or curled up by a fireplace?
Beach, definitely. And I’m bringing anything by Blake Crouch. Fast-paced thrillers that grab you from page one and will keep you up past your bed time.
Signature cocktail to accompany the consumption of literature?
High octane coffee from Death Wish Coffee. I don’t turn the pages as fast if it’s an “adult beverage.”
M.F.K. Fisher wanders into your store. Where would you send her for dinner?
Dam Site Inn. It is a seasonal restaurant in our area that is reminiscent of old time supper clubs. It is known for the fried chicken, but it’s their perch that keeps bringing me back. The food is amazing, and the decor has remain unchanged for generations
Ernest Hemingway strolls in a moment later. Where would you send him?
City Park Grill. Local lore says he used to drink there, and historians claim that isn’t so. This would take care of a long running argument in our town.
Favorite book for a 3-hour airport delay?
Michael Chabon’s Final Solution. This is one of his lesser-known works and is really just a novella, but it packs a punch and features an aging Sherlock Holmes.
Visit McLean & Eakin and grab a good book to read alongside Little Traverse Bay. Have a favorite hometown bookseller? Email ken@beyondish.com and let us know who we should profile next.
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