432 E. Lake Street
Petosky, Michigan
231-347-0101
This bar/restaurant is located next to the park in Petoskey, Michigan and was formerly known as "The Park Gardens." Back in the old days it was favorite hang-out of Ernest Hemingway when he stayed in northern Michigan. In fact he mentioned it by name in "The Torrents of Spring." Its other claim to fame is that one night in 1902 or 03, Mark Twain strolled in and had a large beer approximately in the spot where the woman in this picture is seated. He was on a speaking tour and was there that evening.
The establishment had added on sometime in the late 70's extending the room to add additional dining space as it moved away from strictly being a drinking establishment. Since then it has changed hands again, and also changed it's name becoming the "City Park Grill"
We were there with a group of eight, which allowed for several different menu choices. We were there at lunchtime. I selected the Fish & Chips and my wife ordered the macaroni and cheese with parmesan chicken added. Others in the party ordered the macaroni and cheese with mushrooms added, and still others ordered various sandwiches.
The Good: My Fish and Chips were the best I've ever had. The fish was breaded just right and the tartar sauce was made from scratch. The fries were like my mom used to make which is the basis from which all fries should be judged. The fish was tasty but didn't scream "this is fish!" My wife even tried a piece and liked it. That is saying something! (see below).....The others all seemed to enjoy their sandwiches very much.
The Bad: Our friend Lizzie's macaroni and cheese with mushrooms took forever to arrive, since they messed up the order and had to redo it. But they did, and they did so graciously. They didn't charge her for it.
The Ugly: My wife complained that her mac and cheese with chicken tasted like fish. I don't know how she knows what fish tastes like, since she refuses to eat it.
But she was not happy with it.
This place is well worth a visit if you're ever in the Petosky area. Just note the beautiful ornate woodwork in the picture above. I thought the food was very good and the service was wonderful. They are also a full bar, and offer an extensive wine list. The pricing was not extravagant. My fish and chips was roughly $8.99.
Grade: A-
