Atwater in the Park Microbrewery in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan -- REVIEW

The DIVAS have gone German. While in the Grosse Pointe Park area, we came across an old church at the corner of Kercheval and Lakepointe that had been transformed into a proper German biergarten, the Atwater in the Park microbrewery, and decided to stop in. 

 We passed through the public seating outside, very reminiscent of a Bavarian beer garden. Upon entering the dining room, we noticed the former altar, occupied by brewing equipment. The bar area is the whole sanctuary with 40 taps underneath a cork-lined ceiling. Stained glass windows take up the front wall in the dining room and “pews” from the former Grace United Church (outdoor marker dated 1936) surround the two side walls. We took a seat.

The food is German biergarten fare. Smoked knockwurst, kielbasa, bratwurst, sauerkraut, schnitzels, German Platters and bar classics were on the menu. I had Wiener schnitzel (veal cutlet) with lemon-caper sauce, German potato salad and asparagus ($14.00). The other DIVA had a Bratwurst sandwich with sauerkraut ($10.00). The food was a very Americanized version of German food. It was good, but not as German as I was hoping for.

The craft beer at Atwater in the Park is the star of the show, as it is a fresh alternative to many local small breweries. Since the microbrewery "revolution" that started in the mid 1990's, the vast majority have produced Ales as opposed to Lagers. There are several reasons for this, which include the ability to create more diverse styles of beer when brewing ales, but most probably is because lagers take longer to create (more expensive) and are generally more difficult to master. What is disappointing with this is the large part of the population that are from great Lager producing countries, in particular Germany. In tandem with that, is the fact that the Metro Detroit area has a very large German population, but has only a few German restaurants. The Atwater brewery locations provide a much needed influx of craft made lagers and German fare.

The Atwater's beer selection is not locked into just traditional German styles, and they create a wide variety for all types of beer lovers, and includes specialty and seasonal offerings. Any of the beers offered at Atwater can be served in a sample-size pour. Included in this collection are house-brewed Cottonwood Golden Ale, HG Brown, HGP Imperial IPA and Quaker Oatmeal Stout.

Atwater in the Park is laid out with community seating both inside and out, to invite people together for drink, food and conversation. Their main focus is their microbrewery with over 25 Atwater beers available. The food was an American version of German fare. Atwater in the Park opens daily at 11:30am for the lunch crowd and closes at midnight. The place was impressive, clean and service was friendly. It's a great meeting place for fun and laughter after work and on weekends.

Sugar Bowl Restaurant and Call of the Wild Museum, Gaylord, MI - REVIEW

Field trips to Northern Lower Michigan are always fun. The Undercover Divas love to travel to areas where the air is clean, fresh, and smells of a pine forest. So on a recent trip, we visited the Alpine Village of Gaylord, Michigan. We stopped at the Sugar Bowl,one of Gaylord's Landmark Restaurants. Nestled in the heart of Alpine Village, it has been operational since 1919, and is loaded with lots of character.

Located at 216 W. Main Street, in downtown Gaylord, it is only a short drive from the I-75 freeway. There is limited parking on Main St. but preferred parking is in the back with a back door entrance to the restaurant. Upon entering, we passed through a hallway full of historic photos, newspaper clippings, and menus from previous years, telling their own story of the history of not only the Sugar Bowl, but other landmarks in Gaylord.

Before entering the dining room, we noticed an antique shop entrance within the lobby and glanced inside. We saw lots of interesting items from dishes to books, statues and many other items from years gone by, and priced reasonably. Definitely a place we will visit next time we are in town and have the extra time.

Upon entering the Sugar Bowl restaurant, we were escorted to our table and given an extensive menu with breakfast, lunch and dinner items. One Diva ordered the German plate, which included Wiener Schnitzel, warm German potato salad and the authentic German sauerkraut. The dinner also came with coleslaw, all for $8.99. It smelled delicious and she said it was some of the best German food she has eaten in quite some time. I had the “Luncheon Special” three-cheese and tomato grilled sourdough sandwich, that came with a small salad and their homemade raspberry vinaigrette dressing for $7.29. Mighty fine!

The food was tasty, but portions weren't generous. Quality was superb but prices were a little high. All things considered, made from scratch food and featuring home style breakfasts, tasty sandwiches for lunch, and great German food (a few Greek choices and lots of American dishes, too) make this a good dining experience. The Sugar Bowl provides a welcome alternative to all the typical fast food restaurants. It is a step up from a family diner, with some fun, local history thrown in for good measure. The Sugar Bowl is open daily from 7am to 9pm. 

Special Attention: If you have extra time while in Gaylord, check out the Call of the Wild Museum. See beautiful displays of whitetail deer, the majestic elk, moose, black bears, Alaskan brown bears, polar bears, timber wolves, coyotes, raccoons and more. You will learn about their behavior and habitat and listen to the wolves howl and the elk bugle! The museum is rich in Michigan history with two projected image displays about early Michigan fur trapper, Joseph Bailly, telling about his life in the deep forest of Michigan during the 1800's. Bavarian Falls Park is located right next to the museum and is where you will find Adventure Golf, Go Carts and Krazy Kars. Location is on S. Wisconsin Ave. in Gaylord. Take Exit 282 from I-75 and go East.