Leelanau County and Traverse City, Michigan have long been known for their food. From the orchards, the vineyards, the farms…agriculture is a HUGE part of life in northern Michigan. In fact, it is one of the largest employers in this area of Michigan. But what is beautiful is watching how it is captured by restaurants and chefs in the area to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.
One of the newest restaurants on the map of great restaurants in the Traverse City, Michigan area is Farm Club. The combined brainchild of Nic and Sara Theisen of Loma Farm and Gary and Allison Jonas of The Little Fleet. The restaurant and brewery aims to bring honest food, create community, and celebrate the land.
Located just outside of Traverse City it is an easy bike ride from downtown along the TART trail via bike to enjoy locally-focused beers, grab some rations for your week, and get a meal of incredible straight from the field eats.
There is an incredible amount to love about Farm Club. First of all the ample outdoor space is incredible, but the service and food are top-notch. They have thought everything to give you a comfortable and safe feeling eating experience. But though many people come for the food…the aesthetics are equally as amazing. A truly thought-through design in every way…the team designed the space to feel comforting, just right, and fresh. They hired Design Smiths in Traverse City to help them visualize and create the space and Shugart Builders brought it to life.
But as you will find in our podcast episode with Sara and Nic Theisen who are supplying the beautiful produce and dreaming up many of the recipes you are enjoying with the rest of their kitchen team, this place holds something far deeper to experience.
Farm Club was built on something that many places miss and that is the idea of community. From local goods in their market to how their food moves seasonally to even how they manage their staff. It all is based on leaving the land better (they are solar-powered) and everything they do thinks about it from top to bottom.
If you are looking for an incredible and modern take on the agricultural story in Leelanau and this land on our gorgeous peninsula, Farm Club is it. You will not leave without feeling deeply satisfied in every way without a doubt.
If you want to dig in further on the vision, story, and more behind Farm Club and Loma Farm you can check out the podcast episode I did with Nic and Sara Theisen. They share their story and how everything has lead to building this amazing space with friends Gary and Allison.
If you are looking to experience some of the best of the best of Traverse City restaurants, Farm Club needs to be on your list during your trip up north. With a rotating menu of things straight from much of the Leelanau and Traverse City region as well as their own fields, you cannot go wrong. It will bring you back to what food is meant to be…a beautiful, simple, and connective experience.
