Point to the city of Chicago on a map, then draw the letter “U” along the shore of Lake Michigan, and your finger will land on the small town of New Buffalo, the heart of what locals call Harbor Country. With a beautiful marina, stretches of lakefront sand along Lake Michigan that are dotted with ocean beaches, and a high concentration of excellent local restaurants, the area has long been a vacation spot for Windy City residents. Populations tend to increase in the summer months of July and August, but until recently, the area was primarily a seasonal getaway.
However, in recent years, community-focused projects such as Granor Farm have attracted an even higher caliber of chefs, such as James Beard Award finalist and cookbook author Abra Berenswho now serves as the property’s kitchen director. The impact of the farm on the area has been great. The abundance of organic produce, seedlings, herbs and flowers created a local ecosystem that could support other restaurants and local chefs, while the fine dining service provided during their Taste of Granor meals raised expectations throughout the area.
At the same time, new winemakers are beginning to explore the potential of growing vines in the region because of the porous, rocky soils left behind by the glaciers on the lakeshore. This fast-draining terrain, along with its proximity to lakeside microclimates, makes it an ideal pocket for planting vineyards, and a new generation is following in the footsteps of the area’s earliest pioneering winemaker. Jim Lester IN Wine Wyncroft.
There are other, more practical reasons the area is booming. People of all ages moved out of cities like Chicago in waves during the pandemic, driven in part by the rise of telecommuting and in part by rising rents in urban areas. When these newcomers leave the camps for smaller communities like Michigan’s Harbor Country, some of them open bottle houses that double as indie music venues, like the one recently discovered Out thereor southern cafe like Violaand the result is a food and wine oasis that is way out of its league.
With a great pair, locally owned boutique hotelsan agriculture-driven brewery and a day-to-night eatery that transforms into a light nest come sunset, this little enclave has all the makings of America’s next great food and wine scene. And since it’s only about a 90-minute drive from Chicago, and less than an hour from South Bend and Kalamazoo, it’s easily accessible from many directions. Here’s a roundup of the best of what Harbor Country has to offer, and a few neighborhoods just beyond.
