Michigan's Western Upper Peninsula

Need a great place to eat in Ironwood? These are my favorites:

Mike's Café, a place you’ll never leave hungry, it’s by far my favorite for breakfast (try the Lumberjack breakfast or the Mike’s Breakfast with spicy home made Italian sausage). Mike’s is known for hearty helpings at any meal, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Don & GG’s, one of the area’s most popular restaurants, is known for great home made soups, sandwiches, half pound burgers and wonderful gourmet dinner specials with great salads, casual atmosphere too.  All are all located on US 2.  If you feel like a pizza or special wrap sandwich, you should also check out Angelo’s Pizza near the K-Mart Plaza.

In downtown Ironwood, treat yourself to a great cup of coffee or breakfast and lunch at  The Pines Café. Need just a bakery? Check out Rigoni’s Bakery nearby or on the other end of downtown you’ll find a great selection of ethnic breads at The Pastry Kitchen.  The food is delicious and the choices are more than one can imagine.  After a great meal at either place, stroll to the award winning Pocket Park located next door.  You’ll love seeing what’s in bloom. 

Ben’s Café,  Joe’s Pasty Shop and Manny’s (near the Hiawatha Indian)  which are other longtime favorites, I love Ben’s malts and shakes,  love Joe’s Pasties and love the Italian fare at Manny’s!  These are all run by hard working families that have earned their clients business for many years.  Two newer ones we recommend are Brewster’s (across from Lahti’s) downtown and a new one in town is the Old Suffolk Ale House, which is across from the Pocket Park, they’ll be serving food and great drinks, be sure to stop in they've got a great chicken salad and prime rib sandwich.  Brewster’s has some great stuff on the walls to look at along with chainsaws hanging from the ceiling.  If you’re looking for the nostalgic look, either places are fun and have their own casual atmosphere.

If you are looking to drive out a bit further, I’d highly recommend the Kimball Inn on US 2 on the Wisconsin side, about 5 miles out of town.  The other place worth the drive is the Pub & Grub on Black River Road, near Big Powderhorn; they have an awesome fish fry and are open longer during the ski season.  An unexpected treat when you see the diverse menu that the Pub offers besides great folks serving great drinks and desert!

Of course there are also the Hurley, Wisconsin favorites which include The Bell Chalet, which must be world famous by now, great pizza’s, I love the green noodles and chicken cutlet, but there are plenty of choices!  Other favorites are the Iron Nugget with their great display of mining history and Petrusha’s which is a nice supper club where they have superb “hot spaghetti” as a side dish, spicy and full of garlic, a taste you can’t resist, along with steaks, seafood, Italian dishes and great cocktails.

In downtown Bessemer don’t miss La Panetteria, which is an excellent bakery and a wonderful place for a limited lunch menu.  The setting is calm and relaxing, a delightful place.

What is a pasty?

(Pas’tee) Tender beef, diced potatoes, diced onions, wrapped in a delicate crust, then baked till golden brown. Delicious! (Almost 3/4 of a lb.)    Where can you get one?

Joe’s Pasty Shop -- it is strictly a pasty shop, all they sell is pasties, and they specialize in them. Sure other bakeries and grocery stores sell pasties too, but Joe’s is the real thing!  Joe’s makes pasties by the hundreds, fresh everyday with only the finest ingredients. You can be assured you are getting a fresh made pasty when you get it from Joe’s. They stake their reputation on it!

Joe’s has four kinds of pasties to choose from, their Famous Regular Pasty, Cornish, Veggie, Breakfast, and a no onion regular pasty.

In 1946 after World War II ended, Joe Barbera (Mario’s uncle) started Joe’s Pasty Shop; later he sold it to his brother, Frank and Rita Barbera, (Mario’s folks) in 1959. Frank never did change the name, both have since retired and passed it down to their son Mario Barbera and his wife Karen. As a result, the Barbera family continues to serve "the Best" pasties on the Iron Range! Joe’s has used the same recipe for over 50 years.

Ask about the "PASTY OF THE MONTH" A different treat every month!! Joe’s ships pasties to people all over the U.S. if you have not tried a pasty, try one from Joe’s, where the original is still made, give them a call (906)-932-4412. The coolest thing is their second location on US2 with a DRIVE THRU window, so you can pick up a pasty without getting out of the car!

What type of pasty can you get?  For under

$ 3.00 try one of these:

• Regular Pasty-Beef, potatoes, onions.

• No onion Regular- Beef, potatoes, seasonings.

• Cornish Pasty- Beef, potatoes, rutabaga, onions.

• Veggie Pasty-a medley of mixed veggies.  

• All pasties weigh about 12-14oz.

• Or how about a new taste treat?  A Breakfast Past made of-Ham, eggs, cheese, bacon, potatoes, and onions for under $ 4.00