Vacation victuals

Bailey’s Café
We recommend savories over sweets at this old-fashioned café: While our crab cakes with fried eggs hit the spot, the overhyped hotcakes (“You won’t believe your eyes,” the menu boasts) weren’t all that. Are they really that big? Yes. Are they really that good? Meh. For a sweeter deal, we recommend dining at Bailey’s as part of its summer dinner/theater package (average $50 per person) with the local Acorn Theater. 8 S Elm St, Three Oaks (269-756-2400).

Froehlich’s
This gourmet deli and bakery (pronounced “fray-licks”) just oozes small-town charm—a few café tables looking out big front windows offer a place to nibble if you’re too hungry to wait until your picnic to chow on their breads, sandwiches, cheeses, home-canned jams and other delights. We recommend the crazy-good, made-from-scratch brownie bites ($3.50), which were just as yummy the next day. 26 N Elm St, Three Oaks (269-756-6002), www.shopfroehlichs.com.

Mesa Luna
Denise Finwall and Sam Luna opened this cozy, upscale option just two years ago, but it already feels like an institution. Maybe that’s because the restaurant is so...Michiganish. Luna, who does all the cooking, puts as many local ingredients as possible into his creative American menu, and Finwall includes Michigan wines on her entirely domestic list. Despite its relative newness, locals already can’t imagine Three Oaks without Mesa Luna’s roasted-garlic flan and baked-to-order loaves of sourdough. 13 S Elm St, Three Oaks (269-756-7519).

Red Arrow Roadhouse
The red-neon sign inside the roadhouse said eat, so we did, with reckless abandon. We tore through the sweet, succulent pork ribs, devoured a pile of crispy onion rings, took the roasted pork loin down to the bone and filled our bellies to the brim with a brownie sundae. 15710 Red Arrow Hwy, Sawyer (269-469-3939), www.redarrowroadhouse.com.

Redamak’s
This place has been around since 1975 because its burgers and fries are so damn good, so don’t bother with much else on the menu. And don’t expect frills: The waitress unceremoniously tosses your cheeseburger ($4.50), wrapped in wax paper, right on your table, and the spicy curly fries ($3) are served in a paper bowl. But like we said, the burgers rock, and a Heineken only runs you $2.75. So what’s not to like? 616 E Buffalo St, New Buffalo (269-469-4522).

Soé Café
The only thing better than the friendly service at this cute converted café is Executive Chef Charles E. Loring Sr.’s menu. Start with the staff favorite: portobella mushrooms stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes and caramelized onions. The grilled Norwegian salmon topped with a strawberry-lime salsa is another favorite. And if there’s room (you’re on vacation, there’s always room), indulge your sweet tooth with the German chocolate cake. 12868 Red Arrow Hwy, Sawyer (269-426-4878).

Stray Dog Bar & Grill
It’s mainly pub fare here, so it’s best to stick with wings (which pair nicely with a pint of Michigan’s own Bell’s Oberon) and the burgers. Be forewarned: On clear days, the Dog can be downright packed with folks cramming themselves onto the rooftop deck or lounging on the back patio in search of some rays. 245 N Whittaker St, New Buffalo (269-469-2727), www.eatatthedog.com.

Stray Dog

Timothy’s
If you’re looking to wash the sand off your feet and get dressed up for a civilized (and expensive) meal, this is the place to do it. Chef Tim Sizer works wonders with fish at this lodgy-looking spot in the Gordon Beach Inn. The tender miso-glazed salmon rests on a bed of paper-thin, flash-fried spinach that melts in your mouth, and the coconut macadamia-nut–crusted grouper is sheer decadence. Most entrees cost around $25, but that’s no big thing to you, right, big spender? 16220 Lake Shore Rd, Union Pier (269-469-0900).

Viola
Housed in a 100-year-old storefront, this mind-blowingly cute café opened last April after owner Andrea Platz and her sister rehabbed it themselves. Named for the pair’s grandmother, this friendly spot serves breakfast, lunch (including $5.99 daily specials) and afternoon tea service ($7.50), which includes four different tea-sandwiches (like cucumber with fresh dill), two currant scones with clotted cream and jam, and one of the pastry chef’s renowned treats. 102 N Elm St, Three Oaks (269-756-9420).