Written by Kingsli Kraft | May 30, 2019

I did not plan for all of my favorite things this month to be food and drink related, but they are. *insert shrug here* Maybe it’s because I’m writing this hungry? Anyways, May is one of my favorite months. It’s the month before the kick off of summer. The month when the leaves pop into existence on the trees and our world comes alive again. It’s a month of cool spring days, sleepy rainy days, and those first few warm days when you can ditch your jacket and slip on some sandals. It’s also my birthday month and so I’m allowed to indulge in some sweet and savory treats, right? These are my five favorite treats in downtown for the month of May (So sorry there aren’t pictures for everything this time around, I got too excited and ate the food and forgot to take a picture). If you try one of my favorites, post about it on social media and tag @downtownalpena! I’d love to hear what you think about my favorites!

Veggie Hummus Panini @ Cabin Creek Coffee

This is easily one of my favorite sandwiches I’ve ever actually had. It’s delicious and the perfect balance of creamy hummus and pesto and crunchy peppers and onions. I skip the mozzarella, but substitute avocado and it more than makes up for the absence of cheese. This grilled and pressed sandwich satisfies my desire to be healthy and only ever eat delicious food that I actually enjoy. It has protein from the hummus and avocado and nutrients from all the veggies. This sandwich pairs perfectly with a lunch break walk along the river.

Lavender Honey Latte @ Biggby

I’ve had lavender honey lattes before. It was one of my favorite latte flavors to order when I lived in Ann Arbor and I missed them so much when I moved home. So when Biggby announced their new seasonal lavender and honey drinks and I was thrilled. I think I actually shouted in joy and scared my family. I’m also a huge coffee lover, not just for the caffeine, but because I love the taste of different roasts and brews of coffee. Lavender honey is my favorite flavor pairing because the lavender isn’t too sweet. It’s flowery and a bit smokey. The honey softens the sharpness of the lavender perfectly. Then it’s all folded up inside foamed milk with a shot or two of espresso. This drink is even more perfect paired with a 3:00pm mini break and chocolate chip cookie.

Deep-fried pickles @ Black Sheep Pub

This is my favorite thing to order at the Black Sheep. I had this appetizer for the first time on my twenty-first birthday when I went out with my parents. I love pickles. I was the kid who would come home after school and eat a whole jar of pickles like my father and mother before me. It’s basically genetic. The deep fried pickles are fantastic, they’re the ovals, not spears like I’ve had in other places and they’re perfectly spicy, and crunchy. They pair especially perfectly with the Sunday Bloody Mary Bar after a bike ride downtown.

Black Currant Wine @ Thunder Bay Winery

I may have mentioned this in a past Kingsli’s Favorite Things, but every Tuesday evening around 5:00pm or 6:00pm, my friends and I cluster around a table in the winery to chat about our lives, vent our frustrations, laugh at dramatically retold anecdotes and drink wine. My currant Tuesday night favorite (get it? lol) is the new Black Currant wine. I’m not usually one for sweet fruit wines, but this one has quickly become the only thing I want to drink at the winery. It’s tart, but also sweet and a beautiful shade of maroon.

Happy Cow Rice Bowl @ Fresh Palate

I think the Happy Cow burrito was the first thing I ever ate at the Fresh Palate when they first opened. It has remained one of my favorite lunchtime treats. Now it’s offered in a rice bowl and it’s somehow even more delicious. The Happy Cow is tofu, black beans, artichokes, salsa, blue corn chips and guacamole on a bed of rice. It’s packed full of veggies and protein and has a nice foundation of carbs, which is my favorite of the three macro-nutrients. This meal pairs well with a table full of friends and a lunchtime mimosa.

Kingsli Kraft wrote this article for Blog Downtown Alpena. Kingsli is a graduate from University of Michigan. She now works at the Alpena Downtown Development Authority as Marketing and Outreach Coordinator. She enjoys reading, writing, yoga, hiking, caring for all of her plants and trying new recipes. You can follow her on Instagram here.