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It’s that time of year again! Everyone in Traverse City is looking to dine al fresco -- on a patio, deck or overlooking Grand Traverse Bay. There’s a lot of great places where you can eat outside, we’re highlighting a few of our favorites.

We know your vacation time is precious, which is why we have put together a list of our favorite places to grab a meal near downtown Traverse City to expedite your decision-making process! 

When fall temperatures hit in northern Michigan, the craving for fresh local apples rides in off the coat tails of the heat wave.

Traverse City’s amazing food scene is synonymous with the farm-to-table movement. And there’s no doubt that a meal featuring a first course of beet salad with fennel, pine nuts, citrus and feta crumbles, and a second course of pan-seared Atlantic salmon filet with maple glaze, is a delectable treat. But sometimes you just need a slice of crunchy, cheesy, perfectly-sauced deliciousness. When you’re hungry and need a bit of comfort on a cold eventing, there’s nothing better than a great pizza.

Tell us a little about what a Marketing Specialist does at Traverse City Tourism As the Marketing Specialist at Traverse City Tourism, I’m lucky enough to be able to dip my toes into several aspects of marketing. Whether it be with graphic design, social media, event updates, administrative tasks, and even photography, it's all part of my daily job.

Tell us a little about what the President/CEO does  here at Traverse City Tourism. Traverse City is a special place. It’s my job to make sure the rest of the world knows that. Leisure and business travel to Traverse City are critical to our economy and way of life. Finding new and innovative ways to grow tourism responsibly in a collaborative way is my focus.

Tell us a little about what an Accounting Assistant does at Traverse City Tourism. 

Wine is wonderful in its place, and so is whiskey. From time to time I have even been known to drink a glass of water, despite what W.C. Fields said about it. But on a hot summer day, it is beer and beer alone that satisfies.

According to Wikipedia, the phrase “al fresco” has its origin in Italian, meaning “in the cool air ” -- but the Italians don’t use the phrase to describe eating outdoors -- that’s an American adaptation.

Harriet is sure-footed as she navigates the Indoor Farmers Market inside the Village at Grand Traverse Commons .   Every Saturday after her swim at the YMCA, she heads over to Building 50 to chat with her farmer friends and pick from their selection of produce and other locally produced items.