Do you love books and booze? This new restaurant near Detroit assumes you do and offers a dining experience like no other. Just last summer, Flyleaf, an independent bookstore, bistro, and bar, debuted in beautiful Grosse Pointe. Since then, it's become one of the hippest spots in town, winning over a fanbase attracted to its promise of literature and libations.
Though it's 20 minutes from Detroit, Grosse Point feels a world away. With its quaint downtown architecture and diverting boutiques, this idyllic community is often found on lists of Michigan's best small towns. Flyleaf's owner, Grosse Point native Lindsay Scallen, nabbed a space on one of these charming throughways and immediately set to work transforming it to achieve her vision.
Inside, the ambiance is a masterclass in casual cool, capturing the comfort of an antique lounge without sacrificing the clean lines of modern design. It's a spot that makes you want to plop down and stay for a few hours. Many do!
Dive into your newest read with brain food on hand. Though everyone's ideal snack looks different, I recommend the fries, which come with a flight of mouth-watering dipping sauces.
And if you hit a wall in that new book, you can hit the bar, too! Day-time visitors may indulge in an array of finely crafted espresso drinks, but come five o'clock, and the menu expands to include an inspired list of cocktails, many with names that are sly nods to works of literature.
The buzz at Flyleaf is always extraordinary. This unique business's premise attracts delightful patrons, who in turn create a friendly atmosphere that embraces newcomers, transforming them from first-timers into regulars.
If you're a member of a local book club, consider reserving their reading room for your group! Replete with shareable bites and delicious drinks, this cozy room has the power to inject new vigor into a flailing post-Covid club.
You may not have heard, but the best new restaurant near Detroit is Flyleaf, an innovative business combining bistro food, upscale cocktails, and great literature. You'll love the interior's casual elegance and crave the food later, but you'll keep returning for the joyful atmosphere, a celebration of curiosity and love of the written word.
Is there anything better than discovering a new and charming bookstore during your travels? What about adding a coffee shop and cocktail bar inside the bookshop? You can find a new book, grab a cup of coffee, and even a glass of wine at this bar and bookstore in Montague, Michigan. It's so good it's dangerous, you might find yourself needing to bring a backpack to hold your book haul.
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The Book Nook And Java Shop is located in downtown Montague in West Michigan, roughly one hour outside of Grand Rapids.
And let us tell you, it's worth the trip. This is unlike any bookstore you've been to before. So, if you've been searching for "bookstores near me" or "book bars near me," this is the place to go.
This is not your ordinary independent bookstore. The Book Nook And Java Shop opened in 2002 and is a community gathering place that is very popular among locals.
You'll find lots of people from town hanging out here, catching up, doing work, and, of course, shopping for books.
Come to the shop to find your next favorite book but stay for the cozy atmosphere. Bring your friends, family, or your sweetheart for this quaint experience.
It's also a great place to spend time solo. You can peruse the shelves, pick out a book for yourself, and then enjoy a meal while you read it.
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Inside the bookstore, you’ll find the Novel Noshery, the cafe that serves baked goods, breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, soups, and mouthwatering desserts. Of course, you can grab a cup of delicious coffee while you browse the bookshelves.
The hardest thing it choosing what to snack on from this widespread menu. Even the pickiest eater in your family will find something to love.
But what makes this spot truly unique is that there is a cocktail bar inside The Book Nook. Grab a glass of wine or a rum and coke while you chat with your loved ones.
What better place for a cocktail bar than in a bookstore? I absolutely love the idea of a bookstore with wine!
You can even warm up by the fire while you browse a new book. The cafe is also a live music venue and a local event hub for discussion groups and book clubs.
Find whatever book is next up on your list and prepare to get going.
For hours of operation and to learn more about upcoming events, visit The Book Nook And Java Shop website or The Book Nook & Java Shop Facebook page. Have you been to this bar and bookstore? Let us know in the comments below, we love to hear your firsthand accounts of these unique experiences.
I live for discovering new places in Michigan, in particular off-the-beaten-path pubs in Michigan. I'd love to tell you about my most recent find.
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Every few months, my partner and I make a trip up to a random town on Lake Huron to go rock hunting. The first time we did this, I was like a kid in a candy store. I've been a rock lover for the bulk of my life and the beaches in the Mitten State are bountiful, filled with colorful rocks of many shapes and sizes. The last time we took a rock-hunting trip was last fall and, on the way home, we discovered another place that had my name written all over it.
When we go on an adventure like this, we like to take our time for the ride home. We get off the main road and stick to the side streets as much as possible. Well, we were driving through the back roads of Algonac, Michigan when we saw it... a red dog house rising on the horizon. On that dog house was probably my favorite canine character of all time: Snoopy.
We discovered Snoopy's Dog House, my new favorite off-the-beaten-path pub in Michigan. Let me tell you more about it.
First off, I feel like it is important to tell you just how deep my love for Snoopy goes. This might be slightly embarrassing to admit, but I'm a middle-aged woman who still sleeps with a stuffed animal. Meet Bedtyme Snoopy:
He's not the original Snoopy that I've had since I was a kid. He got lost to a life that didn't support the kid in me. I've had Bedtyme for about 8 years now, long enough for me to not be embarrassed to ask one of my photographer friends to take a professional portrait of him a few years ago. He's much greyer now, but I still love him.
This love for Snoopy runs so deep that the instant I saw his red doghouse on the horizon, I felt massive amounts of glee bubbling up inside of me. This was a place I needed to go.
Unfortunately, my mouth wasn't as fast as my brain, so I didn't speak up until after we passed this off-the-beathen-path pub in Michigan. So my partner pulled a (safe) U-turn and we pulled into the parking lot at Snoopy's Dog House in Algonac, Michigan.
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I don't know about you, but I love a good dive bar. That's exactly what I was getting out of Snoopy's Dog House, even before I stepped through the doors.
I loved the light-up sign mounted directly on the building. The yellow beer advertisements plastering the building on all sides let me know that I'd love the interior just as much as the exterior.
The inside of the off-the-beaten-path pub in Michigan did not disappoint. The light was dim, the barstools were padded, and Snoopys were everywhere.
I love spots like Snoopy's Dog House in Algonac, Michigan, because you know exactly what you're getting into when you visit. Inexpensive beer, brown and white liquor, and a low-priced menu of fried bar food.
You know, all the things you're looking for when discovering a new hole in the wall. And, when I use the phrase "hole in the wall", I mean it with the highest compliments. I almost always prefer a dive bar to anywhere fancy.
It feels like a more human experience to me. You're sitting at the bar with locals. This isn't a special occasion or a treat for them, they're just living their everyday lives. Plus, fancy spots don't give you delicious freshly-popped popcorn to nosh on while you choose your meal.
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For a small bar, Snoopy's Dog House has a pretty extensive menu. It includes bar standards like burgers and wings, as well as some ocean fare, like shrimp baskets, clams, and perch.
Additionally, this off-the-beaten-path Michigan pub has a massive appetizer menu, which enabled me to do one of my favorite things: a bar food grazing meal.
I haven't been able to get enough chili since moving to Michigan, so it was the first thing I ordered. It did not disappoint. It was rich, hearty, and tasty, with a thick, flavorful sauce full of ground beef and chopped tomatoes.
The appetizer prices at Snoopy's Dog House are low enough to create a pretty massive appetizer spread. On this visit, we tried mini tacos, pretzel bites, cheese curds, fried pickles, and a few other things for a variety of flavors.
The portions at this hidden gem of a Michigan pub match their low prices. Additionally, the vessels my food was served in were no-nonsense. A styrofoam cup for the chili, paper baskets for the other apps. The focus is wholly on the food.
One of the standouts for me on this visit was the french fries. Simple shoestrings, they were perfectly fried - crispy on the outside, soft, steaming, and fluffy on the inside. I'm drooling just thinking about them.
I'm honestly looking forward to our next rock-hunting trip so much, just so we can stop at Snoopy's Dog House again.
I doubt this skeletal Snoopy'll be there. I'm fairly certain he was a special Halloween addition to the decor.
Whenever we head back up to Algonac, I'll be sure to swing into this off-the-beaten-path Michigan pub - for a basket of shoestring fries if anything. And, as a Snoopy lover, I wouldn't want to miss out on another visit with my favorite pup at Snoopy's Dog House.
There are so many things I love about living in Michigan and Snoopy's Dog House in Algonac was immediately added to that list. It's small, it's dark, and it's bursting at the seams with personality. If you visit (or have visited in the past!), tell us about it in the comments!
