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Food on Fridays with Ann
On our trip last week to northern Michigan, we visited Glen Arbor, near Sleeping Bear Dunes. Several people told us to pay a visit to Cherry Republic, a store selling all things cherry.
They have three buildings. The first we encountered sold cherry drinks of all kinds, especially wines. Just before entering, we saw this sign:
I failed to snap any photos in that building, but I remembered my camera again when we entered the main store, where we admired the Cherries for Sale sign at the entrance.
First stop: chocolate-covered cherry jelly beans.
Then the preserves.
We passed some glazes (forgive the blurry shot—I was in low light and didn’t stand still). They also sold cherry barbecue sauces and peanut butter, dried cherries and trail mixes, cakes, cookies and baking mixes. You can see their goods online.
My favorite: cherry salsas.
We met a guy at Empire Village the night before who confessed to dropping by Cherry Republic after dinner to graze the samples for dessert. As we moved through the store spreading and dipping and scooping goodies onto crackers and chips, I realized it was entirely possible to get by with that. The staff members didn’t seem to frown on that kind of gluttony; rather, they encouraged it by quietly hustling to the back and returning with jar after jar to refill bowls set out for tasting.
At the checkout counter, a friendly employee offered to package gift items in a sturdy box lined with natural shreds and sprigs of cedar. I bought a jar of salsa that they packed for my neighbor who was watering our garden and window boxes and taking care of our bird in our absence.
We didn’t visit the cafe and ice cream shop next to the store, but here’s the menu. The selection includes a lot of sweet cherry stuff, as expected.
Cherry Republic is a delightful place to visit if you like cherries…and it’s cute enough you should drop in even if you don’t.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I believe I’ll brew a cup of cherry tea…
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Photos by Ann Kroeker. “Pin” these images in a way that links back to this particular page, giving proper credit.
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I have been nibbling on cherries that I purchased at our local mart. They are good for your kidneys they say. They are just good. All the packaged cherries delights would be a novelty and I do believe your friend will enjoy the salsa.
Good for your kidneys, eh? I’m with you–I just think they’re good!
The funny thing is that I did not see a bag of fresh cherries in the store!
What a fun stop, Ann! Thanks for sharing it.
Cherries are my nostalgia fruit. My uncle grew grapes and cherries in Lodi, California. When we visited during my childhood, my sister, cousin, and I would go out back to the orchard, fill a bucket (and ourselves) with cherries, then present them to my aunt. She would have the pie pastry waiting by the time we got back to the house.
Sheer bliss. All of it.
Thanks for sharing this story from your childhood, Sheila. I could totally picture that waiting pastry. Wow. That is a delicious sensory memory!
Oh my gosh, cherry tea!!!
My mom loved cherries and all things cherry flavored. Always makes me think of her. I have a poem about making a fruit salad for her at Christmas with Ranier cherries.
Shoot, I wondered if I should have picked up more of that tea. Everything in the store is kind of a specialty item (read: overpriced), so I was kind of skimpy in my purchases.
Where’s the poem? Would I find it in your archives?
Ann, I remember cherry picking in California before we moved to Arizona. It became a Father’s Day ritual for a few years. Tom always woke up the next morning with a crink in his neck but we all had fun. The cherries actually grew in the desert which seemed odd to me as most cherries in the grocery store come from the Northwest.
The specialty shop you featured here, though, did not exist where we picked. Just the fields, ladders, buckets, and trees filled with cherries. Long for those days again!
Janis
That sounds fun, Janis! We pick blueberries and if we wanted to, we could pick cherries, also, on these trips to Michigan. Most of the time we’ve just purchased fresh cherries at roadside stands. I think it’s always cheapest and most fun to pick them yourself.
Each summer day needs an adventure! I’m inspired by your blog every day. Thank you for finding an amazing spot filled with all things cherry.
thanks for sharing.. it’s good, anda give me inspiration