In October, the Sustainable Small Harbors project team met with community members in Rogers City and St. Ignace to discuss potential strategies for strengthening the communities’ waterfront assets.
Todd Marsee, Michigan Sea Grant’s resident graphic designer and culinary connoisseur, reflected later on the team’s experience at a local eatery:
“After the meeting in St. Ignace, several local attendees recommended The Village Inn for dinner (many of those who recommended it were spotted at the restaurant later that evening — their praise was clearly genuine!).
The project team members were all hungry after a long day of traveling, touring the town, and running a successful public meeting. Knowing that a trusted local restaurant was just a couple of blocks away made us all look forward to a good meal.
The Village Inn had a nice range of Great Lakes seafood offerings, such as a perch dinner and broiled or fried whitefish. Their specialty was planked whitefish: a fresh whole fillet baked on a maple plank, paired with sautéed vegetables, a parmesan-crusted tomato crown, and bordered with duchesse potatoes. Out of the 8 people at our table, most opted for the specialty.
I dared to be different and ordered the pan-fried citrus walleye, a lightly breaded walleye fillet served with a citrus cream sauce and a side of fire-roasted sweet potatoes. The fish was breaded perfectly with a nice crispy texture. The sweet potatoes had a tasty touch of maple syrup. It was a very filling and satisfying dish.”
So, if you’re up in St. Ignace, give The Village Inn a shot — and let us know what other local seafood restaurants should be on our radar!
Freshwater Feasts 