Wahlburgers Launches Burger With Leelanau-Grown Cherries; Grocer’s Daughter Releases Cold Brew In A Can & More Culinary News In The County

Some big culinary collaborations and delicious launches happening in Leelanau’s food world this week. Here’s more:

Wahlburgers at Home just launched a new flexitarian burger in Michigan grocery stores, a fresh patty made with premium beef and Michigan cherries. Massachusetts-based Wahlburgers — owned by chef Paul Wahlberg and his brothers, musician Donnie and actor Mark — is the fastest-growing burger chain in the United States. The company expanded to create a grocery line and has partnered with Manistee’s Little River Holdings LLC to launch the Wahlburger Flex Blend.

Leelanau Fruit Co. is the cherry supplier for the new burger.

“The Wahlberg family is committed to using U.S. beef and northern Michigan cherries,” shares Leelanau Fruit Co.’s manager of farming operations, Ben LaCross. “I really love partnering with a company that is so committed to U.S. farmers.”

The burgers contain 100 percent Leelanau cherries: “The cherries certainly could have come from my family farm, LaCross Farms [which he operates with his parents, Glenn and Judy LaCross], or they could have come from one of Leelanau Fruit’s grower base. It’s safe to say, though, that these cherries came from Leelanau County!”

The Wahlburgers at Home line of burgers is billed for its distinct premium steakhouse flavor. “The Flex Blend burger has a similar flavor, but with a little less fat and calories,” says LaCross. “This is 100 percent beef and cherry deliciousness.”

The Flex Blend burgers are being piloted at Michigan SpartanNash stores, including Family Fare, D&W Fresh Market, Tom’s Food Markets, and Oleson’s, among others. “If things go well in Michigan, Wahlburgers may expand this to other regions of the country,” says LaCross. “We think this has the potential to utilize a lot of local cherries, which would be great for our grower community here in Leelanau County.”

And beyond: LaCross, who also serves as District 9 director for the Michigan Farm Bureau,  representing Benzie, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford counties, told Michigan Farm News, “I think all Michigan cherry growers should be excited about the potential for the use of cherries inside meat products.”

This comes as positive news for the region’s cherry growers, who have been navigating a slew of threats — from climate change to invasive pests to competition from foreign growers. Michigan still reigns as the largest tart cherry producing state, and its projected tart cherry total production for 2022 is 159.5 million pounds, 65 percent higher than the 2021 production, according to Marlo D. Johnson, director of the USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office.

Wahlburgers noted in a statement that the new flexitarian burger “carries countless health benefits compared to traditional beef.” The R&D and science behind that is the 30-year legacy of Cedar’s Ray Pleva, who patented a cherry/beef burger called Plevalean. Little River Holdings LLC (the economic development corporation of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians) owns the rights to these products which use the Montmorency tart cherry to take away fat and add nutrition and juiciness to proteins. At the time the Little River Holdings acquired Pleva International, Inc., the Tribe announced that Pleva’s ingredient and formulation company “shares our philosophy for respecting nature and utilizing its power in products that give back to the world.”

Michigan Grown Michigan Great will be cooking up the new beef-and-cherry burgers today, July 8, at their booth at the National Cherry Festival.

Meanwhile Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate in Empire lit a few extra sparklers this week to celebrate the release of its new cold brew in a can. It’s a refreshing light-to-medium roast made in collaboration with Roast Umber. 

“They are based out of Grand Rapids, with production in Kalamazoo,” says co-owner Jody Hayden, noting, “They source directly from small-scale farmers from Huehuetenango, Guatemala. They are also working in cacao and chocolate and bought a Honduran Indigenous farmer to visit us in the winter.”

She adds, “It’s fun to work with Michigan companies and we are continuing to find partners that have our same values and dedication to quality.” Up next? A collaboration with Food for Thought on a caramel sauce.

The Grocer’s Daughter cold brew has already become the grab-and-go bev for summer for campers in the Sleeping Bear Dunes. It’s available as singles or by the case.

At Hannah’s in Lake Leelanau, baker/owner Hannah Grinage invested in a state-of-the-art milkshake machine just in time for the “launch of our new Leelanau Shakes…they are giant and oh-so-fun.” Think an eye-popping strawberry Unicorn milkshake garnished with a sugar cone horn and her house-made macarons or the S’mores, which comes topped with whipped cream and mini marshmallows plus its own s’mores cupcake.

The county’s first artisan distillery, Northern Latitudes Distillery (NLD) in Lake Leelanau will soon be opening a second location in the village of Suttons Bay. Renovations are underway at the former Bayside Coffee and Tea space at 310 N. St. Joseph Street where NLD will have a satellite location for spirit tastings, plus a full-service coffee bar, and a cocktail bar showcasing their small-batch spirits. Coffee service will come first in the coming weeks, per the distillery’s Facebook page. Stayed tuned to social media for an opening date. 

On July 1, after 30 years as a Benzie County bagel and deli institution, L’Chayim Delicatessen opened its third location at 6404 Western Ave., Glen Arbor, bringing its nine-plus varieties of New York-style bagels, its sky-high pastrami sandwiches and irresistible Reubens along for the ride. Take a quick peek inside the new store here.

Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay is now offering carriage excursions — with wine flights — on its 160-acre estate. Managing owner Sherri Campbell Fenton explains that for more than 20 years visitors have enjoyed viewing the horses boarded at Black Star Farms; now guests can take a private 30-minute horse-drawn carriage ride on the property with a personal coachwoman. The carriage ride for two is followed by a flight of wine in the tasting room, and finishes with an appetizer at Hearth & Vine Café. Advance reservations and ticketing are available here, with rides beginning on the hour from 11am to 5pm on Thursday July 14, July 28, August 4 and August 18.