How often, especially in northwest Michigan, do you have the chance to sample both classic English pub fare and an array of authentic dishes from India — all in one place? Now picture yourself doing just that in a quaint, custom-built, private (and heated) dining “shanty” surrounded by the splendor of Maple City’s winter wonderland.

Graeme Leask, an accomplished chef and engaging raconteur, is originally from Scotland. He and his business and life partner, Michelle Schulte, are the proprietors and hosts of the Little Traverse Inn and Gastro Pub in the heart of Leelanau County (149 East Harbor Hwy in Maple City), housed in a charming structure dating back to 1890.

As with everyone else in the hospitality business, the past several months have been difficult for the couple, but the spirit of community has kept them going. “We’re all suffering challenges,” says Leask. “COVID is a reality, and we’re having to live through it and evolve with it. I’m a social animal — I miss having people in here, in the bar and at the dining tables, and I miss being able to meet and talk and chat and enjoy each other’s company. This is a place to gather, and right now, the only way we can gather is separately, which is a very strange sentence to have to say.”

When Leask and Schulte heard the forecast that COVID-19 would see a new surge by late fall and winter, they decided to be proactive in preparing for that inevitability. They were already doing takeout, but to accommodate onsite dining, they set about building five “ice shanties,” as they call them (though that description hardly does them justice) on the large patio that is the restaurant’s beer garden in summer. “We built them ourselves, from scratch, with the help of friends and neighbors who volunteered their time,” says Leask. Their exteriors have since been adorned with colorful artwork from local artists.

The shanties are outfitted with tables for six — one family, household, or social bubble. Leask and his staff have a very strict sanitation policy for them, wiping down every surface in each one before and after use, and running an ozonator between seatings to sanitize the air as well as the surfaces, all of which takes about 30 minutes. To allow time for that cleaning process and accommodate more guests, reservations for the shanties are limited to 1½ hours, but there’s no charge to use them. Although a deposit is required, 100 percent of it goes toward the guests’ dinner costs. As Leask explains, “We only do the deposit because the last thing you need when you’ve only got five tables is somebody not showing up.”

The Gastro Pub’s full menu is offered in the outdoor shanties. And that menu, which Leask dubs “an amalgamation of comfort foods from around the world,” is delightfully diverse, although the main influences come from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and India. Popular classics from the U.K. include Scotch Eggs (house-made bulk “banger” sausage wrapped around a hard-boiled, farm-fresh egg, panko-crusted, flash-fried and served on a bed of greens with house-made whisky-mustard sauce on the side), Shepherd’s Pie (tender lamb and hearty vegetables topped with roasted garlic and leek mashed potatoes), and Beef Wellington (prime-cut tenderloin coated with mushroom duxelles, wrapped in filo pastry, roasted to perfection and served with complementary sides).

“We love Leelanau County, and we can’t wait to be the community’s ‘living room’ again,” shares Leask. “But for the time being, we’ll be the community’s fire pit and shanty garden…”

For more on Leask and Schulte’s Leelanau-style hospitality, check out Janice Binkert’s feature in this week’s edition of Northern Express. To order carryout or reserve a shanty call (231) 228-2560 or visit littletraverseinn.com.