At 95 years young, Leland’s Bluebird Restaurant and Tavern is one of Leelanau County’s most iconic eateries. A block from historic Fishtown, the Bird, as it’s familiarly called, is renowned for its classic cocktails, rustic atmosphere, homemade pizza and smoked meats, and fresh local fish.

After two grueling summers of COVID-19 precautions and dining a la tent, this year owners Skip and Lynn Telgard have staffed up with always-scarce line cooks and are getting ready to reopen (Thursday, May 26, at 4pm) for Memorial Day weekend.

But rather than inside a tent — which for servers was a very long walk from the kitchen — dining will be inside the Bluebird Tavern, along the Leland river.

“I’m so proud of my staff — it was heroic what they did the last two years,” Skip Telgard says.

This year’s reopening almost didn’t happen. The Telgards had ambitious plans to remodel and rebuild the 10,000-square-foot, 300-seat eatery, which Skip Telgard says is simply too big, and, as he learned during the pandemic and Great Resignation, “it’s just not practical to staff a restaurant of this size.”

However, the pandemic forced the Telgards to change course with their remodel after difficulties with construction and supply issues. That slowdown made them think of not opening at all this year, but then happily, after many family discussions, they agreed: “Let’s just start small,” says Telgard: Just dinner and the cocktail crowd, four days a week, in the tavern.

Staffing this season has been tough for everybody, says Telgard, “but I have been very pleased with the people who have applied.” In past summers, he was able to hire and house many exchange students through the J1 Visa Summer Work Program, but this year he only has one, from Lithuania.

Telgard, 67 — whose grandparents Martin and Leone founded the Bird in 1927 and named it after the bluebird design on the wallpaper border that rimmed the ceiling — started working at the restaurant as a young lad. After graduating from Leland High, his interest in forest technology led him to California’s College of the Redwoods, from which he graduated in 1977.

He worked for a time in the Upper Peninsula’s Ottawa National Forest, but the Bluebird always loomed large in his life, so he returned to Leland, married Lynn in 1979, and worked his way up at the eatery, starting as a bartender. In the meantime, he and Lynn raised two children, son Derek, and daughter Carolyn, and eventually took over the restaurant from the second generation, Jim and Nancy Telgard. Today, Skip runs the front of the house, Lynn runs the kitchen, and Derek Telgard works both. Carolyn Telgard is an architect and Realtor. She and her architect husband, Michael Leaveck, have been heavily involved in the restaurant’s remodeling plans.

Skip Telgard remembers his early days fondly: His grandparents lived above the restaurant, and after his grandfather passed away, his grandmother would always have three or four waitresses living with her. 

“During my dad’s time, when employees had birthdays, my dad used to take them out and throw them in the river. They loved it, and he loved to laugh.” That Bluebird tradition has changed a bit: After a tough day in a hot kitchen, groups of workers will jump off the bridge into the river to cool off. “We don’t throw anyone in the water anymore,” laughs Telgard.

Many notables have held court at the Bird. Late legendary author Jim Harrison was a regular for many years, “a wonderful, brilliant person to have around—one of the funniest people I’ve ever met,” says Telgard. Harrison brought actor Jack Nicholson to fish nearby, and singer Jimmy Buffett came in too. Baseball greats Jim Northrup, Norm Cash and Bill Freehan also visited, the latter anonymously standing in line for brunch.

Skip Telgard is looking forward to another season at the Bird, despite the scaled-back space (using just the tavern side means seating for 110). “Staffing was a challenge, but you can only do what you can do effectively with the number of staff — I will never overwhelm my staff with more customers than we can handle.”

Even so, he is pumped about all the local edibles that are coming his way. “There’s so much good produce,” he says. “Barb Norconk [of Norconk Farm in Honor] just called, and asparagus is in. We’re going to make it tempura-battered.” Local morels may top this weekend’s pizzas, if Telgard can get his hands on enough to make it a special. The menu will feature the same classics: “Whitefish and walleye— perch is almost impossible to find, but we found a great Canadian supplier for smelt — so smelt is back.”

Fortunately, he says, during this hyper-inflationary period fish prices have stayed reasonable. “You work with the things you can and still get a good price,” he says, adding that the Bird’s fish is cooked with minimal coating, they make their own coleslaw and tartar sauce, smoke their own beef briskets and pork shoulders, and, yes, the Bird’s signature peas and peanuts salad (once featured in Gourmet magazine).

The Telgards and crew are reopening for Memorial Day weekend (Thursday, May 26 through Sunday May 29) with the kitchen hours of 4pm to 9pm and the “tavern staying open a bit later for evening cocktails,” says Telgard. After the holiday weekend the Bird switches to opening at 4pm, Wednesday through Saturday, for the rest of the season.

Photos courtesy Courtney Jerome.