"I spent a blue-sky, peak-fall day on Pennyroyal’s back patio and loved the relaxed setting — a charming cocktail cabin, a provisions barn, thoughtfully planted gardens, and a pergola for shoulder season. Chef Melissa Corey’s commitment to sustainably sourcing Midwestern and Great Lakes ingredients shines in her smoked whitefish nicoise ($20): lettuces she and partner Ryan Beck grow on their 16-acre Fennville farm are tossed in a creamy emulsified Dijon vinaigrette, then topped with Visser Farm green beans, homegrown cherry tomatoes, olives, and Crisp Country Acres new potatoes that Corey marinates in apple cider vinegar made in-house. A six-minute soft-cooked egg and generous pieces of whitefish sourced from Mackinac Straits Fish Co. finish the dish, and I’m thrilled to have such an accomplished riff on a Provençal classic served so close to Lake Michigan." - Serena Maria Daniels