Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine | JUL '19 103local table | dining
LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY OF JACLYN EIKEY // RIGHT: PHOTO COURTESY OF GABE'S OLD FASHIONED FROZEN CUSTARD
This month we salute Gibby’s Fries—Northern
Michigan’s unofficial festival food for a mind-blowing
73 years. (If we were our own state would we
put them on our flag? Well, maybe ...) Based in
Traverse City, Gibby’s concession is a Cherry Festival
institution that draws daylong lines of folks craving
the perfectly crunchy and happily greasy fries. The
secret to their goodness is fresh-peeled and cut
potatoes, each batch deep-fried before your eyes in
at least six vats of fresh, clean and dangerously hot
vegetable oil—the last fryer being the hottest of all
to achieve a final crisp. Order a paper boat full and
then decide: eat them as is? With a pump of vinegar
on top? Ketchup? Gibby’s gets around to many of
the North’s other major festivals too—to find them
simply follow your nose. —Elizabeth EdwardsSALTY
Starting from the ground up, with as many
fresh and local ingredients as possible, Traverse City
chef Gabe Lava hopes to create some of the most
interesting and delectable custards you’ve ever tasted.
He’s starting with four core flavors—Burnt Honey,
Buttered Popcorn, Just Chocolate and Bananas Foster.
Beyond the main menu, he has an arsenal of more
than 45 flavor combinations at the ready. (He’s
been thinking about custard for quite some time
now.) Fun ones he’s played with so far: carrot cake,
honey lavender...
Expect some wild, out-of-the-box combos. And
once you try them, we think you’ll agree he’s a
genius. Snag a pint of Gabe’s Frozen Custard at the
new grab-and-go shop, Goodboy Provisions, on State
Street. —Claire PalmerSWEET
HOMETOWN TREATS: TC
GIBBY'S FRIES GABE'S OLD FASHIONED FROZEN CUSTARD