Michigan's Best Restaurant Of 2025 Is A Farm-To-Table Gem Nestled In Downtown Traverse City

Although Michigan's Traverse City is known for being a one-of-a-kind shopping paradise, a local farm-to-table restaurant, Modern Bird, is also putting the area on the map as a foodie destination. Modern Bird was named as the only Michigan representative on The New York Times' 2025 list of the 50 best restaurants in America. That recognition alone is enough to make a trip to downtown Traverse City. However, what truly sets this culinary hidden gem apart is the artistry behind every dish. The Modern Bird kitchen is helmed by chef Andy Elliott, while pastry and dessert responsibilities fall to his wife, Emily Stewart.

Modern Bird opened in July 2022, in a refurbished historic building on West Front Street in downtown Traverse City. The space feels unassuming yet elegant, a comfortable perch where fine dining meets the warmth of a local gem. What makes Modern Bird remarkable is how it elevates local, seasonal ingredients into dishes that surprise and delight. According to The New York Times, "Each dish calibrates contrasts, using local produce from the Leelanau Peninsula." The grilled asparagus is a standout example; bathed in a smoked mushroom sauce and topped with trout roe and genmai, it offers both richness and subtle crunch, a dish where simplicity yields sophistication.

Walking into Modern Bird, you're greeted by a softly lit, intimate dining room that feels more like a gathering of friends than a pretentious tasting-menu arena. The vibe is warm, relaxed, and authentically welcoming — a tone set by chef-owners who value hospitality as much as flavors.

The menu changes with the seasons, a testament to the restaurant's farm-to-table philosophy. Favorites include dishes like a wagyu Denver steak served with caramelized onions, maitake mushrooms, and pickled mustard seed, a dish that embodies Modern Bird's balance of boldness and nuance. Perhaps the most evocative dish is a reimagined take on a local favorite: walleye. Under Andy Elliott's creativity, the fish becomes a fried roulade filled with a mousse of walleye scraps, served on a house-made red mole, then layered with popcorn, chiles, onions, and cilantro. Its daring-yet-balanced ingredients come together wonderfully. Desserts and baked goods, courtesy of Emily Stewart, carry the same subtlety, rounding out the meal in a way that feels intentional rather than indulgent.

Beyond the food, what makes Modern Bird significant is its role in redefining what fine dining in Michigan can be: part regional homage, part experimental kitchen, part communal hearth. For anyone looking to experience modern American cooking grounded in local soil, Modern Bird is a must-try. Have a major sweet tooth to fill after your meal? Don't miss this chocolate-centric road trip through Michigan. Pair your culinary adventure with a local tasting, as Traverse City also has an underappreciated wine scene with Italian vibes.