In the North West corner of Michigan is a stretch of highway called M-119. More specifically, there is a section of M-119 that starts in Harbor Springs, MI and ends in a map dot called Cross Village.
More often referred to as "The Tunnel of Trees", this highway boasts some of the best views of fall foliage in the state. I've driven on this road several times and the term "tunnel" is not used lightly. It's literally a tunnel of trees at times.
While Cross Village might be an after thought for many people traveling the tunnel, I'd consider it a destination more than a termination point for M-119.
In a recent poll, Legs Inn was named the 2nd most iconic restaurant in the state of Michigan. Oddly enough, I had never been there before this trip. If you want a full history of the place, check out this article I found.
If you want a shorter version, Legs Inn was founded by a Polish immigrant who wanted to relocate to somewhere that reminded him of his home. He eventually ended up in Cross Village, MI and built the building you see above on the bluffs over Lake Michigan.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I entered the place, but unique is definitely an understatement. I am not sure there is a place that has more wood paneling, Great Lakes driftwood, or animal antlers all together in one place. The floor a lone was pretty stunning from the moment I walked in.
Continuing on, you pass several bar areas before you eventually find yourself at the entrance to the dinning room.
You'll have to forgive me, this post is mostly about the food, but I would be remiss if I didn't share all the photos I took of the interior and exterior. It's just so impressive. As you can see they have a small arcade area for the kids. This is a tourist destination after all.
If you look really closely, you might notice a Zoltar machine in the corner made famous by the Tom Hanks movie "Big".
Another shot of the bar area, just outside the dining area. Apparently, they have live music certain nights here and based on the photos I saw, it gets pretty packed!
We were given a choice to sit inside or in the covered patio outdoors. We chose the covered patio, it was a relatively nice day out. Just past the covered patio is a garden area where you can stroll around while you are waiting for your seat or your food. It was quite beautiful as you will see.
Believe it or not, that's Lake Michigan in the distance of the last photo. When we arrived at Legs in, you could see the blue water and the beautiful rolling waves of the great lake. By the time we left, the wildfire smoke from Canada had moved back in and it was impossible to see anything beyond the bluff.
Turning around and heading back towards the Inn, you would almost never know what wonderful things were hidden back there. They did such a fantastic job on the landscaping here. It was breathtaking.
Of course, it was only right that we started our lunch with a traditional Polish beer. They had a huge selection of choices from many of the breweries in the state of Michigan, but they also had a whole section of the drink menu that was dedicated to Polish beers.
Although it was a Friday we visited, I am going to include this post as a #beersaturday submission for 
I on the other hand decided to get a little crazy and I tried the Łomża (woom-zhah). It's created with honey from hives hear the town of Lomza in Poland. Based on the description, I was expecting a hint of honey like I have noticed in some other beers.
Boy was I wrong! This beer is so honey forward it was almost sickening at times. That doesn't mean I didn't like it, I just don't think I could drink too many of them at once. I actually struggled to finish the large bottle they brought me.
That isn't to say it didn't have a beautiful color and would you just look at that pour? I'm surprised they didn't offer me a job on the spot. I'm glad I tried this beer, but I can't say I would ever get it again.
If you have never had it, I highly encourage you to try it. Unless you don't like honey at all. In that case, you should probably steer clear! I'm curious if 
The menu is quite extensive at Legs Inn, but I have a feeling the main reason people come here is for the traditional Polish food. I forgot to mention, when we entered the dining area, we were greeted by a hostess who had a definite Polish accent. In fact, all of the staff that we interacted with had accents.
I think that shows you just how much of a family business this place is. Either that, or they hire a lot of young people from out of the country to work in the summer. Many of the tourist places in northern, MI are like that.
In this case, I am leaning more towards them being family.
While the first thing that jumped out at me from the menu was the smoked whitefish dishes, you can find that pretty much anywhere in northern Michigan.
I should mention, my wife's family on her dad's side is Polish. She has a pretty obviously polish maiden name filled with plenty of consonants. That being said, I think this was also her first real introduction to Polish food.
With that in mind, we decided to try the "Old World Sampler".
The Old World Sampler consisted of three Kabanosy, three Pierogi, and Bigos. I'll include the descriptions below from their website.
"Kabanosy
Probably the finest "meat stick" in the world. This thin, charbroiled Polish Sausage variety is named after the "kabanek," a young pig that was primarily fed potatoes in eastern Poland. Served with our Cwikla (Red Beet Relish) and our housebaked rye bread."
"Pierogi
Polish-style dumplings filled with your choice of lightly seasoned beef and pork, potato with Farmer's cheese or homemade sauerkraut and mushrooms."
"Our delicious, slow-cooked Hunter's Stew consists of mixed cuts of beef, pork and Polish Sausage. Simmered in our own sauerkraut and mushrooms."
We chose the potato and cheese Pierogi for our appetizer plate. If it had been up to me, I probably would have went with the beef and pork, but I don't think
If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be the Kabanosy, and I was even shocked that my wife seemed to enjoy it as she isn't usually a fan of cured pork products.
In fact, she ate a fair share of the Bigos as well. She just maneuvered around the pork and beef chunks.
The Pierogi were wonderful. I think this was my first time I have ever had them and they were so soft and delicious. As I said, the Kabanosy was great, but I didn't care of the beet relish they served with it. It was very "earthy" and almost tasted like dirt to me.
I've gotta come back to the Bigos though. It was just fantastic. The beef melted in your mouth and the spices were amazing.
In fact, there were a million reasons why she normally wouldn't have eaten anything but the Pierogi on the sampler, but that just wasn't the case.
The original plan was for me to eat the majority of the Old World Sampler and for her to eat this CVBLT and fries that you will see in the photos. She ended up sharing the sandwich with me since she had eaten more of the other food than she had planned. It actually worked out perfectly for both of us.
It was basically just a bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich with avocado on it, but what really made it sing was the garlic aioli they added to it. It was fantastic.
The fries (chips) were equally delicious. They had a crunchy exterior and a pillowy soft interior. They were salted perfectly, and we didn't leave a single morsel on the plate.
On the way out I grabbed some parting shots of the unique interior of the Legs Inn.
We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about what an amazing experience our visit to Legs Inn was and we both agreed that we would definitely make our way back there again if the opportunity ever arises.
It's a definite must stop place if you are ever in the area. It's so authentic that Uncle "Stosh" (that's Stanley for you non Polish people) would even approve!
All pictures/screenshots taken by myself or
