Sometimes, an entrée on a restaurant menu is just a meal, but every once in a while, it becomes mythic. You know the type of dish we’re talking about: the ones you tell all your friends and family about; the ones you try (and usually fail) to recreate at home; the ones that you’d drive 200 miles to experience again if you ever moved away.

In 2018, the Northern Express - sister publication of The Ticker - set out to find the dishes throughout northern Michigan that meet these lofty standards. The goal was to document the most iconic, legendary dishes in our neck of the woods, the ones on which the area’s growing “foodie” reputation were built. Four years, three installments, and 13 dishes later, the Northern Express has built the beginnings of a hall of fame that spans everything from beloved sandwiches to adventurous Bloody Marys.

This week, five more dishes are added to the pantheon. What made the list? To find, check out the Northern Express online, or pick up a free copy on newsstands at nearly 700 spots in 14 counties across northern Michigan.