MARY ALICE POWELL / THE BLADE / TOLEDO BLADE / SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

I finally made it to Legs Inn in northern Michigan.

This report is proof positive to hold tight to your wish list, no matter how tattered it may become.

For at least 20 years friends who know my keen interest in restaurants have sent postcards and brought brochures about the iconic restaurant. Always, there was the message, “We know you will love it. It’s your kind of place, unusual, good ethnic food, family owned.”

Then came the day in July when cousins Dan and Loraine Jarboe of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., announced they were coming for my birthday. They asked the the question any celebrant likes to hear: “What would you like to do? Just name it.”

And that’s how I made it to the Legs Inn at Cross Village, which was well worth the long wait as it lives up to all the hype friends had given it.

Recognized as an historic landmark in Michigan, the restaurant outside and in is a place of wonder and beauty. It’s a credit to one man’s foresight to honor Michigan’s natural beauty and his Polish heritage in one magnificent building.

Stanley Smolak, a Polish immigrant, settled in Cross Village in 1921. It is important to note the thriving industrial center then included a stove manufacturing company. Stanley’s neighbors were Chippewa and Ottawa Native Americans, and his fascination was Michigan’s great outdoors.

Stanley saw art in the different forms of trees, roots, and driftwood in the forests and was inspired to preserve them in his personal artistic productions. He was equally intrigued by the large stones that were washed smooth by Lake Michigan.

The ill-formed pieces of wood culled from nearby forests and the stones from the lakeshore are the two prime ingredients in the one-of-a-kind structure that Stanley built. It is a restaurant within a museum.

Stove legs from the local industry must be added to the unique mix.

The stones add the exterior character to the two-story building and also are used in massive indoor fireplaces in the dining rooms. His imagination is admired in a great number of hand-hewn masterpieces including a giant bear and a totem pole reflecting Michigan’s wilderness. Diners are encouraged to plan time, before, after, or during their meal to check out all the art pieces in the several rooms.

As for the stove legs, I couldn’t believe it either that hundreds of inverted stove legs outline the roof line; hence the name Legs Inn.

Stanley, whose building project began in the 1920s and continued into the 1940s, died in 1968. His dream that his building, art, and the restaurant would be appreciated by generations is being fulfilled by his nephew George Smolak, his wife Kathy, and their two sons Mark and Chris, who now own and operate the business.

Operating the restaurant is a different lifestyle for the Chicago family.

Kathy worked in a doctor’s office, and George was an engineer. They and their sons are cordial hosts who love talking about Uncle Stanley and his incredible legacy. George says they want customers to leave with a full stomach and smiles on their faces.

He and Kathy most enjoy the interaction with people from all over the country.

It is rare that I pass up whitefish from Michigan waters, but it just seemed right on the first visit to recognize the Polish family and the ethnic dishes they have kept in the spotlight for decades.

Besides, where else can you order Polish specialties, like pierogi, bigos, kabanosly, and other dishes you can’t pronounce? With that goal my choice was the Polish Party, a sampler plate of pierogi, cabbage rolls, and bigos, which translates to hunters stew, a beef, pork, and, kielbasa dish lively with fresh sauerkraut. A Polish beer was appropriate.

A detailed definition of each Polish dish is helpful.

Pierogi are dumplings filled with meat and potatoes. Golabki, a top seller, are cabbage rolls filled with meat and rice. And zurek, a traditional Polish sour soup, is popular the year around. It is white borscht with kielbasa, hard boiled eggs, and potatoes in a meat broth.

George’s Goulash, a slow cooked beef, pork, and vegetable special, is served over potato pancakes.

Beef and pork may be a staple, but the Smolaks are also in tune with today’s vegetarian trend. Vegetable Nalesniki is Polish-style crepes with a vegetable filling and topped with a dill sauce. Crepes, with a lemon filling, are in the dessert lineup, but the strictly Polish Szarlotka, a crumb cake loaded with fresh berries, was too enticing to pass up.

The restaurant closes Oct. 24 for the winter months. Customers who know the landscape are hoping for chilly weather between now and the closing date so they can sit outdoors wrapped in a warm blanket. The Smolaks have a supply of blankets for customers who like to sit outdoors, view the lake, and maybe catch a beautiful sunset. The family also rents lakeside cottages by the day or week.

The 20-mile trip to Legs Inn from Harbor Springs goes through the Tunnel of Trees, accurately named for the amazing natural formation. The restaurant is open every day but Monday from noon to 8 p.m. No reservations are taken.

Mary Alice Powell is a retired Blade food editor. Contact her at poseypowell@aol.com

·