Through the past brightly
Burn down the mission If we’re gonna stay alive Watch the black smoke fly to heaven
See the red flame light the sky
— Elton John and Bernie Taupin from “Burn Down
the Mission”
The Blue Lake Tavern, the legendary landmark a couple miles west of the town of Mecosta on M-20, burned down last night. No one was hurt and it’s a tragedy to lose any structure to fire but losing the Blue Lake Tavern is especially painful. The Tavern was a historic log cabin bar and restaurant which stood on the shore of picturesque Blue Lake since 1941. It was originally called Doyle’s Supper Club.
I first encountered the Tavern back in 1978. I used to pass it while hurtling down M-20 on my way to see my then-girlfriend, Debbie. Deb made me feel like I’d won the Girl Friend Lottery. I was definitely punching above my weight. We’ve been married 42 years.
I lived in East Lansing, worked in Flint and Debbie lived in Big Rapids so I used to drive the 50 miles to Flint in the morning, work, then drive the 140 miles to Big Rapids, spend the night, drive
140 miles back to Flint in the morning, work and then drive back to East Lansing. Several times a week. Ain’t love grand?
Anyway, three days a week, I’d be streaking west on M-20 at extra-legal speeds once I exited Mecosta but since the Tavern sat in the middle of a savage s-turn, I’d have to drop down to 25 mph when I passed it, affording me a good look at the historic structure.
I wanted to check it out but I was always in a hurry to see Debbie and after we got married we lived on the east side of the state. Two years later, we moved to northern California so it wasn’t until 1994, when we moved back to Michigan and bought a farm in Mecosta County that I got to eat at the Tavern.
The joint was iconic. Inside its log cabin exterior there was a bar section, a spacious dining section, a glassed-in veranda looking out on beautiful Blue Lake and an old fashioned dance floor. It wasn’t long before we discovered the bountiful Sunday morning brunch buffet and began dining there two or three times a month. The food and service were both first rate. This coming from a guy who’s spent seven years in the California wine country.
About 20 years ago the place changed hands. The new proprietor also owned an interstate trucking company. We met when I was selling print advertising. The guy was pretty into himself, the kind of client that requires lavish praise in order to sell. What he apparently wasn’t into was spending enough time and money on owning a successful restaurant and the fare suffered accordingly. It was a sad state of affairs for place with such wonderful roots.
The last straw for Deb and me came in the winter of
2001. We decided to give the place one last chance and went there for breakfast one bitterly cold morning. In order to go in the front door, it was necessary to vault over an extensive puddle of vomit, no doubt deposited there the night before. I probably don’t need to tell you that this was hardly conducive to a pleasurable dining experience. It was a long time before we came back.
I’m happy to say the Blue Lake Tavern changed hands several years ago and the new owners pretty much returned it to its former glory. I took Deb there for a Mother’s Day Brunch the year before last and I’m happy to report that the food and the service were top-drawer (if a little pricey).
I found precious little online concerning the extensive history of the Tavern. What you read here was salvaged from my own pea brain.
So sad news about the loss of an 80-year-old, much-loved establishment. It will be interesting to see what develops. If the Blue Lake Tavern rises from the ashes, I’ll be one of the first through the door.
And so it went.
I first encountered the Tavern back in 1978. I used to pass it while hurtling down M-20 on my way to see my then-girlfriend, Debbie. Deb made me feel like I’d won the Girl Friend Lottery. I was definitely punching above my weight. We’ve been married 42 years.