The Share Plate I Can’t Share in Traverse City, Michigan

This is Highly Recommend, a column dedicated to our very opinionated editors’ favorite things to eat, drink, and buy.

When you’re in the cherry capital of the world...I really think you should try the Michigan shrimp. It’s at my favorite restaurant in my boyfriend’s hometown of Traverse City—scratch that, the entire state of Michigan (but honestly! I’ve been to many other cities!). At Alliance, chef James Bloomfield leads a tiny team of seven to cook food inspired by the cheffy cookbooks on the shelves above the bar—from Zahav to Momofuku to Tokyo New Wave. Initially the share-able menu seems slightly all over the place: beets with za’atar, fried chicken, rabbit carnitas, cherry tomato toast. But it works in the way that the things we crave are all over the place. Nothing is overthought, overwrought, or underseasoned. Every bite is fabulous, especially the kinilaw, a Filipino ceviche made with Michigan shrimp and a crazy good coconut broth. It’s been a menu standby for the three years Alliance has been open and I knew our party of three would require two orders on my most recent visit, because some share plates I have trouble sharing.

Michigan shrimp? Yeah, I still can’t get over that. It’s sustainably raised in Okemos, Michigan, at ECA (Environmentally Conscious Aquaculture) Farms—kind of a mouthful name, but they have a fascinating tank setup that produces clean-tasting, tender pink-shelled shrimp that aren’t as briny as the Gulf shrimp I grew up with. At the restaurant, they sous-vide the shrimp until they’re slightly bouncy, and then serve in a light, chilled coconut broth with lemongrass, ginger, chile oil, lime juice, coconut vinegar, and cilantro stems. It’s creamy, tangy, and ridiculously flavorful, making you come back for spoonful after spoonful. Soak up the leftover broth with sous chef Becca Snook’s squishy, crispy-crusted white bread.

To accompany, sommelier Andrew Kemp’s wines are thoughtful and fun. If you’re excited about wine and show it, he’ll open something for you that’s “in the back”—leftover from special events and other coveted bottles too low in quantity to add to the wine list. We had a bubbly Austrian blanc de blancs that tasted like Champagne meets cream soda. Paired with the kinilaw, can you imagine anything better?

Go there (from Wednesday to Sunday only): Alliance

Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit