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Go For the Food: Traverse City, Michigan’s Harvest

By WTOP Staff

JOHN FLESHER
Associated Press

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Let’s face it: In today’s hurry-up culture, there always will be a need for fast food. Even when you’re enjoying a leisurely vacation in a place like Traverse City, a Lake Michigan resort community with a nationwide reputation for restaurants serving high-quality, farm-to-table fare.

You could head for the outskirts and one of the chain eateries your kids so cherish. But if you’re sunbathing on the Grand Traverse Bay waterfront, shopping in downtown’s many boutiques or taking in a film at the glamorous State Theatre, chances are you’ll have no appetite to navigate the traffic for another assembly-line lunch.

Mom-and-pop diners and brew pubs within walking distance can satisfy cravings for burgers and fries. But how about a quick, inexpensive meal consisting of Korean beef tacos with sambal slaw and Sriracha mayo? Or udon noodles with carrot, onion, green beans, bok choy, crushed peanuts and fresh herbs? Could fresh hummus with pickled carrot and feta tempt your palate?

You’ll find such treats at Harvest, a recently opened restaurant tucked into an alley off Front Street, the main drag a block from the bayshore. It’s the brainchild of Simon Joseph, an entrepreneurial chef who cruised into town three years ago aboard Roaming Harvest, the city’s first food truck.

“Traverse City was becoming known as a food-centric place,” says Joseph, “but we were missing a vibrant street food scene.”

No longer. His truck is among up to eight at a time crammed onto the parking lot of a popular Front Street bar called The Little Fleet. Wanting to expand, Joseph decided to open a brick-and-mortar version of Roaming Harvest with more items on the menu. He renovated the building in the alley, giving it what Joseph describes as an “open industrial” look with high ceilings, exposed joists, birch table tops, and stools with galvanized steel legs and teak seats.

It has just a few tables and normally seats 19. If it’s crowded, order takeout and stroll to the Open Space, a sprawling, grassy park beside the bay.

The menu is in constant flux, dictated largely by what sustainable, organic produce is available at local farms and markets. So check out the website or Facebook page ahead of time, or arrive with an adventurous spirit.

Soft-shell tacos are a fixture. For a couple of days per week you can get them packed with delectable whitefish, fresh from the lake — but they sell out fast. A recent dinner offering consisted of Jamaican jerk “drummies” (drumsticks), fennel celery salad, Amish blue cheese and coconut cream.

There’s also a menu category labeled “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow,” emphasizing its seasonal nature. Among recent selections was a risotto dish with short rib, snap peas, spinach and goat cheese.

If a snack is enough, choose from among fresh chicharrones (pork rinds) with chili lime sauce; chicken confit salad with arugula, blueberries, apple chips, goat cheese and rhubarb vinaigrette; or deliciously tangy flash fried street beets with wasabi mayo. For dessert, try one of the restaurant’s chocolate chip cookies made with burned butter and sea salt.

Sounds pricey, but everything on the menu goes for $9 or less. And Joseph says the typical order is filled in five to six minutes. Fast enough for you?

___

If You Go …

HARVEST: 131 E. State St., Traverse City, Michigan, 231-486-6037. http://www.roamingharvest.com/harvest

THE LITTLE FLEET: 448 E. Front St., Traverse City, Michigan, 231-943-1116. http://www.thelittlefleet.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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