We spent a quiet, long weekend in Door County in early Spring and timed it just right. The sun came out. We walked along the shoreline and through the pine trees. And left before a devastating ice storm hit the area and closed two parks in the northern part of the county!
You can always find beauty and fun in Door County no matter what time of year you visit. As we’ve said before, the off season offers open roads, open seats at the bar, and open reservations at restaurants. You’ll just need to do a little pre-planning to find the ones that are open this time of year. Or you can read on to see what we discovered!
One of our faves gets a facelift
CHIVES gets a new look! We love Chives. Had our best meal of 2024 there and can’t wait for more visits in 2025. We follow Chives on Instagram and knew they had just undergone a mini-renovation. What we noticed the most was the big communal table in the middle of the room and a stunning bathroom makeover! The place looks great, but that’s not what we were most excited about. Turns out we were finally around on a Thursday night to go for their weekly special “Bun & Brew.”
For $20 you get one of two burger/sandwich options with salad or fries and a draft of your choice. Not bad for Door County and the burger is top notch! We were tempted by the trio starter. And we were NOT disappointed. The bartender had a great wine recommendation for the non beer drinker among us. Great food, great atmosphere, great craft cocktails.
Something new to the Door County pizza scene
As long as we’re talking about dining out on Door County’s quiet side… Baileys Harbor has a new pizza place we’ve been wanting to try. Inland Pizza sets itself apart by specializing in sourdough. The place is small and we were told it would be about a 45 minute wait. We waited it out two doors down at Door County Brewing. (It might have been our second time there on that day!!) By the end of the first beer, Inland texted that the table was ready.
Our table was a shared, common table in the center of the restaurant. Other things to be aware of: the bar stools were reserved for diners and the restaurant’s days and hours are limited. So definitely check ahead. And if they run out of sourdough, you’re out of luck. We watched the sign go up in the window before closing time.
The cocktails were interesting and delicious. We ordered a couple of salads. We would definitely go back for the spiced carrots over tahini yogurt. The burrata bowl was amazing and could be a meal in itself. We ordered a 4 pizzas for 5 people and it was too much. The server tried to warn us!
Fuel up for the day in Ellison Bay
We can’t believe it took us this long to visit Kick Ash Coffee — it’s just minutes from the DiSalvo Lakehouse and other Northern Door vacation rentals! It’s not new to Door County, but it’s definitely a new favorite for us.
We decided to check it out when we realized we forgot to pick up some half ‘n half for our morning brew. We were pleasantly surprised when we walked in. It has a little bit of everthing! Kick Ash is known for it’s gluten free granola. It’s a great treat to bring back to your vacation rental. Makes for a great “From Door County” gift, too. We grabbed some of the fresh gluten-free baked goods to go with our coffee. We noticed a cooler stocked with all sorts of local favorites and made a mental note to keep it in mind for last minute needs at the house: wine, cheese, wine, cheese, etc.
It’s always a great season to hike through Ridges Sanctuary
Because we missed the ice storm by two days, we were able to get in some much needed time in the fresh air. While we were in Baileys Harbor, we got some steps in at Ridges Sanctuary. It’s a favorite and I believe we have trekked through the woods here during every season. The sun shined above as we crunched across the still snow covered boardwalk and trails. This is an great hike to do if you have kids along or others looking for an easy adventure.
The quiet season is a great time to visit and venture to the more peaceful parts of the peninsula. We shopped, ate, drank, hiked, relaxed at home, played games and did all the things that make Door County special to us. We invite you to find your own adventures. Start by booking your getaway with Northern Door Vacations. The busy season will be here before you know it!
