Lucky Star Guide Book

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OUR FAVORITE EATS AND DRINKS

There are so many restaurants in Bay City that we couldn’t list them here. Below please find our team favorites-the places we visit the most, and recommend when asked.  

Coffee

• Harless + Hugh Coffee - Great minimalistic coffee, tea, baked goods and a limited menu. (Including lox!) 
• Populace Coffee - Right around the corner this is a great local coffee shop with a rotating menu and many vegan baked goods to choose from. 
• Live Oak - Great vibe and great coffee 

Breakfast

• Vinny’s Stockpot-Located Downtown, this 50’s themed diner is a favorite for breakfast and lunch. 
• Mandy’s Diner- Solid breakfast and lunch option just a few blocks away from Lucky Star. 
• Uptown Grill- Great place for breakfast or lunch.  Everything is good. If you like Monte Cristos, try their waffle cristo!

Lunch

• BarqueBC-If you like BBQ, this is a must-try! Huge BBQ tacos and all kinds of incredible sides to try Downtown. It’s also a great spot for dinner!
• Wanigan Eatery & Pub - Fresh homemade sandwiches. So.many.options. (All good!)
• Coonans Irish Hub - Local neighborhood restaurant and bar. A place everyone knows your name. Great for lunch or dinner. 
• Mulligan's Pub -Located in the same building, this is a fav for locals. Great “pub food” for lunch or dinner. 
• Intermission Deli- A Bay City staple. Great subs and soups Downtown. 

Dinner

• Prost! Wine Bar and Charcuterie- Perfect date-night place.
• Gatsby's Seafood and Steakhouse- A vibe where Al Capone would feel at home. Vegan menu also available.
• Old City Hall- A Bay City tradition. Once Bay City’s City Hall, now a great spot for a drink and a nice dinner.
• MI Table- Unique farm-to-table restaurant Downtown. 
• Vinny's Pizzeria - Wood fired pizza, great Italian entres and tasty cocktails.

Carry-out

• D’Angelo’s Pizza - Everything on this menu is good. Great vegan options. 
• Brooklyn Boys Pizza- NY style pizza done well.  Try the garlic knots. 
• G’s Pizzeria - Fantastic pizza Downtown. 
• Sushi Remix- Deconstructed sushi in a bowl! It’s poke with a delicious twist. 
• Gilly’s Bistro- Great sandwich/soup shop and small daily rotating menu. Also has great grab-and-go frozen meals.

Cookies and Ice Cream

• Artisiano- Located Downtown, great selection of gelato.
• Barney’s Bakery- Very well-known neighborhood bakery. 
• Cream and Sugar- Homemade ice cream. Home to fresh, warm waffle cones! 
• Heidi’s Darn Good Cookies -Heidi doesn’t lie. They are darn good. 
• Mama Lupos- Another great homemade ice cream place.
• O’MACARON - Specialty dessert shop with 20+ flavors Downtown 906 Washington. 

Drinks

• The Public House -Bay City - Incredible cocktails made well and great atmosphere located Downtown. 
• Retro Rocks - Great for dinner or just for a drink Downtown. 
• Drift- Located on the Saginaw River, this seasonal bar offers food and hosts food trucks. 
• Real Seafood- Beautiful restaurant and bar located on the Saginaw River. Great for dinner or just drinks. 
• Drydock - A non-profit organization helping nonprofits fundraise! 

Every Wednesday-Saturday from May-October a different non-profit organization operates a fundraising event in Unity Park, right next door to the Tanner Building. (The property was donated by the owner of Lucky Star, Donald!)  All profits raised through drink sales goes directly to the nonprofit operating Drydock that week. Cheers! 

AREA ATTRACTIONS

ONE-OF-A-KIND PLACES IN BAY CITY

• Art Department - Unique collection of art from sculpture to paintings. 
• Bay Antique Center/Bay City Antiques/Americana Antique- 3 huge antique shops all located within 2 blocks of each other on Water Street Downtown. 
• Beatles and Beans Coffee Emporium- Thousands of pieces of Beatles memorabilia covering every inch of this cash-only coffee shop on Water Street. 
• C.A.T WORK ART Gallery- A collective of incredible local artists. 
• Crazy Quarters Arcade- 2 floors of vintage arcade games Downtown. 
• Electric Kitsch- New & used records, funky clothing & household items. 
• Meats and Moore/Meatys- Local meat shop housed inside the building Annie Edson Taylor’s historic barrel was made for her trip over the Niagara Falls. 
• Midland Street Books- 2 floors of used books. 
• R.A. Studio/Retro Attics- Huge collection of mid century modern furniture. 
• St. Laurent Brothers- A local MUST. Everyone stops in at this hundred year old business (Including Madonna when she’s in town!)  
• Timothy’s Fine Cigars - Nationally award-winning cigar lounge. 
• Tummy Ache- Whimsical and quirky candy store on Johnson Street.

DAY TRIPS WORTH TAKING

• Frankenmuth- Michigan’s #1 tourist destination! Known for its Bavarian-style architecture you won’t find another place like this. Eat a chicken dinner at Zenders or the Bavarian Inn, explore the shops and head over to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, the largest Christmas store in the world, covering a  little over 7 acres.
• Midland- Check out Dow Gardens, take a tour of the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio. Stop downtown to shop and walk across the Tridge, a 3-sided walking bridge in the heart of the city.  
• Saginaw- Grab a coffee at Red Eye Coffee & Tea, have a bite to eat and explore the SVRC Marketplace, a year-round indoor farmer’s market, and take a drive around the Shiawassee Nature Preserve, an unbelievable 6.5 mile drive through untouched wetlands. 
• “The Thumb”- The peninsula to the east of Bay City. Take a drive up M-25 along the Saginaw Bay shoreline of Lake Huron. Stop in Caseville and Port Austin to enjoy some of the most beautiful beaches in Michigan. Check out the Barn Art Project Port Austin. 

THE MADONNA TOUR

The rumor goes that Madonna’s mother, a Bay City native living in Pontiac wanted her 3rd child to be delivered by a specific doctor in Bay City, making Bay City the Birthplace of Madonna.  While she never lived here, she visited family here often. 

• Former Mercy Hospital (now Bradley House)- 100 15th Street. On August 16, 1958 this building was once Mercy Hospital, the birthplace of Madonna. 
• Grandma’s House -1204 Smith St. Madonna grew up in Metro-Detroit, but spent a lot of time here as a child. 
• Visitation Church - 1106 State Street. Where Mom and Dad were married and where Madonna was baptized. 
• Calvary Cemetery - 2977 Old Kawkawlin Rd, Kawkawlin, MI. Featured in Madonna’s documentary Truth or Dare, Madonna’s Mom, Madonna Louise Fortin, is buried in Section 8. It is rumored that Madonna hopes to someday also be buried there. 
• St. Laurent Brothers - 1101 Water Street. Madonna loves this candy shop, and once the owner of Lucky Star Rentals, Donald, actually bumped into her there! 
• Madonna Mural- 401 Center Ave- Located on the old City Market Building at the corner of Adams Street and Center Ave.
• Keits Flowers- 609 Washington Ave. Madonna’s family’s preferred florist. Madonna often called to purchase flowers for her grandmother until she passed away. Stop in to support this 150+ year old Bay City business. 
• Madonna’s almost Key to Bay City- A former Mayor intended to offer Madonna a key to the city, but after learning of her photos in Playboy decided not to. The key was given to actress Lee Meredith who kept it for two decades before giving it to filmmaker Zach Neumeyer, who interviewed her for Madonna’s documentary. Zach then donated it to the Historical Museum where it now hangs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inside the Historical Museum of Bay County. (Admission is free)

THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO EXPERIENCE

IN BAY CITY

• BaySail Bay City-Explore the Saginaw Bay on an 85 foot schooner Appledore IV. . Several tours are available weekly in the late spring/summer/fall.
• Bay City Boat Lines- Learn about and see the region waterside on the Princess Wenonah, an excursion boat docked at Wenonah Park.
• Bay County Historical Museum-Free admission to this local history museum that gives an overview of the region’s history. Check out the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame inside!
• *Buoy 18 - Putt putt golf and great ice cream on the Saginaw River. 
• C.A.T WORK Art Gallery-a collective of incredible local artists. 
• Crazy Quarters Arcade- 2 floors of vintage arcade games Downtown. 
• Delta College Planetarium -One of only 2 planetariums built by NASA! Shows and events for all ages including music and digital arts. 
• Dutch Village Adventure - Putt putt and batting cages near Bay City State Park. 
• Starlight Event Center- Bingo Fri/Sat/Sun at 6:30 pm. 
• Studio 23 Art Gallery- Great rotating exhibits of local artists and take home craft kits.  
• U.S.S. Edson-Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum- Discover the history of the US Navy. The museum is housed in a naval ship on the Saginaw River in Bay City.
• Washington Lanes - Bowling center and live music venue Downtown. 

AROUND THE GREAT LAKES BAY REGION

• Alden B. Dow Home and Studio- A mid century modern lover’s dream! The home and studio of 20th century architect Alden B. Down. Located in Midland. 
• Midland Center for the Arts- Arts complex with a theater for drama & music events plus history, art & science exhibitions located in Midland. 
• Dow Gardens - Dazzling botanical gardens with trails, children’s garden and sculptures in Midland’s city limits.
• Japanese Cultural Center Tea House and Gardens- Said to be the most authentic Japanese Garden in North America. Located in Saginaw.  
• Saginaw Art Museum- Charming local museum with diverse collection of fine art, sculpture and photographs. Open Wed-Saturday in Saginaw. 
• Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum- Colorful attraction with hands-on, interactive exhibits designed for children under the age of 10. 
• Saginaw Children’s Zoo- Featuring 150 animals, interactive exhibits, 80 gardens and a hand-painted carousel. Open May-Oct.  
• Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum- Located in Saginaw Valley State University’s Arbury Fine Arts Center.  

PARKS AND TRAILS TO EXPLORE

IN BAY CITY

• Wenonah Park -Located ½ block from this building along the Saginaw River.  Pavilion and stage are used year round for live music, events and festivals. 
• Veteran’s Memorial Park -1.2 mile long park on the west side of the Saginaw River featuring beautiful walking trails and Kantzler Memorial Arboretum. 
• Bigelow Park/Sugar Trails - Located on an island (Middle Ground Island) on the Saginaw Bay. Walk over the water from the island to Vets Park. 
• Carroll Park - Centennial park with duck pond rumored to be designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the architect behind Central Park in NYC.  
• Golson Nature Area- 43 acres of paved walking trail along Saginaw River in the middle of the city. 
• Bay City Rail Trail - 21 miles of paved trail around Bay City.

OUTSIDE OF AND AROUND THE GREAT LAKES BAY REGION

• Bay City State Park / Tobico Marsh State Game Area - Great access to the Saginaw Bay with a clean beach and well-groomed walking trails.
• Whiting Forest/Canopy Walk - 54-acre park of native forest, meadows and wetland in Midland’s city limits. Featuring the Nation’s longest canopy walk. 
• Saginaw Rail Trail- 9.5 miles of paved trails in Saginaw County. 
• Price Nature Center - Located 5 miles south of Saginaw, this park offers nearly three miles of hiking trails through its 186 acres. are great article fodder, too.