Sunnyside (Boyne City, MI)

"It's so breakfast without the boring breakfast. Does that make sense?" - Kirt Ploe

For whatever the reason, brunch has risen in popularity and may now be considered the norm for many people. The naive kid that I was, I grew up picturing brunch as a bougie meal where women young and old gathered around the table with coffee, tea, perfectly cut finger sandwiches, and aesthetic pastries (not to be confused with afternoon tea, which must take place after lunch as its name implies). Clearly I had not known any better, but as time passed I noticed how more and more families of all types steadily begin to arrive between the awkward hours of 10:00 and 11:00 am for their first meal. My own family will often go to restaurants after church on Sundays, and even though we may have indulged in one or two cookies and some coffee provided by the service, it became customary that our first actual sit-down meal should at least offer a breakfast menu.

It's amazing how the concept of brunch seems to somehow invoke a gathering or special occasion. Breakfast? I can make an egg on toast by myself at home while still in my PJs. Lunch? I'll just catch a quick bite to eat before heading back to work. But brunch? Maybe I should invite my friends, or my sister, or my parents. Heck, even a co-worker or neighbor would make good company. It's awkward enough that I occupy an entire table by myself when I'm eating out, but even I felt a little foolish once when I had stopped by Sunnyside, the locally operated and family-owned brunch spot in Boyne City, right as they opened only to realize that Boyne City's council chamber was having a meeting right then and there in the dining area (not that it stopped me from taking a seat, of course).

Daylight easily lights the dining area.

If you're not careful, you could walk right past it.

Compared to the surrounding businesses, Sunnyside is not very prominent and could easily go unnoticed for those first visiting Boyne City. The major signage that gives any indication of Sunnyside's existence is a large silhouette of a rooster weathervane hanging above the entrance, promising a warm, farmhouse-style breakfast. Considering most revenue is predominately generated in the mornings, it is not surprising that predominate brunch places typically close sometime after a normal lunch hour, and Sunnyside is no exception, strictly closing by 2:00 pm.

Surprisingly, the two owners of Sunnyside, James and Kirt Ploe, are originally classic Italian-trained chefs and have previous years of experience in fine dining. The two took a break from cooking briefly, before deciding they themselves wanted to run their own restaurant. That is when they stumbled across Waterstreet Cafe. The owner was looking to retire, and the two brothers purchased the business. It wasn't until the start of 2020 when they began to incorporate major renovations and changes, including changing the name.

Pictures of the Ploe brothers' farm hang along the walls

James and Kirt knew from the start that they wanted to serve brunch revolving around their own farms as the central theme. "We refuse to buy into this hipster style," Kirt explained. "The idea of it is farm, right? Farm to table, farm-raised... Everything we put down on our tables, we've literally served our families since they were babies... And so that is what we model our menu as; this was what was on our kitchen tables."

Side Hustle serves all day Friday

"I sell mimosas and bloody marys like crazy." - Kirt Ploe

Within the first few months into 2020, the brothers acquired the food trailer, "Side Hustle," and began offering catering and food on the go outside of the premises. When COVID-19 hit, they were fortunate enough to utilize their new asset to the fullest extent, selling their food in front of their building from the trailer itself. "Side Hustle... turned what was devastating into nothing but profit," Kirt described.

Sunnyside takes special requests and orders as well, and Kirt recounted how every challenge continues to be fun. "I haven't spun sugar in 15 years," he began. "Some lady contacted me and wanted a carrot cake for a... bridal shower... I'm not a custom baker... but sure, let's give it a whack." After being given the freedom to "have at it" on the design of the cake, he chose to spin sugar and created a golden carrot atop of the cake. "... It was out of my comfort zone. It became something that I haven't done since I was in training... It was a blast. The kids learned how to spin sugar... So that was fun for them. It was fun for me."

The menu itself is designed to portray the concept of 'Sunnyside,' primarily listing breakfast items and a few select lunch options available after 11:00 am. Trial and error has altered the menu to what it is today as the brothers determined what customers seemed to enjoy the most. "Typically, our best ideas come to us when we're cooking at home," Kirt explained. "It's almost ridiculous how much we think about every dish... That stuffed hash brown... was not ours. It was here when we bought [the building]... It sells like crazy! ... [Market breakfast is] a childhood favorite of ours. My mom made it... We used to eat this all the time... I don't want to list all the things that were not successful, because there was a lot of them..." Indeed, for although Sunnyside does offer a vegetarian menu, it rarely if ever gets used. "As we got better at what we did, [the menu] changed... [James] designed the whole menu; everything about it is him. That's his food."

Perfect, runny eggs every time!

The food is truly a delight. Each dish was served surprisingly quick and yet was also plated creatively. An orange garnish never failed to make it to my plate, and the unique presentation of the food components made me as excited and pleased as a kid receiving a Mickey Mouse pancake.

There were only two occasions in where my food was delayed. The first time was for a side order of poached eggs which did make it to my table on time but were completely cooked through and hard. The waitress informed me that the cook was preparing new eggs since they were dissatisfied with how they had initially came out. Sure enough, a few minutes later, another side of eggs, perfectly cooked was delivered to my table.

The second time was when I had ordered the Market breakfast. Usually, the food arrived well within ten or so minutes, but this time I was kept waiting for nearly twice as long. Once the food did arrive, the waitress apologized for the delay and explained how the cook had redone the bird's egg nest to ensure perfect quality.

And I mean, every time

At the time of this writing, I have eaten from Sunnyside only five times, but my perceptions of Sunnyside are mainly that they strive for perfection to ensure the happiness of those who come to eat there. Friendly servers check up on you as needed, the latest music plays, the coffee is hot, and the food is unique and almost too pretty to eat. "You're not going across the road and getting it... It's similar but it's different," Kirt explained.

Cup of piping hot coffee

I couldn't have said it better. Sunnyside is worth a visit. I have never been disappointed by either food or service each time I had stopped by. The hospitality shown to me is impressive: I had been granted numerous refills of coffee as I read, I was allowed to delay my leaving when rain had suddenly swooped in, and the owners were generous enough to spare some time for an interview. The food will never be anything less than exceptional, although my personal favorites are the Market breakfast, the weekly quiche, and the Sunnyside avocado toast (although the fish tacos I had gotten at Side Hustle give them a run for their money). I will definitely drop by to try more of their menu, and I am eager to see their progress and plans for the future.

Avocado Toast

Market Breakfast

Poached Eggs a la carte

Quiche of the Day

French Toast

Wheat and White Toast

Rye Toast

Pancakes a la carte

Fish Tacos

Stuffed Hash Browns

Berries a la carte