by Jake Knight

I don’t know about you, but I love pizza. And I don’t discriminate. Flat bread, Stone Oven, Supreme or a potato pizza with gruyere cheese and caramelized onions. I love it all.

Pizza is held in high regard by the nearly 90% of people who eat it at least once a month, but it has humble beginnings. Travel to Naples, Italy and you can still visit the original pizzeria, a center of community activity. Originally built in the late 1700s, it’s still a destination that supports a thriving community.

But you don’t need to know the history of pizza to know that it certainly has the ability to bring people together. Manistee County is home to several incredible restaurants that craft their own pizzas.

Downtown Manistee has a couple choices to satisfy your palate. TJ’s Pub makes delicious flatbread pizzas and The Fillmore has the corner on authentic Brick Oven pizzas.

Head north on US31 and you’ll find perhaps the most iconic pizza joint in Manistee, Big Al’s. Open since 1973 and still run by the same owner. A wide variety of pizza, subs and Stromboli, great for the whole family.

On the edges of our county in Brethren, Traks boasts homemade pizza from an old family recipe. Iron Fish Distillery, just recently forayed into the world of pizza and has an extensive menu of interesting pizza options (see potato pizza above). If you make your way to Frankfort you can enjoy the Flatbreads at Stormcloud Brewing company. They infuse their beer in the dough for a unique flavor.

No matter where you’re from you are sure to find some new friends and a great community as you share a slice in Manistee County.