Who would’ve thought that the quaint coastal downtown of New Baltimore, MI, would be a bar-hopping and dining destination? My wife, Sue, and I found it out this week. We’ve lived in Chesterfield Township since 2006 and what a thrill it was finding this gem in our back yard.

Check it out: In a .2 mile radius — scattered 3 minutes and 38 seconds apart at a brisk pace — are seven lively restaurants and bars in New Baltimore’s tiny downtown.

Nestled on the northern shores of Lake St. Clair, New Baltimore is home to the 60th annual Bay-Rama Fishfly Festival that attracts 80,000 spectators a year, the 17th annual downtown Farmer’s Market on Sundays May through October, the state’s largest flagpole and American flag, plus countless other events like downtown 5k races, events, and a massive Christmas tree lighting ceremony each December that — this year — featured a spectacular drone show.

New Baltimore has a long history, dating back as a village since 1867 and it was incorporated as a city in 1931. Going back even further, indigenous tribes occupied much of New Baltimore’s shoreline for thousands of years, according to research of author Larry Wyckoff’s Michigan’s Indian Reservations, 1807 -1855. He cited that many burial mounds and earthen structures were found in New Baltimore in the early 1800s.

New Baltimore’s location on Anchor Bay has been prime location for years. Businesses thrived in the downtown and some failed over the years. With its small downtown or not, New Baltimore has been an important part of Macomb County — and as my wife and I found while on our staycation this week, it’s a great place to hang out and chill.

Here’s a list of the bars and restaurants that we visited over a two-day period. We met some of the nicest people and bartenders, had some awesome drinks and food, and even helped boost two lovely older ladies shorter than my mountainous 5’6” frame onto a couple tall bar stools at a new downtown distillery.

Stop #1: On the Bay Bistro Bar and Boutique

This was the gem of all gems. It was a diamond in the rough. You can’t make enough jewelry puns about this place. It was just fantastic. From the street, the small exterior is deceiving. Once you enter, the interior keeps going and going and going.

There’s a newly added dining area inside capable of seating around 30-35 diners, plus an outdoor tropical-themed area featuring covered, enclosed heated gazebos in the colder months. In the warmer months, the outdoor area is wide open for patrons to chill, wine, and dine, or to just party.

As soon as we entered, we were greeted by the awesome bartender Jason Dugelar and some of the wait staff. We told them we were newbies to the bistro, so they showed us that we could either sit inside or in an outdoor gazebo. We chose one of the outdoor gazebos, which gave us some privacy. It was warm enough on this 45-degree December day that we could sit inside without jackets and we were plenty warm. I went inside the other gazebos and they were comfortable and warm complete with heated lamps and tables with fireplaces in the middle.

But let’s talk about the food menu. We ordered the giant pretzel appetizer for only $16. I’m not saying it was big, but it could feed an entire village! We also had the margherita flatbread, loaded redskins, and pineapple cole slaw, which were all delicious.

The bistro features 12 Appetizers, lobster dishes, fish Dinners, filet tips, burnt ends, chicken, burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads, rice bowls, premium smoothies, an Espresso bar, and desserts.

Jason and the other bartenders serve up tropical-themed cocktails, plus beer, wine, and a full premium bar.

Don’t leave the restaurant without checking out the nautical-themed gifts in the boutique shop. It features coastal and lake home décor, beach signs, home goods, boater-theme apparel and beachwear. I bought a cool, rugged-looking baseball hat that says the Michigander phrase “Yeah, No.”

Ladies night is every Thursday night and live entertainment is every Thursday, plus on weekends. Because we went on ladies night, our bill was darn cheap! It’s located at 51034 Washington St, New Baltimore, MI.

Stop #2 The Blind Owl Restaurant and Bar

Where can you get sushi and Latin American cuisine? The Blind Owl Restaurant and Bar, of course. What??

Open their menu and the list of appetizers, entrees, sushi, sandwiches, and house specialties goes on and on for a mile. In addition, the Blind Owl offers 18 types of beer, wine selections, numerous selections of Tequila, plus over 50 types of Bourbon.

We sat at the long U-Shaped bar, ate some appetizers, my wife had her traditional Seven & Seven, and I had a Stella Artois (I wasn’t very creative on my beer selection, although there were dozens of others to select). The restaurant and bar area had a fun Latin American decor, dozens of TVs for watching sports, Keno (my favorite!!), and a massive amount of liquor bottles behind the bar. Name the drink and they’ll make it for you.

The Blind Owl doesn’t just feature great food and drinks. It’s hosts live entertainment like comedy shows, DJ nights, and live bands. Make sure to check out their website for days and times for live events.

The Blind Owl is located at 36310 Main St. Suite F New Baltimore, MI.

Stop #3 Washington Street Wine House

Our next adventure was about a 52-second walk away to the Washington Street Wine House. It opened in 2010 and that’s around the first time that my wife and I first went there with our friends Tom Hutchens and Beth Carter. This quaint boutique winery has a warm, cozy tasting room with a delicious selection of wines made right on the premises.

We were greeted cheerfully by two of the servers behind the bar who told us about the wines and poured us a few samples. One look at the menu and you’ll see some laugh-out-loud scandalous wine labels.

I love dry reds and dry whites like Chardonnay, so I tried the Well Endowed, a Super Tuscan dry red, a Sangiovese called the Italian Stallion, and an Argentine Malbec called Red Stiletto. My wife enjoys semi-sweet and sweet wines, so she had their classic white Reisling Washington Street White, a White Moscato called Midnight Rendezvous, and one that she ended up buying and bringing home, a Gewurztraminer called Cheap Date (aka ME – yeah baby!).

The wine samples were complimentary, but you could also buy wine by the glass. They have around 35 wines between reds, whites, and specialty dessert wines. Some of the other wines with creative names to try include the whites Pinky Promise, Mistress, Blind Date, and Afternoon Delight. Some more reds that will mellow you out and give you that wine glow on your face include Zen, Ciao Bella, Scandalous, Rumor, and Drop Dead Red. Make sure to visit their gift shop, too, for wine-themed products. The owners would probably love it if you shop after you drink a couple glasses. You’ll be sure to buy several items from the gift shop (I know from personal experience!).

Check their website for their wine selections or visit them at 50969 Washington St., New Baltimore, MI

4th Stop: Fin’s Eatery and Spirits

When you’re dining or drinking at Fin’s Eatery and Spirits in downtown New Baltimore, don’t be surprised if a Hollywood actor sits down next to you. It’s said that actor and comedian Dave Coulier, who lives in St. Clair Shores, frequents the restaurant. Coulier starred in the long-running comedy Full House.

Sue and I didn’t bump into him when we stopped in at Fin’s this particular day. But we did sit down at the downstairs bar where we had some great drinks and struck up conversation with some of the nicest locals, as well as owners Bob and Mary Higgins’ daughter Courtney, who happened to be our server.

I told Courtney I was doing an article about downtown bars and restaurants in New Baltimore and I wanted to include Fin’s and find out about the place. It previously was the Anchor Bay Pharmacy, but had been converted into Fin’s by another couple in the early 2010s. In 2015, Bob and Mary Higgins acquired Fin’s and revamped the menu. They had owned the Oxford Inn in Royal Oak and Novi.

Fin’s specializes in fresh fish entrees along with chef creations including baby back ribs made famous at the Oxford Inn, plus Oysters Rockefeller, pasta, and steaks.

The lower level has an awesome, cozy, friendly bar while the second floor boasts another bar and dining room. When business started booming, the owners added on, building a rooftop bar and patio for dining. The view overlooks beautiful Lake St. Clair a block away.

On our bar crawl this day, we only had time for some drinks at the bar, but we will definitely be back for lunch or dinner and look forward to some great conversation with friendly locals — and Courtney!

Fin’s Eatery and Spirits is located at 51006 Washington St, New Baltimore, MI.

Stop #5: Tashmoo Distilling Company

Our final stop was directly across the street from where we began our bar crawl and it was hard to miss. It was the building that had wall-to-wall patrons drinking hand-crafted cocktails at New Baltimore’s newest establishment – Tashmoo Distilling Company.

What a find this was! After being open for business for only a week, we walked inside to a packed swanky, darkened room full of people sipping handcrafted cocktails made of the finest Bourbons, Vodka, Whiskey, Gin, and Rum. And this was only 20 minutes after the place opened at 4 pm on a Friday. Check out my video here.

By the looks of it, you’d think Tashmoo had been open for years with how crowded it was. I talked to co-founder Ellen Ross, who said it had only opened a week ago. She was all smiles ear-to-ear as a team of bartenders worked steadily crafting cocktails for the patrons. She had reason to be happy — Tashmoo Distilling was the talk of the town!

We talked to a few of the patrons around us and they were buzzing with excitement about the new place. The bartenders weren’t lazily pouring a shot into a glass, dumping soda and a straw into it and handing it to a patron. They were carefully and methodically crafting the cocktails like they were artwork.

Our two drinks came out so beautifully that I didn’t know if we should drink them or hang them on our wall at home as art. My wife got the Apothecary Gin Fizz and I didn’t really know what to get as I’m mostly a wine drinker. I told the bartender and he recommended the St. Clair Sour. Check this out: Bourbon, lemon, cane sugar, and a float of red wine on top. Boom!

We loved the energy in Tashmoo. The ambience was great and we’ll definitely be back. While it was crowded inside, there is an outdoor spillover area where there are chairs and a fire pit. I see really good things coming for Tashmoo.

Tashmoo Distilling is located at 51043 Washington, New Baltimore, MI.

The best of the rest: Knapp’s City Garage

We did not have a chance to go to either Knapp’s City Garage during this bar crawl, but we have been several times.

Knapp’s opened Jan. 15th, 2023 in the old Kret’s Garage. Yep — it’s in an old automotive repair shop. Owners Eleanor and Sam Knapp also own JJ Knapps Tavern in Richmond, MI.

It’s got a great vibe inside. Where auto mechanics used to work fixing cars sits a massive square bar with bartenders busily making drinks and handing out food orders to customers. This area features several large screen TVs for watching sports and Keno!

Another section of the restaurant features full table service being served by excellent wait staff. In the warmer months, the huge outdoor patio is the place to be where you can have some cocktails, eat some good food, and people watch at the intersection of Main and Washington streets.

Knapp’s has a large beer selection as well as a full bar serving cocktails and wine. Items on the food menu include a good selection of 12-inch wood-fired pizzas, several types of salads, plus burgers, sandwiches, and steak, fish, and chicken entrees.

Knapp’s located at 36370 Main St. New Baltimore, MI

2nd Best of the Rest: Camille’s Cantina

I can’t forget Camille’s Cantina, which used to be called Little Camille’s for years. It recently became a Mexican restaurant and began serving all Latin American food. We didn’t stop here either on our bar crawl and we haven’t been to Camille’s Cantina since it changed over. But it’s on our list and should be on yours, too.

What a fun couple nights my wife and I had in downtown New Baltimore during our bar and restaurant crawl. We discovered a few new favorite places to hang out and relax. I hope I’ve given you a few good ideas as well. Cheers and Bon Appetit!!