Harlan “Pete” Peterson, a pioneering chef from Traverse City, Michigan, has passed away at the age of 82. His restaurant Tapawingo was a trailblazer in northern Michigan's culinary scene for 25 years. A celebration of his life is scheduled for March 22.
Harlan “Pete” Peterson, known professionally as Pete, died at 82 in Traverse City, where he had built a lasting legacy in the culinary world. For 25 years, until its closure in 2009, his restaurant Tapawingo in Ellsworth served as a groundbreaking destination, predating the farm-to-table trend in northern Michigan. The establishment earned national acclaim, with The New York Times describing it as “the region's epicenter, gastronomically speaking” and the “best restaurant anywhere in the country that's a four-hour drive from the closest major city.” Celebrity chefs also lauded its cuisine.
Peterson's influence extended beyond Tapawingo. He taught at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute (GLCI) and contributed to the launch of the acclaimed restaurant Alliance in Traverse City. In a January interview with The Ticker, Peterson reacted to news of a planned tribute: more than 20 chefs he had mentored or influenced— from local spots like Trattoria Stella, The Cooks’ House, Wren, Modern Bird, and Blu, to the Michelin-starred State Bird Provisions in San Francisco—were set to gather for a fundraising dinner at GLCI on March 12. He described himself as “flabbergasted” and touched by the gesture.
Peterson did not attend the event, and it has since been postponed to a future date yet to be announced, according to GLCI's Patricia Cron-Huhta. A celebration of his life will take place at Reynolds-Jonkhoff funeral home on Sunday, March 22, at 2 p.m.
