Before her current venture, Valdez owned Niña’s Taco House, within a stone’s throw of her present site. Recently divorced and pregnant with her fifth child, Valdez was inspired to open her own Mexican restaurant ' after she had been in a wheelchair for three years, battling multiple sclerosis.

You’ve undoubtedly heard the dire claim that 50 percent of businesses fail in the first year and 95 percent fail within five years (actual statistics are about twothirds make it to the two-year mark and almost half survive to their four-year anniversary).

Yes, Joseph is surrounded by the Great Lakes, although that didn’t help a number of Scalawags restaurants Joseph, 56, operated in the area. He opened three of them in the past five years, and the last remaining Scalawags (in south Lansing) closed just a couple months ago.

On the same day, at the Leland Wine and Food Festival, you could enjoy visiting the Leland Harbor and historic Fishtown, while sampling some of the finest new release wines from both Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsula wineries and tasting specialties from the area’s finest restaurants and food purveyors.

The master rolls a ball of orange dough in the palms of his hands, nimbly working it like a potter, before incorporating a bit of yellow-colored dough. He wraps a cheesecloth around the amalgamation, squeezing and spinning it, and when the dough reappears, it has been shaped into a perfect sphere.

From sushi to Spam, the buffet will offer an array of Pacific flavors, such as a curry stew with cod poached in coconut milk, brined salmon, homemade Hawaiian desserts, and the signature Big Kahuna Pulled Pork sandwich, stuffed with tomatoes, peppers, cheese and BBQ sauce.

For Mary Lemmer, securing employment won’t be a problem. She started her own Italian ice business in 2004 when she was a sophomore at Lansing Catholic High School, and she’s planning on staying right here in the Mitten and watching her little start-up grow.

Nearly 3 months old, Coffee and Friends has ably filled the communal and caffeinated void. Reich, who also owns an automotive repair garage in Bath Township, says his newest venture is about connecting with the locals, both as a businessman and citizen.

At the Bel Lago Vineyard (www.bellago.com), wine is made from grapes grown in family-owned vineyards overlooking Lake Leelanau. Black Star Farms (www.blackstarfarms.com) is an “agricultural destination” that features two winery production facilities with adjacent tasting rooms, a distillery, an inn and an equestrian facility.

Walking out of a bacon-and-egg-type diner, you don’t often find yourself thinking, “That was one fantastic Lebanese salad.” You might just be savoring that exact thought after eating at The Brunch House on Pennsylvania Avenue one block south of I-496.