Without a doubt, the most fun item on the menu at the Underground Cheesecake Company, a sunny bakery-cafe in Traverse City, is cheesecake on a stick. Imagine a fusion of cheesecake and Popsicle coated in luscious chocolate. But purists will be satisfied by Underground Cheesecake's "traditional" offerings, available whole, by the slice and as bite-size samplers: turtle sundae, cherry swirl, pumpkin praline, chocolate chip. The lineup also includes savory flavors to take home and serve as appetizers. The bakery also offers layer cakes, tarts and brownies, as well as a lunch menu of soups, home-style stacked sandwiches, and fresh salads. Prices are surprisingly affordable for Traverse City: just $3.75 a slice, $4.85 for the stick version, and less than $10 for lunch choices. Underground Cheesecake is part of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Traverse City's clever repurposing of the old state hospital into a neighborhood of shops, galleries and restaurants. Underground Cheesecake occupies two buildings. The first is brick painted a calming yellow. This was once the vegetable-peeling building, and now serves as their shop. The second, tucked in back, was once used for soap-making and rag storage. This is now the bakery. Lori Dawson and Mary Vickerman began the Underground Cheesecake Company more than 20 years ago in the basement of one of their homes (thus, the name). They moved to the Commons in 2007. Be sure to check out the photo collage depicting the building's restoration.