Black Star Farms Has Opened An On-Site Cafe

And it is called Fire and Vine. Here's what they say:

Our new Fire & Vine, a vineyard cafe, market & bakery, celebrated its opening day on Saturday. Chef Corey is preparing pizzas and sandwiches in our wood-fire oven. There's also a traditional Raclette plate on the menu featuring Leelanau Cheese Company's award-winning Raclette cheese melted over boiled potatoes and roasted vegetables of the season. Corey's turning out some cool salads as well. Our wine is available by the glass or bottle.

Our market features processed foods from local producers including Cherry Republic, Food for Thought, Brownwood Farms, Sisson's, and Naturally Nutty. The health & home area features Michigan products from Up North Candles, Leelanau Lavender Breezes, and Creation Farms.

Gold For Black Star Farms' 2008 Dry Riesling

See: Gold at Riverside International Competition

MidWest Living Recognizes Traverse City As A Culinary Capital

Midwest Living ranks Traverse City as the number 2 food town in the Midwest. Why not number 1? Because "...it's relatively lacking in ethnic options or hole-in-the-wall favorites."

A fair argument, but enough to keep TC from being the number one foodie town?

And us Traverse City residents will be surprised to see the population listed as 142,000.

See: Best Midwest Food Towns: #2 Traverse City: an established food reputation

Black Star Farms Wins Gold And Silver

More awards for northern Michigan wines!

At the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition Black Star Farms won gold with their 2007 Arcturos Pinot Gris and the 2008 Arcturos Dry Riesling was awarded a silver medal.

See: New Awards from International Competition

Forty-Five North Winery Awards

Steve Grossnickle at Forty-Five North has an update on awards his winery has won this year. See: Forty-Five Carat!

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

* Gold - Hard Cider
* Bronze - 2007 Pinot Gris
* Bronze - 2007 Reserve Chardonnay

Finger Lakes International Wine Competition

* Gold - 2008 Nouveau Pinot Noir Rosé
* Gold - 2008 Select-Harvest Riesling
* Silver - 2007 Cabernet Franc
* Silver - 2008 Pinot Gris
* Silver - 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling
* Bronze - 2008 Unwooded Chardonnay

Pacific Rim International Wine Competition

* Best of Class - 2008 Pinot Noir Rosé
* Gold - 2007 Reserve Chardonnay
* Gold - Peach Crémant
* Silver - 2008 Pinot Gris
* Silver - 2008 Select-Harvest Riesling
* Silver - 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling
* Silver - 2008 Unwooded Chardonnay

He's also enthusiastic about the quality of this year's white wines.

New York City Following Traverse City's Lead

Via NYT: On Tap? How About Chardonnay or Pinot Noir

A Chocolate Festival!

The chocolate news in Traverse City keeps getting better.

Via the TCCVB blog: The First-Ever Traverse City Chocolate Festival!

Official site: Traverse City Chocolate Festival

Brown Gold

Downtown Traverse City is gushing with chocolate. I was planning on making a post about it but the TCVCB blog has a post up about the new tasty trend:

Time to Talk Chocolate….

Traverse City is incredibly fortunate to get a Jacques Torres Chocolate store. Five New York City locations and one in Traverse City. This store alone will make Traverse City one of America's best places to live.

Follow Chef Torres in NYT Topics.

[Update 4/6/2009 via UpNorthFoodies] NWI.com: The cherry capital has a taste for chocolate

When Grand Traverse Bay Freezes

The moderating micro-climate disappears and fruit crops may get damaged.

See MichWine: It's Not Like 2003

When the Bay freezes, nearby land loses the open water's moderating influence on temperature. Nighttime temperatures can quickly plummet, killing buds for the upcoming growing season.

Craig Cunningham, owner of Cunningham Viticultural Service, told MichWine that vineyard samples from the "cold belt" west of Lake Leelanau showed "100% damage" to Chardonnay, Riesling and Merlot buds. Recording devices in the vineyard indicated temperatures tumbled to lows of -10 to -14 for three consecutive nights.

TCCVB Gives A Quick Rundown Of The Local Beer Options in Traverse City

Mike Norton at the Traverse City Visitors and Convention Bureau gives a rundown on Right Brain Brewery, Shorts, North Peak, and Mackinaw Brewing Company.

See: Speaking of Beer…

Local Wine At The White House

Black Star Farms ice wine served at White House Governors Dinner!

Little Green Jugs At Left Foot Charley's

Lots of good news from Traverse City's urban vintner. See the RE story: Winery now using taps, growlers

The winery, at the Grand Traverse Commons, will also use beeswax to seal its bottles.

The winery plans to sell one-liter, refillable "Little Green Jug" growlers. Customers can also bring in their own bottles...

...On tap, Left Food Charley will start with Pinot Grigio and Riesling and a hard cider.

Official site: Left Foot Charley

Via UpNorthFoodies

Goodbye To A Classic

UpNorthFoodies with the story: Epicurean Classic heads to St. Joe’s

On IPR yesterday the reasons given for the move were a corporate sponsor at KitchenAid and a larger population base to draw from.

Traverse City will miss the Epicurean Classic more than it will miss Traverse City.

Growing Like A Weed

Northwest Michigan is going to be a test location for a couple of hops varieties.

See: Local hops potential growth industry

L. Mawby Vineyards Grows

See DetNews: Larry Mawby partners with industrialist to expand winery"

We said, 'Where do we want to live?' Up north. 'What do we want to do?' Work outside." And the prospect of starting a winery, where their sons also could work if they wished, was enticing.

Visit their web site: L. Mawby Vineyards

The Cherry Hut Gets National Media Attention

In the Christian Science Monitor: Want fruit with that burger?

The burgers at the Cherry Hut restaurant in Beulah, Mich., are a hit with customers. But these aren't ordinary hamburgers. Every summer, when tourists come to sample the state's bumper crop of cherries, the restaurant's co-owner Andy Case starts taking orders for the restaurant's popular burger. After broiling the patties in the kitchen, he slides them onto a bun and tops them with fixings. It's in this moment, before the first bite, that customers stir with anticipation because the Cherry Hut is home to an unlikely specialty – the cherry burger.

The burgers are filled with tart, or sour, cherries grown in northern Michigan – the cherry capital of the world.

Although people come to the Cherry Hut for the restaurant's cherry pies, the cherry burger has become a popular seller and a conversation starter. Mr. Case says he probably sells more cherry burgers than regular burgers. "People want to be more health conscious," he says. The cherry burger is "tasty, juicy, healthier."

More Bad News For Raw Milk Advocates

Unpasteurized Milk Poses Health Risks Without Benefits

Wellington Street Market

The braintrust from The Cook's House has opened a new neighborhood style market less than a block away on Wellington St.

See:
Eric's blog 'An Obsessed Chef': Market Opening!!

IPR: Wellington Market

Ice Wine

Black Star Farms has their A Capella Ice Wine for sale. Price is reduced to $75 until 12/25.

A Hops Explosion In Northern Michigan

The growing of hops in northern Michigan is generating incredible interest. Maybe barley will be next?

See:
GTHerald: Area farmers get hopping

IPR News Feature: Local Hops

Leelanau.com: Leelanau Sustainable Hops Production Workshop