Bump, what is Farm Table? Did you mean Farm Club?
Sorry, yes Farm Club.
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It looks like Nathaniel Rose Winery may be a victim of the pandemic. We went by but the buildings are in disrepair, the field is storing junk vehicles, the vineyards have gone fallow, and the parking area is blocked with barricades. Hopefully it is just shutteredâbut it didnât look like it was reopening.
It always looked like that lol. Except for the parking lot being blocked. It says on his Facebook page his tasting room is still closed, but you can pick up his wine at various retailers.
He bought the winery from a guy that used to make good wine and then just let it go for many years. He put everything he had into buying the winery. The tasting room and winery are very humble. He lives in a trailer off the side of the tasting room. His vineyards are across the street and up the road. The fallow vineyards near the tasting room I think he hoped to get replanted at some point.
We ended up going to Black Star Inn. They had a good gewĂźrztraminer and atmosphere/landscaping. They were also making some interesting brandy and grappa.
About to head up next week. Thanks for any updates.
Our top restaurants were The Cookâs House and Trattoria Stella. Top wineries were Left Foot Charley, 2 Lads, and Mawby. There was a nice farmerâs market on Saturday morning. We chartered a sail boat which was worth it. Not planning to go back to La Becasse Restaurant.
Cookâs house meal:
We did Cookâs House last trip, and have reservations again. Also did Stella last time. Both are great.
We did Left Foot Charley and Mawby last time, and plan to do so again. 2 Lads was closed due to Covid last year, so we hope to visit this trip.
I just returned from a 10 day stay on Cristal Lake as I nave been doing for many decades now. The weather was all over the place as is typical for Lake Michigan influenced weather patterns. A few days of hot and humid, then a few days of perfect 70s, sunny and calm weather. And the lightning storm of a lifetime that went all through the night. It sounded like the 4th of July with repeated booms and bursts with hundreds of dry lightning strikes reported.
Swimmers Itch is back after a couple of years of absence and the little ones are getting it almost across the board.
A few of the local restaurants are closed and most that are open are closed for 2 days, unheard of in these parts, as most proprietors depend upon the summer tourist trade for their annual income. It has to do with getting decent help and once the college students returned in late August, it was exacerbated and some are pulling double shifts or just understaffed.
The top local restaurant is Rocks Landing on the north shore of Cristal. Itâs booked out nightly and rightfully so; itâs a very good restaurant with hands on owners and quality food and service, not to mention the lakeside ambience.
The toughest place to get into is the Road House in Benzonia. This Mexican restaurant has been going strong since it opened years ago and lines form about 5 and many have to wait for over an hour to get in as advanced reservations are not accepted, BUT itâs worth it. This is as good as it gets.
The top restaurant in Frankfort is the Storm Cloud Brewing Company. Itâs not fancy, but a varied menu with something for just about everybody makes it easy and the food is tasty and the beer is fresh;y made with numerous options for beer lovers eased by doing a small tasting set up.
As usual, the sunrises and sunsets were magnificent at Cristal although Point Betsie on the big lake is nearby and gives you the 180 degree version writhe no land block.
Another inside local Cristal Lake note: more and more homes are being remodeled and upgraded to year round living. Friends who live year round, said they have never seen so many others during the winter mounts as they did this last year. Covid has a lot to do with it as many are escaping from their urban homes to get away.
This area remains so extra special with its natural beauty and cristal clear fresh waters of the lake and streams while being surrounded by white birch tree forests and sand dunes. Having first visited while being in the womb, I shall continue to go back and experience this wondrous area.
Just got back from TC on Sunday. I wish I had a lot of updates to provide, but I donât.
We visited:
- Left Foot Charley - Last year it seemed so-so, this year I liked most of what I tasted.
- 2 Lads - They were closed due to Covid last year. I really enjoyed their wines. They were the hit of the trip for my group.
- Brys - Was really disappointed this year. Nothing was bad, but nothing was really good, imo.
- Bonobo - They only serve by-the-glass, so hard to judge. Both times weâve been, the wine has been ok.
- Shady Lane - Solid lineup last year and this year.
- Mawby - Similar, solid lineup.
- Chateau Fontaine - A bit out of the way, and very low key. But fun wines.
This year I mostly stayed away from red wine. There was a red blend at 2 Lads that was good, and the Blaufrankish at Left Foot Charley was good. We bought various Rieslings, figuring they will be good with spicy foods, and only a couple of light reds for backyard grilling.
We rented a house on the east arm of the bay, right on the water. Great location. Water was literally 10 yards from the back deck. As such, we only went out to dinner once, and that was to The Cookâs House. Love the restaurant. Had a great meal and a great time. Other than that, we ate lunch one day at Jolly Pumpkin, which was good. Enjoyed a cherry sour beer.
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