Buckwheat Galettes with Ham, Cheese, and Egg

Today, my friends, is Fat Tuesday, a.k.a. Pancake Day! I never realized until recently that there was a day designated to eating pancakes, but I suppose it makes sense with Lent starting tomorrow. While living in France, I fell completely in love with crêpes. Paper-thin, the French version of pancakes are delicious for dessert (filled with Nutella or dark chocolate), breakfast (filled with jam), or–if you make a savory batter–lunch or dinner. Traditionally, savory crêpes are called galettes and made with buckwheat flour. With their golden color and delicious nutty flavor, buckwheat galettes are the perfect base for savory fillings like ham, cheese, and egg, smoked salmon and creme fraiche, or my favorite, goat cheese and leeks.

The picture above was taken in Paris at my favorite crêperie, La Crepuscule. I love ordering a piping hot crêpe or galette from the window and taking it to the little park across the street to eat. I love the way the cheese forms crisp tendrils that spill from the top of the galette: pure deliciousness.

These are so easy to make. Just make sure you have either a crêpe pan or a nonstick omelette pan, and allow time for the batter to rest in the fridge before you attempt to cook them. Swirling the pan just right takes a little practice, but don't dispair: you'll get the hang of it after a few tries (and you can always eat your mistakes!). Bon appetit!

BUCKWHEAT GALETTES

Serves 8

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup buckwheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have a blender, whisk the eggs, milk, and water together in a bowl until smooth. Add the flours and salt and whisk to combine. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Strain the batter into another bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour (and up to 24) to allow all the air bubbles to settle.

Heat a small crêpe pan (or nonstick skillet) over medium high heat. Swirl 1 teaspoon of butter in the pan and add a small amount of batter in the pan–swirl the pan so that the batter evenly and thinly coats the bottom. Cook for about 30 seconds (until lightly browned) and flip. Cook for another 10-15 seconds and remove to a plate.

Continue cooking the rest of the batter, adding additional butter every third crêpe or so. Stack the crêpes on a sheet tray and keep warm in a 225 degree F oven until ready to serve.

GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Use 3/4 cup buckwheat flour and 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour mixture. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.

BUCKWHEAT GALETTES WITH HAM, CHEESE, AND EGG

Serves 4

4 buckwheat galettes (recipe above)
4 thin ham slices
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere, Swiss, or Emmenthal cheese
1 tablespoon melted butter
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 35o degrees F. Prepare the galettes according to the recipe above. Lay the galettes on a greased baking sheet. Cover each galette with 1/4 cup of cheese and 1 ham slice.

Heat the butter in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook for 3 minutes or so, until barely set. Slide one egg on top of the ham and cheese on each each crepe. Season the eggs with a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Fold the four sides of the crepe over the filling to create a square; the egg yolk should be peeking out the top. (Alternately, fold the crepes in half, over the filling, to make half moons.

Cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the eggs have cooked through. Serve with a mixed green salad with a simple Dijon vinaigrette.

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Q&A with Chef Todd Perrin

On my recent whirlwind trip to Newfoundland, I was blown away by the culinary talent in its capital city, St. John's. After cooking stints in mainland Canada or abroad, many young Newfoundlander chefs are returning home to open restaurants highlighting the island's fantastic local ingredients. Roots run deep on this island, and the chefs I met there were proud of the sheer natural beauty of their home–with its rugged landscape of cliffs and coves and glaciers and all manner of wildlife–and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.



Todd Perrin, owner of The Chef's Inn and a recent competitor in Season 1 of Top Chef Canada, is not only proud of his home, he's quite the ambassador. The first weekend of October, he organized the Roots, Rants, and Roars festival, a celebration of NL food and music which brought chefs from all over Canada to compete for the "King of Cod" title, and then headed to NYC with a bevy of NL chefs to cook for a James Beard Foundation dinner. But things don't look like they're slowing down any time soon for Perrin–he's working on a new restaurant, set to open next summer. I caught up with him recently to talk about his chef's table dinners, his favorite local dish, and what it was like competing on Top Chef Canada. (I also managed to nab a recipe for his fabulous seafood soup...see below.)

When did you start cooking? What inspired you to become a chef?

I started cooking school in 1994 at the Culinary Institute of Canada. I was inspired by good cooking at home by my folks, but mostly because I love to eat good food and always have.

You live in St. John's, Newfoundland. Can you share with us some of your favorite local ingredients and dishes?
Living in NL of course Cod is King! Having said that the supply has been short for the past number of years, but beginning to show some great signs of recovery. My favourite local dish would have to be a simple “peasant” dish of fish stew consisting of loads of onions, salt fat pork, salt beef, potato and fresh cod. The ultimate NL comfort food!

You were recently on Top Chef Canada...what was that experience like for you? What advice would you give a chef who is considering being on a competitive cooking TV show?

It was an amazing experience! Super-tough, but fun at the same time. I met some great friends/chefs that I keep in contact with still and get to work with from time to time. For chefs considering a run at reality TV, my advice is to be yourself and do your thing. There’s more than one way to “win” the show.

Currently you and your wife run a B&B called The Chef's Inn, where you cook regular Chef's Table dinners. How do you like this style of cooking versus being on the line in a busy restaurant?

It’s great! You get to cook your food the way you want and you literally get to touch every element in every dish. It’s a great way to cook, less stress and ultimate quality control. Having said that, we are about to start building a restaurant hoping to open next summer.

You and several other chefs from Newfoundland and Labrador recently came to NYC to cook for a James Beard Foundation Dinner? What was the experience like? Best moment? Biggest challenge?

Awesome. I mean it’s like a baseball player going to Yankee Stadium. It’s an important stop on any culinary map and I can’t wait to do it again. We are working on a return engagement for next year. Best moment- Showing up and seeing the sign on the front door –a “We made it” moment. Challenge – traveling the ingredients and equipment around Manhattan. No easy feat!

If you had to prepare an impromptu dinner party for eight, what would you make?

If it was today – White Bean and Kale Soup...Seared Cod on Root Vegetable Ragu and an Orange, Fennel, Coriander Reduction...Confit Duck, Gnocchi, Parmigiano Reggiano....Pork Rillons, Parsnip Puree, Roasted Garlic, Grilled Beets.


What do you want readers to know about Newfoundland that they may not know?
Just what all of us who live here know – It’s one of the most amazing places on Earth that almost no one has seen.

Visit Todd's website or follow him on Twitter @toddperrin.

TODD'S SEAFOOD SOUP

Serves 8 to 10

1 onion
1 leek
1 bulb fennel
2 stalks celery
1 carrot
2 tablespoons fennel seed
1/2 tablespoon dried chilli flakes
1 cup white wine
1 cup fish stock
2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes, crushed
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt, pepper
2 lbs. Atlantic cod or halibut, 1-inch dice
8 oz. crab leg meat, shredded

Finely dice all of the vegetables and sauté in a large pot over medium-high heat until slightly softened. Add the fennel seeds and chilli flakes and stir. Add the white wine and fish stock; simmer and let reduce by half.

Add the crushed tomatoes and cherry tomato halves and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, stirring well. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

Add the cod (or halibut) and continue simmering until the fish is just cooked through, around 7 or 8 minutes. Reserve a couple of ounces of crab meat for garnish, and add the remaining crab meat to soup and just heat through. Warm the reserved crab meat in a little simmering fish stock.

Serve the soup; garnish each bowl with a little of the reserved, warmed crab meat and fennel frond.

Week in Review (or Why I Love Fall in NYC)

This was one of those weeks where I was reminded why I love living in NYC. It's fall, the days are cooler, the leaves are changing, and the city is bursting with energy. Working in the food and travel industry, I get invited to some pretty cool events. Though I've never done a "Week in Review" post, I had too many delicious experiences this week not to share. One of these was the chance to taste real jasmine tea at Megu, made by pouring hot water of a dried jasmine flour. Amazing! They gave me a dried flower of my own so I could recreate the experience at home. (The picture–which I LOVE–was taken by the wonderfully talented Mr. Brandon Carl.)

Here are a few of the highlights:

Louis de Sacy tasting. This family-run Champagne house has been making incredible bubblies since 1633. Their Champagnes are crisp, dry, and elegant–and reasonably priced, to boot. My favorites: the Cuvée Nue (i.e. "Naked") which has no added sugar, and the salmon-colored Rosé Grand Cru. Great Christmas gift ideas!

Lunch at Megu. Hands down the best Japanese food I have ever tasted. Everything is imported from Japan and impeccably presented. Don't miss: sizzling kobe beef on a volcanic rock, tempura asparagus spears, insanely fresh sashimi, yuzu creme brulée, and the 21-layer green tea crepe cake (no joke).

Dinner at Le Bernadin with two-Michelin-star Chef Michel Sarran from Toulouse. The dinner was highlighting the Midi-Pyrenees region of France, and included some delicious lamb dishes and wonderful wines from the region, like Jurancon Sec (white) and an unusual red varietal called Negrette.

Lots of cooking! I made Roasted Eggplant Dip, Whole Wheat Chicken Pot Pies with Kale, and Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Pears–and entered my favorite Nutella Shortbread Brownies in the Food52 Holiday Baking Contest!

Had the perfect rainy night dinner at home last night with my love: whole wheat spaghetti carbonara with sautéed kale (recipe to come).

And last, but not least, I've excited to see my family this weekend in Fredericksburg, Virginia! I've never been, but I will report back on any tasty discoveries I make.

Happy Halloween weekend everyone!!

A Cook's Garden: New Brunswick, Canada

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Atlantic Canada. I tasted my way around New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia...all in six days!! It was an inspiring trip and I met loads of talented chefs, fishermen, and gardeners. As you can imagine, the seafood in the coastal areas was phenomenal. It seemed like everything I tasted–oysters, lobster, scallops, mussels, halibut, cod, or tuna–had just come off the boat that day. I got to taste Colville Bay oysters straight out of the ocean on Prince Edward Island and had fried cod tongues in Newfoundland. Lobster rolls were everywhere in Nova Scotia (even, I'm told, on the menu at McDonald's) and I had the best scallops of my life in New Brunswick.

Despite all of this amazing seafood–not to mention the wonderful wines in Nova Scotia–one of the things that impressed me the most were the beautiful gardens. It seemed like every chef I met had his or her own garden, growing all manner of vegetables, fruits, and herbs for their restaurants and families. I had a chance to spend an afternoon in the garden with Chris Aerni, the chef/owner of Rossmount Inn outside St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Originally from Bern, Switzerland, Aerni and his wife Graziella settled in New Brunswick over ten years ago after falling in love with the area on a family vacation. They bought the inn–an 18-room historic manor overlooking the Passamaquoddy Bay–and began serving seasonal dinners using produce from their garden, mushrooms and berries from the surrounding woods, and seafood from the nearby Bay of Fundy. It doesn't get much more local than this. Word about Aerni's simple, garden-to-table fare has definitely spread, and the Rossmount Inn is now considered one of the best restaurants in the area.



But back to the garden. Armed with a basket and a small paring knife, Aerni and I strolled through his 3-acre garden in the drizzling rain. He pointed out all sorts of unusual plants he grows, cutting off samples for me to try. "This is a chioga beet," he said as he cut the tip off a tiny beet, revealing a candy-striped interior. He pulled brightly colored carrots from the ground–not only orange, but purple and yellow. He dug up purple potatoes (which later turned up on a scallop dish that night, thinly sliced and fried) and let me taste golden raspberries (those made an appearance in the dessert). I tried lovage (which tastes a bit like celery), tart gooseberries, nasturtium flowers, and the sweetest tomatoes I've ever tasted, so dark they were nearly black. He showed me a huge bush of bergamot–"we steep it like tea to make a syrup for dessert," he explained as he handed me a few leaves to smell. Walking through the garden was like a culinary crash course for me. Every single plant could be used fresh, and most could be preserved as well. Aerni shared all sorts of tips as we walked like, "pickled shiso leaves are delicious served with salmon and chicken," and "you can make wonderfully aromatic oils from nasturtiums." Who knew?



"I like to grow things you can't buy," Aerni explained. Anything he doesn't grow himself, he buys from the local organic Bantry Bay Farm. Given that the seasons are slightly later there (they have a very short summer that doesn't really start until late June), tomatoes were in full swing and I have never seem more beautiful heirloom tomatoes in my life. He grows over ten varieties, mostly grown in a greenhouse to protect them from the elements. I was in for a treat that night with a beautiful heirloom tomato salad, simply dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette, basil, and a few edible flowers. Heaven.

After the garden tour, Aerni asked if I'd like to go look for some mushrooms in the nearby forest. "It's chanterelle season," he explained. "And if we're lucky we may find some bolletes." There was no consideration on my part...despite my soggy shoes and lack of warm clothing, my answer was a definitive yes. I've always been curious how to know which mushrooms are edible or not, and here was my chance to go foraging with an expert guide.

There were no paths in the woods (or at least if there were, we didn't take them). Aerni plunged ahead, under branches, over logs, with an eagle-eye vision for fungi. It was incredible–where all I saw was a sea of green and grey, he saw dots of orange and brown, and sprinted ahead to examine them. He said he grew up foraging for mushrooms as a kid in Switzerland with his mom and siblings and several other families. After they gathered their mushrooms, they'd take them to a "controller's" house in the village–basically the mushroom expert who would sort through them and say which ones were edible and which were poisonous. He learned how to identify the good ones from the bad ones by watching the controller.



Each time he spotted mushrooms, he'd take a close look and toss the ones that had been eaten by snails. He also showed me several that looked perfectly good to me, but that were actually quite poisonous. ("Either you know, or you die!" he joked.) Within an hour, we'd nearly filled a basket with chanterelles, horse mushrooms, a few bolletes, and even one King Bollete (porcini). Amazing. We headed back to the inn and a few hours later, he had prepared a fantastic dinner using many of the ingredients we had gathered that day. The mushrooms were phenomenal–so fresh, so earthy, and so simply prepared. He didn't attempt to mask the flavors in any way–he just quickly sautéed them in butter with some shallot and white wine, garnished them with chives, and served them over a lightly toasted slice of baguette. Absolute perfection.

Given that I live in a walk-up apartment in Manhattan, gardening and foraging aren't exactly feasible options for me right now. But I definitely have a whole new respect for the gardener, and the intimate connection between the cook and the garden (and the forest!). I had a ball learning how everything was grown, and getting to taste and smell things in the garden and in the woods that would appear–just a few hours later–on my plate.

I think next year, I'll just start with a few potted herbs on the roof. I'm sure I can manage that. As for the mushrooms, I'll leave that to the experts.

SAUTEED WILD MUSHROOMS

Serves 4 to 6

2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, porcini, crimini, or shiitake)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup minced shallots (about 2 large)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (or parsley)

Brush any dirt off the mushrooms with a damp paper towel or a mushroom brush (yes, they actually exist!) and remove the stems. Do NOT rinse with water, as that will make them soggy.

Heat the butter in a large heavy bottomed saute pan over medium high heat, until melted. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.

Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened beginning to release some juices. Add the white wine and increase the heat; let simmer for 1-2 minutes until evaporated.

Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the chives (or parsley) and serve over toasted baguette slices as a starter, or as a side dish with roasted pork or game.

*Note: This is not Chris Aerni's exact recipe, but rather my adaptation based on his verbal instructions.

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Traverse City Part II: Leelanau Peninsula

For me, there is no better way to start a day than with just-baked croissants, homemade jam, and a piping hot café au lait. During my time in France, that was my standard breakfast and even now, I find myself craving this combo. The problem is, it's surprisingly hard to find fresh, flaky croissants (made with real butter) in the U.S. Even living in Manhattan, I find it hard to find good ones–they're either too big, too soft, too dry, or perhaps worst of all, stale. I keep tasting, nonetheless...



Which is why I was blown away to find these beauties in Traverse City, at 9 Bean Rows, a tiny bakery down the street from our B&B. We stopped by our second morning, and were greeted by the incredibly friendly owner/baker Jen Welty. Considering the woman bakes most nights from midnight til noon, she was enviably chipper. The still-warm croissants (and pains au chocolat and almond croissants and apricot pinwheels) were cooling on sheet trays behind the counter. Rows of crusty European-style breads, all naturally leavened and baked in a wood-burning oven, lined the shelves alongside beautiful little individual quiches. In addition to a croissant and pain au chocolat–which were by far the best I've ever had outside France–we had to try a goat cheese and spinach quiche. Not only is everything in the bakery made from scratch, but many of the ingredients, like the eggs and the spinach, come from their farm.



As the sign above the door ("Artisan Farm and Bakery") indicates, the 9 Bean Rows operation extends far beyond the kitchen. While Jen holds down the fort at the bakery, her husband Nic runs their 11-acre CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm at Black Star Farms. They are committed to their mission of providing fresh, local, foods to their community year-round via their CSA boxes. Though they've been farming for years, their bakery storefront just opened last November (Jen had previously sold her baked goods at local farmers markets). I just wish we lived closer...I'd happily take part in their mission by enjoying their fresh veggies, eggs, and warm croissants year-round!



After breakfast, we hopped in the car to go explore Leelanau Peninsula, a sprawling area area northeast of Traverse City that stretches from Grand Traverse Bay to Lake Michigan. (It's also where Mario Batali has his summer home, FYI.) Dotted with vineyards and farms like Old Mission Peninsula (only much larger), Leelanau is home to charming little fishing villages like Suttons Bay and Leland, beautiful beaches, and according to ABC's Good Morning America, THE most beautiful place in America–Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. But more on that later...



Our first stop was Black Star Farms, a sprawling property home not only to Jen and Nic's farm, but also a winery, creamery (called Leelanau Cheese), an inn, and a horse farm. We walked around the property, tasted some wines (not great) and some cheese (very good), and headed down the road to visit a winery I was especially excited about: L. Mawby. On our way, we passed several vineyards covering their vines in a fine netting. I'd never seen anything like this before, so I asked one of the workers what they were doing. He said with harvest coming up, they were covering the vines to protect the grapes from the birds. It certainly looked like a lot of work, but I suppose protecting the grapes at this time of year would be top priority.



Just down the road from Black Star Farms, L. Mawby was high on my list of things to places to visit because they specialize in my absolute favorite type of wine: sparkling. Tasting bubbly on a beautiful afternoon (err...late morning) sounded perfect. We walked into the tasting room and felt like we had just stumbled into a party. Rock music was cranked up, the place was packed, and everyone had flutes in their hand. They offered two free samples to start, and then you could order two additional 2-ounce pours for $5. Things were off to a good start.

Sitting out on their back porch overlooking the vines, we sampled a variety of bubblies, from dry to semi-dry, a crémant and a rosé, and their vintage "Talismon" (which tasted a bit like liquid smoke for some reason). By far and away, our favorite was their Methode Champenoise Blanc de Noirs–the same one we had sampled at Cook's House. Clean, crisp, with some complexity from the pinot noir grapes, this is the only one we considered buying. Many of their bubblies were on the sweeter side, though the salmon-colored Rosé (which happens to be called "Sex") was still pretty delicious.



We drove up to Sutton's Bay for lunch, and stopped for lunch at Martha's Leelanau Table, an adorable French-style bistro with a garden patio and a bright red facade. The spinach salad with local dried cherries, blue cheese, and warm bacon vinaigrette was out of this world, and came with a little homemade biscuit. (With all the wine and baked goods on this trip, it's a good thing we did plenty of walking!)

After lunch, we saw a sign pointing to a public beach, so we followed the bumpy road all the way to the water and discovered a beautiful little grassy park. Not exactly a beach, but a perfect spot to stretch out a blanket, read a book, and take a nap. It was another blue sky day, sunny with a cool breeze, and we stretched out by the water watching the boats and jet-skis in the distance. Pretty idyllic, I know.



Next stop: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, a 35-mile stretch along Lake Michigan full of sand dunes (some as high as 450 feet), hidden beaches, forests, and hiking trails. I had never heard of this place before we visited Traverse City, but every single person we met in the area insisted that we had to go hiking there. One of the guy's at Two Lad's was nice enough to pull out a map and highlight exactly which spots we should visit: Pyramid Point at sunset, the 2.8-mile Sleeping Bear Point trail by day, and the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive for the best lookouts in the area.

It's hard to put into words just how pristine, and how awe-inspiring, this area is. I've never seen such a diverse landscape, where one moment you're hiking through the woods, then suddenly the dirt turns to sand, you reach a clearing, and stretching in front of you is water as far as the eye can see. As a Michigan boy, Brandon is used to the sheer size of Lake Michigan, but for me it was incredible. I looked out at the shimmering water and felt like I was gazing at the Pacific Ocean. It's just so vast. We made it up to Pyramid Point in time for a gorgeous sunset, marveling at our smallness in light of something so majestic.



We headed back the next day to do the Sleeping Bear trail, which involved hiking nearly 3 miles in rather deep sand. There were moments where all we could see was white, and then suddenly we would crest a dune, and there was Lake Michigan shimmering hundreds of feet below. We hiked through "ghost forests," areas of long-dead trees that had created eerie formations in the sand, and eventually made it into the woods and under the welcome shade of trees. And then eventually back out to this incredible lookout point, perched 450 feet above the lake.



Living in the hustle bustle of New York City, it's so important to get out of the city every once in awhile. To go on a hike, to roll down a sand dune and jump in a lake, to feel the grass in your toes. To taste a peach still warm from the sun. To have moments of sheer wonder. To remember how big God is and to feel humbled. To see the beauty in his creation. To gain inspiration to take back into the city.

This trip was more than just an anniversary trip...it was a lovely reminder to breathe. To stop and enjoy the simple pleasures, like a nap, a good book, or a home-cooked meal around the table with people I love. Which is what The Yellow Table is all about.

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Eating Traverse City Part I: Old Mission Peninsula

A few years ago, a vacation to Northern Michigan wouldn't have even crossed my mind. Though my brother went to college in Grand Rapids, and I've visited Brandon's family in Kalamazoo many times, I'd always thought of Michigan as a place to visit people. Not so much a trip as a reunion.

But then recently I started hearing about Traverse City, dubbed "an up-and-coming foodie spot," way up the mitten on Lake Michigan. I read in Bon Appétit that Mario Batali had a summer home nearby on Leelanau Peninsula, and I heard that Michael Moore, founder of the Traverse City Film Festival, had moved there. My good friend Rebecca sang the praises of the area's local wines–especially its bubblies, and cool climate varietals like Riesling and Cabernet Franc–and delicious farm-to-table restaurants. I read about the many lakes and beaches and hiking trails and vineyards (not to mention cherry trees!) and decided: we MUST go.

After months of dropping hints (I didn't think I was that obvious...), Brandon surprised me with an anniversary trip to Traverse City. He, being the amazing husband he is, booked the flights, the car, and the B&B, and let me do what I do best: plan the meals.



Needless to say, I love to travel. I love the adventure of the unknown, and the joy of discovery. I love the excitement of hopping in a cab, bulging suitcase(s) tucked away in the trunk, and heading to the airport (all the while praying fervently that traffic moves so we don't miss our flight). But perhaps most of all, I love arriving in a new place, dropping my bags, and heading out for an exploratory jog. That's how I get the lay of the land. Unencumbered by technology (no need to tweet on a run!) or expectations, I set out to stretch my legs and just observe. There is often quite a bit of stopping and starting on these jogs, I admit, to check out the menu at a cute café or peep in the window of a local gallery, or run down an unmarked trail just to see where it leads. Often by the time I've finished that first run, I've got our meals mapped out, a list of spots I want to visit, and already feel–sort of–like a local. Which in Traverse City, with its compact downtown and super-friendly residents, isn't difficult.



We ate a fantastic meal our first night at Cook's House, a cozy 8-table restaurant that has gotten national praise for its ultra-local, sustainable fare. You can try the seasonal five-course tasting menu for $50 with beautifully plated dishes like heirloom tomatoes with warm lobster mushrooms, beet risotto with chocolate shavings–so good that I, a non-beet-eater, actually liked it–and a local white fish called walleye, served in a delicate miso broth with rapini. For an added cost, they'll pair (mostly local) wines with each course–definitely worth the extra money to sample all the wines. We especially loved the L. Mawby Brut Blanc de Noirs and the Two Lads Pinot Grigio. Fortunately for us, it was just a couple minutes' walk back to our B&B, the antiques-filled Wellington Inn.



We headed out the next morning to explore Old Mission Pennisula, a skinny, 22-mile-long peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay. Despite its petite size, Old Mission has seven wineries, a brewery, six restaurants, four B&B's, and more farm stands than I've ever seen in my life. We had perfect blue-sky weather all weekend, so with the windows rolled down and old Nirvana tunes blaring from the radio, we meandered along the lake and through the tree-shaded back roads on our way to visit Two Lads winery. Not to wax rhapsodic, but the scenery was pretty spectacular. With its rolling hills–covered alternately in vines or forests–and rows and rows of fruit trees (cherries, peaches, apricots, and apples), plus lake views from all sides, B and I almost felt like we were back on our honeymoon last year on Waiheke Island in New Zealand. (And to think, we could have saved ourselves a 24-hour flight!)



We stopped off at a fruit stand on the way to buy some blackberries, peaches, and apricots. There was no one at the stand, just a sign that read: SELF SERVE. MAKE CHANGE IF YOU NEED TO. THANKS, JULIE. She then had a second sign saying checks could be made payable to her. These two memos were taped to the table, beside a very large coffee can with a plastic lid: the deposit box, presumably. I couldn't believe this woman was so trusting, but yet, come to think of it, none of the other farm stands were occupied either. We picked out our fruit, paid, and were on our way.

We stopped off at a winery (who will remain unnamed) whose tasting room was–in total contrast to the manicured vineyards outside–total kitsch. Packed with tourists, it resembled a Cracker Barrel gift shop, selling farm animal dish towels and wine- and cherry-themed tschotskes. We slowly edged out the door and headed up north. A word of warning to French-wine lovers: sweet wines are all the rage in Upper Michigan (late-harvest Rieslings, sweet reds, cherry wines, etc.). Though I prefer drier wines, the tasting experience is still a lot of fun. You can pop in any winery (no appointment necessary) and taste five or six wines for just $5. And there's absolutely zero pretension–everyone is having a blast and the mood is contagious. (Note: We didn't make it to Brys Estate Winery, which makes an earthy, aromatic Pinot Noir that I sampled for dinner one night. Nearby Bowers Harbor Vineyard also has some nice wines, and a lovely back patio for tasting.)



Several miles up the road, Two Lads feels world's apart. With its ultra-modern corrugated metal exterior and concrete and steel interiors, the winery is both sleek and functional–and happens to offer the best views in the area. We opted to do their six-wine tasting (along with a little tapas plate) and enjoyed not only sampling the wines, but talking to their knowledgeable staff. Opened in 2008 by the "two lads," South African-born Cornel Olivier and Traverse City-native Chris Baldyga, the winery is the newest in the area, as well as the smallest: they only produce about 4500 cases per year. We were amazed, given the preferences of other local wineries, to taste how dry the Two Lad's wines were. Their Riesling was crisp, with a lively acidity, and the Cabernet Franc rosé was super dry, with a surprisingly peppery finish. Unfortunately we didn't get to taste the wines they are best known for–their Cabernet Francs, Pinot Noirs, and sparkling wines–as they were all sold out. Clearly that's good news for them, and for us too: we'll just have to come back for a visit next year.



We continued our drive up to the tip of the peninsula to the Old Mission Point Lighthouse. Built in 1870, this beautifully preserved lighthouse sits on a rocky beach, with picnic areas and hiking trails and a cool little museum telling the history of the lighthouse. After climbing up to the top of the lighthouse and taking some self-portraits on the beach (see below) we headed back down the peninsula for a late lunch at the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery. Located next door to the upscale Mission Table (which has its own blog post coming soon) on the former historic Bower's Inn property, Jolly Pumpkin brews all sorts of beers, including some award-winning Belgian-style pale ales. Unexpectedly, we discovered our favorite beer of all time, their Oro de Calabaza, which happened to be on tap for the first (and only) time all year. Neither of us are big beer drinkers, but after tasting this aromatic, slightly spicy Belgian-style golden ale, we were hooked. And apparently, so is Eric Asimov of the New York Times: last year he ranked this beer the #1 Belgian Pale Ale in the world. Lunch was fantastic–crab tots (crab cakes + tater tot shape = genius) with preserved lemon aioli, local whitefish dip, and ribs for B. After a day of exploring, wine tasting, and a late brewery lunch, naps on the beach were definitely in order. And, for the record, any place that has vineyards and beaches a few miles a part, is my kind of place.

Stayed tuned for Traverse City Part II: the best croissants in North America, bubbly tasting on the Leelanau Peninsula, and hiking in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park...


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