Keeping it real

Finally! The sun is shining and the Leelanau Peninsula is drying out after a week of rain--some of it quite heavy. Our perennials at home (especially the irises and peonies) took a beating, but the tomato plants are fine and are loaded with flowers. It won't be long before we'll have Black Pearls, Moskovich and Honey Bunch on the table.

The Hearth & Vine is hopping today and last night, we had a wedding rehearsal dinner that kept the crew busy. Cheers and good luck to the couple tying the proverbial knot on Sunday! This morning, we stocked the goodie table with delicious date-nut cookies, lemon bars and citrus-almond biscotti--all made from scratch and all a perfect treat after lunch or with a cup of coffee.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, stop by Black Star Farms. In addition to a memorable lunch or dinner at the H&V, you can do a little wine-tasting at the winery, grab some raclette from award-winning Leelanau Cheese Co., or say hello to the sheep (who were recently sheered and look a little silly) and other critters who make us all smile and keep it real.

Garlic scapes

Sitting here at the cafe--working a little, but mostly watching Paul and Mickey design a special pizza for the weekend. We are nearing the end of asparagus season here in northern Michigan and to pay our respects to that delectable veg, they are roasting off asparagus and garlic scapes (which are simply beautiful, by the way) in the wood-fired oven. The asparagus & scapes will be perfect with olive oil and fontina--can't wait for a taste, but alas, will have to wait until tomorrow.

People are rolling in again and it's time to put away the laptop. Here's to better weather as we near the weekend (though our tomato plants are smiling with all this rain)!

The pizza and wine was fantastic!

Another great week at the Hearth & Vine, and today marks the end of being closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays now that the season is picking up and visitors are flooding the Leelanau Peninsula. Starting tomorrow, we will be open 7 days a week. I sure hope Paul is able to sneak out now and then to give his feet a rest!

We had a wonderful group of visitors come in last week, and Erin Mercer sent Paul a kind email saying, "We had a wonderful dinner at your restaurant- It was actually our favorite meal for our entire trip," and that in addition to the kids being able to pet the farm animals out back, "most of all, the pizza and wine was fantastic! Thank you for the great memories."

Thank YOU, Erin! It was a pleasure having you all here and we hope to see you again next time you are in the area.

Observations

Garden tomatoes take a damn long time to ripen, and as they do, it becomes harder and harder to eat flavorless store-bought tomatoes--as if it isn't hard enough as it is.

Basil is fragile but so worth growing. Life without fresh basil and tomatoes is meaningless. (A little melodramatic, I know.)

Raw pizza dough can be extremely heavy and likes to creep across the table when you are not looking.

Irises don't last nearly long enough in a vase (or in the garden).

Peanut butter cookies with too much sugar don't taste like anything but sugar.

A steady rain at night is perfect for sleeping. And clearly I need some of that.

Our Customers

One of the most satisfying things about running a small restaurant is getting to know one's customers. We have so many wonderful people from all walks of life who come though our doors and who are truly interesting people to talk to. This morning, for instance, I met a lovely couple from West Bloomfield who come up to visit during the summer (and have an affinity for irises), and then finally met (in person) a couple who frequent the H&V and follow our blog via RSS. Gail sent Paul and I some wonderful photos of a pizza and food festival in Italy along the Amalfi Coast (which only confirms that we have to get there someday) and noted how we have a little Italy here in Suttons Bay. The Amalfi Coast in Campania is featured in the Mario Batali Cooks! app (for those of you who love apps and love food and travel--this one is really cool. I just loaded it a few days ago and think I might try to make "Eggs in Hell" one of these days).

So many amazing places to visit--hard to believe that just over a year ago I was sitting in the Aux Anysetiers Du Roy in Paris marveling how intimate a restaurant can be. It made an incredible impression on me--admittedly, a relative newbie to the culinary scene and not nearly as well-versed in the language of food as Paul and many of our friends. But, if you are lucky enough to be seated right near the tiny kitchen in the Aux Anysetiers Du Roy, you can watch Madame Lillian working her copper pots and pans and be be teased by the smell of bœuf bourguignon wafting into the dining room. It is a magical place with gorgeous hand-painted murals on the walls and is one of the oldest restaurants in Paris. I believe it dates back to the 17th century.


But I digress ...

Part of what's wonderful and memorable about that type of experience in a restaurant is seeing the person making your food and knowing that the only secrets might be what types of herbs and spices are used and in what amounts, or how long something is baked, braised or marinated--food preparation is transparent, respected and celebrated. And I think this is what many customers respond so well to. It is encouraging to meet people who are passionate (or at least curious) about good food--no matter where they are--and have fun with it. And we sincerely appreciate our customers for that.

Pizza art

It is difficult to know, with no uncertainty, where or when, exactly, pizza was "invented" but it appears the Greeks beat the Italians to it. One source claims that in the 6th century soldiers beholden to Darius the Great made a type of pizza (more like a flatbread) with cheese, some herbs, oil and dates and baked it on their shields. No tomatoes--those didn't come along until later. But what a beautiful way to eat ... a perfect, wood-fired crust topped with delicious, bubbling cheese, fresh vegetables and okay, some of that amazing sausage and pepperoni. It takes a certain finesse to bake a pizza in a wood oven. You have to pull the dough just right so it's not too thick. Once in the oven, you can't let it go too long. You have to watch it carefully. You want a little charring but not too much. When the morels were out (are they really gone already?) Paul treated folks to a wild mushroom pizza that was simply amazing. What? "It's just a pizza?" I think not. It is a work of art.

Scenes outside the cafe

We love Saturdays - market day!

Spent some time at the Suttons Bay Farmer's Market this morning and picked up fresh lettuce, spinach and arugula, as well as some gorgeous radishes from Bare Knuckle Farm and Isador Farm. Everything will be used at the Hearth & Vine today, so if you enjoy good, fresh food, stop by for lunch or dinner. We also picked up bacon from Jonali Farm, and couldn't resist an orange scone for the trip back to the cafe from Petosky Scones. Nice to see people out and about talking about food and gardening (Matt, your pepper plants are so gorgeous), and we really love the new location of the market, just off 22 where it intersects with 204. The parking is better, there is more room for the vendors, and the smell of the water (just a few skips away) is heavenly--especially on a warm, humid morning like this. It is going to be a beautiful day in Leelanau County.

Gorgeous, sunny day at the H&V

Back in the proverbial saddle

Memorial Day weekend was a success and we were so pleased to see so many local and summer residents, and quite a few vacationers, too. Many thanks to all who stopped by for lunch and dinner! It was a foodie-sentimental experience to see those pizzas pulled from the oven for the first time this season and to smell a hint of wood smoke in the air. Those pizzas were missed all winter. And Paul's wood-roasted chicken pesto sandwiches are amazing. The chicken itself is incredibly flavorful thanks, in part, to the way it is slow roasted in the wood-fired oven, but also because the chicken is locally-raised. There is a huge difference in quality.

We had a few issues with our new POS, but we have the kinks worked out and are looking forward to tomorrow. Today, we had a magazine photographer stop by, Paul worked on a few new items for the menu, and just in: Mickey is officially back in town to work with Paul. We know it's going to be a great summer with him around the H&V.

Many thanks to Ellie for training in our two new employees, Julia and Melissa. Though we will miss Ellie, we know she'll have a great time managing the new Chico's that opens in Traverse City in June. Good luck, Ellie! And welcome, Julia and Melissa!