First to arrive, last to leave

Here are a few items of note since our last post back in August:

•  We got really busy at the cafe. Crazy, barmy busy. 

•  We visited with our son, Noah (and his girlfriend, Katie), who came home from college (culinary program) for a long weekend. Noah worked with Paul at the H&V for a few hours last Saturday--so great.

•  We closed over the Labor Day holiday (Monday and Tuesday—everyone needed a break and it was, after all, Labor Day. Sorry if you had to grill your own dogs.)

•  We scaled back to fall hours: now open Wednesday through Sunday (closed Mondays and Tuesdays) until we close for the season. Stay tuned on that. And no, we are not taking reservations--regardless of what other sources tell you.

•  We had a small employee party at the house and since it was cold and raining, we congregated in the kitchen and dining room and enjoyed a few drinks and Mexican fare. We need a bigger kitchen.

•  We made beer (a good, dark, left-handed brew) with Mickey and Chelsea.

•  We made Bloody Mary mix with some of our heirloom tomatoes and home grown jalapeno peppers (but didn't have time to make salsa).

•  We saw our daughter, Ella, off to first grade (a bittersweet event for a mom who works out of her home office).
• We lost 1/3 of our plum tree near the patio because it is so heavy with fruit. And ancient.

•  We picked up several pounds of gorgeous chanterelle, black trumpet, gypsy and lobster mushrooms from mushroom guru Ken Harris at the Farmer's Market in Traverse City. 

•  Paul got a haircut at Vision Modern next to the Inside Out Gallery in TC (thanks, Angela!) and we had a chance to check out some cool art (Steve Barber's work really grabbed our attention) and say hello to Kim and Mike--long time, no see.

So this week, as we prepare for the Epicurean Classic, we want to send out a special thank you to our employees who helped us survive the unexpected explosion of visitors at the Hearth & Vine after  Sleeping Bear Dunes was voted "Most Beautiful Place in America" on GMA (see below). Being inundated with customers is a good problem to have, of course, but we had to do a lot of scrambling and add more staff to handle the volume (which can be challenging in this area, especially when people are headed back to school for the fall). But everyone stepped up to the plate and our new hires have been terrific. Thanks, everyone!! 

A very special thank you goes out to Mickey and Chelsea, who start their days before the sun comes up working at Meadowlark Farm and then head over to the H&V to cook and serve Thursday through Sunday. Without Mickey to help keep the kitchen running smoothly and efficiently, Paul would not have time to take care of the business side of the café, or have time to grab a little rest now and then. Paul is one of those chefs who opens and closes his kitchen—very hands on and attentive to detail when it comes to food—and so that means he rarely stops moving. I know—I watch him collapse on the couch at the end of his 14-hour day. First to arrive, last to leave. 

So Mickey, you have been a tremendous help keeping Paul together. Grazie, Ke itumela, Siyabonga kakulu, Merci, etc., etc..