Beginning next week, and continuing through the fall, we'll be open at Hearth & Vine Thursday, Firday and Saturday from noon-9, Sunday noon-5, and Monday from noon-6.  As last year, we'll be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

After serving gourmet dinners this winter and spring, but remembering the number of folks who wanted something simple for dinner last summer, Paul and Ellie have decided on offering wood-fired summer fare including pizza, bruschetti, salads, and soups on their all-day summer menu.  It will be similar to last year's with a few twists and the extended hours.

The market side has also undergone a transformation with local foods and new local crafts galore.  There will be plenty of 9 Bean Rows bread and croissants, and tarts and cookies will always be available for snacking.

If you're coming by the farm to wine taste or only to admire the views or pet the farm animals, be sure to stop in at Hearth & Vine for lunch, dinner or just a snack.  We look forward to seeing you.

Pure Michigan is previewing their 2010 ad campaign this week.  Part of Fresh was filmed at Black Star Farms.  Can you spot us?

If you're having trouble finding us, look below for a peek at just how much goes into making a 30 second ad.

We started this tradition about five years ago when we realized how much everyone loved morels and how many folks had no idea about their elusiveness.  You'll meet at the Inn at 3 p.m. and start out on the search with a seasoned guide.  If nothing else, the woods are beautiful at this time of year with trillium, other wildflowers and wild leeks in abundance.  Right away you'll breath deep the fresh Leelanau air and your troubles will be far behind.

At 6 p.m. you'll meet up in our Pegasus Lounge for morel hors d'oeuvre and wine.  Then it's on to the morel dinner prepared by chefs Paul and Street and matched with our wines at our Hearth & Vine Cafe.   All this at $75 per person.

Plus, the innkeepers are offering 20% off your nights stay at the Inn if you decide against driving home.  Please call for  more information and reservations. 231.944.1251

1. Traverse City is number one on Livability.com Foodie Finds: 10 Surprising Food Cities. 

"Known as the Cherry Capital of the World, the Lake Michigan resort town of Traverse City does a pretty good job with other foods too. With plenty of award-winning restaurants, wineries, farmers markets and dairies, Traverse City has been called “a new foodie haven” by The Huffington Post"…read more.

2.  The area was recently named one of the Best Midwest Food Towns by Midwest Living.

"If Disney World had a Foodland, it might look a little like Traverse City, Michigan (population: 142,000). Too-cute-to-be-true storefronts line downtown's Front Street"…read more.

3.  We have world class award winning wines with Riesling being the most popular variety in the region.

"This complex and cold-hardy German varietal, the stuff of youthful hangovers and wine-geek reverence, has put Michigan winemaking on the map and runs the spectrum from racy and dry to thick and sweet"…read more.

4.   If you are a Michigander or a Midwestner that has never tried our wines you may be pleasantly surprised like former Midwesterner Andrew Putz, Editor in Chief of Boston Magazine.

"The more I heard friends gush about the wine country near Traverse City, Michigan, the more curious I became. So I began to investigate. I'd always thought Michigan too cold to grow grapes, but I learned that this part of the state lies near the 45th parallel, just like Bordeaux, Burgundy and Alsace"…read more.

5. We have chocolate, cherries and plenty of wine – all of which can be sampled in one form or another at our wine trail events throughout the year. You can find a complete listing of events on either the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail or the Old Mission Peninsula Wine Trial websites.

There are also art galleries, brew pubs and miles of beaches…What more do you need? For more information about the Traverse City area including lodging and special offers visit the Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Thanks Marcia Frost for choosing to vacation up north and for sharing your experience to your readers.

The mother-daughter getaways began nearly 15 years ago as a celebration of my daughter’s “double-digit” birthday. It was our first adventure alone together and it was to Nassau in the Bahamas. For years we made a habit of annual trips to beach locations around the Caribbean. Of course, the trips changed quite a bit over the years as the 10 year old turned into an adult.

It’s been a tough few years for various reasons and we haven’t had a getaway for the two of us in awhile. When I had the opportunity to bring someone on my trip to Traverse City, I thought it would be great to make it mother-daughter time….read more about this wonderful trip to our beautiful corner of Michigan.

Alison Beers, owner of Events North, a full-service event management agency, thinks so too.  Her weekend plan "to woo eight high powered business owners to relocate their families and businesses to Traverse City" is highlighted in the March issue of Traverse City Business News, and includes their staying at the Inn at Black Star Farms, as well as an on-site Raclette Dinner featuring Leelanau Cheese Company's cheese and all the fixings.

The schedule is jam packed with "up north" experiences.   After all that, how could they not want to relocate their businesses here?

At last, a bottle of wine has found its place on the family dinner table! Join us for our 1st Cork and a Fork with Marigold Productions! We'll taste wines and enjoy hors d'oeuevres at the Hearth and Vine on March 29th from 6pm – 8pm.  Chef Johnathon Dayton and Chef Paul Carlson will show us how to cook a family meal of beef short ribs cooked en daube.  Guests will leave with a pre-packaged main course, a bottle of wine and a fabulous recipe! For more information click here.

Call 231.944.1251 to book your romantic getaway, and have the same exceptional experience the editors found during their stay.

Have a relaxing mid-week stay at the Inn and a delicious meal that's partially on us.  What better way to turn those winter blahs into pampered aahs?