Open For The Season, Hearth & Vine Café

Our farmstead café is open again for the season! We couldn’t be more thrilled for guests to try out the new culinary creations Chef Jack Wenz and his talented team have whipped up. It’s been a long six months without the café, and you can bet that the staff here at Black Star Farms is just as excited as you are to sample the new menu (view PDF here) and grab a drink or two!

The Hearth & Vine Café will be serving lunch and dinner Monday-Friday from 12pm-8pm, Saturday 11am-8pm, and Sunday brunch from 10am-2pm. Find a spot in the dining room or enjoy an evening on the patio with farmstead fare paired with craft cocktails, cider, and our award-winning wines. With a variety of starters, soups, salads, pizzas and sandwiches, the menu for the Café is sure to fit any palate, and even contains a few gluten free options. The Grand Traverse Distillery Tasting bar is also conveniently located right inside the dining room at Hearth & Vine. There, you can sample Grand Traverse Distillery products, which are also featured in the cocktails on the café menu.

We are expanding our Summer Nights on the Patio series, plus brand new this year, Sunday Brunch! These ticketed dining events run through September.

Monday: Pasta Night – Classic pasta dishes served family style.

Tuesday: BBQ on the Patio – Gather around the grill with family and friends.

Wednesday: Seafood Paella Night – Traditional Spanish cuisine on the patio.

Thursday: Great Lakes Fish Boil or Cajun Shrimp Boil (alternating every other week)

Sunday: Brunch on the Farm – Plated brunch selections fresh from the farm, and bottomless mimosas…yum!

Example of mimosas with fresh cranberries and orange slices.

Back by popular demand this season are the Harvest Dinners in the Vineyard. These themed, multiple-course culinary experiences take place atop our scenic terraced vineyards (weather permitting). Panoramic views of Grand Traverse West Bay and our farm estate create an ambiance like no other, as a gourmet dinner is served at communal tables. During service our chef will share the inspiration behind the evening’s menu and a winery representative will talk about the wine pairings and share updates on new releases and vintages.

Strawberries & Rhubarb – Wednesday, June 12^th
Cherries & Honey – Wednesday, July 10^th
Chef’s Garden – Wednesday, August 14^th

Table set in the vineyard at Black Star Farms Suttons Bay for our Arcturos Dining Series.

Cody Patterson, a 13-year (and counting!) team member at Black Star is most excited about seeing returning and new guests enjoying the café’s environment and unique events the culinary team has put together for the summer. Guests are thrilled about the return of the forest mushroom pizza, which is made with Black Star Farms red grape-skin flour. It is topped with mushrooms, goat cheese, garlic, balsamic, and arugula, and is truly a delight to the palate.

Chef presenting a wood-fire pizza at the Hearth and Vine Cafe.

Bring your appetite for farm-to-table cuisine and visit the Café to find a new favorite dish or check out one of the themed Summer Nights on the Patio. We look forward to dining with you soon!

About the Writer, Olivia Kiel

As a Tasting Room Representative and the new blogger for Black Star Farms, I get the opportunity to write and learn about wine (two of my favorite things!) every day. I’ve worked at both Traverse City area tasting rooms and developed a passion for everything Black Star Farms by working alongside the company’s best and pouring its finest wines. I have a Bachelor of Science degree from Ferris State University where I studied Writing and Business and have been a Northern Michigan resident for about three years. When I’m not at work, you’ll likely find me with a good book, enjoying the outdoors, or at a local winery tasting something new and exciting.