By Steve Siciliano
An excellent paella dinner, a nice haul of vinyl and some tasty manhattans were a few highlights of a quick trip to the Traverse City area last week.
Barb and I spent two nights at The Inn at Black Star Farms, our favorite place to stay on our annual late winter/early spring visits to northern Michigan’s premier grape growing region. We didn’t have the place to ourselves this time around but we didn’t mind because we met some nice folks during the hospitality hours in the Inn’s comfortable lounge. After enjoying complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a few glasses of Black Star’s excellent Pinot Noir with our fellow lodgers on the first night, we took the short walk to the inn’s Hearth & Vine Café for a meal celebrating National Paella Day.
Chef Jack Wenz’s interpretation of the traditional Valencian rice dish featured a mix of Prince Edward Island mussels, middleneck clams, jumbo shrimp, chicken and Spanish chorizo. Black Star’s Red House Red with its fresh berry aromas and earthy flavors was the perfect accompaniment.