A Trip to the Lakeshore

I recently took a trip to Fennville, Michigan to visit some local foodie destinations. On the way, I stopped by the Hudsonville Winery. They were celebrating their two year anniversary with special wine tastings. They have a simple, tastefully decorated tasting room; gold and maroon paint with a concrete floor. The celebration was held in a tent outside. I tasted the Classic White, Merlot, Classic Red, and Watermelon wines. All were good for the price point. They purchase the fruit to make the wine and aim to procure as much local fruit as possible.

My next stop was Pier Cove beach on Lake Michigan. It is a nice walking beach. The actual beach is quite small, but it is my understanding that Michigan law allows us to walk on private property below the high water line. You will have to decide for yourself about walking beyond but, the view from this beach is quite beautiful.

After a walk, I had dinner at Salt of the Earth in Fennville. It is one of the few Michigan Farm to Table restaurants. I had been hearing how great this restaurant is, and it did not disappoint. They have a pretty extensive Michigan beer and wine list and much of the food was local – with the farms often listed on the menu. I enjoyed the Fenn Valley Lakeshore Sunset Blush wine, and started with the Roasted Asparagus and Cheddar Gratin. It was hard to decide from their many shared plates. For my entre I had the Summer Half Chicken. All were delicious and the service was great too. Most everyone was dressed quite casually as is expected in a restaurant located near the lakeshore. But, I would not hesitate to dress up for a special occasion and dine there.

For dessert, I moved on to Crane’s Pie Pantry. This restaurant, filled with antiques, has been a long-time dessert, cider, and u-pick fruit destination. I had the rhubarb crisp which was the seasonal special. All of the pies are made during the season from local fruit and frozen whole for use during the year.

This day trip was worth the wait after the cool May that we had this year.

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