My Weekend Review

Italian food and wine tasting were this weekends stops and it was all done under one roof.  Villa Macri is an Italian restaurant located in Heritage Square, in Granger, Indiana.  Within the building there are themed dining rooms, an elegant bar,  a wine gallery, and more.  For this visit we were seated in the "theater room,"  which was set up like a sports lounge.  We did not get any appetizers or drinks with dinner, however our entrees came with soup and bread with dipping oil.  As my girlfriend and I share everything, we ordered both the lobster bisque and the Italian style wedding soup, both were fantastic.  For our entrees we got the lasagna ($15) and the seafood Alfredo ($17).  The lasagna was a huge serving of cheesy, meaty, fresh saucy goodness with a hint of spinach. It was just as good heated up the next day as it was fresh.  The Alfredo was just as delicious both days.  The sauce was cooked perfectly, it was not too rich nor was it too thick.  The seafood that was in the pasta was abundant and delicious, it melted in my mouth, especially the scallops (they were awesome).

Photo Credit: Joe Leahy 

Photo Credit: Joe Leahy

After our dinner we headed over to the wine gallery to par-take in a wine flight.  The gallery offers flights for $11 for eight tastes.  As we usually do tastings on the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail, The Wine Gallery gives us the opportunity to sample wines from different parts of the world without having to gamble on a bottle we have never tasted.  My favorite wine of the night was the 2011 Pinot Noir from Flying Goat Cellars, located in the Santa Maria region of California.  It was a tasty pinot with strong strawberry notes, along with other berry and cherry hints.  It had a smooth thirst quenching finish that made me crave more.  Along with the great wine, there is an entertaining staff and a friendly atmosphere. Villa Macri is a must try for any Italian food and wine lover, I am already ready to go back.

Photo Credit: Vivino

Please comment with any questions, comments, or concerns.  If you have any recommendations for me to try, I would love to hear where you like to eat and drink.  Thanks and enjoy.   

My Weekend Review

This weekend, my girlfriend and I were celebrating our two year dating anniversary.  We spent the weekend doing what we love most, tasting wine and eating food.  We made a few stops on the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail.  My favorite wine of the day was the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve by Round Barn Winery. It has a nice berry/current taste with hints of chocolate and a wonderfully smooth, oak finish. It retails for $34.99 and we brought home a bottle to enjoy for another special night.  Also while tasting, we stumbled across a new winery that opened within the last year.  The Lazy Ballerina, in St. Joe, Michigan, is the only all-female owned winery in the region and we were lucky enough to have one of those owners pour our tastes and give give us some information about the business.  The decor set up for a relaxing environment to sample the yummy wine.  I was impressed with the experience, we bought a couple bottles, and we definitely plan to go back this winery.

For dinner I treated my lady to an upscale dinner at The Carriage House, in South Bend.  This was our first time there and it was everything I could have hoped it would be.  We enjoyed a bottle of a tasty late harvest Riesling from the Traverse City, Michigan region.  The wine complemented our chef special appetizer of feta stuffed oysters perfectly.  We shared our entrees of filet minion with roasted vegetables and shrimp with couscous, both were amazing.  The filet was among my top three favorite steaks I have ever had the pleasure of eating.  The shrimp was cooked to perfection and they melt in your mouth.  The couscous was good, however it was topped with a sweet froth that overpowered the plate, it ended up being scraped to the side.  For dessert we indulged in a strawberry shortcake type plate that was served on a bed of strawberry slices and topped with tasty white chocolate. While it was a bit pricey, Groupon currently has a coupon available to make it more affordable.  Please comment with any questions, comments, or concerns about our wonderful weekend.

Photo Credit: Joe Leahy 

Photo Credit: Joe Leahy