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.
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| Photo Credit: Joe Leahy |
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Photo Credit: Joe Leahy
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That looks like a fun and romantic experience. The description of your wine selection made me want to go purchase a bottle and I'm not really a drinker of spirits. I would love to go an experience this myself with my fiancé . I look forward to your next review.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great time! I would highly recommend taking a day to treat yourselves to some good wine and yummy food, trust me you deserve it. Thanks for your post.
DeleteI really like this idea. My blog is about what to do in South Bend and I think going to different restaurants could be a good topic somewhere down the line. When I post about a restaurant I will be sure to check out your blog for some ideas.
ReplyDeleteThe restaurant scene in the area is improving, it is hard to ignore all the great food. I hope I can be of some assistance to you. Thanks for your post.
DeleteOoh, a new winery. I've never heard of The Lazy Ballerina. Is it a winery to visit, or is it a shop in downtown St. Joe. like Baroda is? Do they have a wide variety of wines or is it a bit limited since they've just started? I've heard great things about Carriage House and need to make it out there at some point. It's practically a landmark in South Bend! Sounds like a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThe Lazy Ballerina is a tasting room that is in downtown St. Joe, conveniently located next door to another tasting room, White Pine Winery. Both are a stones throw from Silver Beach which is going to be awesome for the summer. I did like the Lazy Ballerina better, however both were great and I bought bottles from both. The menu at Lazy Ballerina had about a dozen wines on it, so there was some variety to sample from. I only see them improving as time goes on and I cannot wait to go back. Carriage House was great, it made my taste buds smile. I would recommend getting the Groupon, while it is available, to save a little money on the experience.
DeleteGreat article! I've heard many things about the Round Barn Winery, from my sister. I may have to take a visit up their. I'm most interested in the restaurant location. I've never heard of the Carriage House. I'm always looking for good, high quality food around the South Bend/Mishawaka area to take my wife to. Being a sucker for a good filet and some oysters, I'm definitely going to have to do a bit of research on my part. Overall, what sort of cuisine does The Carriage House specialize in? Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThe Carriage House is a little hidden gem in the community. While I heard the name thrown around on occasion, I had not known anything about it until recently. It has a French inspired American menu that is delicious. The oysters and the filet were definitely the highlights of the meal, so I think you would love it. I would recommend giving it a try. Before you go, remember to check out the Groupon to save some money on the meal. Thanks for your post.
DeleteJoseph,
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I have always wanted to go to Carriage House - after reading your review, I will have to give it a try.
I enjoyed your wine review. Have you ever been to Brown County Winery? It is a few hours south, but it is great! I had an awesome experience there last fall on a girls trip. Brown county is awesome. If you ever find yourself down there, it is worth it to stop in to the winery.
Thanks for your post, I hope ypu do try Carriage House and enjoy it as much as I did. I have never been to Brown County Winery, however, after looking at the website, it looks like I'll have to plan a trip down there sometime. Thanks for the recommendation.
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