Romantic Ramblings

The Owl Prowl in Kalamazoo

2011-02-21T06:11:00.000-08:00

Spring is just around the corner here in the woods of that surround our West Michigan B&B. Among other creatures preparing for warmer days ahead, owls are selecting mates and claiming territory. We see many types of owls common here, the largest being the Great Horned Owl, pictured above.

The Kalamazoo Nature Center will be hosting outdoor, evening hikes, called Owl Prowls, for adults and older (i.e. quiet) children on Thursday, Feb 24, Friday, March 4, and Thursday, March 10. No flashlights are allowed-they may scare away wildlife and your eyes will adjust to the dark so you will see more without the flashlight anyway.

Our own experiences with the Great Horned Owl are rather special. We often hear their hooting in the evening-another name for them is the Hoot Owl. But a really close encounter happened one summer evening a few years ago at our Inn near Kalamazoo. We were enjoying a glass of wine with some of our guests on our deck overlooking the pond. The view was similar to this picture:

As it gradually got dark, suddenly an owl swooped down from trees on the left onto the grassy area. It had caught some kind of small rodent. Grasping it firmly, it flew off into the trees again. They may hoot at times, but when they hunt their flight is absolutely silent.

Romantic Activities in West Michigan

2011-02-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

West Michigan has so many wonderful options for romantic outings and the best part is, none of them will break the bank. While staying at Castle in the Country Bed and Breakfast we've found some perfectly romantic (and yet inexpensive) 'Must Do’s' while you’re enjoying our small town of Allegan, MI and the surrounding area. Here are our favorite suggestions for saving $$ but still getting the most out of your Michigan Couple's getaway experience:

After checking in at Castle in the Country, head out to The Grill House to grill your own steak, and try the Meal Splitter's Deal, where you share the steak and each enjoy your own sides. You may find you don't want to leave, so why not order a carry out gourmet pizza from The Grill House, located just 3 miles north of our Allegan Inn, and enjoy in front of the fireplace of your guest room.

After breakfast, enjoy use of our snowshoes on beautiful wooded trails just outside your guest room door and after you've warmed up here and you're ready for a little more adventure, head out to Bittersweet for some exciting Michigan downhill skiing. Don't forget to ask us for our discounted ski passes. We have passes that run about $5.00 cheaper than what you would pay at the gate.

There are three wineries in the area of our romantic Michigan getaway, FennValley, St. Julian’s, and Warner’s. All three wineries offer FREE cellar tours and tastings in their tasting rooms. Couples staying at our romantic Michigan inn will receive a coupon for two free FennValley logo wine glasses with any purchase! Nearby Saugatuck also plays host to some tasting rooms including Tabor Hill, and Round Barn.

Later, you may want to head out to Salt of the Earth in Fennville to enjoy some live music, appetizers, drinks, and dessert. Their S'more Dessert is a fantastic twist on a favorite classic and definitely large enough to share. If you're staying with us on Sunday evenings Salt of the Earth hosts concert bands at 7:00 p.m. with tickets ranging in price from $5.00-$12.00. On February 13th Salt of the Earth will be featuring May Erlewine with Seth Bernard.

Finally, to end your night with a moonlight stroll, don't miss a trip to Saugatuck's Oval Beach on Lake Michigan, located just west of downtown Douglas, MI. Named one of the top beaches in the country, this stretch of pristine beach along Lake Michigan is beautiful anytime of the year but with the wintry ice sculptures formed by the waves, it provides a magical winter wonderland just for the two of you.

There are fantastic activities are available year round in West Michigan, making it a fun exciting and romantic place to visit, without spending a lot of money!

Chocolate & Wine Pairings in Southwest Michigan

2011-01-24T05:58:00.000-08:00

Let the interesting and unexpected relationship between chocolate and wine inspire the romance of your relationship. If you're in West Michigan on February 9, there are two events that will get you in the mood for Valentine's Day:

At Food Dance Restaurant, which is in Kalamazoo about 30 minutes southeast of our inn in Allegan, MI, a Chocolate and Wine tasting begins at 6pm. Guests will be invited to circulate among five different and imaginative combinations of chocolate flavors; each offered with just the right wine. $35 per person. These events tend to sell out, so advance reservations are recommended.

At Warners Vineyard Tasting Room in Holland, about 30 minutes northwest of our romantic Michigan B&B, a Chocolate and Wine pairing will be held at both 6 and 7:30pm. Pre-sale tickets are available through February 2 for $25 per couple.

Downtown Holland Ice Sculptures

2011-01-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

Downtown Holland, a really cool winter venue about 30 minutes north of our Inn, hosts a Collegiate Invitational Ice Sculpting Competition annually. We gave the camera to one of our housekeepers, Kaileigh, who went out with her mother Deb to see what was up. The weather was ideal: sunny yet cold enough to keep the ice from melting. The video shows a little of the ice carving process and an assortment of sculptures.

Downtown Holland utilizes a snowmelt system to keep their main street and sidewalks clear of snow or ice, so it is always a good place to visit in the winter.

Everyday People Cafe

2010-12-12T04:01:00.000-08:00

One of the top rated Restaurants in the area, as far as us and our guests are concerned, is Everyday People Cafe, located in Douglas, Michigan, about 30 minutes from our inn. The menu is always exceptionally imaginative and changes often, so we recommend a peak at the website if you don't like surprises. Or if you take a lot of time to decide. Otherwise the wait staff is very knowledgeable and easy to work with to help make your selection.

Here we see the beet and peach salad.
The Filet Saltimboca-Beef Tenderloin with prosciutto, sage, marsala demi glace, a garlic crouton, and parmesan reggiano potato:
And to Gorgonzola Pork Chop:

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Downhill Skiing in West Michigan

2010-12-12T03:47:00.000-08:00

Bittersweet Ski Area is 8 miles from our inn. A great way to spend a winter day.

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Fenn Valley Extended Vineyard Tours

2010-09-21T03:18:00.000-07:00

Guests at Castle in the Country may be interested in Fenn Valley Winery's Extended Vineyard Tour Tickets.

Available only on a first come, first serve basis, we have the well-sought-after tickets to the Fenn Valley Winery Extended Vineyard Tour. This tour provides a marvelous way to hear right from the Winemaker about the growing, picking and wine development processes used at FennValley. The One hour & 45 minute tour through the scenic vineyards provides an opportunity for you to taste the grapes and sip the wine produced by those grapes at our favorite and Michigan's 2nd largest winery.

Tickets are available to our Lodging Guests on the following dates:
September 26, October 2 or October 13.

Doug Welsch, owner and winemaker of Fenn Valley Winery, waxes eloquent about growing wine grapes.

Review of The Wine Loft, Kalamazoo

2010-09-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

We visited The Wine Loft in Kalamazoo, Michigan recently. This establishment is located about 30 minutes from our inn.

Obviously, as the name implies, their selection of wines is very broad and interesting. They also feature an extensive list of small plate appetizer style foods to enjoy with the wine. The atmosphere is trendy yet casual. This is really set up for before or after dinner, where one can have some conversation. There are no tables per se, just the lounge-style seating with low tables

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Review of Butch's Restaurant in Holland Michigan

2010-08-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

Butch's Restaurant, is located in downtown Holland, about 30 minutes from our Inn.

They feature an extensive offering of spirits, wine, and beers. If you like to sample, they offer various flights of wines such as Michigan Whites, Big Reds, even a flight of three Single-Malt Scotch's, one from each of the major distilling regions of Scotland.

The food offerings were varied, imaginative, and expertly prepared. Here's what we had:

A petit 6 oz brie round filled with a Michigan cherry butter, topped with a balsamic honey syrup and served with de Boer Bakkerij baguette

Grilled sashimi tuna glazed with Honey balsamic vinaigrette and served with
apple bacon risotto

Grilled apple marinated hanger steak with caramelized onion,
smoked gouda, smashed, butter potatoesThree-Berry Cobbler with Vanilla Gelato

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Review of Wild Dog Grille, Douglas Michigan

2010-08-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

Wild Dog Grille is located in Douglas, Michigan; a sister city of Saugatuck, about 30 minutes from our Inn. The setting is in the center of a very quaint and artsy small village. They have an outdoor courtyard which was the perfect setting for lunch for Ruth and I recently.

We recommend this restaurant for lunch or dinner, the food is very good and features fresh and high quality ingredients prepared in an imaginative way. The waitstaff is very accommodating yet not the least bit pretentious. The Wild Dog Burger is probably the best hamburger in the area-see below.

We started with the freshly made Vegetarian California Rolls, featuring fresh Avocado, Scallion, Cucumber, Carrot, Cabbage and a Wasabi Cream Cheese, Sesame Seeds and Sushi Rice delicately wrapped in a Nori Roll served with Wasabi, Pickled Ginger and a Ponzu dipping sauce with Radish Sprouts:
Then for the main entree, I had the Tilapia Fish Tacos, featuring perfectly prepared adobo spiced and grilled Tilapia with red cabbage slaw and the usual fish toco fixins:
Ruth went for the signature Wild Dog Burger, which is Cajun seasoned and topped with Gorgonzola, avocado mayo, grape tomato jam and crispy haystack onions.
Ruth like the grape tomato jam so much she talked our waiter into selling us an additional amount to take home. Why use bottled Catsup when you can have this? They routinely sell their dressings, the most popular being their Lemon-Grass Chile Vinaigrette.

Next to our seating area was an open courtyard of the neighboring retail shop. We wondered if the mild-mannered dog there was the namesake of this restaurant.
If you see him, his name is Sam. We later saw him following his owner down the sidewalk, carrying his leash in his mouth. It appears Douglas is very pet-friendly.

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Review of Piper Restaurant, Holland

2010-07-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

Piper Restaurant is located on the South Shore of Lake Macatawa, about 30 minutes from our Inn. Situated among the marinas and yacht club, overlooking the mouth of the channel to Lake Michigan. A nautical setting if there ever was one. We had a table outdoors, but the indoor dining area features large windows overlooking the same sunset view. We recommend this restaurant if you want a beautiful spot to watch the sunset while eating dinner, dessert, or having a drink.

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Allegan Antiques Market

2010-07-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

The Allegan Antique Market is held at the Allegan County Fairgrounds, about 10 minutes from our Inn the last Sunday of every month between April and September.

One of the largest in Michigan, this market features over 400 dealers. In addition to the traditional furniture, dishes, and the like; many dealers specialize in interesting and unusual objects, lawn art, tools, you name it. Many of the fair food vendors are open, too. Even if you aren't a collector, this is a fun way to spend a summer Sunday. 200 dealers are located indoors, so we recommend a visit even if it rains.

Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant

2010-07-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

We stopped at Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant on our way south last week. Located in Buchanan, about an hour and 20 minutes from our Inn. This is probably too far when staying with us, but a good lunch location when traveling to or from us from Northern Illinois or Indiana. Set in the vineyards with indoor and outdoor seating, this as a beautiful place with excellent food and wine.

We had their Cream of Asparagus Soup with Parmesan Cheese, Vidalia Onion, and Gruyere cheese:

One of the many great entrees: Pecan Breaded Raspberry Chicken with Sweet Potato Succotash and Sautéed Vegetables:

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Review of Curragh Irish Pub in Holland

2010-05-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

Curragh Irish Pub is located in downtown Holland, about 30 minutes from our Inn. The atmosphere is of a traditional Irish pub: casual, friendly, and usually full of people having a good time. A generous amount of outdoor seating is available overlooking the prime intersection of Holland, 8th street & College. There is outdoor seating on all four corners here: New Holland Brewery, JP's Coffee, and Kilwins chocolate (now featuring an outdoor fireplace.)
This is one of our favorites because the food and service are always good. The menu trends towards interpretations of traditional Irish food. For example, we had Bangers and Mash: Irish Sausage, Mashed Redskin Potatoes, Roasted Shallot Gravy.
And a Chicken Boxty with Pesto Cream: sauted vegetables paired with chicken wrapped in a potato pancake.

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Review of City Vu Bistro in Holland

2010-05-14T05:18:00.000-07:00

We had lunch recently at City Vu Bistro a restaurant located on the top of City Flats Hotel in Holland, Michigan, about 35 minutes from our inn.

Probably the most appealing aspect of this venue is it's view. There aren't many tall buildings in Holland, perhaps this is the beginning of the "Holland skyline?" Anyway, this picture is of the downtown area, taken right from our table.

The decor is decidedly modern and clean, as shown below. The rest of the building, the lobby, lounge, and I would assume the guestrooms are all consistently in this kind of style. Maybe a little cold for some, but certainly one of the the hippest spots in Holland. This seems to be the second best thing, after the view, of this location.

Since this was just a light lunch, we did not order anything too large from their menu, which had many good things including multiple variations of flatbreads made on site. Pictured below is what we ordered: Mushroom ragout, Roasted tomato Soup, Mixed Greens with roasted beets and fennel. While the food was certainly good, it didn't seem like the most wonderful part of our visit. Go for the view, enjoy the clean and modern atmosphere, and have some good food while you are here.

Here's the google map:

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If you have some experience here, please comment to keep these reviews balanced.

Review of Food Dance Restaurant, Kalamazoo

2010-05-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Food Dance is located in Kalamzoo, about 30 minutes from our inn. We had dinner there a couple of weeks ago to sample their late spring menu offerings. We have always favored this establishment because of their focus on local and real ingredients. Their menu offerings always chicken from Otto's in Middleville, greens from Mud Lake farm, and imaginative vegetarian offerings.

Good bread is offered, usually the focaccia:

Ruth had the Berkshire Pork Chop with caraway mustard spaetzle and onion gratin with wild leek and pine nut relish:
The spaetzle was a first for us, shaped like a nut but tastes like a noodle.

I had the old favorite, Otto's Brick Chicken, stuffed with preserved lemons, rosemary and garlic:

Always good food and service.

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Have you been here? Your comments help others.

Kollen Park in Holland Michigan

2010-04-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

If you need a break from the crowds of tulip time in Holland, or any time you want to stop shopping or dining in Holland, we recommend a visit to Kollen Park. Located on Lake Macatawa, a short drive from downtown Holland and about 35 minutes from our inn.

Ruth and I frequently visit the park to spend some quiet time together. For us, it brings back many memories of the time we lived a few blocks away and would often walk there. We even visited this park when we we dating, so many years ago. Ruth's relatives would often spend a summer evening on lawn chairs neat the bandshell listening to concerts. The bandshell can be seen in the photo above and is still used for concerts. There is a statue set giving tributes to the Dutch (something we are happy to see, since both Ruth and I are children of dutch immigrants.)

There is an extensive system of boardwalks and sidewalks in both directions along Lake Macatawa from the Park so you can stroll along, catching the breeze from the lake. Very Romantic.

Please share your experiences of Kollen Park with us.

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Review of Boatwerks Waterfront Restaurant, Holland, MI

2010-04-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

The best thing about Boatwerks Restaurant in Holland is the view. They are located on Lake Macatawa, next to Kollen Park, about 35 minutes from our inn. Their food is good, service-also good, but we go there for the view. This visit was in April so it was too cold for seating on the deck, but when it warms up, this is the best place to be if you like water:

The service has always been good, the atmosphere is nautical (what else?) in a speedboat/waterskiing kind of way. The food quality has really improved. We used to recommend this place for lunch only, but now dinner would be good as well.

We had a sampler of appetizers due to our tight schedule, very good. The Asian sauce-kind of a combination Hoisin and duck sauce-went well with everything.

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Review of London Grill Bombay, Plainwell Restaurant near Kalamazoo

2010-04-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

Ruth, Liz, and I went to The London Grill Bombay, a Reastaurant in Plainwell, near Kalamazoo, Michigan last Saturday evening. This is about 20 minutes from our Inn.

Themed as "British Empire", which means a combination of Indian foods including curries, tandoori chicken (made without the tandoori oven but still good) and so forth PLUS more traditional British offerings such as stilton steak, fish & chips, shepherd's pie etc. Decor matches accordingly-think of a british gentleman's club with exotic trophies and other items from "the colonies." Bar includes a rather extensive lising of british beers/ales and single malts. Small and cozy pub atmosphere, with the kitchen in plain view of the dining area. We often visit on a Sunday evenings, which is our favorite time to go since they are less busy and even more laid back than their usual warm and friendly selves. Food quality and service are consistantly good.

Service starts with their version of chips and salsa-papadams-a crispy and spicy indian-style wafer with mango chutney:

Ruth and I both had the Pretzel-Crusted Walleye with a mustard/mayo sauce:

If you are looking for something a little different than the usual, maybe with more spice, than this is the place. The only caution I would offer is that they can fill up due to limited seating, so expect to have a drink at the bar while waiting for a table to open during peak times.

(Also, if it isn't too late, we recommend a visit to Plainwell Ice Cream for desert, located just a little further east on Bridge Street. They are open seasonally until 9pm most evenings. One of 4 creameries in Allegan County-but that's another blog.)

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Have you experienced this restaurant? Your comments are appreciated.

New Releases for April, 2010 at Fenn Valley Winery

2010-04-08T06:56:00.001-07:00

We stopped by Fenn Valley Winery, a leading West Michigan Winery offering tours, tasting, and lots of advice in the tasting room. I really like visiting these folks because they are located close to our inn, in the vineyard from which their wine is made. They offer a variety of cellar and vineyard tours throughout the year-see their website or follow our twitter account for a schedule. Reservations are strongly recommended because they fill up early.

This visit, I tasted four of their new releases: 2009 Pinot Grigio, 2009 Cabaret Rose, and 2008 Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvingnon.

The Pinot is crisp yet sweet. I don't really go for sweet white wines, but many people like this and it is usually featured in our picnic basket-goes with many things and is good all by itself.

The biggest surprise is the Cabaret Rose. Most Rose wines are very sweet (I am thinking of White Zinn, the Koolaide of wines.) They made this wine with the "free run" juice of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvingnon grapes. I was told the term "free run" means the juice that naturally comes out of the grape as it is harvested before it gets crushed. So basically it is what is left in the container after the grapes have been removed to the crusher. These are wines with a lot of the red grape character but not the tannins. The result is a dry blush wine with some complexity, yet still light and crisp. Perfect chilled for summer barbeques.

The two reds, Pinot Noir and Cab Sauvingnon, were really good as well. I used to agree with the more snobby of my friends who would automatically reject any red wine from Michigan. Time to give these a try. According to them, most of the improvements with reds at Fenn Valley have been accomplished in the vineyard, not in the cellar. For example, the Pinot grapes are now aggressively thinned prior to ripening. Both have a balanced and tannin base, the Pinot being more fruity and the Cab being more spicy. Certainly better the the cheap reds from lands far away, these are worth a try.

The tasting room at the winery is open year-round seven days a week until at least 5pm, 6pm on some days during the summer and fall.

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Let everyone know your opinion about these wines by commenting on this blog.

Restaurant in Saugatuck area- Salt of the Earth in Fennville, Michigan

2010-04-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Why would an Innkeeper and owner of a Bed and Breakfast in Allegan write a review for a restaurant in Fennville Michigan? Well, because we care about every aspect of our guest's stay at our Inn and we want to share with them the best spots around for great local food! We know it really does reflect back on their visit with us if we helped them find a memorable dining experience while they were here. So, here's some "food for thought" about a restaurant located about 20 minutes driving distance from our Inn and definately one of our favorites currently appearing on our Adventure Map.
Salt of the Earth describes themselves as "Rustic American Eatery" and we think the phrase fits them perfectly. Located on the south side of M-89 in the middle of a one block town, Fennville Michigan, it's Americana at it's best.

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The atmosphere is welcoming and unpretentious with a huge bakery counter (featuring their signature bread and other tempting offerings) and a small coffee cafe right at the entrance. Throughout the restaurant space there's warmly stained concrete floors and simply elegant wooden table tops. The adjacent side of the building is the Pub area with a small stage space for live music performers. The lighting throughout the space is soft and inviting. Every server has been both friendly and knowledgeable about their menu and although there is a great deal of expertise behind the scenes, the over-riding value seems to be on presenting simple, local food with extraordinary taste.
On our most recent visit we ordered the Salad for 4-5 and easily finished it with just 3 of us. And, let's not forget the amazing bread with butter accompanied by their darling little salt and pepper dips.
We've tried almost everything on their menu from burgers to hanger steaks over several visits in the last 6 months, and we've never found an entree that we didn't rave about and relish every bite. One of the highlight side dishes for me is the fried brussel sprouts but don't worry if you are not a vegetable fan, there's always lots of choices. For those of you who share your adventures in Foodie experiences with a less adventurous partner, you'll be able to suggest a "safe" selection of their Stone Oven pizzas.
Over the next couple of weeks they'll be hosting great events with local wineries and breweries so hop onto their web site to see if the scheduled dates will work for you, but even without a special event don't miss the chance to experience your own Romantic Rambling out to the country at Salt of the Earth.

Your comments about your own experiences here help keep this blog real.

Review of Gringo's Grill, a Holland MI Restaurant

2010-04-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Ruth and I discovered Gringo's Grill in Holland, Michigan last fall. We advise you don't pass this one by, which is easy enough to do. It is located in a strip mall in what I think of as the "generica" area in northern Holland, along the highway among chain restaurants and big box retailers, about 35 minutes north of our Inn. Rumor has it they are planning a move to the downtown Holland area, which would improve their visibility and image, I think.View Larger Map

The theme here is Mexican, but this is not the usual "wet burrito" place. These folks emphasize using fresh and seasonally excellent ingredients which are creatively put together into interesting and unique items. We usually order the Guacamole prepared tableside for starters

For the salad, try the grilled head of Romaine with caramelized onions, goat cheese, and a shell of parmesian.

A full head of romaine was enough for both of us, so we ordered one entree to share. There are too many interesting choices to share here-we can recommend the fish tacos, chicken empanadas, pork tenderloin with cocoa and dried chile.... This time, we ordered from the "Lighter Fare" section of the menu and chose the sticky shrimp tacos. The main reason was my curiosity about them being sticky and all. The subtext stated the shrimp are tossed in something called a "gastric" which turns out to be a sweet glaze. This came with choice of soup, salad, or beans & rice.
Full wine/beer and mixed drinks available, live music on Thursday nights. Full menu available on their website.

Have you experienced this restaurant? Your comments help keep this blog real.