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The Leelanau Enterprise reports that the village of Lake Leelanau is experiencing a new business boom:

The Lake Leelanau Renaissance, which began a couple years ago, is thriving today with two ventures open for business in the former Thunderbird store and another one planned to open in June.

And two more businesses — a wine tasting room and an Italian restaurant — are also preparing to open this spring.

...Trish’s Dish opened on the east side of the New Thunderbird building last October. And Northern Latitudes Distillery, in the middle of the building, is expected to open this summer.

Another example of the renaissance is the purchase of the former LeNaro Pub building by Jane Fortune and her partner Bob Hesse. Powell “Smitty” Smith of Venture Properties of Leland is guiding the remodeling of the former Powerhouse Tavern next to NJs Grocer.

Smith said the couple, based out of Indiana, have a residence near Leland. They have always wanted to own an Italian restaurant.

They plan on a soft opening of their new restaurant, Bella Fortuna North, in early June, with a grand opening at the end of the month.

In addition, David and Jane Albert of Leland will open the wine tasting room for their Boathouse Vineyards winery sometime this spring. The couple planted vineyards and have been producing wine from their Amore Road property for the last three years.

Read on at the Enterprise for details on these businesses and also how The Fish Hooked is capitalizing on the great fishing that Lake Leelanau offers!

Photo: The Narrows. by John Levanen

"One lifetime isn't enough to learn a county, a town, even a backyard"
~Jerry Dennis

Local author Jerry Dennis has a new book out. Titled The Windward Shore, it explores winter in Great Lakes country and the issues facing our beloved lakes, complete with illustrations from artist Glenn Wolff.

Outdoor writer Dave Richey says:

Jerry Dennis is a natural treasure, and he keeps writing new and more wonderful books. Fitting him into a specific category can be a bit difficult because he is at once, an outdoor writer, a conservationist, a nature lover, a dreamer, who develops words of magic that capture the soul and spirit of those of us lucky enough to live near the Great Lakes.

Winter around Lake Michigan may hardly seem a great topic for a book, but once Dennis sank his teeth into this tasty morsel that he and I both call home, and the result is the magic of this book about the area, the lives of nearby inhabitants, and stories painted by word pictures about this snow and ice-bound area. He teaches us about living in a log cabin along Lake Superior, more about desolate and wind-swept beaches, the power and the magnetic pull a winter storm has on those of us who stay here all winter rather than heading south with other snowbirds.

Dennis gracefully takes us along with him as we plod along frozen shorelines, listen as the surf pounds at shelves of ice, and we hear and feel the moan of an angry wind as it lashes the North County. We see, feel, hear, taste and touch winter along the Great Lakes, and we rejoice with the author as he examines everything about winter in this area.

Definitely check this book out - Jerry is one of the best! FYI, the book trailer was produced by Jerry's son Aaron of Stone Hut Studios - definitely a good idea to encourage your kids to be creative!

The Leland Michigan Chamber of Commerce invites you to do some of your holiday shopping in the village of Leland the next two Thursdays, December 15 & 22. Many Leland shops & stores will be open until at least 8:00.

Refreshments will be available at some locations. Come join the Leland merchants, decorated for the season!

Also, if you're in town, the Bluebird starts their 2011-2012 Ethnic Night season this Wednesday & Thursday. This week it's French featuring Classic French Cuisine and incredible French wine. Next week (Dec. 21-22) is Santa Fe featuring their take on Southwestern Cooking and December 28-29 is New England with fresh Atlantic seafood and northwoods specialties!

Photo credit: KAScott_20090326_0646-56b by Ken Scott

Our feature today is an interview from Michigan Magazine TV with the authors of Vintage Views of Leelanau County, one of the neatest books on Leelanau history out there. See information about the book and ordering it below the video!

Click to order Vintage Views of Leelanau County from Huron Press (or one of Leelanau's great bookstores).

Authors M. Christine Byron and Thomas R. Wilson share images from their collection of 1,400 postcards collected over the past 15 years. Vacation sentiments accompany the cards, imparting an original voice to each respective era, from the 1890s to 1960s. It's a historic travel guide from a traveler's perspective. Visit Glen Arbor, Glen Lake, Leland, Northport, exclusive Northport Point, Omena, Suttons Bay and the Manitou Islands. Each page offers a masterful blend of vintage scenes and contemporaneous comments from newspaper articles, ads, and travel brochures. Includes never-before-seen photographs of the Sleeping Bear Dunes, pictures of what was to be the permanent summer residence for the President of the United States, and golf courses that have since disappeared. A marvelous mix of vintage fun and facts of a time you'll cherish.

Here's yet another national feature on Michigan wines that highlights the Leelanau Peninsula. John Flesher of the Associated Press touts the wine industry as one on the bright spots in Michigan’s economy, as it is growing 5 times faster that the state’s economy. The article quotes Leelanau winemaker Dan Matthias as saying "It's one of the brightest spots we have in the state of Michigan." It continues:

Michigan’s reputation for quality wine has surged while its lineup of varieties has expanded. Wineries are now turning highly regarded selections of merlot, pinot noir, pinot blanc, cabernet franc and ice wines, a dessert variety made with grapes frozen before harvesting.

“It’s been like an explosion the last couple of years. They’ve been winning medals left and right, competing across the U.S. and internationally,” said Yolanda Daly, director of the Pacific Rim Wine Competition in San Bernadino, Calif. “Beautiful wines are coming out of Michigan.”

As word spreads, businesses in Michigan’s wine regions reap the benefits. About 1 million people visit the state’s wineries each year. They tend to have enough money for dining out, buying gifts and entertainment, said Brad Van Dommelen, president of the convention and visitors bureau in Traverse City, recently named by TripAdvisor.com as one of America’s top 10 wine destinations. (read)

The industry pumps about $300 million into the state’s economy each year and employs thousands of people in wine production and spinoff jobs in hotels, restaurants and shops.

“We’re also making lists of the top foodie towns because of our restaurants,” Van Dommelen said. “When you offer a top-quality wine experience along with that, it’s huge for tourism—and for the entire local economy.”

Beyond the quality of the wines, we have a very special wine touring destination that provides a playground for families and individuals that you just can't match in most other wine regions in the country.

Photo credit: vineyard by beachpiks

The annual Christmas arts & crafts show will be held this Saturday, December 3 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Old Art Building in Leland. This year’s show features 21 local artisans with holiday gifts, fresh greens, dried wreaths, herbal soaps and lotions, jewelry, specialty foods, ceramics, woven wheat, cards, home accessories, children’s clothing, and hand knit items. There's also complimentary cookies and coffee!

Local artisans include Victoria Gallup, Dee Glass, Mike Hulbert, Kit Knowles, Joy Lang, Roxane Langner, Sara Maleski, Annie McFarlane, Pat McKean, Bill Perkins, Kathy Powell, Shari Prevost, Lisa Psenka, Julie Sanco, Sharecare, Leif Sporck, Greta Stimson, Cookie Thatcher, Cheryl VanZee, Paula Wisniewski and the Wednesday Knitters.

For more information please call 256-2131.

The annual Holiday Bazaar at Eyaawing Museum and Cultural Center takes place on December 3rd, 2011 from 9:00pm to 3:00 pm. The Holiday Bazaar is being held to give Artists and Crafters the opportunity to showcase their talents and bring in a little extra income before the holiday season. All are encouraged to participate either as a vender or as a shopper. If you are interested in being a vender please call Cindy Patek at 534-7764 or Doris Winslow at 534-7965 for an application.

The museum is located at 2304 North West Bay Shore Drive (M22) in Peshawbestown, 20 miles north of Traverse City; open Wednesday – Saturday; 10am.-4pm.

More about Eyaawing Museum & Cultural Center

Eyaawing (pronounced a-ya-wing) means “Who we are” in Anishinaabemowin, the traditional language of Michigan’s Native people. Eyaawing Museum & Cultural Center is a place that serves both members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and the larger community. It is a place where the traditions, language, and art of the Tribe are kept, taught, and celebrated. It also provides a portal to Tribe for the community -- a place where the public is welcome to learn about the culture and history of the Grand Traverse Band. For additional information, click the link above call 231-534-7764.

Thanksgiving is just a week away and here's a few ideas to help make your holiday a little more local ... and a lot tastier!

It all starts with the turkey. I'm not sure if the folks at Hubbell's Farm or Haymaker Poultry Co. have any left, but I do know that one great place to get a tasty turkey is Biehl's Circle B Turkey Ranch. You can order them at the Merc in Leland and Oryana in Traverse City (and probably elsewhere as well). Don't forget to check the local produce and products at your favorite store - the Merc, Anderson's in Glen Arbor, Cedar City Market, Hanson's in Suttons Bay and Oryana and Burritt's Market in Traverse City all feature a lot of great food that hasn't traveled too far. There's a indoor farmers market at the Grand Traverse Commons every Saturday from 10 AM - 2 PM. If last week is any guide, there will be PLENTY of potatoes, squash and also lots of greens! If anyone has other ideas to localize your table, post them in the comments!

Once you have your bird and some ingredients, you need to think about how you're going to put it all together. Elizabeth Edwards at MyNorth/Traverse Magazine put together a collection of some of their best Thanksgiving recipes. We asked Lee Lutes, winemaker at Black Star Farms to share some of his thoughts on wine pairings- enjoy!

Two tasty appetizers are a Wild Game Sausage on Apple Slices with Cranberry Butter, with which Lee recommends a lighter red like Pinot Noir or Gamay Noir, and with the Wedge of Raclette Served With Spiced Walnuts and Pear Chips, he calls for something delicate maybe a bubbly (may we recommend Black Star Farms' really excellent Bubbly Nouveau when it's bottled) or a Pinot Grigio or a Pinot Blanc. Two tasty side dishes that really in season are Honey Roasted Root Vegetables and Buttermilk Biscuits with Pumpkin Butter. You'll be in great shape with Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc or Auxerrois. For dessert, how about a Plum Almond Tart, with which Lee would pair any of their Sirius dessert wines and also Ice wines.

See more thoughts on how make it a Michigan Thanksgiving on Absolute Michigan.

photo credit: Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash by carianoff

Santa in Fishtown, painting by Rozanne Priebe

Find unique holiday gifts and help support the Fishtown Preservation Society this Saturday, November 19th at the Vintage Cottage Holiday Market at Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay.

The event showcases over 30 unique antique, artisan, and agriculture merchants from all across the region offering vintage and maritime collectibles, handmade clothing & jewelry and original artwork. The Cottage Book Shop will feature a number of Leelanau artists & writers present to personally sign their books including Lois Beardslee, Jerry Dennis, Glenn Wolff and John Mitchell. Don Butkovich, Dennos Museum appraiser, will also be on site all day for verbal appraisals of historical items.

Signed and numbered prints of "Santa in Fishtown" by Rozanne Priebe will be available for purchase, and Black Star Farms will be selling special  bottles of their Red House Wine featuring the painting. A percentage of the proceeds for both will benefit the Fishtown Preservation Society.

There is no admittance fee, and a strolling luncheon will be available all day, along with wine tasting, sweet table and appetizers throughout the Inn, the Hearth and Vine Cafe and the Winery and Creamery.

For more information contact the Fishtown Preservation Society at 231-256-8878!

After the leaves leave, Leelanau County works to build economy less dependent on tourism by Howard Lovy in Crains Detroit talks with J.T. "Chip" Hoagland of the Leelanau County Economic Development Corp and Matt McCauley of the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments about using agriculture, food processing and the growing interest in local foods to create a more robust economy on the Leelanau Peninsula.

According to a report produced by the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments "accommodation and food services" represented about one in six total jobs available in Leelanau County as of 2009. And, increasingly, these jobs are no longer seasonal only.

"It's really interesting how many restaurants are in the county and the fact that most of those stay open year round," said Matt McCauley, director of regional planning for the council of governments.

Like Hoagland, McCauley credits the local-food movement for a restaurant boom that is not so dependent on tourist season.

"Leelanau County is truly a leader in a resurgence around agriculture," McCauley said. "Because of the wineries, hops farms, all sorts of burgeoning agriculture and value-added activity, all sorts of people are choosing to locate here to be part of that."

By "value-added," he means businesses such as Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor, which not only uses local cherries but also turns them into chocolates, jam and other products that then are shipped around the world.

In addition, McCauley said, "The restaurants in the region — and we're getting more and more notoriety as a foodie destination — are choosing and actually seeking out local products for their menu items."

Click through to read the whole thing and share your thoughts about creating more of a year-round economy in Leelanau below!

Photo credit: Nic of 9 Bean Rows, Harvesting Greens by Ken Scott