Silent Disco @ TCMMF

After recovering from the recent Traverse City Microbrew & Music Fest, we all had one thing on our minds:  the Silent Disco was awesome!   For those of you who have never attended one, a Silent Disco entails dancing to music which can only be heard through headphones.  So, dancers can hear the dj & the tunes, while bystanders can only hear the participants cheering and singing (usually… & comically) off-key :)  It’s quite a spectacle…in a good way.  Approaching the crowd, it just looks like a bunch of weirdos, randomly hanging around and gyrating to imaginary songs.  Once the headphones are donned, however, all of those weirdos become your comrades in a sort of private club! 

Anyway, my point is that we would love to host a Silent Disco here in The Mercato.  What do you think?  Would YOU participate?  I’m pretty sure that I can count on my Village People to get down.  I think I love the idea…

John grills like a pro.

So…I finally tried the Matterhorn Dinner @ TASTES of Black Star Farms in The Mercato.  It was awesome!  I told my friend, John, that I was giving him the gift of Matterhorn for Christmas (so I could try it, too), and we just recently got around to making a reservation.

Kevin & Caren brought us a huge plate full of ham, sausages, potatoes, bread, fresh veggies, apples, & Leelanau Cheese Company’s famous raclette cheese, along with some pearl onions, pickles & garlic to cleanse our palates.  Each of us were also given 3 (very generous) samples of wine.  And…we were off!

In no time, we had the grill loaded up with lots of goodies, and flipped them while we sipped our wine.  After the food was browned to our liking, we stuffed the raclette into the melting pans, and slid them under the grill.  This, my friends, is where the magic happens.  Raclette is delicious pretty much anytime, but when it’s melted, it’s heavenly.  So, we unloaded the grill onto our plates, and poured the cheese all over everything.  A dash of salt; a few turns of the pepper grinder…hold on, I’m still chewing…AMAZING!!!  I believe my favorite “taste combo” was bread + apple + cheese + pepper.  Mmmm.

Dinner was so much fun :)  We grilled, we drank, we ate, & we laughed, never bothering anyone, since we were nestled in a semi-secluded nook inside the tasting room.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone who would like more of a hands-on adventure for dinner.  It’s reminiscent of a fondue party, but with pouring rather than dunking.

Dinner for 2 is $50, and includes all of the aforementioned items.  The tables can seat up to 6.  Reservations are recommended, due to limited seating.  Stop by TASTES or call 231.944.1349 to reserve your table.  It’s so yummy.

Lisa’s Luscious Salad from The Silvertree Deli in The Mercato is just that.  Luscious.  As a (mostly) health conscious person, I am always in the market for a great salad.  My #1 concern, is always “stuff.”  “Is there a lot of stuff in that salad,” I ask.  Well, the answer here is plain to see…yeah, there’s a lot of stuff.  With just the right mix of Romaine lettuce, chicken breast, dried cherries, pine nuts, and feta cheese, this salad’s got it goin’ on.  Just splash on the  balsamic vinaigrette, and the package is complete:  Sweet, salty & sour = the perfect taste combo.

I’m thinking, perhaps, that this could be Traverse City’s signature salad.  After all, it does utilize the Cherry Capital’s favorite fruit.

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons & the Great Indoor Farmers Market present “You Art What you Eat” Edible Art Show on Saturday, March 6th during market hours, from 10am to 2pm in The Mercato. View displays of outrageously delicious art, made entirely of edibles, created by local farmers, Village merchants, artists, and chefs. Enter your silent-auction bids to take home select consumable artwork, and purchase tickets at $1 each to cast votes for Best in Category and Best of Show. ALL proceeds benefit local food banks.

From 11:00 to 1:00, Grand Traverse Pie Company presents “Kids Make & Take” Road Show in Suite 25. Children learn about local agriculture, while handcrafting their very own pie! Donations (optional) support our local foster youth. Also bid on a gigantic GTPC Pie, a 7-pie equivalent, and either take it home or we’ll happily bring it to our local Goodwill Inn! Great fun for the entire family!

All together, now.

You (all of you) are invited to The 2nd Annual Great Indoor Folk Festival…and best of all, IT’S FREE!

Last year’s fest was a ball…we had folks of all ages roaming The Mercato halls, listening, singing along, and dancing to the merry tunes.  It was quite a spectacle.  We are expecting tomorrow’s event to be even better; an additional stage has been added at Left Foot Charley, so more great musicians will be able to play.  60 musicians, to be exact.  The rest of the stages (Soloist, Duo, Band, Kids, & Open Mike) will be scattered all along The Mercato in Building 50.  Food & beverages will be available for purchase from Cuppa Joe, The Silvertree Deli, TASTES of Black Star Farms, Trattoria Stella, Sweet Asylum, Pleasanton Bakery, The Underground Cheesecake Co, Left Foot Charley, and Higher Grounds.  We will also be hosting “Hotdogs for Haiti,” which will benefit the people of Haiti (of course.)

So, for all of you with Cabin Fever, or just a hankering for some good, organic music, come on over to The Village this Saturday, 12-5:30pm.  It will be  fun, free, and family friendly :)

Facebook Event Page  -  Musician Schedule (See page 37)

Pac Choi, Bok Choy, & Pak Choi are all different spellings for the same vegetable. Whichever name you use, it's the ultimate green veggie for stir-fries.

Cooking Demos @ TASTES (11am & Noon)
Stop by TASTES of Black Star Farms, during the Farmers Market for free, farm-fresh cooking demonstrations!  Their visiting chef will be preparing a delectable dish using local ingredients, with a recipe to go.  Taste test the dish with a wine sample for $3.  231.944.1349

Come visit Kevin @ TASTES...he's always good for a story, and he can tell you exactly how they get those pears in the bottles.

Essential Oil & Aromatherapy Class (3-4pm)
Anna Sangemino from Creation Farm is offering a free class, to educate you in the use of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy.  Normally these free classes are held on Friday, but due to popular demand, Anna had decided to offer an encore presentation!  The topic:  Coping with the dryness of Winter heating, and comforting all your body’s systems during the dry, indoor winter season.  Class will be held in Suite 25 in The Mercato, by The Silvertree Deli.  231.352.9600

Lavender is one of the many essential oils for health & well being, that Creation Farm offers.

 See you in The Mercato!

Recess Time!

This Wednesday (Jan 27th) from 5-8pm,  is Recess in The Mercato! Come on over for an evening of relaxation, networking, and socializing at the Traverse City Business News‘ monthly Recess. Enjoy great food from Village eateries, vino from the Wineries of Leelanua Peninsula, and live music with Ronnie Hernandez, plus the chance to win some great Village prizes, including a “Tunnel to Spires” Tour! $5 Cover.