view archived dining Tastemakers: Hooters Hot Wings/FORTY-FIVE NORTH 2007PINOT GRIS RIck Coates
Hooters Hot Wings
The Hooters in Traverse City is getting ready to celebrate their second anniversary since opening on US 31 in East Bay Township. Last year, the popular chain with 450 locations in 46 states and 21 countries celebrated 25 years in business. Because of the nature of their business, Hooters at times finds challenges in opening. In fact, even in the college town of Mt. Pleasant, the franchise has to find a different location than the one they had hoped for originally. When Hooters first announced they were going to open in Traverse City 12 years ago, they were met with a public outcry of opposition. The proposed location at that time is now home to Outback Steakhouse. In 2006, their plans were approved by East Bay Township and the eatery known for servers with “plenty of cleavage” has since been a popular hangout. But while sex appeal might be the calling card, Hooters is actually a popular eatery with families and couples as well. The place is clean and the numerous television screens allow for watching multiple sporting events. Their signature dish is their Hot Wings. While they market their wings as “soon to be relatively famous,” in reality they already are. Their wings are available now at supermarkets and their famous hot wing sauce is available by the bottle. A great way to enjoy the hot sauce (they have 13 different sauce options) is by ordering the Buffalo Sampler Plate that features chicken wings, boneless chicken strips and shrimp. The Traverse City Hooters has a dozen beers or more on tap and is currently featuring the Leinenkugel’s 1888 Bock. Sure, for some, the tight-tank-top-short-short-dressed waitresses remain the draw, but at the end of the day it gets down to both good food and service, and Hooters in Traverse City has both. So if wings hot and “red” are your thing, then check out Hooters in Traverse City. Forty-Five North 2007 pinot gris Last summer at a festival featuring wine from Northern Michigan, a famous Food Network chef was overheard giving his take on a particular local wine. After tasting the Pinot Gris from Forty-Five North (Lake Leelanau) he commented to those around him that it was among the best Pinot Gris he had tasted anywhere in the world. A few years back the notable Wilfred Wong, a West Coast wine writer and judge at major wine competitions visited Northern Michigan and commented that the Pinot Gris he tasted here “was as good, if not better than those from the Pinot Gris regions of Europe.” Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio is Italy) is on track to be one of the hot wines this year and most Northern Michigan wineries grow and sell this popular “summertime wine.” This “noble grape” (in the Alsatian region of France, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Riesling are referred to as the noble grapes) is very food friendly. Forty-Five North is one of the latest wineries to open its doors in the region. In all, Northern Michigan now boasts more than 30 wineries with 20 additional projects in the works in the next few years. The 2007 Pinot Gris from Forty-Five North is crisp and clean and dry, though rich and deep fruit flavors give a sense of sweetness. It is a Gold Medal winner at the Tasters Guild International Wine Competition. This wine is perfect during the cocktail hour and at dinner. pair with creamy pasta dishes, grilled seafood and thick cut pork chops. Winemaker Shawn Walters continues to turn heads with his wines. His Riesling won major awards last summer and sold out immediately. He continues to consult and make excellent wines for Longview in Cedar as well. In the January issue of The Business News, Walters was selected as one of “their people to watch in 2009” with the publication quoting from an Express article on Walters’ accomplishments last spring. For additional details fortyfivenorth.com or call them 231-271-1188. The winery is located near the village of Lake Leelanau and is currently open Friday – Sunday.
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