REGIONAL NEWS
The Aerie Restaurant Toasted Oak
NATIONAL WINNERS»
The Aerie Restaurant & Lounge at the Grand Traverse Resort near Traverse City, the Rugby Grille at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, and Toasted Oak Grill & Market adjacent to the Renaissance Baronette Hotel in Novi have earned Wine Spectator’s 2019 Best of Award of Excellence. The Aerie, with 16th-floor panoramic views of Grand Traverse Bay and a contemporary menu, received its third consecutive Best of Award of Excellence. It is located near the renowned Traverse Wine Coast wineries dotting the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas. With Michigan’s wine country in the backyard, Aerie’s staff strives to provide vintages from around the globe—including featured local wines. “We put great effort into building a wine list that works for our guests from all over the world,” says Alex Truck, Aerie manager and sommelier. “Creating this list is one of the more challenging yet rewarding aspects of what we do. It is an honor to be included with the other recipients of this award who embark on a similar endeavor.”
Rugby Grille
The Rugby Grille has achieved this award every year since 2016 and it has 425 selections and more 3,000 bottles of wine in its inventory. “I am very proud of the work our amazing Rugby Grille sommelier team has put into maintaining a world-class wine list. They are always enhancing our selections and each time they continue to amaze our clientele and our visiting guests. The staff continually strive to be a destination for a memorable culinary and wine experience,” says Steven Kalczynski, managing director at the 31-year-old, AAA Four Diamond luxury Townsend Hotel. Toasted Oak’s wine program consists of more than 325 different bottles of wine with an inventory of more than 2,500 bottles. Toasted Oak’s wine list is curated by Ferris Anthony, the restaurant’s director of food and beverage and sommelier, and restaurant
manager Jackie Phillips. Prices range from $15 to $1,100 per bottle. This year’s Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards program celebrated 38 years of championing excellence in restaurant wine lists. The awards are designed to elevate wine selection and service around the world and encourage strong programs that complement a variety of cuisines, settings and prices, and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers. To qualify for the awards program, a restaurant wine list must present complete, accurate information, including vintages and appellations for all selections. Wine Spectator bestows its Award of Excellence to restaurants with wine lists featuring at least 90 selections that include a well-chosen assortment of quality producers. aerierestaurant.com; townsendhotel.com; toastedoak.com
P H O T O S : T O A S T E D O A K ; G R A N D T R AV E R S E R E S O R T A N D S PA ; T H E T O W N S E N D H O T E L ; ( O P P O S I T E ) I N N AT B AY H A R B O R
THREE TOP-NOTCH STATE RESTAURANTS EARN EXCELLENCE AWARDS
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