Getting a restaurant reservation in Petoskey on the last minute, was as difficult, as our governor’s husband trying to get his boat in the water during the lockdown.  We were put on numbered lists for potential call backs.  Even the vacation hot spots are having trouble getting help, as you notice everywhere that there are “help wanted” signs all over the place.  Unemployment numbers are up, and jobs are everywhere, I can’t understand it, I am glad that I am retired.  When we were at Boyne Valley Vineyards, we were talking about our current problem, and they touted it us on a new restaurant in downtown Petoskey, that was only open a couple of months.  Here we were, doing our “senior” thing trying to accumulate ten-thousand steps, the latest trend and we were walking all over downtown Petoskey doing the tourist thing and also shopping, our Christmas shopping is just about all done as well as the birthdays for the rest of the year.  I veered off on another tangent.  We got back to the hotel, and tried calling for a reservation, but it was too early.  I am old fashioned, and I like to call for reservations and talk to someone, I just like to talk.

We looked up Beacon Bistro on our phone, and it was a three-minute walk, down a street, that we thought was residential and at the end of the cul-de-sac was the restaurant.  We knocked on the door, explained our situation, and in a couple of minutes, they brought us into the restaurant a little early and gave us a spectacular table.  The restaurant appears to be a home that has been converted, and the entire front porch appears to have been extended to overlook the lake, and the highway below.  We immediately thought about ordering some food, so as not to tie up a table, and our waiter was excellent.  I think they were still having instructions on the menu selections for the night.  We started out with an order of Spanish Garlic Shrimp, that were smoked with Paprika and served with crostini.  Our waiter came back, and we were still the only people there and he said that the entrée specials were still being worked out, so we ordered a Smoked Whitefish Spread that was served with crackers and cucumber slices.  It was delicious and was from John Cross Fisheries in Charlevoix and guess where we went shopping the next morning.

We also ordered a bottle of wine and I found something interesting and something to make my Bride smile.  We had a bottle of Cantina Lavis Dipinti Pinot Grigio Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT 2019.  Cantina Lavis is a cooperative representing the municipalities of Lavis, Giovo and Meano that was formed in 1948, originally with fourteen independent winemakers and it has grown since then; and it can trace its origins to 1850. Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT was introduced in 1997 for the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Alpine Italy, and named after the Dolomite Mountains.  It covers red, white and rosé, still, sparkling, dry or sweet wines.  The grapes are handpicked, soft-pressed and aged on the lees for about eight months in Stainless Steel.  A pretty soft golden wine with a nose of florals and ripe fruit, that offers pears, flowers, a dash of honey and soft tannins in a nice dry wine.  My Bride had Sushi-grade Tuna Poke with edamame, cucumbers, pineapple, wakame, pickled jalapenos, sesame seeds and coconut rice.  I was going to have fish, until I heard that they were having Duck Confit, and a thigh and a leg, with a tangy sauce and succotash.  We were both in heaven, and we needed an extended walk back to our hotel. As we were leaving, the restaurant was filling up very nicely and it is good that we got there very early.   We will be back.