Heights Eats

After weeks of anticipation, we finally managed to snag a Saturday night reservation to Flour, the new restaurant run by chef / owners Paul Minnilo and Chris Di Lisi (formerly of Baricelli Inn).

The restaurant is far more modern than Baricelli, with high ceilings and a somewhat angular design with plenty of space between tables.

We started with the tres formaggi ($9): a creamy goat cheese, a firm goat cheese washed in grape juice and a cow’s cheese reminiscent of Parmesan (clockwise from upper left). All were excellent, and the tanginess of the very soft goat cheese was nicely complemented by a drizzle of honey. They were all from Baricelli Cheese company.

Our only complaint at this point was that we could have used more of the excellent focaccia that came before the meal, a few more crostini and a tad more honey. As Sarah pointed out, though, better to skimp on the bread than on the cheese.

Next we had the warm asparagus … continue reading

We had a great experience at our second visit to Chinato. Once again we visited without Jonathan, even though he probably would have enjoyed the food.

We were seated promptly after mentioning our reservation at a two-seater near the front window. We were struck by the similarity in design to Parallax; Zack Bruell establishments seem to have a definite “look.”

We started with the antipasto plate ($10), which was very generously portioned and included chopped caperberries, pickled radiccio, olives, roasted red pepper salad, grilled (?) eggplant salad, and white bean salad. Sarah’s favorite was the pepper salad (which included capers), and I especially liked the eggplant and bean salads. We both loved the capberberries, which are milder than capers but somehow more complex in flavor.

Sarah ordered hot tea to drink and I had a Great Lakes Doppelrock ($6), on the recommendation of our waitress. Her description of it as a lighter Christmas Ale was quite apt.

For entrees we split the Fuisilli … continue reading

Although Sarah and I have been blogging for close to three years, we’ve somehow never eaten at a Zach Bruell restaurant. Sarah loves Italian, so Chinato seemed like a good choice for dinner. We got a sitter for Jonathan, although there were a number of people who brought kids along.

We walked in the door at 6:30pm to a mostly empty house. The maître d’ greeted us and the hostess offered to sit us at table 308. The maître d’ told her “Seat them at 311.” The hostess suggested 308 again, and the maître d’ replied in a low, annoyed voice, “SEAT THEM AT 311–it’s a nicer table.”

We proceeded to 311, which was against a wall between two four tops. The table had no view and was uncomfortably close to other tables, so we can only infer that 308 was the nicer table and that they were trying to avoid outside customers seeing us. Our visit only got better from here on out, though.

Our waiter was … continue reading

Mine and Jonathan’s recent visit to Traverse City included a stop at Trattoria Stella with my mom. It’s in the old state hospital building, which was slated for demolition years ago but, with some agitation from my dad, become a haven for a number of excellent businesses.

The brick walls provide a good rustic feel, and the dim lighting and white tablecloth clearly indicate a somewhat upscale establishment.

We started our dinner with the bruscetta which included basil pesto, tomato and cheese.

The pairing of sharp roasted tomato, creamy cheese, and butter toasted bread made these go down very easily.

For my entrée (or, technically, “primi”) I had the squash blossom pasta. The squash blossoms (which I’d never had before) were wonderful with a distinct squash flavor with none of the typically unappealing texture or starchiness of squash. They were filled with ricotta amidst a mild garlic butter / olive oil sauce. Whil this was generally balanced and very tasty, it was perhaps a bit on … continue reading

Whole Foods Osteria Cedro Rustico maintains a strangely low profile for the high quality of food they serve. We eat there often (its being a mile from our house helps) and we consider it one of the best Italian-inspired restaurants in the area. The prices are great as well.

The Osteria is located in the middle of Whole Foods between the produce and beer sections with most of the seating at a counter around the kitchen. This arrangement has two advantages: you get to see chef Laron Harris in action, plus the wait staff are never more than 10 feet away. There are also some tables that are used during busier times.

The menu has been revised somewhat lately, and Sarah ordered the newly added Rosemary-Garlic Flat Iron Steak with greens, tomatoes and mozzarella ($13). This was an excellent, tender steak cooked to medium (as specified in the menu) with a deep but not overpowering aroma of rosemary and garlic, topped with … continue reading