Eric W.
Yelp
My last night in Michigan so it's time to take the family and my lady out for a nice dinner. That can get expensive though right? I'm not made of money, so you know how it goes... GROUPON! This place is on Groupon with vouchers for 2 or 4 people, but I'll go into more detail later on. The reviews are great and the menu looked good so I decided on taking everyone here.
Appearance/Atmosphere: We came on a Monday night and place was like, empty. It was kinda strange. The outside looks like a normal restaurant, with a big sign standing out front so that you can't miss it. The private parking lot is always a plus. This place gives off a very unique vibe, one that you know there's no other place out there like it. Unlike the cookie-cutter chain restaurants. The main dining room is one big room with either obstacles or seating barrier to create some sort of separation in there. Down the hall to the right of the entrance is the bar area and the bathrooms. The decor was very nice, elegant and tasteful. The lighting was a lil' dark for me, but I think all of these "high end" restaurants sort of follow the same format. It wasn't a challenge to see my food or anything so that was okay.
Service: Our waitress was excellent. I forget her name, but she took great care of us and all of my mom's special requests. Lol. Our waters stayed full, she was prompt with extra bread with the bean salad and was very friendly. We'd love to have her again.
Food: The good part. So the complimentary bread that's served comes with an olive oil/red pepper mixture and a bean salad, which I've never seen before. It was delicious. We devoured the first round and certainly had to ask for more. As an appetizer we ordered the Calamari which was SO different from any others I've ever had. You know how "typical" calamari is? The lil' rings with sometimes an entire baby squid thrown in there? Not this time. These were like, the shape of fries almost. Lol. It was sliced squid steak, garlic, onions and peppers. A bit greasy, but oh so delicious of course! Mom ordered the Pollo E Gnocchi Formaggio which is free range chicken breast, fresh vegetables, toasted asiago stuffed gnocchi and a parmesan crust reduction. I was able to taste hers and it was delightful. For my own entree I went with their 10 ounce filet mignon with double the vegetables, hold the starches. You know, trying to cut the carbs where I can. Lol. It was decent. Not the best, but it was good. The vegetables were very fresh with a good crunch to them as well.
Value: Groupon makes anything a decent value, so it was okay. So the Groupon is usually $82.50 for $120.00 worth of food. I had the $20.00 off coupon code so I got $120.00 worth of food for only $62.50. Not bad at all. So here's what you'd be paying if you go there regardless of a Groupon. Calamari was $14.00. Okay value I guess, but I've seen MUCH larger portions for cheaper. Mom's dish was $28.00. Again, I've seen bigger portions for cheaper and my filet was $49.00. Not worth it in my opinion, unless you have that Groupon. So that's where this place loses a star. The food just didn't taste like what I was paying for. That's all.
In conclusion I'd totally come back here... with a Groupon or for happy hour. I think I peeked at their menu and it looked a bit appetizing. Just remember folks, Groupon, Groupon, Groupon. It'll save you a ton of money out there.