We have a home close by that we stay at in the summer. We've loved this place for years. We don't…read moreany more. We went last Tuesday-party of 6. First disappointment was that the Brussels sprouts weren't on the menu any longer. Bummer, but as a restaurant owner I guess they weren't as popular with others as they were with us.. so we got bruschetta and some potatoes. They were just okay. I got the ribs and wings. Asked for boneless wings but I guess he misunderstood me.. no biggie. I couldn't eat the wings he did bring they were so overcooked. The ribs had too much fat, personal preference so I brought it all home and ended up throwing it away. Sister and niece got pasta. They said it was just okay. Nephew had Mac and cheese with chicken. It sounded delicious but it didn't have much cheese and (maybe he misread?) but didn't expect fried chicken tenders on top. The other two got burgers and again, they were just okay. Overcooked for sure. Another favorite burger is gone too, maybe the Texan? We ordered special martinis for dessert but they were more like a tiny milkshake. Very little if any alcohol. Being a restaurant owner I hate giving a bad review. Maybe we've just been spoiled in the past and the kitchen staff has changed? I don't think we will keep it on our list any more. Too expensive to bring guests and be so disappointed.

Party of 4 had, angel hair w meatballs X2, tortellini w vodka sauce, and pesto penne w chicken. We…read morealso had side salads an 1 order of bread w garlic butter and fresh pesto on the side! Yum. It was perfect. All of us loved our meals and brought 1/2 home. Very generous portions. Our server, Joey, was prompt, professional, and had a smile. We brought 2 turtle cheesecake slices home. Enormous! Haven't had it yet, but I'm sure it'll will be as wonderful as the main course. Thank you!

The ambience and decor are that of an older mature place that has great food but with a younger hip…read morevibe. The bar is stunning when you walk in the door and ready to serve up anything classy. Staff were all exceptionally friendly (Luke took care of me). I started with the shrimp tostadas as an app. Amazingly, lite, and fresh. It made me feel like I was eating seaside in the Baja of Mexico. Order two, you'll eat them! I was intrigued about the chop and toss salad with smoked blue cheese. That wasn't the show stealer in the salad it was these blanched heirloom, tomatoes, done in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and herbs. The bacon adds to the smokiness, the acidity from the red onion cuts through and then the avocado, adds an extra layer of creaminess. If this salad were an Olympic sport. It would be a gold medalist! Do not leave here unless you order the salad! I saw the two words I have been looking for all vacation... sea scallops? Gnocchi Parmesan delicious perfection! Fresh herbs and interestingly enough a red sauce which was different but worked well the fresh veggies. Only drawback of the dish was there were only three scallops. They were however cooked perfectly! Presentation on food was what I would expect from a true culinary artist! Plates were wiped and not only tasted great but looked great! Get here early. This place gets packed and rockin. RSVP through open table. Doors open at 4. This is a must do experience in Petoskey! It's not cheap but it is a killer experience of class, food art, flavors, and world class service!

On a recent trip, we decided to try Spring and Porter for Happy Hour. What a great decision!…read more The atmosphere is upscale but cozy, and since we were enjoying happy hour, we sat at the bar. We tried quite a few cocktails, all of which were delicious, but the cosmo and Paloma were our favorites. To eat, I tried the "fried chicken" which was amazing. So much flavor and plenty of food for an appetizer. My partner had the seafood "chowder" - super yummy too. Overall, we loved the experience and will add it to our northern Michigan rot

The front of the restaurant was cool, but they were not using it the night we were there. They had…read morea huge fireplace in the back, but they said no one knew how to lite it. It was a cold night, and a fire would have been nice. I ordered the sampler and it was very good. I asked if they had complementary bread and they said no. I joked with the waitress about it not being a real Italian Restaurant if they did not have complementary bread. 5 minutes later she came out with a basket of bread sticks. They were very good and I was very happy until I received my bill and realized that they charged me $10 for what I thought was complementary bread. I am not sure if the food and atmosphere warrants another trip.

The Worst Dining Experience We Have Ever Had…read more My entire family went to this restaurant on Mackinac Island, and this was, without a doubt, one of the worst restaurant experiences we have ever had. We were seated and waited approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes without receiving our food. Eventually, I got up and approached the manager because we had been sitting there for over an hour with no food. His response and attitude were extremely dismissive. Rather than trying to resolve the situation, he essentially acted as though I was unreasonable for asking what was going on. Shortly afterward, our waitress came over and questioned why I had spoken to the manager instead of her. She told us she would bring our food out, but that the orders were not coming out together. Three meals came out first. Then the pizza came. Then the children's spaghetti finally came out -- with a hair in it. When I brought the hair to our waitress's attention, her response was essentially, "What do you want me to do about it? I'll replace it." She then walked away. We were STILL missing two meals -- including the replacement children's spaghetti -- while one of the adults at our table sat there watching everyone else eat. Our waitress disappeared and never came back. Eventually, I had to find her and remind her that we were still waiting. Her response was, "I'm one person. What do you want me to do? We're very busy here. I don't get paid enough for this." She then walked away. At that point, the manager came over and placed a bill on our table, telling us we could pay it and leave. I explained that I was not going to pay for food we had never received, especially after we had already waited over an hour and had received food containing a hair. The manager then told me, "I don't care. You're paying your bill or you're trespassing." He threatened to call the police. I explained that we were not trespassing , we were still sitting at the table trying to resolve the situation. Then things escalated even further when a chef came out and got directly in my brother's face in an extremely aggressive manner, to the point that it appeared he was about to become physically confrontational. While all of this was happening, another employee standing near the manager made an incredibly disturbing comment along the lines of "You people come here and want free food." Given the circumstances and the way we were being treated, we found this comment deeply offensive and discriminatory. The police eventually arrived and were able to help de-escalate the situation and resolve the issue. We were not looking for free food. We were asking for the food we ordered, reasonable service, and basic respect. We certainly were not going to pay for meals that we never received. Things can get busy. Kitchens can get backed up. Mistakes happen. That is not what this review is about. What made this experience so unacceptable was the complete lack of professionalism, the disrespect from management and staff, the food safety issue, the refusal to properly address missing meals, the aggressive behavior, the threat of trespassing, and the discriminatory comment made toward our family.

I've been here twice now and both experiences have been perfect. There hasn't been one meal,…read moreappetizer, or drink that's disappointed me. Last time I went, the scallops were outrageously good and it seemed to be the best thing going this time too. The bruschetta is also a must get, it's so fresh and flavorful.

The food was good and the setting is beautiful. But they double charged our debit card, seemed…read morestrange, maybe it was an error?? We've called, left messages, sent email and contact form from their website....crickets....So, either they're incompetent or dishonest or both. We won't be going back. If you go, use a credit card that will protect you against any double charges.

Made a reservation months in advance and delighted that we took the time. We were greeted by one…read moreof the owners (Susan) as soon as we entered the restaurant. Her warmth and friendliness was matched by the staff who made our dining experience so comfortable. We were promptly seated and received outstanding service. Portions were large and meals come with bread and a house antipasto salad. Our meals were exceptional. My wife had Chicken Saltimbocca and I tried Linguine with Salmon. Chicken was flavorful; salmon was perfect; the pasta was 4 star. The food was so good that we even ventured into a dessert (rare for us). We tried a lemon cake with glaze and VERY fresh strawberries; it was wonderful. A small restaurant that is a gem and well worth it. An outstanding dining experience. Exceptional food; the service and atmosphere were amazing.

Ambiance - intimate, cozy, but also loud Service - had two…read moresteaks ordered medium rare but they were undercooked - sent them back and they came back very burnt on outside, still undercooked but closer (photo) and inedible - sent back again We asked for pasta since they couldnt get the steaks right and thought maybe those meals would be comped but not so much. (Rest of the party was long done by the time we got meals). Asked for the manager but our server (Liz?) said she was the manager and tried to fix it by cooking the steaks more - kinda was uncool to sit while everyone else ate while 2 of our party were waiting. Food : steaks (see above), pesto pasta was good. Heirloom tomato salad was very good but star was tomatoes themselves and presentation was odd with dollop of dressing on each tomato - needed some acidity in the dressing. Chicken saltimbocca was OK but very sweet. Nearby places were closed so we ordered dessert. Tiramisu wasn't very good and peach cake was dry but probably also tainted by the experience. They comped the dessert after we ordered. Bill was over $300 for a crappy experience. Wouldn't recommend. We were here 15 years ago and it was really good and we were looking forward to returning - we live 1600 miles away so it kinda was a big deal to return here over La Becasse. Oh well.

So great! Service was prompt and professional. Menu changes daily and is exquisite. I enjoyed the…read moreseafood tasting appetizer which was amazing, fresh lettuce cups, perfect bitter crunch, fresh shrimp. I did catch a few shrimp shells but otherwise perfect. I did add a bit of lime juice and salt for flavor. The bread was delicious! I met a new friend at the bar and she and I enjoyed splitting the Wagyu beef 8 ounce with risotto. This was delicious and perfectly prepared rare with a chat. The risotto gravy was a bit rich for me. I would have loved a steak sauce but enjoyed adding lemon butter. Wonderful all around night before my asylum tour.

My husband and I came here to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. This was our first date night…read morein over a year after having our baby, so we were really looking forward to a special evening. The restaurant itself had a beautiful, rustic and romantic atmosphere, and the hostess was lovely about accommodating our request for a quieter table. Unfortunately, the experience went downhill once our waitress began taking our order. She initially gave us great wine recommendations and was pleasant while explaining the specials. However, when I decided to order the white pizza instead of the trout because I wanted something lighter, her attitude completely changed. She became noticeably aggressive and dismissive, which made us feel as though we were being judged for choosing a less expensive item from the menu. The service continued to be disappointing. I had to ask for the complimentary bread, and I waited nearly 30 minutes for the second half of my wine. When we asked about it, we were abruptly told that the bar was busy. Her tone throughout the rest of the meal was extremely inconsistent, including literally yelling across the table, "How's the food?" It was so unexpected that my husband and I almost had to laugh. Unfortunately, the food itself didn't make up for the experience. The appetizers were decent, but our mains--the ravioli and white pizza--were very average and lacked flavor. We've been to many fine-dining and Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, and we understand that service can occasionally have an off night. What was disappointing here was feeling judged based on what we chose to order. Customers should feel comfortable ordering anything from a restaurant's own menu without being treated differently because of the price. The restaurant itself has a beautiful atmosphere and a lot of potential, but given our overall experience, we unfortunately won't be returning or recommending it to family and friends.

Matt and company were amazing!!! So welcoming! Food was over the top! Had Walleye and chicken…read morepiccata!!! Love love

I worked directly with the owner of Bella Vita as the wedding planner for one of my clients, and…read moreunfortunately, this remains one of the most unprofessional vendor experiences I have had in the wedding industry. During the wedding, the owner made an incredibly inappropriate comment directly to my bride, telling her that she "wasn't the prettiest bride" she had seen, but that "she'd do." There is simply no circumstance in which I can imagine that being an appropriate thing to say to someone and particularly a bride on her wedding day. Unfortunately, my interactions with the owner throughout the event were also extremely difficult and unprofessional. The issues weren't limited to customer service, either. The food was served cold, and the brisket was tough and chewy. As a wedding planner, I take vendor recommendations seriously because the professionals we recommend become part of our clients' experience on one of the most important days of their lives. Based on my firsthand experience working with Bella Vita, I would not feel comfortable recommending them to my clients or other couples.

Perch on the Porch at the Crow's Nest was a fun throwback dining experience - yum! Server was…read moresuper friendly and the place was busy, so they're obviously doing things right!

A fun excursion up the road, on the road, in an older roadhouse setting. My wife experienced their…read morecatering at an event and loved the perch, so off we went a few days later. They have a fish & chicken buffet, but based on other Yelpers' reviews, we decided to order off the menu. My daughter & I both enjoyed our blacked whitefish - HUGE appertain with medium spicy blackening. My wife and daughter's boyfriend both got the perch and also felt it was pretty good, albeit a tad rubbery on this night. White wine, gin & tonic were all decent, but not outstanding. Service was "nice," but nothing special. Very nice people in a quiet setting. Will likely return but not necessarily race back.

Monica our server was awesome!! Food was incredible…read more Wine choice was great. Thank you!

The food is excellent, with fresh and quality ingredients! It's a no brainer coming to this…read morerestaurant. Beautiful place on the water!

My wife and I, my sister in-law brother in-law were all seated , waited on, served and dined really…read morewell. The food was great! The mix drinks were excellent and the ambience was very hunterish. With deer heads and other animals on the wall. We'll be back again.

Excellent !!! Great service !!!…read moreJuly 15 Lg Pizza ( pepp ,GR pepper ,mush. ) 2- Spaghetti with meat sauce Greek salad Fresh Italian dressing Feta cheese Great service Been coming since. 1996