I'm a pretty decent home cook and often think that I can make dishes that I eat at restaurants just…read moreas good or better. NOT true here. My friend and I splurged on the Chefs tasting menu. Tastebuds I never knew I had came alive last night. It's been 24 hours since I got home and I'm still thinking about it. Bartender Felicity and waitress, Anya, were delightful and knowledgeable. I would pay money learn how to replicate a fraction of what we ate. My friend treated me...and I'm forever grateful because I could not afford to have experienced this otherwise. It was not a meal...it was an event that I will always remember.

I have several interests: building Lego, reading mysteries, and seeking out a delicious meal. Yelp…read morehas allowed me to chronicle these adventures, serving as a repository for my dining memories. Echelon has now made it to my exclusive list of 5-star restaurants. I readily admit to being a tough reviewer - very few places earn a 5. Allow me to share some of the reasons: Service was stellar. The staffers were professional and friendly. They quickly brought out each course and cleared the table efficiently. They were tireless in answering my many questions about the ingredients. I prefer tasting menus. For me, after the first few bites, my taste buds get fatigued. The six-course tasting menu, with its complex flavors and textures, kept me interested throughout the meal. The dining room was spacious and well-appointed, without being stuffy and overwhelming. I loved the table groupings and comfy seats, whimsical wall coverings, oversized lighting, and wall of windows. I believe the tasting menu changes; I had: - A bite of brick dough (I had to look it up) pastry, served with a tart, faintly bitter rhubarb soda for a palate cleanser. - The Kanpachi crudo arrived with smoky fanfare. It was served with agua fresca and droplets of chili oil, topped with watermelon radish. I loved the fatty, slippery fish paired with the acidic, fresh, and spicy liquid. - My favorite course was the wood-roasted maitake mushroom in a shoyu glaze, topped with shallots, with a red pepper sauce. I wouldn't have minded a main entrée of these savory, meaty mushrooms. - Next up was the sesame seed-encrusted shrimp toast on Japanese milk bread. It was served with lobster bisque and tiny lobster tail skewers. I am very familiar with deep-fried shrimp toast, a dim sum staple, and loved the novelty of black and white sesame seeds. The bisque was rich and flavorful, while the lobster tail was sweet and delicious. It was such a variety of flavors on one plate. - I never had Cappelletti before and enjoyed the pasta stuffed with a manchego-ricotta mix. It was served with more mushrooms (yay!), buttermilk froth, and fried shallots. - The restaurant considered the Wagyu bavette the star of the tasting menu. While I liked the tender beef, peppercorn demi-glace, potato croquettes, and creme fraiche topped with bacon, I still preferred the mushroom course. - The grapefruit granita and compressed grapefruit were another nice palate cleanser. - The dessert was as beautiful as it was creative. Sunchoke ice cream and crispy sunchoke straws enhanced the chocolate hazelnut flavors. I only wish a duck course was available on the day of my visit. It was offered a few weeks earlier.

We love Spencer. It's one of our favorite restaurants in Ann Arbor + we hope it never leaves!…read more The quality of the food is amazing- the service is excellent, and the wine is always delicious.

My friend had high praise for Spencer, so I was excited to try it out when I was in Ann Arbor. My…read morefriends and I arrived 10 min before they opened for brunch and there was no wait, though the restaurant filled up quickly behind us. The space is rustic and simple, with fresh cut flowers on the tables. A majority of the walls were occupied by floor to ceiling racks of wine, as that is their award-winning product. Their brunch menu changes weekly and is extremely tight and cohesive. My party ordered the entire food menu sans olives (2/3rds of us don't like them), and two plates of the potato pelmeni. My thoughts below: Amaro Apertivo: mocktail based on the namesake dessert wine. This tasted like candy but not too sweet, and we enjoyed it a lot. Lovage soda: Google told me that lovage is an herb that tastes like citrus and celery. I am a huge fan of drinks with a twist, and I'd say that celery is a pretty big one! Crisp and not too sweet, the citrus flavor definitely balanced the Celery, and both flavors kept the soda fresh and crisp. This was great paired with the rest of the herbaceous menu and balanced out the richness of some later dishes, though it's not necessarily something I would enjoy by itself without appropriate accompaniment. Pickled egg, fried shallot, dill: I had only heard of pickled eggs in the context of strange British food on YouTube, so I was a little hesitant about this dish. The concept of an egg floating in vinegar brine is a bit off-putting, but once I powered through that mental roadblock, I found myself enjoying this bite. The egg is perfectly cooked with a slightly jammy yolk, and the shallots added a much needed crunch. Dill enhanced the pickled taste while cutting through the richness of the fried shallots and yolk. Sourdough focaccia, whipped butter: Never in my life have I ever made focaccia this tall. This focaccia was raised by a loving family and nurtured to develop a golden, non-greasy, crisp crust protecting its tender, pillowy innards. The classic sourdough tang is a novel addition to each bite, and cuts through the creamy, whipped butter to keep me wanting more. I could eat a whole pan of this alone, but we had many more plates to sample. Saucisson sec salami, pickled carrot: This is a simple, charming, carb-free mini charcuterie; place a slice of salami, some of the mozzarella (next dish on this list, below), and its oil atop a pickled carrot base, and you are in for a perfectly balanced treat. My favorite part of this dish is the fact that the salami was incredibly savory, and not too salty. The more you chew it, the more the flavors express themselves, so be sure to chew slowly and thoroughly! The crunch of the crisp, dill-pickled carrot and the soft chewiness of the mozzarella give each bite a lot of good contrast. Mozzarella, green garlic oil: Fresh, hand-stretched mozzarella is something that even I, a notorious cheese-hater, can't say no to. It is not sharp or funky at all, nor is it too salty. Most of the flavor comes from the green garlic and olive oil smothering each bite. Fresh and floral with a little bite, this was delicious with the salami and carrot above. Potato pelmeni, asparagus green adjika, sour cream: Given the portion size of the previous dishes (small, tapas vibes), we were not expecting the platter full of double carb heaven that met our eyes. And we ordered two!!! This is a gorgeous dish with plump, quarter-sized pelmeni nestled in a vibrant green asparagus and herb sauce with a dollop of sour cream on top. This was a classic comfort dish with a verdant twist! The pelmeni were stuffed full of creamy potato, and the dough was cooked perfectly al dente for a satisfying, pillowy bite. The sauce was homey but packed with zippy flavor and tender asparagus. The major feedback I have for this dish is that it was way too salty, to the point where the flavor was a tad too sharp because of it. Lettuces, radish, pumpkin seed, caraway vinaigrette: It was through this dish that I found out what caraway tastes like and through this dish that I figured out that I'm not a caraway fan. The lettuces were bitter and when combined with the slightly medicinal caraway taste, wasn't for me. The crunch of the radish and the nutty pumpkin seeds were great in this dish though! Fennel cornmeal biscotti, rhubarb compote, cream: This was a single biscotti with generous dollops of compote and cream. We were quite full when this dish was set in front of us, so I was frankly relieved for the small portion size. The fennel in the biscotti paired wonderfully with the tart rhubarb, and the rich cream rounded things out nicely without tipping into cloying territory. The savory cornmeal complimented the fennel and provided additional depth of flavor. A great small bite to end on! Overall, Spencer's strong fundamentals allow them to take risks with in-season local produce. Some things worked for me and some didn't, but I would love to come back to see what they can create next!

in our nearly 5 years of living here, we've seen this space evolve quite a bit: dessous, of rice…read moreand men, oram, and now this space dedicated to local pop ups and residencies. i changed our wedding anniversary dinner immediately to this spot when i saw the rooster & the rabbit come thru. bao boys hosted their phenom chef in laws and treated to ann arbor with something incredibly special. the meal: - the shank herb cured pork shank, palm sugar glaze, namjim coleslaw, za'atar flatbread - the toasty veg char roasted broccolini, toasted miso, grana padano, lemon breadcrumbs, almonds - the crispy potatoes crispy potatoes, chili garlic crunch chimichurri the sweet finish -mochi churros rolled in cinnamon sugar, bourbon caramel sauce

Great Brunch, good Lunch, but menu could use more variety!…read more Savas is an adorable restaurant with a really welcoming atmosphere; the space is cute, the environment is lovely, and the staff is genuinely amazing every single time. My first visit was for brunch, and it completely won me over. The buffet had a wonderful variety of food, the mimosas and cocktails were delicious, and for the quality, variety, and service you get, the price point is very fair. I left thoroughly impressed. I came back for lunch excited to experience it again, and while the staff was just as warm and the environment just as great, however, this time the lunch menu didn't quite live up to my expectations. They offer salads, sandwiches, mac and cheese and similar American-style comfort food, which is totally fine, but for a restaurant of this caliber I was hoping for something a little more exciting. I ended up ordering a salad with added shrimp, which was absolutely delicious, and a pomegranate rosemary lemonade that was incredibly refreshing - perfect for a summer day-. But if you're not in the mood for sandwiches, salads, or mac and cheese, your options are pretty limited. My suggestion: keep doing everything you're doing because the hospitality and atmosphere are truly special, but consider expanding the lunch and dinner menu for those looking for a heartier or more diverse meal.

I was here solo and ate at the bar. The bartender had excellent service. Ordered the sava burger…read morewith sweety fries. Some of the best fries i ever had. Burger was juicy and delicious. Got the raspberry tiramisu which had a great presentation but I'm not really a fan of raspberry mousse. Wish they had the cheesecake. The ambiance is great for date night vibe. Also, everyone who works here is very good looking. Especially the curly haired bartender and the indian girl at the front.

Wonderful, if not loud, restaurant. I have dreams about the focaccia with the honey butter. The…read moreother apps are lovely and we have had them all. The pasta is perfect. Overall, incredible spot.

Good spot and fantastic service. Has an upscale vibe and not too expensive. Good food and good…read moreportions. I had the carbonara on my first night going there and I wasn't a fan of it probably because they use tagliatelle. Didn't taste authentic like what I've had in Italy. The second night I had the pappardelle bolognese which I highly recommend. For dessert I had the cannoli - maybe I just don't like cannoli but it did look good and authentic. The tiramisu looks amazing though.

My waitress was so friendly. She recommended the pot roast…read more It was amazing!!! It was so delicious, tender and loaded with flavor, the carrots and mushrooms were amazing in it, and the mashed potatoes were outstanding! The portion was great. I also love these little rolls they served with whipped butter.. I loved it here, the ambience is very welcoming . Prices are great here too. I look forward to coming back !

We had a delightful evening at Carlyle Grill. We had an amazing server Juan who was attentive and…read morevery detailed with our orders. We started with the fluffy hut crispy bread they serve complimentary. The entrees were cooked as ordered and as described. And the carrot cake was served warm and smothered in frosting

11-30-2025 Great vibe and wonderful service (Carson B)…read more The food was delicious , we tried the savory charcuterie with lots of interesting cheeses and meats. Other items on the table, steak frites, TRC burger and chicken sandwich. Every item came out hot and juicy and full of flavor. The live music was OUTSTANDING, a mix of folk, world and jazz. We will return.

Really enjoyed dining at this establishment. I ordered an old-fashioned, which was really good with…read moretheir homemade bitters and I also got the Smashburger, which was excellent with caramelized onions and really good attention to detail. The atmosphere was suitable for just hanging out or a romantic dinner and the service was friendly and pleasant. Overall would definitely recommend.

Stopped into this place because it was right across the street from work.. hippo expectations just…read morebecause University of Michigan food is generally not that great. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they actually have a few tasty great options here. Obviously the view was wonderful but to have good tasting food makes it a decent place to eat.

This is one of my favorite restaurants! I've honestly never had a bad meal or experience here…read more I am a creature of habit so I kind of stick to the same order. I usually get the Thai crunch salad or I get the pasta. This time I opted for the pasta with shrimp and chicken, I did ask for it to be blackened. The first plate that came out was a little too blackened in a bit too salty but the manager (Tay) that was on duty was phenomenal and he remade my pasta. For the appetizer, you can never go wrong with the dynamite shrimp. It's just simply delicious. It was happy hour so I ordered an eight dollars strawberry lime margarita and it was very well worth it. For dessert, we ordered the upside down cheesecake and it was so delicious! I will be going back to get another one soon.

I've been a customer of CPK for decades. I just got back from California and revisited this…read morelocation in Ann Arbor and it was incredibly disappointing. I spent almost $80 and everything was so subpar. I ordered a BBQ Chicken Pizza, Thai Chicken Pizza, Italian Chopped Salad and Tortilla Soup. These all used to be favorites and absolutely delicious. I don't know what happened to this business, but I will never go back and discourage anyone reading this to not waste their money at this establishment. It's so sad.

Came in for truffle fries and drinks with friends. We were seated at a large table and given tablet…read moremenus to look at. We came towards closing time, so the restaurant was chill and quiet. There is plenty of dining area seating as well as bar seating and additional seating space on the upper level. We all enjoyed our order of fries - they were crispy and well seasoned. Only comment for improvement would be to provide more aioli sauce with the fries because there isn't enough sauce for all the fries - though we didn't ask the server for more at that moment.

We stopped here for a bite to eat after an art festival. I got a burger, which was one of the most…read moreflavorful burgers I've had for a while. It was juicy, well seasoned, and the crispy onions on top added a little extra to it. My dining companion got the steak fritte wrap . It was huge! I tried a bite and the seasonings were amazing. The kids burger is a decent size, and the kids mac & cheese is homemade. Drinks were also good. Our server was Bailey. They were busy and he was very personable and efficient. He checked in and answered questions about the menu. We sat outside and it's nice that the street is closed and it's great for people watching. Overall, great place to stop in AA.