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.

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.

Food was absolutely delicious! The server was so fun and so nice. Food is a little pricey but worth…read moreit. The inside has some awesome decoration. Fun for littles to see some animals maybe they don't get to see everyday. Would definitely come back here.

We could not have been more surprised or happier. The food was old school amazing! Everything made…read moreto order and delicious. Authentic old world recipes handed down thru generations of owners. This is an absolute " must go to" on any trip to Gaylord. Family owned, nothing but homemade!

Horrible experience. Stale bread, sour wine, and over salted Veal Parmesan. Yuck. The Chicken…read moreParmesan is horrible as well. Like the Chicken has been boiled.

First time eating at this restaurant. Loved the atmosphere, no rush, relaxed. The waitress was…read moreavailable for additional needs and you did not wait for your drink order. Most Important Part: we ordered four different dishes. All of them were outstanding!!!! Lasagna I ordered was enough for two/ three people. My daughter had one of the chicken trios dishes. Each had a different taste and not just a blend of the same dish. We will be going here on a regular basis!!! Bravo to bar tender: my Whisky mule was the best one I have ever had...Cheers!!!

Salmon Aglio Olio is fantastic. Excellent salad Bread…read moreservice is fantastic My second favorite is iron playing tuna steak. Yellowfin tuna served with lemon butter, steamed vegetables, choice of potato.

Good afternoon. This past Friday, September 11, three friends and I went to the Balloons Over Bay…read moreHarbor event. Unfortunately the balloons did not take off in time for us, as we had dinner reservations. The wind was too strong that evening, so they eventually launched--but well past the scheduled time. Regardless, I'm glad we didn't miss this dinner. It's not because I hadn't been to Spring & Porter before; it's because of whatever Tommy has done. Wow, did that night deliver. And I'm not talking an average wow. This was, I have to say, like a Napa Valley experience. I'm going to use The French Laundry as a comparison. I know people will argue with me on that--maybe a little--but listen: I was at The French Laundry 30 years ago when it was The French Laundry. It's not the same restaurant it was then. Tommy and his team have absolutely created a destination restaurant. I'll start with our server. In the state of Michigan, she takes the accolades as the top server. She should be the bar by which others in her profession are judged. By the way, her name is Heidi, sorry Heidi. I didn't mean to miss your name. I just don't wanna give you a big head. Seriously Heidi understands how to serve a table like you're not gonna see in most restaurants you've ever visited in your lifetime. She takes her profession very seriously and still knows how to have great interaction with the people she's taking care of. My friends are still raving about how she took care of us. They said they've never had anybody take care of them like that. OK now let's get to the food. I looked at the menu as I said I've been to this restaurant more than a few times, but they've changed up the menu since I've been there last I have to admit I have not been out much this summer. This was actually my first evening out with friends this summer. So they have two appetizer sections. I'm not sure how many exactly there are, but I took charge of the order. Everybody agreed to let me do the ordering because they liked my idea and they've never done it before but this is kind of how I roll. I ordered everything on the appetizer menu with the exception of the Barada salad. Heidi brought them out I believe two at a time so it was kind of like a chefs service almost but small plates basically but enough for four people each appetizer with the exception of one which we doubled up and I believe that was the lamb chops. If you followed my yelp reviews in the past, you'll know I usually take pictures of my food. I take pictures of my food at home for crying out loud however this evening because I haven't been out all summer. I'm kinda out of practice so I did not take any photos that evening. I could go on, as my friends are still raving about this evening. If you're willing to change it up sometime, I would try Spring & Porter. It's the finest restaurant at this point in Petoskey by a country mile, & gets top marks in Michigan in my book. As far as ambience goes, it's a great night out to take your date your wife or your family place very well done and they've added a really nice outdoor space. Also excellent parking. Heidi, thank you very much for an incredible evening, looking forward to next time. C

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!

Food always amazing service. How could it get better? Matt took care of us. I've said it before…read more I'll say it again. I feel like I'm back in Napa Valley in the good old days.

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.

Great as always! Good kids menu! My kids all found something they would like to eat. Have been…read morecoming here since i was a child!

Best Italian restaurant in the area hands down and one of the better restaurants in general. They…read moremake all the traditional Italian dishes one would expect to see at a fine upscale restaurant that you would find in any big cosmopolitan city along with other entree's to include fish, steak and chicken options. Food is well prepared with great visuals and most importantly tastes great. Setting has a nice darker rustic comfy vibe to it with a large gas fired pizza oven going on one side with fresh and oh so tasty bread cooking away which adds a nice Italian accent to the setting. Restaurant also has a full service bar where my Old Fashioned was very well made and oh so tasty in its own right. Also just as important, especially for an Italian restaurant, they have a very nice wine list to choose from. Overall, if you are in the north eastern side of the state and your pallet leans towards fine cuisine than this is a must visit restaurant as you will not be disappointed.

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.

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!

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.