Gratzi - For Those Delicious Gnocchi in Ann Arbor!

Gratzi in Ann Arbor was fantastic!  The pasta dishes come in two sizes - primi and secondi.  I had the primi portion of the gnocchi with grilled shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce with bacon for $16 - the entree portion was $20.  The gnocchi was the best I've ever had - light little pillows of potato that magically grabbed the sauce and enough bacon to create a delightful bite.   The shrimp was grilled perfectly and was so big that I could cut it into three pieces!  The sauce was spicy - a definite kick that I wasn't expecting, but the smoky bacon mellowed it out enough for me.  If I was making this at home, I would just fry the bacon to an extra crispiness - there was a piece or two that didn't pass my texture test.

Salad with entree for $5, could have been better dressed, lacked flavor, but the fresh slices of Parmesan cheese provided the pop of saltiness and the wedge of the Roma tomato was nice and ripe.

The wine selections were terrific - at least 10 choices each for red or white from various regions, including California, Italy, French, etc.  I asked for a taste of the sauvignon blanc that I was not familiar with from Mendocino, which was quite good - not as much citrus flavors as some.  You have your choice of 5oz or 8oz pours - and of course, the entire bottle if you want it!

My dining companions also enjoyed their choices as well.  We were there to catch up and spent three hours doing so! Our waitress finally came over to collect the check once we were one of two tables left at Gratzi.  Total bill before tip for three salads, two primi pastas, one entree pasta, three glasses of 5oz pours and three coffees was $102.  I would definitely put Gratzi on my list, but next time I'm getting the entree portion of the gnocchi!

Stonewall Kitchen – Perfect Salty Sweet in Sea Salt Hot Fudge!

I’ve been a fan of the salt and sweet combination ever since I can remember – way before Ben & Jerry made Chubby Hubby, I was dipping my pretzels into my chocolate ice-cream with roasted peanuts.  But now it’s so trendy, that I can get it all the time – and I’m always a sucker for it on menus or in specialty shops.  So, I know this is has been a blog about restaurants, but it’s more about eating well.  I feel like it’s my duty to bring all the good eats your way, just in case you are traveling to some of the great places I’ve been and I don’t want you to miss anything tasty.  

On a recent trip to the outlets in Kittery, Maine – we went to one of my favorite shops – the Stonewall Kitchen store.  They do have a restaurant here – with yummy looking treats, and a cooking studio.  But, the real draw for me is all the wonderful sauces, jams, relishes and toppings that they have to taste – and taste as much as you want, until you get a bellyache, if you want!  On the last visit, I found the most amazing Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce.  For those of you who can’t get to Kittery, they offer mail order!  This is the perfect combination of salty sweet.  When you take your first taste, you notice the saltiness first and then the sweetness develops into the delicious chocolate goodness.  I can’t begin to tell you how amazing this stuff tastes.  I didn’t think twice as I piled two or three or maybe a few more jars into my shopping basket – only $6.95 each!  When I got it home, we had it with vanilla ice-cream and chopped nuts on top – for some extra saltiness.  I even scooped out a little straight from the jar – and so will you once you give it a try!

Vinology – Grilled Cheese Sandwich Puree?

This was the second time to Vinology in Ann Arbor, Michigan in just under a year, and unfortunately, I think it will be my last for a while.  I really want to like this place, because I love the fact that they offer every entrée in a petit portion!  The ambiance is nice inside with high ceilings, a beautiful bar, and al fresco dining.  And there’s a great selection of food on the menu – but when it comes down to execution, something is missing.    

Tonight I had the “grilled cheese” salad for $9 – which was described as being summer tomatoes, butter lettuce and a grilled fontina cheese sandwich puree.  Why puree a perfectly good grilled cheese sandwich?  The flavors were on target, but the texture was unappetizing.  It was like someone chewed the sandwich for a few minutes and then spit it out on the plate.  Yuck!  Unfortunately, some of the tomatoes were mushy, while others were under ripe – and yet some apparently were slightly roasted, and tasty, but it didn’t all go together.   The potential was there – why not keep the sandwich intact and do a play on a panzanella salad?  Moving on to the petit halibut entrée for $20 – the fish was too salty and had a funky taste that made me worry that I might end up regretting this choice later….but the duck confit smashed potatoes were excellent and the cherry vinaigrette was a delicious sweet surprise on the plate.  When you read through the menu, so much of it sounds wonderful.  Maybe I didn’t make the right choices?  Total bill for two salads and two petite entrees (no wine at Vinology!) was $60.

Blue Stove - A Hidden Gem in the Mall

Blue Stove is a hidden gem inside Nordstrom’s at the Burlington Mall.  I thought twice about writing this review because I’m not sure I want the word to get out, but it’s too good not to share.  This was my third visit in less than a year, and I would come more often if I thought about it, but it’s tucked away on the second floor – away from the handbags and shoes, so it falls into the category of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ – until I use my OpenTable app moments before I am about to melt into a puddle from desperate hunger because I’ve lost track of time while shopping.  But, back to the food.  Small plates for sharing is the concept here – and they only serve wine and beer.  The servers are happy to let you try several tastings until you find something you like.  Don’t hesitate to ask for one.

The tapas style menu changes seasonally, so you will want to go back often.  I enjoyed the summer menu the best so far, but the others are good too.  This time we ordered 4 tapas for 2 people.  We started with the Goat Cheese and Arugula salad and thinly sliced beet carpaccio for $7.  To me, this is the best flavor combination – the salty smooth goat cheese paired with the sweet beets and the spicy bitterness of the arugula balances the entire dish.  Next we had the Chive Ricotta Gnocchi for $6 – perfect light little pillows in a sweet corn puree.  The gnocchi was followed by Lemon Risotto with Seared Scallops for $11.  This was the most disappointing dish – the scallops were sliced horizontally to make it look like there was more on the plate – I would rather have just two meaty scallops on the plate.  It tasted very good; I liked the lemon risotto and would make it myself.  The winner of the night was the Bahn Mi Chicken sliders – served two to an order, perfect tapas size.  On my – I now know why the bahn mi food trucks are so popular.  The flavors are reminiscent of Thai spring rolls with crunchy cucumbers and carrots, with warm chicken nestled between soft tiny rolls that soak up any juices so you don’t miss a drop!  I’ve also had the Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos a few times and they are very good too.  We did order dessert – a lemon curd and blackberry shortcake that was too dry, even with the lemon curd to help in this department, so try something else.  Total bill for 4 tapas, 1 dessert, 3 glasses of wine and 1 cup of coffee was $74.  So be careful – those tapas can add up quickly! 

However, I’m going to go back soon for to have those Bahn Mi Chicken sandwiches for lunch – all by myself, no sharing this time!

Soho South Cafe - A Delicious Combination of Food and Art

The Soho South Café in Savannah is a must do on any trip to Savannah.  It could be a tie with Zunzi’s, so hopefully you have time for both – they are both only open for lunch.   Soho is located in the historic district, just off of Bull Street on Liberty Street.  The restaurant was recommended to me by a local shop worker where I bought my Georgia peach Christmas ornament.  As soon as I looked at the menu, I knew this was where I was going to enjoy my last meal in Savannah.  Once you walk in, you will know you picked the right place – it’s in an old garage, with two story ceilings, where half of the space is an art gallery…very eclectic and very cool!

I started with delicious tomato basil bisque – it was so fresh, with just a touch of cream to round out the bold tomatoes.  I’m pretty sure they are known for this soup – you can’t miss it – and a cup for $3.75 is plenty if you’ve ordered anything else.  The soup was followed by the Southwester Salad for $11, which consists of all the yummy ingredients you expect in this salad; crisp romaine lettuce, grilled corn, hearty black beans, creamy avocado, sharp cheddar cheese, topped with warm grilled blackened chicken and served with the spicy chipotle vinaigrette on the side, per my request.  Oh my!  I washed it all down with an Arnold Palmer – just make sure you ask for unsweetened ice team, if that’s your preference, since you are in the south after all; and it’s sweet tea all the way.   In addition to entrée salads, they also offer quiche, sandwiches, signature dishes and desserts.  Our total bill before tip for 1 cup of soup, two entrée salads and 2 drinks was $33.   I’m sure Soho is always busy at lunch time (we went after 2pm), so they also offer many menu items to-go at the take out counter.