Romantic Dinner in Ann Arbor
Where is the best place to have quiet, romantic, fine dining in Ann Arbor? I would prefer an American-style restaurant and somewhere that is not predominantly Italian or seafood.
Also, when is the least busy night to have dinner in Ann Arbor?
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My boyfriend just moved to Ann Arbor (from DC) and I went to visit him 2 weekends ago. We had a wonderful and romantic dinner at Eve. Especially if you get one of the seats in the corner with a nice bottle of wine...def. romantic.
The food was incredible! I was really shocked (being a bit of a food snob from the East Coast) at the quality and variety of the food. We got reservations for Friday at around 8pm and it was pretty packed then. But we know some people that go a lot during the week and I think they often times don't have reservations.
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Hi,
Eve is definitely the most romantic (and best food) restaurant in Ann Arbor in my opinion. It's very very good. It's French, so ... You can see the menu online at evetherestaurant.com. I don't think the Earle is very good - they play it too safe by catering to the median midwesterner with a less refined palette. It's fine but it's not REALLY good ever. And they use a lot of salt.›1 Reply-
re: gack
I feel that Eve is not the traditional French restaurant at all though. The chef is French trained but she uses a lot of spices from both Cajun and Asian cuisine.
Btw, if you do like fish I highly recommend the ceviche and the salmon crusted in macademia nuts...the flavor blew me away!!!
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The Earle, The Earle, The Earle. On Washington St. Great place, dark with romantic lighting (sort of a grotto-like setting, if you will), with very good food, and I've never had a bad meal there. Is it one of the best in Michigan? Maybe not uber-nouveau, but quite great for a couple, I'd say, with service that's good but not intrusive.
As for least busy night of the week, always Monday or Tuesday night. That's not just Ann Arbor...that's everywhere. That's why many restaurants are closed on those nights.
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re: boagman
I dunno . . . the Earle is undeniably romantic and always good, but most of the menu is specifically either fish or pasta. Check http://www.theearle.com/menu/default.htm ... If you want to spend the big bucks, the West End Grill is more oriented toward steaks and things. It may, however, be busy any night of the week. If you like food that is a little bit toward left field, Eve in Kerrytown is also very good. I still miss the Moveable Feast, which was the perfect answer to this question!
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re: Jim M
I second the West End Grill suggestion. It also fits the bill as an 'American Style' restaurant, even though there is a distinctly Asian influence on the dishes. But the way that this fusion is worked is quite remarkable. Their standards of service and quality are such that they, for instance, will close during Art Fair, rather than compromise in any way.
Aesthetically, the restaurant itself is also quite appealing. It is dark and cozy but has touches of great elegance, like a gorgeous stained glass window behind the bar and a pressed-tin ceiling. (like a number of structures within that area of downtown)
It is true that it can be very difficult to get in there on weekend nights, but we have had good success calling just a day or two before for reservations on Thursday.
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