Taste Kitchen - Ann Arbor

Vegetarian options: A couple of good veg options Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $30–50

I was very excited to try Taste. I’ve lived in Ann Arbor for years, but haven’t had the opportunity to get here until tonight. The takeaway for this post is the service was fantastic, but given the price for the food, I think your money could be better spent elsewhere. We made a reservation a few days in advance for a Friday at 630. The fact we could get that reservation on short notice should’ve been informative. We were seated quickly, and I’ll admit, being in my early 30s, I was struck that the front of house staff all seemed to be a decade younger than me. A lot of furtive glances when I walked in to find my spouse —just a bit unexpected given the description of the restaurant on the website. I was wearing jeans and a blazer and felt a bit over dressed. But hey, who cares if the staff is knowledgeable and attentive, which they were. The exterior of the restaurant seemed to suggest the place sprawled over a large space (a door outside even said to go 2 doors down to be seated), but my wife and I were seated next to another couple whose table was less than a foot from ours. At no point during our 2-hour meal was the dining room we were sitting in even close to full—it was glaringly vacant— but we were on top of another couple until they left. Our server was outstanding. He had prompt recommendations, was extremely attentive, witty, and did a fantastic job. He was very knowledgeable about the menu, and we followed his lead. We ordered the carrot and leek soup, mussels, calamari, scallops, perch, and dessert. To be frank, the apps (soup, mussels, and calamari) proved to be the main attraction. My wife and I cook quite a bit, and so we enjoy exploring the work professionals do, which far surpasses our ability. It didn’t feel that way tonight. The most remarkable thing we had were the mussels. The broth was fantastic, the mussels were meaty, but that was it. The soup was fine, but for $10, the portion was small and the coconut mostly absent. The calamari was cooked well, but otherwise unremarkable. Our meals, the scallops and perch, were a bit of a let down. The perch in particular, with quinoa, seemed like something we’ve done at home. For nearly $50, we got 3 diver scallops with a romesco that just didn’t have flavor. The succotash reminded me of something my mom used to make, which was great, but the mark up for that memory felt severe. I wanted to like Taste a lot, and I think there are highlights. But for nearly $200 for a meal comprising 2 drinks and a comped dessert, I felt like we could’ve done much of it at home for less and had a more intimate experience. Food: 3 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 2

Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $100+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

They work so hard and put out great food. They were completely full and had tons of to-go orders. Tons of great spots to eat outdoors nearby or get service on their patio.

Food was great, especially the appetizers. Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5