Tuscan Bistro - Traverse City

Where was this place when I needed it!? All of the nights from birth to age 18 that I spent mawing on over-reciped, generic Italian food at Auntie Pastas (even the name is original, eh? and I could've been eating at this place... The food was absolutely fantastic. All around we were extremely pleased. My brother with the flank steak and asparagus, me with the Chicken Tuscana (with mushrooms, peas and polenta and mushroom/zuchhini soup, parents with shrimp risotto...peppered with several glasses of excellent wine and finished with a lovely bread pudding drenched in carmel sauce. Heaven. The service was impeccable. Our waitress was absolutely on top of every single item...knew all about the menu, the wines, recited everything perfectly from memory and recommended several good choices. The chef/owner visited our table, nice touch : Excellent location across from the water. Quaint, humble ambience. The presentation is unlike any I have seen in TC...and with Italian, sometimes presentation lacks in my opinion. Tuscan Bistro hits a nice balance between upscale and homegrown. A wonderful meal...

We settled on this Italian restaurant when we couldn't go to the original Italian place we picked. The original didn't have any reservations available and could have been at least a two hour wait. However, I called Tuscan and they had didn't have a wait at all. That's a good thing right? What also scared me was that we had a two hour wait at one place and this one, no wait at all. I think the other people know something I didn't They were right. I would come back here for an entree or dessert. The appetizer was fine, but I had the Cavatelli for dinner and bread pudding for dessert. The server warned me that the Cavatelli is a heavier dish, however, not only was it heavier, but it was also very bland. It was extremely weak in flavor, the pasta was extremely dense, and it was very oily as well. Stay away from this dish if you happen to find yourself there. The bread pudding looks good, it's better to look at it than to try and eat it. It was not good at all. It was extremely dense and we almost had to use a knife to cut through it. The chocolate sauce around it was overly sweet and I tried to avoid dipping in it or any piece of the bread pudding that was touching the sauce. The table next to us ask if it was any good. I first thought about giving the usual response, good good, not bad, etc...Oh no, he saw me hesitate and start shaking my head back and forth and I told him my thoughts. Stay away from both of these dish.

Came here for my birthday dinner last night. Packed. Every time I walk in the restaurant has the aroma of garlic. I love it. We sat down, took 3 minutes for water, but that's fine because I knew what I was ordering. Instead of olive oil and balsamic reduction with bread they have table side pesto. Absolutely delicious. Our appetizer was grilled stuffed eggplant parm. It was to die for. I couldn't get enough of the garlicky tomato sauce on the plate. Ten minutes later out came out pastas. Fresh, hot and not one part was over looked. I got the rigatoni cream sauce with percuito and peas. And she got the orichetti with sweet sausage and broccoli rob. The atmosphere is relaxing, service is excellent and for these reasons we will be back again!! Keep up the great work!!

Wow! My wife and I were extremely impressed after eating at Tuscan Bistro. We have lived in Traverse City for three years, and just now found this hidden gem. The food was absolutely delicious, we thoroughly enjoyed every bite and the patio was the perfect spot to sit and eat on a beautiful summer day. A little bit about the meals: For an appetizer we got the Rollitini De Melanzana which was an eggplant stuffed with riccotta and mozzarella cheeses with a delicious homemade tomato basil sauce covering it. Very saucy! Very delicious, and could definitely be a meal. Friday 's were also their raw bar so we ordered four oysters and four jumbo shrimp which were both delicious and extremely affordable. They change the price of oysters/shrimp based on market prices and how large the product is. For main meals, we both got half orders of each meal trust me, with an appetizer, it is plenty of food! For myself, I had the Orichiette with Italian Sauasge this was absolutely delicious, but I can see how some taste buds might not appreciate the broccoli rabe which gives the meal a very crisp, green, taste. The sauce was more of a clear broth. Overall I would give this dish an 8.5/10. My wife then had the Cavatelli with Mushroom Ragu, which if you are looking for a creamy, garlicky, pasta dish this should be your go to and in this dish, even the noodles are made in house. I would rate this dish an 8.5/10 also. Check out these meals with an appetizer and a glass of wine and you will not be disappointed! We were also blown away by the value for the food in which we ate. Thanks Tuscan Bistro, we will definitely be back!

There aren't many authentic italian options in TC and that's what my daughter wanted one night. She found Tuscan Bistro on Yelp, and it was a great find! The scent of garlic is everywhere when you walk in. They have an amazing homemade pesto that they serve with their bread. Delish. You can buy it to go. $7.00 for 16 oz, but caution it only comes in a styrofoam bowl, so you'll have to have a bottle ready at home. There were four of us for dinner and we each tried something different. My tagliatelle bolognese was amazing, but the best dish at the table (by far was the cavatelli with mushroom ragu. OMG I so wish I would have ordered it. Next time! FYI It's not inexpensive, and salad does not come with dinner. If you're planning to order a glass of wine, however, they looked to be generous pours ;