Grange serves farm-to-table cuisine, but flavor has room to grow
Grange, which occupies the space that for years was Bella Ciao, takes vegetable preparation to a new level. The restaurant focuses on the latest “farm-to-table” philosophy that is intended to provide the freshest ingredients from as many local sources as possible, with produce clearly a highlight.
The buzz about the Grange was evident on our first visit shortly after its opening, when the wait for a table was two hours. We opted to make a late reservation instead, and were promptly seated when we arrived. Since the chef can’t predict which local ingredients will be available on a particular day, the menu changes from the one that’s posted on the web site.
I longed to try the leek tart and squash blossoms, but they weren't offered on either of our visits. (When we returned two weeks later, the menu was identical to that of our first visit.) Since there are only a handful of items available, many of them vegetarian, it’s best to call ahead that day and find out if there’s a dish you like.
As in most any pricey establishment — entrees are $20 and up, a la carte — the food is gourmet, displayed artfully on the plates in various eye-appealing formations.
We started with the chorizo, dates and blue cheese, a creative combination that worked well. All of the food was healthful, in my estimation almost too much so. It resembled what you might sample in a spa if you’re trying to slim down — spartan and lean instead of hearty. Portions are modest.
Green bean salad was simply a mix of green beans and greens in a bland dressing. The salad of greens was basically lettuce with hardly a touch of dressing to give it punch. It’s easy to dress up greens with a light dressing to provide an appealing taste, but this didn’t get me there. I enjoyed the fried green tomato, which had a flavorful sauce, though barely enough of it for the three giant tomatoes.
The fresh, house-made pasta was heaped with vegetables, including cauliflower, carrots, green beans, broccoli, artichokes and others. This was a vegetarian and dieter’s delight, which, again, I felt could have used a bit more pizazz with a slightly richer sauce.
When our server brought our entrees on the second visit, she said the chef recommended no salt or pepper with them. And I could see why.
Both the pan-roasted duck breast and the roasted chicken breast were too salty, though I enjoyed the crispy skin and moist consistency of the chicken breast and the tiny whole-grain salad served underneath the duck breast. In both cases, a heartier side dish, like the scrumptious potato puree that accompanied my son’s ribeye, would have been preferable. The potato salad that came with the chicken breast wasn’t really a salad at all — just some cut-up redskins. Perch suffered the same salty fate as the chicken and didn’t have any particularly memorable flavorings.
The server launched into a detailed explanation about the good care that cows get before they meet their demise in the form of a ribeye. The ribeye, happy cow that it once was, met the standard for a delicious cut of meat. Grilled halibut was part of an innovative stew that included chorizo and potatoes. It was one of the best dishes we sampled.
As for dessert, stick with the fruit offerings. The plum and ginger cobbler was a sweet mix of fresh fruit and sugar, made even more delectable by Calder Dairy’s vanilla ice cream. And the berry shortcake had a wonderful homemade shell and sweet blueberries and raspberries, swirled in fresh whipped cream. The chocolate cake we sampled the first time was rich and gooey, but laced with so much brandy that the taste of alcohol overpowered the chocolate. The chocolate raspberry cake we tried later had barely a trace of raspberries and was so dry as to make it unappetizing.
Our servers aimed to please. We had at least four of them check in on us during the course of our meal the first time.
I applaud Grange’s goal to support the local economy and emphasize fresh products, but the bottom line for me is whether these ingredients come together in memorable dishes that justify the expense. Grange still has some work to do before its dining experience can be considered fully worthy of its prices.
Grange Kitchen and Bar 118 W. Liberty St. Ann Arbor 888-995-2107 Grange Kitchen and Bar web site Hours: Monday-Thursday: 5-10 p.m.; bar open until midnight. Friday and Saturday: 5-11 p.m.; bar open until 1 a.m. Closed Sunday. Plastic: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover Liquor: Yes. Prices: Expensive. Entrees are $18-$31 and salad is extra. Value: Fair. Portions are modest. Noise level: Very loud. Smoking section: No. Wheelchair access: None for the restaurant proper, although there is limited sidewalk seating. Restrooms not accessible.
Photos by Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com. Top: Grange server Alison Laesser-Keck opens a bottle of wine for Ann Arbor residents Steve Jaqua, center, and W.A.P. John on the second floor dining space of the new restaurant located at 18 W. Liberty in downtown Ann Arbor. Left: The roasted chicken with green beans and fingerling potatoes in whole grain mustard sauce available at Grange, located at 18 W. Liberty in downtown Ann Arbor.
Comments
Mike Zapiecki
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 5:46 p.m.
We visited Grange for the first time last night and it was an absolutely fabulous experience. Decided to go with the Tasters Menu which was a wonderful 5-course meal. The wine list was excellent, if somewhat limited. Yes, it's a little pricey (we love great wine) but the service was attentive without being smothering and the food was great. Just the right amount of everything and a great range of taste treats. Would recommend the Grange to any of our friends. It's worth 5 stars in our ind.
Juliew
Mon, Sep 21, 2009 : 11:11 p.m.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with this review. I was so excited when I heard that the Grange was opening. I've long heard of Brandon Johns' commitment to local foods. I love the environmental and sustainable ethics at The Kitchen in Boulder (http://www.thekitchencafe.com/) and had an amazingly inventive, all-local Michigan dinner (in February) at the Cook's House (http://thecookshouse.typepad.com/) in Traverse City. So it was very exciting to see that Ann Arbor was going to have a truly "local" restaurant. Sadly, the restaurant concept and the meal fell far short of what we were hoping. We are local food aficionados and pretty good cooks who almost exclusively use local and organic ingredients year-round. We shop at the same sources that the Grange lists on their web site. Which brings me to my first point: why is there no mention of any of the sources in the restaurant? They are listed on the web site, but nowhere in the restaurant. Instead, there were generic produce photos on the wall, including ones of nonlocal blood oranges and kumquats. Contrast that with the Blue Tractor where the pictures on the wall are truly local. If the Grange is really serious about promoting local and sustainable resources, they need to educate and promote. The Grange does no education unless you specifically ask. The stated commitment to buying local really bothers me. If Johns really feels this way, why on earth would he have a restaurant in Michigan that serves Gulf of Mexico shrimp, Pacific halibut, palm dates (yes, from palm trees), Alaskan salmon (I specifically asked), among other non-local ingredients. I don't have a problem with using some non-local ingredients if necessary to enhance the local ingredients (and there are many of these non-local ingredients on the menu), but I do have a problem with using non-local as main dishes when there are perfectly good local ingredients that would be better. Especially when local is supposedly what you are paying for. "Local when convenient" is what all restaurants do--most other restaurants in town use some local ingredients. The food we ordered was a huge disappointment. Hopefully this was because it was just the second week of the restaurant being open. We tried the terrine which was bland and unattractive (many terrines in restaurants are made with layers so they are often quite attractive) and there was no description on the menu or from the server about what was in it. The pickled vegetables with it were good. For my main dish, I had the pasta with vegetables which again was bland with no sauce, the pasta was tough and clumped together--it never should have left the kitchen that way. At $23, it was a ridiculous waste of money. My husband had the steak, which, although tasty and cooked to specification, was almost inedibly tough. This can be a problem with grass-fed beef and a good chef needs to be able to address this. Showcasing a tough steak for $31 (more than all but one steak at Knights) is a sure way to turn people off eating locally. Desserts were adequate, but wildly uneven in size, which was annoying. I had a small piece of apricot pound cake which was slightly dry but had a good flavor. It came with two spoonfuls of creme anglaise and two raspberries. My husband ordered the cobbler which was baked in a large bowl, topped with a big dollop of whipped cream, and came with a bowl of ice cream on the side. It was easily three times the size of mine (and far too big for him to eat) although nothing on the menu or in the price indicated the size difference. And then we come to the drinks. There are no Michigan hard ciders, although there are several very good ones made here that would be great with this food. Yes, the beers are from Michigan but $5 gets you a bottle of Oberon plunked down on the table. There is nothing on draft. As Joel pointed out in his great article on MichWine (http://michwine.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Plain-loco-locavores.html&Itemid=179), not even 10% of the wine list is from Michigan and while the few they have are good, they are kind of the default choices (I mean really, Pacific Rim carries three of the eight and also has four Michigan beers on tap). I can't see any reason why you would have any wine other than Michigan wines at a restaurant supposedly focused on local food. Michigan has a very robust wine industry, and yes, much of it is very good and complementary to our local foods. As for the "artisanal" cocktails, they are just standard drinks. While some of the ingredients might be local, there is nothing on the menu that indicates origin but all have citrus fruit and none of the alcohols are from Michigan. Michigan distillers have amazing vodka and brandy and other specialty drinks like Ice Wines. Again, with a restaurant supposedly highlighting local agriculture, having so few drinks that are local is extremely disappointing. I didn't see any non-alcoholic menu so I don't know if that is local or not. So generally, I found our experience at the Grange extremely disappointing. It feels like Johns hasn't really committed to the concept of his restaurant, but is hedging his bets. Unfortunately, this has watered down the restaurant to such an extent that it doesn't really stand out in any way. I had hoped for so much more.
Bob Needham
Mon, Sep 21, 2009 : 8:21 a.m.
Funkfairy, Certainly no need to apologize. I don't think I was very clear in trying to answer the question about the potatoes. I was trying to say that the potatoes Julie was served were different from the potatoes in the photo. (In addition to the red skins, she specifically mentioned that they were cut up, which it doesn't look like the fingerlings are.) Personally, this review - which is hardly all negative - definitely won't deter me from trying Grange. I'm still looking forward to my first visit there, I hope very soon.
funkfairy
Mon, Sep 21, 2009 : 6:51 a.m.
Bob and Julie, I apologize for sounding so harsh in previous comments. I'd like to explain a little about what my experience was: My boyfriend and I had gone to Grange and had the best food we've had in a long time. Truly. I told my coworker about how great our experience was, and two days later my coworker came back to me, telling me about this article about Grange that she had read on annarbor.com, then went into details about what low ratings ALL aspects of the restaurant had gotten, and that she wasn't sure if she wanted to make the trek to Ann Arbor for mediocrity. Being curious, I found and read the review myself, to find all of these inaccuracies, which had deterred my coworker from trying Grange out. I was very saddened that she would deprive herself of a quality, simple meal, based on Julie's off-target remarks. I thought that there could be others in the area who might follow suit, which is truly a bummer. My point is, just know that your words hold influence. And again, I apologize for being so harsh.
iamwater
Sun, Sep 20, 2009 : 9:12 p.m.
Seriously, Bob? You felt the need to get in here and moderate? Incredible.
funkfairy
Sun, Sep 20, 2009 : 4:05 p.m.
Bob, My issues are never with criticisms, as much as it is with inaccuracies. If a journalist wants to be a food critic, at least keep up the "journalism" aspect of the task intact by being technically accurate. I'm not trying to get hung up on details, but how is it that a seasoned foodie cannot tell the difference - even in texture alone - between an egg and a radish, regardless of what a server may tell them? Give the service a poor remark. In regards to the picture, that is indeed a photo of the chicken with fingerling potato salad (which was one of two dishes my boyfriend and I ordered during our single experience at Grange, and were both delighted with), which Julie commented "The potato salad that came with the chicken breast wasnt really a salad at all just some cut-up redskins. Perch suffered the same salty fate as the chicken and didnt have any particularly memorable flavorings." I would assume that in order to make such comments, a reviewer would have to taste the food that is 'on the chopping block' so to speak. Come on Ms. Halpert, next time take a menu home with you.
funkfairy
Sun, Sep 20, 2009 : 11:08 a.m.
When did a degree in journalism qualify one to critique food? This giant, squishy radish described in the opening of this article is actually an EGG pickled in beet juice. This would be the most glaring inaccuracy (though there were many) within the paragraphs blasting a menu that so many people have thoroughly enjoyed. Readers, you are all as qualified as Julie is of judging this restaurant...why don't you judge for yourselves?
iamwater
Sat, Sep 19, 2009 : 7:59 a.m.
Sorry to pick on you, Julie, but this is just a weird review. Starting with the description of the "radish". Was it something you saw or was it something you ate? I haven't seen anything like that on the menu, so I'm wondering what the heck that was. Having eaten at Grange several times now, I've had much more positive experiences than you seem to have had. One other curious thing. I haven't seen any salt on the tables (i like salt), so I'm wondering why you would have been told not to use salt. Another thing, in the picture you have of the chicken breast, that's not a redskin. That's a fingerling potato. You even have it written correctly above in the photo credits. This starts to make me wonder, did you actually eat the meal you've written about? I'd just like to add that my meals have been delicious and the portions perfect. One of the offerings at Grange that I'm most excited about is the artisanal cocktails. One drink is plenty for me these days and to be able to choose from a creative and inspired list of cocktails is something I've really been wanting to see at a restaurant. I'm not sure why you would completely ignore such a unique part of the menu. Honestly, this review just feels vague and inaccurate.
MaryA
Fri, Sep 18, 2009 : 6:21 p.m.
With all due respect, I think you missed the boat on this review. I have eaten several times at the Grange and have had wonderful food and wine there. The wine list is extensive and interesting, with a reasonable range of choices at several price points. The seasonal cocktails are inventive and fun. I took friends from New York and France there recently, and they also raved about the food (in fact, I'm still getting email from one about their meal). What this restaurant is trying to do is really unique in this area. If I wanted giant portions of mediocre food sourced from Sysco, I would have my pick of dozens of restaurants in town, many of whom charge quite a bit more than the Grange. Sourcing local and seasonal fresh food and preparing it in interesting ways is the hallmark of this restaurant, and I would encourage people to give it a try for themselves.
Julie Halpert
Fri, Sep 18, 2009 : 12:09 p.m.
Sam: I appreciate your perspective, as I think it's helpful to have dialogue from those with differing opinions on restaurants. I did want to mention that when I saw the item in question on my plate, I asked my server what it was and she told me it was a radish. Also, the potatoes certainly looked and tasted like redskins. Thanks so much again for your comments.
Sam Abuelsamid
Fri, Sep 18, 2009 : 5:08 a.m.
Unfortunately, this reviewer could stand to do a bit more research in the future before publishing. This particular piece contains several inaccuracies. What Ms. Halpert describes as a giant radish stuffed with egg yolk is anything but. It is in fact a Scotch Egg. This is a hard boiled egg wrapped in a sausage with some bacon mixed in and accompanied by a fresh house made mustard. The Scotch egg is absolutely delicious and carnivores among us definitely appreciate it. Chef Brandon Johns keeps the overall size of the menu limited. This is in part because of the use of locally sourced seasonal ingredients. Aside from some of the seafood, almost everything is sourced from within 100 miles of the restaurant. The menu gets changed up regularly based on what is available at different times of the year and keeping the menu small helps the chefs to focus on good execution while making it easier for diners to make selections while giving variety over time as they make return visits. One downside is that availability of some ingredients is sometimes limited and the restaurant occasionally runs out as happened during the early weeks after it opened with the squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese. As for the seeming emphasis on vegetarian dishes, again the reviewer seems to be off the mark. Chef Johns, has a tattoo of a pig on his forearm with all of the parts marked off like you would see on the wall of butcher shop. A quick scan of the current menu shows 9 entrees with 2 being vegetarian dishes. Also I'm told that Brandon has never bought an artichoke nor are there currently any red-skin potatoes in the establishment. I've eaten several meals at Grange now and never been disappointed with the flavors. This is of course a matter of taste, but of all the comments I've heard of Brandon Johns' cooking, over-seasoning has never been among them. Finally on the subject of pricing, while Grange is not inexpensive, compared to other restaurants that are not chains or get all of their ingredients from giant processed food distributors, the pricing is actually fairly moderate. There are a number of restaurants in the area that are pricier. The focus is on quality rather than quality the dishes I've tried at Grange all offer plenty of food without heaping on way too much mediocre food. I believe that given the quality of the ingredients, preparation and service make the value equation at Grange excellent. I suggest that people people try it out and make their own decisions. If you aren't quite ready to commit to the whole menu, you can sit upstairs in the bar area and sample smaller dishes off the bar menu. For those that like a cocktail, Grange also offers a menu of very interesting and I'm told tasty original cocktails, again using some seasonal ingredients. Just don't put too much stock in this particular reviewer.
Julie Halpert
Thu, Sep 17, 2009 : 9:43 a.m.
Joel: Thanks so much for your great suggestion on reviewing the beer and wine. We'll definitely try and include an idea of options in this area in the future. Julie Halpert
Jennifer Shikes Haines
Thu, Sep 17, 2009 : 9:27 a.m.
Sourcing locally is far more expensive than using the usual suppliers, and it involves our local economy to a much greater extent. What the Grange is trying to do is truly in its own category at the moment. Annarbor.com posted a very well-researched article with a different take on the food (that reviewer, and other comments I've heard and read have been very enthusiastic) by The Farmer's Marketer and it can be found here: http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/grange-kitchen-and-bar-old-meets-new/ in case folks want another take on this wonderful new endeavor.
mpeterse
Thu, Sep 17, 2009 : 9:20 a.m.
To Joel Goldberg, in the beverage department, I highly recommend Grange's "I Like Cucumber" cocktail (at least I think that's the name of the drink). Really fabulous and, as nice as our first meal at Grange was, is what drew me back for a second visit. That cocktail plus their wonderful smelts appetizer made for a fabulous starter.
margeson
Thu, Sep 17, 2009 : 8:02 a.m.
Having dined at Grange and having enjoyed the entire meal (as my 3 dinner parnters likewise enjoyed theirs), just want to comment on my appreciation for Grange's restraint on dousing a salad with too much dressing.
Joel Goldberg
Thu, Sep 17, 2009 : 7:52 a.m.
Julie, a sizable number of patrons at restaurants like Grange typically enjoy some wine or beer alongside their food as part of the dining experience. We appreciate it when reviewers include their take on the available beverage choices and, hopefully, what they find to be of interest with various menu items.