The Chop House Restaurant (Ann Arbor)

In my couple of decades spent in and around Ann Arbor, I've ventured into quite a few of its' eateries. I truly enjoy different cuisine and I seek out a variety of dining experiences. I've paid for many expensive meals and as long as the overall experience is enjoyable, I suck it up and drop the plastic on the table.

Now onward to the point of this piece which is a review of The Chop House restaurant in Ann Arbor. First of all, I was there a few years ago and found it a fine dining experience with some stand out items on the menu. So a birthday rolled around again and I thought it was time to head back to this fondly remembered place.

Entering the restaurant off Main Street, you initially look at the bar...which looks back at you with the eyes of several well-heeled patrons. The bar holds people that gravitate towards expensive German cars and Italian suits. Lots of smugness in their faces and expensive booze in their palms. They are Ann Arbor's young, pretentious nouveau riche.

Then it's over to the hostess station (which also doubles as a coat check station). Friendly greetings and smiles abound and then we march off towards our table. As we pass through the long and narrow dining room, large oil canvases adorn the walls and white table linen is everywhere. Good wood is used throughout on floors and tables. Chippy patterned fabric covers the cushions along the side area while most the place in filled with many small rectangular tables. A Chicago steakhouse influence is felt throughout. We are given a decent seating in the back of the main room (along the cushioned side) looking out towards the rest of the patrons.

Now to the menus. First the wine list is long and expensive. The word "expensive" will now begin to appear frequently throughout the rest of the review. There wasn't a glass of wine under $9.95 while most half bottles were as expensive as many other average restaurants' bottle prices. So I ordered a Cosmopolitan instead. It was priced much less than a glass of wine ($5.95) and probably tasted better than most of the wine-by-the-glass choices. My dinner companion balked at the choices and stuck with water.

Time to look at the dinner menu. Now I recall from years past that The Chop House wasn't by any definition cheap but it fell short of the "expensive" category but that's no longer the case. This IS an expensive place to eat. There exists only 5 entrees barely under $30 while all of the beef choices are near or over $40. The waitress gave us some verbal choices from the specials which even included the rare delicacy of Kobe beef (we believe it went for around $80).

We both settled on a Filet Mignon special which included garlic mashes and asparagus. We thought this a good deal because all the entrees are ala cart so adding full side dishes would just push the price way up. Besides, I wanted a bowl of Lobster Bisque ($5.95) which I recalled from my last visit was excellent.

After making our entree choices, some bread arrived and so did my soup and my companion's Caesar salad ($6.95). Well the Lobster Bisque wasn't quite what I remembered as the once tablespoon of Lobster shrank to the now teaspoon of Lobster before the base was poured over it. Though it was good, it wasn't as meaty as before. The Caesar salad was acceptable if not just a wee bland.

Let's move on to the main entree. Our Filet Mignon specials ($50 each) arrived and they were not what we expected. A small but tall piece of filet was sitting in a shallow pool of garlic mashed potatoes right in the middle of the plate. On either side was a half of a piece of asparagus. Yes, that's one piece of asparagus, sliced in half and placed on either side of the centered filet. Wow. I mean asparagus isn't endangered or the most expensive vegetable on the planet but it seemed to be in this place.

We eat slowly trying to enjoy our little 12 ounces of meat. Each of our filets were done exactly as we had requested and exhibited a fine flavor. But by itself, the filet costs $39.95 and I'm sorry but it just ain't worth it.

We finished our meals and of course, there's no desert offered here as they want to send you to their expensive and uncomfortable desert cafe (La Dolce Vita). So instead of leaving my perfectly comfortable table, I thought I'd have a cappuccino to finish my meal but following my request, I was told by my waitress that their machine didn't froth well. I settled for a coffee and digested.

Finally, even after their generous birthday discount (50% off a 2 person ticket), we barely got out of there under $90. And though the service was very professional, it was almost too professional and overly formal. I prefer my service less formal and with more warmth. The surroundings aren't that special and possibly even a little bland and somewhat claustrophobic with almost no windows and so many tables. We won't ever go there again because if I want a nice steak, I can always go to either Weber's Inn or Knights which are not nearly as expensive and give you far more food for your money. And happily, they are places in which the asparagus is not an endangered vegetable.

(Originally posted 3/16/06)

Zingerman's Roadhouse Restaurant (Ann Arbor)

First of all, I've lived in this area for nearly twenty years. I've eaten and enjoyed food from both Zingerman's Deli and their Bakehouse. They always use top-notch ingredients and the food is almost always well prepared albeit a little on the expensive side. Service is always outstanding if not overly eager to please.

So when the restaurant chain Bill Knapps imploded and came to a sad end and Zingerman's bought the Jackson & Stadium location, I was hopeful. Bill's had been an old friend as the place was nearby and the food was simple, down-home cooking. Zingerman's was promising a "roadhouse" which as a traveler around this great country, I'd eaten in many such places and found some really good food at reasonable prices.

I've now eaten a brunch and a late lunch at ZR's and I can tell you unequivocally that I will not be returning until something is done about the absurd prices. How can a place fashioned after the "American Roadhouse" honestly charge their prices? They border on insane. They are ridiculous. The last time I was there, I watched a family of four sit down, get water and the menus, only to stand up and leave before ordering after they looked over the menu. I'm 99% sure it was the prices that put them off. So what kind of prices am I speaking of? $7 cup of clam chowder. $6 sliver of cake. $15 grits plate. $12 macaroni and cheese. It goes on and on. $40 (with tip) for a two person lunch should be expected.

On top of the absurd prices, the BBQ is not that good. The BBQ at Ypsilanti's Smoke House Blues restaurant is much, MUCH better. Also, the atmosphere is unappealing. One room includes the bar and standing-room tables allowing waiting patrons to sip or munch. This is a loud, noisy room that actually allows the waiting patrons to stand over many of the seated diners as they try to eat the overpriced food. Another room is crowded with picnic like bench tables and is also very loud. The fireplace room is more peaceful but the decor is just uninspiring. A few small maps and pictures can be spotted with great effort on the walls but nothing resembling a true American roadhouse atmosphere. It's like some bizarre roadhouse for uptight, overpaid, espresso-drinking, babbling, Lexus-driving yuppies. Yeah, I don't like it.

So in the end, I now really miss Bill Knapps and can only hope that Zingerman's comes to its senses and makes some much needed adjustments to their first true restaurant venture.

(Originally posted 2/25/04)