I had dinner with my parents at Alpino last week, and we had a great meal. Alpino is an Alpine (as…read morein of the Alps) restaurant, so you can find nods to Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, and France on their menu and on their wine list. When you walk in, you get the Alpine vibes right away - carved wood, wood beams, a fireplace... It's beautiful but very comfortable.
My mom is vegan, and Alpino's menu had several veganizable options for her (marked on the menu). She had a veganized chicory salad (bitter greens, golden apple, Comté cheese, pecan, and juniper maple citronette - they removed the cheese) and a veganized rösti (Swiss potato pancake, smoked salmon, crème fraîche, and mustard greens - they removed the smoked salmon and crème fraîche). My stepdad and I shared their carne salada (house-cured wagyu beef, crispy potatoes, rafano, and herbs, which was great. He enjoyed their chicken goulasch (Amich chicken thigh, paprika and tomato gravy, spätzle, and crème fraîche), while I fell in love with their Wienerschnitzel (breaded veal cutlet, morel rahmsauce, and pickled mustard seeds). Sadly, we didn't have room for dessert, because the food overall was great.
Since my parents don't drink, I had a designated driver and so was determined to order a lot of their great wine. I had one glass of orange wine from Krasno in Slovenia and then two glasses of Grüner Veltliner from the Franz Etz estate in Austria. Their wine list is part of what makes a meal at Alpino such a treat.
On top of great food, great wine, and great ambiance, the service was also great. Our server was Leonardo/Leo, who was attentive, friendly, and very helpful. The wonderful service helped make this a five-star meal for us.
If I lived in Detroit, I'd be at Alpino once a month. It was a great meal. Great food, great vibes, great wine, great service. I used the word great a lot in this review, but it was just .... great! I'd love to return.