On a recent trip, we decided to try Spring and Porter for Happy Hour. What a great decision!…read more The atmosphere is upscale but cozy, and since we were enjoying happy hour, we sat at the bar. We tried quite a few cocktails, all of which were delicious, but the cosmo and Paloma were our favorites. To eat, I tried the "fried chicken" which was amazing. So much flavor and plenty of food for an appetizer. My partner had the seafood "chowder" - super yummy too. Overall, we loved the experience and will add it to our northern Michigan rot

Excellent food and excellent service. My wife and I came here for a special dinner while in…read morePetoskey for our babymoon. Not in the walkable downtown area, but absolutely on-par with any restaurant in the area. We were extremely happy with our choice and would recommend Spring and Porter to anyone. The restaurant is fairly small and was busy even in the off season, so definitely get a reservation.

Awesome dining atmosphere in Northern Michigan. Creative twists and fantastic execution on every…read moredish. Great service and delicious food!

In Northern Michigan for a week this summer, my husband and I made plans with two other couples on…read morea Thursday evening. I suggested PK&B and they were all on board! I was hoping my third visit to Pour (and my husband's first visit) would be as amazing as my first two experiences... Sadly, it was not. It started out okay... I made a reservation on Open Table, we showed up on time, got seated, ordered drinks, etc... We had some drinks, ordered food, and then our server came back to let us know that they were completely out of sushi for the evening. Considering I spoke up the TIger Roll, and the rest of the menu is a bit limited, this definitely put a wrench in our evening. We made the best of it, had a variety of other food including poke nachos, oysters, salad, a burger, bulgogi, etc... but we couldn't get over the fact that they ran out of sushi. Oh well... Ambiance was still pleasant and the company was great. I would return but can't bring myself to keep that five star rating after that experience... Hopefully next time will bump it back up, whenever that may be!

We came here on a recommendation. Glad we did! Amazing views of the bay! We opted for first floor…read moreseating inside with a view. There is rooftop, bar, and patio seating too. We got there at 4pm just when happy hour started. Score!! $5 cocktails (select drinks) and 40% off small plates. Pretty amazing happy hour! We orders non-happy hour drinks - the hibiscus spritz was the perfect summer drink! We order a few small plates - the Mezzi, short ribs, and crab cakes. Delicious!! Service was great! I saw a few pups when we left. The patio is dog friendly! Always good to know!

After a long day of exploring northern Michigan, we were happy to be able to snag a reservation at…read morePalette Bistro to feed our hungry bellies. Located close to downtown Petoskey, Palette Bistro offers views of the lake from their back porch, indoor seating, and a nice front patio. We were seated out front and greeted promptly by our friendly server. We started the meal with the crab cakes, and I decided on a farmer's pasta with salmon as my entree. In between we had fresh bread with a sweet balsamic and olive oil for dipping. Our server was fantastic. Appropriately attentive, and going the extra mile to help grab things for kiddo (like a coloring sheet and mug full of crayons), to make sure that everyone enjoyed the meal. The ambiance is relaxed and definitely a vacation vibe, and we enjoyed winding down our day that way. If you're in the area and need a place to grab dinner, Palette Bistro deserves a spot on your list!

Chandler's is a Northern Michigan fine dining hidden gem! The dishes here are well developed, have…read moreexcellent flavor & are executed perfectly! The service is incredibly helpful, professional & friendly! The atmosphere is incredible, & dining in the wine cellar is a must!! There are no wrong choices here, everything is seriously phenomenal! The steak tartare is a great starter to share with the table, the amount of crab in the crab cakes is fantastic, and serving the caesar in a parmesan tuile makes it that much more fun to eat! The boar shank I had made for the perfect winter meal, it is fall off the bone tender & the sweet potato gnocchi pairs so well with it! The salmon florentine is another beautiful dish & you have to enjoy the amazing wine selection they offer!

Chandler's Restaurant in Petoskey, MI offers a refined atmosphere, attentive service, and…read morebeautifully prepared food. During lunch, the asparagus bisque and steak tartare were both exceptional.

Salvatore's is a staple in downtown Bay Harbor. Located right by the harbor, this is the place that…read moreeveryone goes before heading out on the water for the day. You can order in advance or in person. I recommend just stopping in and browsing their fridges of pre-made salads, sides, pasta dishes, and more. They have a lot of grocery items such as drinks, snacks, meats, and cheeses too. You can order a hot pizza or sandwich for takeout and it only takes about ten minutes. There's no seating inside, but there are two small tables outside. We've always loved the pizza and pastas from here, however they are quite pricey. We've been probably over ten times, but on this last visit, the veggies we got weren't good still. The staff has also never been very friendly. However, we will keep going for the pizzas and quick, grab items!

The more I dine out the higher my standards come for reviews and Duffy's STILL gets a 5…read more There was a mistake made when we were seated on the patio as the hostess didn't leave silverware and menus when she sat us so it took a few minutes to be greeted. We had to flag someone down who thought we sat ourselves and said we needed to see the hostess. Understandable if that had been the case, but since it wasn't I couldn't help but be curious....what was his plan, then? To just ignore us all night rather than let us know? From there a different server came out, apologized profusely (even though she had never walked by and ignored us like the other server) and our service was top notch. I wish I had her name bc she was fantastic! Hate to have to describe this way...but blonde waitress who worked on the patio this past Fri night...kudos! The NA options are phenomenal and I had a spicy something or other. Sooo good! Pizza was awesome! SO. MUCH. CHEESE! Cooked to perfection, right amount of crust. I was tempted to go back again on Saturday. Patio is fantastic, cozy and relaxing without being too chill. Only feedback then is to either put more signage up about seeing a hostess or remind servers to be kinder in reminding people bc ironically we saw multiple people that either did seat themselves or were confused on where the host stand was, and both servers and bartenders weren't particularly kind with their messaging. I can only assume they are tired of it bc it happens a lot, but saw a group that almost walked out due to feeling unwelcome when they asked the wrong person about a table. Not our server. She was the best. :)

Stopped here for a quick lunch and they took good care of us. There's inside and outside seating…read more Grinders, burgers and pizza are the main items. I ordered a small sausage and black olive pizza. Are you sure this isn't Wisconsin? Man was that loaded with cheese (no complaints). My wife had the red pepper hummus plate and instead of pita it is served with flatbread made from their pizza dough. It was covered in cheese! Nice selection of Michigan beers and the usual mass produced crap. Quick friendly service.

Beautiful environment and even better food. My scallops were outstanding; cooked perfectly with so…read moremuch flavor. The bruschetta appetizer was also note worthy.

We were looking for a good restaurant that was kid friendly nearby. Travato fit the bill!…read moreThe food was excellent! Two of us had Prawns Scampi. We were both so pleased with the meal! One of us is gluten and dairy free and the staff was very accommodating! One of us had spaghetti and this little person loved it! The fourth person had gnocchi that was excellent! We had 3 apps that were great too!Jason, our server, was excellent; very attentive and worked with our food sensitivities so that we'd have a great meal. The ambiance was upscale North Woods with tasteful taxidermy, iron and wood in an open, airy dining room and bar. Beautiful views are available of the Maple River outside the huge windows! There is seating on a large deck and on a patio overlooking the river. We will definitely dine here again!

I had really high hopes for this long time establishment, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to…read moreit. First, the ambiance and the service was excellent. We ate in the 'bar' section that had an excellent menu, tons of space, and a great server. It was easy to get refills, have additional drinks, and get the food in the timely manner. The concern is price for quality. The food quality was bad. The taste was nonexistent. The price astronomical. I can't recommend this spot until the price/quality quotient becomes more amicable. If there was even a hint of spice...or quality the rating would be better because of the service and ambiance. However, at the end of the day, this is a restaurant not a bar.

We came back because we really enjoyed our experience last time. This time I had a mixed bag…read moreexperience with my food. I had the wedge salad, and I was shocked at how good the cherry tomatoes were given that we visited in the dead of winter. We also ordered some bread this time, and it came with a very garlicky pesto, which we enjoyed. We both had items off the special menu, and while I loved my Chilean sea bass, I did not like the rice or the tomato sauce over top. My asparagus was great as well. My BF had the New York strip. It came with scalloped potatoes and asparagus. We topped it off with the brownie sundae we had last time and enjoyed that as much as the previous time as well. While our server was good this time, I wouldn't put her at the top of my list. I felt like we could have been given a bit more attention. So...I imagine we will be back because my BF likes the wine list so much, but I will be getting something different to eat next time. Rounded down from 3.5 stars.

Got a table right away at 5:30 on Tuesday evening. The strawberry spinach salad was nice. My pan…read moreseared perch sandwich was somewhat disappointing - two small skinny pieces of fish hidden under sauce and lettuce. Still going with 4 stars because our waitress Mariah was great, grandson enjoyed his salmon, granddaughter liked her veggie quesadillas, and three year old great granddaughter ate her grilled cheese

It was a Thursday and I was in town (Live 64 miles from Petoskey) for a Doc appointment and a bit…read moreof shopping. I had done a bit of research the day before .. looking for restaurants in the area. When I noticed that the Side Door had Prime Rib on special, (Wed-Sat) the decision was made. DISCLAIMER: I had eaten at the Side Door a few years ago (Cilantro Lime Shrimp W/Pasta) Me and my neighbor arrived at about 4:45PM, and were greeted with a warm smile and seated immediately ... we were kinda early for the dinner rush so there was plenty of available seating. (NOTE: When we departed about an hour after we arrived, the place was FULL and a line was forming for a table.) We both ordered the 14oz Black Angus Prime Rib (10oz also available). About the same time that we finished the first beer, dinner was served! Simply one of ... if not Thee best, PR that I have had in several years, across 11 states. My neighbor agreed. Both of us now try to plan our Petoskey trips to coincide with dinner at the Door My ONLY complaint is that the horseradish was weak. Actually, it seemed that it had been washed into submission .. totally without any flavor or "bite". The rest of the meal made up for it. (But I *will* bring some nose-incinerating, sinus-creating horseradish from home on the next planned trip.) Service: Superb. We never had to ask for anything. Drinks were refilled with perfect timing. And always smiling. She is an asset to the establishment. Driving Suggestion: Depending on the season and the time of day, if arriving from the North, it can be nearly impossible to make the left turn into the Side Door. Suggestion: Turn Right into the strip mall (KFC, AT&T, etc) and use the traffic light near the gas station to turn left, back onto the highway then a right into the Side Door Saloon for some of the best dining in the Petoskey area. Ample Parking is available. YMMV

The whole reason I'm reviewing my favorite spot in Northern Michigan again, is because last night's…read moremeal was so incredibly perfect, and it was by chance that I found out they were open because I was on my way to Boyne City to have dinner. When I saw their sign lit, I turned around. I walked in and was received graciously as usual, and sat at the bar with Matt, the proprietor. Matt must've been born into this business because he's just so good at it and so natural it doesn't even look like he's a bit stressed or anything. Which in the restaurant business is the case at times. Regardless, I usually order some kind of a seafood dish here the walleye or the scallops, however last night the fillet was calling my name. It's that new RFK pyramid the protein so order it I did along with the dinner salad that comes with it and the Redskin mashed potatoes and beautiful asparagus perfectly done in my life. I don't think I've had a better dinner. I mean, the food's always excellent here but last night it just was perfection to the next level. So happy you were open. I'd much rather spend my dinner hour at Bella Vita a very relaxed atmosphere, with incredible service and food... Thank you, Matt, have a wonderful winter.

Update! Bella Vita made everything right!…read moreParents came in for some walleye and ended up using the gift certificate. Not only was dinner comped, but the entire bill was taken care of - this is how you do it! Parents weren't expecting anything more than the value of the gift certificate but were blown away by the service and graciousness of Bella Vita"s staff. 5 stars!! Thank you, BV!!