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January 2024 by Quivering Moist
Cool, unsuspecting restaurant. Had the tasting menu. The soup was excellent, and the walleye didn't disappoint either. Wasn't very fond of the dessert but to each their own. Bar tender/server was a nice guy who was enthusiastic about the food and drinks. With 3 tasting menus ordered in our party I expected the chef to come out and say hello. As a chef for the last 20 years this is the best fine dining meal I have had in the Grand Traverse area. Highly recommended.
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December 2023 by rajah nagarajah
Can’t say enough good things about this special gem. Came into traverse city for work and was seeking a memorable meal. Wren delivered. The food, the vibe, the staff - just wow. A true example of farm to fork and culinary excellence. As a person from the east coast (yes I’m a snob) who has high food expectations, this place beat them 10x over. I will be back and I will always remember this meal.P.s - get yourself a personal cheese board. Worth it. And converse with Hannah the bartender, she’s spectacular.
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November 2023 by Jennifer Rynbrandt
We are a family of six and eat quite well at home. After figuring what we were spending each month, eating out on the fly, I determined that we would instead go out for a special family dinners on the first Friday of each month.Last night was our third official "First Friday". We dined at Wren in Sutton's Bay. The six of us had a reservation for 8:30pm, as late dinner seem more relaxed, and restaurants often are not at peak service hours. We like a slow meal to enjoy, particularly if we only blow it out once a month.Service was polite and warm. Our table was ready upon arrival, and we were brought out some lovely little nibbles from the chef. My husband's old fashioned was very (!) well done and the glass of Chilean Cab Sav was also a great little gem to have on the menu at that price point ($15).As always, I ordered two desserts for us all to pass around and try. Dessert first is part of the fun. The brownie with Mexican-spiced "hot cocoa" (like a fancier version of Abuelita) ice cream was really well balanced and went quickly. The other dessert, which I was looking forward to, was a house-made Apple Cake. The apple cake unfortunately came across as fancy day-old muffin. Dense, dry, and there were bites left that we had to coax our 11 year old into eating. However, the next ordered offering knocked my knickers off.I make a lot of soup. We eat a lot of soup. Always labor intensive and from scratch. I braise high quality (usually local) meat and bones for broth and I use my own fresh and dried herbs, onions, and other aromatics for the seasoning. But nothing, and no amount of hype, could have prepared my senses for that beyond-stellar, white pumpkin soup.That soup was the most perfectly executed first course that I may have ever had. For reference, I drove six hours to Chicago in May, just for dinner at Galit, a Michelin-starred establishment. There was nothing on Galit's starter menu that even closely aped the divinity of Wren's white pumpkin soup. 'Nuff said.The Lamb Ragout was also a stand-out. The richest of gravies (or sauces, depending on where you are from) was the vessel for tender, well seasoned, and memorable lamb.The filets on the table also went quickly. Pristinely cooked to med-rare and perfectly rested prior to portioning. The poached duck egg on top was killer! The potatoes were fine but a local roasted root veg might have been more fun and flavorful.Scallops were also a good choice, although, I like mine med. At Wren, they were served closer to rare, which I fully understand, some folks do prefer. The accompaniments to the scallops were spot on and the quality of the scallops were indeed, quite nice. But a more deliberate sear could have offered a mildly tighter scallop and brief crunch to contrast the herby drizzles and creamy dollops on the plate. The painterly composition was clean on the palette and a delight to eat.The Whitefish was also a notably present dish. Our eleven year old ate everything on his plate, and when asked, said that the "lemony" taste of the fish was "exquisite and ornate". Pretty insightful for eleven. He didn't bother to share so I can't comment of the flavors.Atmosphere: The space has great potential to be moodier and memorable, given its small footprint. I was hoping for something dark and intriguing and it really doesn't get there, inside. The deliberately saturated hues on the website and the building exterior are much bolder that the impression the interior provides. And, given the online nod to upscale butchery, there were no truly fleshy starters. Add a tartare, maybe? Please?If we visit again, it will only be my fella and I and we would do the fixed price five course menu with wine. And in hindsight, I suspect that's the whole point of Wren. Because the couples at the bar having the tasting menu appeared wholly contented. Swirling. Smiling. And admittedly, I was a little green.
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November 2023 by Mark Frye
Great food. Great ambience. Great service. I love that the menu changes often.
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October 2023 by Sergey Bogomolov
We love the fact that there's a new addition to the restaurant scene in the area. The food was delicious and presentation was creative. Their pumpkin soup is to die for! If there was one thing we would improve, it would be to use less salt on the dishes. Okay maybe one more thing - the duck was also absolutely delicious with a crispy skin , but maybe a little too dry. Otherwise the meal was amazing!
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October 2023 by Kristy G.
Wow, what a great spot we "Yelped up" on our through Suttons Bay. They got us a table fir 4 right away (though I'd recommend reservations, I guess. It's not a huge place) and I was delighted to be treated to an amuse bouche after our bottle of wine was delivered to the table. Three of us had the scallops, prepared imaginatively and presented beautifully. Very artful and a nice depth of some herbal concoction (not remembering now exactly what it was, but it contained turmeric, which was jut lovely). My dad had the lamb with noodles and we had to stop him from licking the bowl clean (really). The service was friendly and professional, with several staff members tending to our needs promptly and graciously. We didn't expect this! Yelp lists it as $$ but it's really $$$ btw, but it was worth it. Don't know when we'll be back that way again, but when we are, we'll def stop in.
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October 2023 by Paula Maleport
This is a small restaurant with a limited menu prepared by an experienced Chef. We chose the tasting menu which was a beautifully presented 5 course meal that was outstanding. It was very expensive ($80) but worth the experience for a special occasion. Reservations are recommended as there is limited
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October 2023 by Thomas Howell
Blown away… had the tasting menu with wine pairing. It was stunning.
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October 2023 by doug campbell
Hands down one of the best restaurants in Northern Michigan. Every time we've gone in for dinner, we have been blown away. Exceptional cocktails and selection of wine. Have not ordered a dish we didn't love. One of our go to restaurants, because we know we will leave satisfied.
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September 2023 by Cheryl S.
The food was excellent and very creative. Service was perfect. Ambience is nice but the open door in the back made it a little chilly inside. Try it. You'll be pleased. Prices are reasonable
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September 2023 by Katie S.
Highly recommend the tasting menu- worth the money! Everything was perfectly prepared and presented in such a nice way. The flavors were insanely delicious!
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August 2023 by FrequentHappyTravele
Visited on a recent Wednesday... 15 minutes early for a 5:30 reservation. About half tables were occupied from 5 pm reservations. Was told that because this was a "fine dining experience" restaurant they could not seat anyone more than 5 minutes ahead of the reservation time. A unique response for sure. We knew it was "fine dining" from two other visits. Offered to simply sit at a table and wait out the time until 5:25 with no requests. Refused. And so, not an initially great way to start the evening. FYI we had been at The Cook's House the night before for another 5:30 reservation, another "fine dining experience" place although no one has ever felt the need to proclaim that. Arrived 10 minutes early. Warm greeting. Offered choice of any empty table. Entrees (scallops for one of us, white fish for the other) were excellent. As expected for "fine dining." Dessert was not so "fine" at all. A "seasonal crisp" fruit with no evidence of anything "crisp" about it. Wait person suggested this was supposed to be granola sprinkled somewhere but she had never tried this one. Perhaps a wee bit of granola was hiding under the ice cream scoop atop the fruit. Perhaps. Returned to sous-chef. Credit Wren for removing this from the bill. Chef Adam needs to ease up on that early greeting with empty tables available. They've been pleased in past when told that we compared Wren to Cook's House. Alas, not this time.
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August 2023 by Conor McCloy
Phenomenal food, great selection of wines and thoughtful cocktails. Staff was great and understanding. Portions are small but flavorful and artfully
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August 2023 by Kaya H.
Such good food! I ordered the fillet and it was great, as was the lemon zucchini cake. Not sure if they keep the same menu continuously. Service was leisurely paced but well worth it.
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July 2023 by Joshua Bostwick
We come back every summer for the best dining experience in Leelanau County. They take reservations by phone up to one month in advance. We did the tasting menu with wine, and added the duck entree. Some of the plate presentations looked less appealing this year, but flavors were excellent. The staff is well educated and each person touched our table at least once. Highly recommend!