During all the hubbub of the cherry festival in traverse City, it would be excused if a restaurant cuts corners to pack the place and turn profits, but not Cook's House. We were a party of 18 people, with many kids. Our reservation pretty much...occupied the entire dining room, and our families 8 children (ages 9mo-10y) ranged from docile to manic. The staff handled the group like it was their actual family, with grace and caring that is usually unheard of these days in the service industry.
The food, was transcendent and perfectly executed. The opener of the mushroom broth set the tone for a sensory experience on par with some of the greats in San Francisco and Chicago. Each course was matched in expertise and taste by the next course, and the servers perfectly described the items as they were placed delicately in front of us. The pairings were designed to highlight a single thread of each dish, which I found interesting, and gave each person a specific taste or feeling to pinpoint. All were stellar, and we still talk about the experience months later. If I lived in traverse city I would frequent Cook's house far too often, but sadly I am too far to do such. If you haven't been yet, what are you waiting for? If you have, why haven't you been back?More