Restaurant Week, Traverse City, Michigan, 2015 Fair Weather At The Boathouse

Dinner at the Academy Awards is a culinary celebration of fantasy made real, but the offerings at Restaurant Weeks across the country are quite extraordinary, also. Witness Restaurant Week in Traverse City, 2015. I was invited to The Boathouse, one of the finest restaurants in town, and it rose to the occasion and shined, glowed, warmed, delighted!
All for $25. (my friend from Boston let out an audible gasp when she heard that)

To set the evening's tone, the drive out from town was unexpectedly delightful. It didn't snow all day and the temps weren't bone chilling yet. Additionally, the road was in good shape, so we could relax enough to take in the view of  Grand Traverse Bay, frozen though it was, and the lovely homes which line Peninsula Drive.

And that just made the dining experience more seductive. I love the interior design of The Boathouse. There are three large dining areas, and all are inviting spaces.  Most importantly to me, the acoustics are such that it's not loud and echoey.  The lighting is softly bright, shining out of beautiful spiky sconces and ceiling fixtures from Old Hickory Furniture Co., that resemble brown, bare branches. (the website calls it 'cottage decor' -- I call it 'hip, cottage decor') Very nice in total. (I was especially impressed that the decor matched the clothes of my friend's daughter -- those subtleties a photographer really appreciates.)

P.S. These rolls were incredible!

The fireplace could be bigger, but it was there, burning comfortably in the largest room. It adds to the general ambiance more than anything else, because what's central to the dining space is that it's window-lined. (we could see people Cross Country Skiing on the frozen harbor outside. Charming!)
















All this set the stage for the meal -- appetizer, entree, dessert. You can Google Restaurant Week for the full offering, but, after the Wedge Salad, (which I adore!) 

I had the 5 oz. steak (black angus), with fingerling potato, parsnip puree, haricot vert, tomato jam. and it was perfection!  

The Parsnip Puree rocked!
Sweet/Sour/Sensational!

My dining partner had the lobster and it, too, was outstanding. 

I saw more of these coming out of the kitchen than anything else. The combinations of stuffing got more and more interesting to the palate, too, working from north to south. We were assured it was fresh Maine Lobster. It certainly tasted that way.

Dessert was a tad underwhelming after the fireworks of the entrees, and small portions, now that I think of it. But that was somehow in keeping with the winter mood -- just a little chocolate, creme brûlée, or apple crisp to go with that last sip of champagne; that was a more fitting conclusion to this lovely meal than more sugar.

By the time we were done, the light had finally faded from the sky, and the parking lot was a shimmering, blue canvas of snow. I'll return in the spring to check for continuity, but I've eaten at the Boathouse twice now, and a third time will make real my endorsement for best restaurant in Traverse City.