Eating out: The Cooks' House

The Cooks' House is a hole-in-the-wall local joint in Traverse City, one that I've been hoping to try since we first saw it. The awning says right on it, "local and sustainable." I love it already!

There's a story behind it, which was printed in the Detroit Free Press recently, but I forget what it is and the article is in my car... in Michigan. ;) The chefs/owner(s?) made sure to greet us and ask how everything was. They were quick yet thorough in answering our questions.

After being seated, we were served bread plates (a multigrain and an Asiago slice for everyone except The H) that came with butter and pig belly--the white piped stuff on the left of the plate. Flavorless, in case you were wondering.

We all had water to drink. I thought the bottle was funny...

My first choice was the spinach and fiddlehead salad with roasted beets. Delicious! The H said the fiddleheads tasted like fresh green beans. It was my first experience with them.

My mom started with the asparagus soup... no cream base here, no roux--just asparagus (and shiitake mushrooms). It tasted SO FRESH.

The H had a white bean-red wine soup that was literally, like Mom's choice, made of just those items. Incredibly simple, yet so very creamy and satisfying. I forget what my dad had... pasta of some sort with smoked rabbit and roasted vegetables, I think. It was good. :)

My entree was a risotto. Small-portioned, but rich.

The H and my dad both had the salad with roasted pork shoulder... I thought I had a pic of it, but oh well.

We all ended the evening with mounds of flourless (really!) chocolate cakes topped with homemade whipped cream and grated nutmeg. If I'd run the full marathon a few hours earlier, I'd have eaten two.

This restaurant is a little out of our price range (roughly $60 for the two of us) for an everyday dinner, but since it's 3 hours out of town anyway, it's not like we'll go there all the time. I can see us returning for another celebratory dinner, perhaps in a different season (we *do* have a fall anniversary...) to experience a new seasonal menu.

Overall, eating at The Cooks' House was a pleasant and relaxing way to spend the evening. Our outdoor table, privy to the gentle breeze and beautiful sunset as well as the lightly busy street, enhanced the experience.