The Earle Restaurant - Ann Arbor (MI)

2 /5 Andi W.: After 15 years of visiting the Earle in Ann Arbor this was by far the WORST restaurant experience ever for a speacial occasion like New Years Eve. The service was low bar for such an esteemed place. Ive always asked for the sommelier when dining at the Earle bc of their extensive wine list and desire to try something new. It took more than a reasonable amount of time for them to arrive. After ordering, I left to use the restroom and when I returned, the bottle was left unopned. Sure, we were finishing our champagne toast but we finished or appetizers and champagne and finally had to ASK for the sommelier to appear to open the bottle, never to return to refill our glasses. The server, when leaving the appetizers, advised us to order our entrees b/c "it could take up to an hour." If youre that short staffed, seems the amount of tables seated should be limited. Upon arrival, shockingly, there was not a coat check person, which theyve had for years. Inadviseadly, I made the mistake of hanging my coat up. I intentionally snapped my coat to two white coat hangers and wrapped my scarf around the hangars so it wouldnt fall off. When we went to leave my scarf was there but having gone through every coat twice over, using a flashlight to look on the floor, it was nowhere to be found. **Edited to add I woke up to an email stating my coat miraculously reappeared. Looking at the pictures it clearly was not on two white coat hangars and I remain suspicious of how it reappeared. Be that as it may, my comments on the overall service stand.

5 /5 David Weiseman: Always a great place for a special occasion. Slightly fancy, but not over the top. They had a live musician playing acoustic guitar Christmas music. A great addition to the ambiance of the restaurant. Terrific selection of wines as well as house cocktails. The menu is a blend of French and Italian meals. Always enjoy coming here.

4 /5 Choosey Spender: Went here for a birthday dinner and had a good time. Tricky to navigate for any person with mobility issues, so keep that in mind. Fewer TRUE vegetarian options (no Parmesan or chicken broth) than expected. I enjoyed my eggplant dish after requesting extra sauce. The sauce was AMAZING! other members of the party reported that the meals were enjoyable but nothing to crave. The service was good, but not exceptional or impressive. Nice atmosphere. I’d visit again, but not on as a regular occurrence. My party REALLY liked Risotto balls and got 3 orders.

5 /5 Erin Hill: We had a group of 10 for dinner last night and started in the cozy bar area that was decorated cute for Christmas then headed into the dining room. This is such a fun venue especially in winter time! The cocktail list is extensive and everything we tried was delicious especially the hot toddy. Everyone at the table was very happy with the food...all of the red meat dishes were outstanding! Will definitely be back!!

4 /5 Vio: Im reviewing this as someone that doesnt have a love of fine dining but rather someone who had the extra money and wanted to try some new food, so take that as you will. My group of 3 had a 5:30 reservation, and was seated immediately upon arrival at around 5:20. We were here during winter break, so it might be busier when UMich is in school. The server was very responsive to us, and we were served in a pretty expected timespan. We ordered the escargot, lamb chops, duck breast, and mezziogiorno pasta. One individual got one glass of pinot noir. Escargot: we came here specifically to try escargot, so I dont have a frame of reference for if this was good escargot or not. I found it a bit cloying and fatty for my taste, but the puff pastry its served with helped cut through it. Im glad I tried it, but I dont think Id get it again. 1/3 of the party would get again Lamb chops: contrary to the other reviews, I thought they were fine, but nothing spectacular. The portion was good and the meat was tender, but I expected to be wowd more with the flavor, especially when its the price it is and the similarly priced duck breast was so much better. When choosing between the two, choose the duck. 1/3 of the party would get again Duck breast: these were incredible. Super tender, the apple topping paired well with the savoriness of the duck. The portion was pretty good as well. I really dont have anything bad to say about this dish, I usually dont like sweet paired with meat but I loved this. If I had another spare $50 Id consider coming back to get it again. 3/3 of the party would get again Mezziogiorno: I really liked this, it was mostly salty and savory flavor-wise. I enjoyed the kick of the pepper as well; it was pretty mild to me but more than I expected from an Italian-French restaurant, another person who tried it thought it was too spicy so spiceless people be aware. The portion was big so I reccomend sharing, this is the only thing we had leftovers of. Once again, Ive never had this type of pasta before so I cant compare but it kind of tasted like good chow mein. They were very generous with the toppings. 2/3 of the party would get again Pinot noir: I did not try it, but the person who ordered it said it was smooth and quite liked it. None of us are wine drinkers or even like wine generally, so that is a good sign.