Aerie Restaurant at the Grand Traverse Resort

August 6th, 2010; the date of my Nana and Papa's 50th wedding anniversary dinner; the date that I had been dreading. It is not to say that I was not thrilled to be spending time with my family or that I was not ecstatic for my Nana and Papa, but the part I was dreading was either pieces of lettuce sans dressing or the unseasoned, unsauced veggies that I would be forced to reckon with while everyone else around me indulged in creamy pastas and fresh baked breads with herb butter...not fair. However, all this ended with a simple suggestion by my mom: call ahead and ask the chef to prepare something allergy friendly. As I was sitting there trying to figure out why I hadn't thought to do that my mom placed the call and received reassurance from the person on the other line that the Chef would prepare something safe and delicious.

When it came time to go to the restaurant, I was cautiously excited. As the plates were being distributed amongst the rest of my family, I was anxious to see what my plate had in store for me. As my plate was laid before me the savory smell of garlic mashed potatoes drifted to my nose. This was followed by the smell of perfectly cooked and seasoned chicken with veggies that looked as if they had just been plucked from the farm. I first took a small slice of chicken and tasted it on its own. The garlic and herb seasoning on the surprisingly moist chicken danced off my tongue like an Italian tarantella. Eager to see what the other components had in store I took a bite of carrot, then a green bean, followed by a turnip and an amazing morel mushroom; all equally as satisfying. As I shoveled a large fork-full of "creamy" almond milk/garlic mashed potatoes into my mouth, the Sous Chef, and creator of my amazing dish walked up to the table to see how I was enjoying the meal. I wanted to jump up and hug him. Covering my very full mouth with one hand and gesturing with the other, I somehow managed to thank the Chef for how much I enjoyed my meal. With a little laugh and smile the very modest Chef went back into the kitchen.

By the end of the meal my plate was almost wiped clean (almost because I decided to get a to-go container so I could have another night of meal bliss), and I was dreading the end of the delicious almond milk cream sauce. Little did I know my mom, always the clever one, had asked the waitress for the recipe. Genius! Not too long after the request, the waitress was walking back with a yellow paper, on which was the recipe for homemade almond milk and almond milk cream sauce,* along with his business card and email which he said I could use to contact him for any advice or recipes if I wanted.

Needless to say I'd give this restaurant and dining experience 5 stars. Not only was the restaurant setting itself gorgeous (simple yet elegantly decorated with quirky chandeliers and a breathtaking 360 view of Traverse City and the Bay) and the food delicious, but the service/staff and Chef were both very friendly and professional as well. I, along with the rest of my family, were very happy customers.

Aerie Restaurant & Lounge













*See Recipes page for Almond Milk/Almond Cream Sauce recipe