Spencer — Restaurant in Ann Arbor

Disappointing Experience

I dined at Spencer over the Thanksgiving Holiday. The service was lackluster for the required 20% gratuity. We were offered seats at the bar; however we didn’t want to sit in a high chair, so we asked for table. We were place between two parties similar to a public sitting in a European restaurant. The hostess seemed irritated that we wanted to sit at a table. My wife and I don’t drink and the staff keep asking if we wanted to order wine which was annoying. The space is nice and cozy with an Ann Arbor granola feel.

The menu is labeled a tasting menu which is inaccurate. It’s actually prix fixe menu. A tasting menu offers a chef’s selection from an a la carte menu. The food was served family style and the portions were very small. This would be fine for an 8-12-16 course meal but it was 5 dishes (one course a piece of bread and the other a small desert). The food was brought out too quickly so we had four dishes sitting on the table all at once. One was a fried fritter, so it needed to be eaten immediately.

The food was lackluster. First dish was a small portion of garlic bread with cheddar and parsley. The crust was over baked making it difficult to cut with a knife or pulled it apart with your hands. Second course small portion of honeynut squash fritti, sage, onion, and pine nut. There were more fried onions than squash. Batter was oily and appeared old. It was not light, nice and crisp. It reminded me of the terrible onion rings my mom would order at Burger King. This was brought out with 3 other dishes, which is a red flag. You need to eat this hot.

The next dish was a small plate to share of brussel sprouts, priglia lentil, meyer lemon, and mint. The dish lacked flavor. Brussel sprouts were served nearly whole and raw. It would have been nice to have then charred a bit to bring out some nuttiness and make them a little softer. I was confused was this a warm or cold salad?

The main course was a gorgonzola scarpinocc, treviso, rosemary , and saba. The presentation was terrible it appeared the chef just threw a bunch of radicchio over the pasta. There were 10 scarpinocc on the plate. The pasta was over cooked and soggy.

The desert was walnut tiramisu, nocino, cocoa. This was definitely bought at a store and not made in house. We took one bite of the desert and I spit it out in my napkin. This was a terrible dining experience at a ridiculous price point. Every single dish was lacking something. When the waitress brought the iPad to pay, she simply said “insert your card”. When I asked to see a summary, she acted mad. We wanted to like this place so much but we left feeling robbed of our money and hungry. The entire hurried experience took less...

Utterly Disappointing Experience

I recently dined at Spencer, and I can confidently say that it was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time based on my expectations and the high price point. From the moment we walked in, the service was lackluster at best. We were barely greeted with a disinterested nod rather than a warm welcome. We were offered seats at the bar which we didn’t want for dinner and they begrudgingly allowed us to sit at a table. We poured our own warm water from a carafe. The staff seemed irritated that we didn’t order wine.

The menu is labeled a tasting menu which is inaccurate. It’s actually prix fixe menu. A tasting menu offers a chef’s selection from an a la carte menu. The food was served family style and the portions were very small. This would be fine for an 8-12-16 course meal but it was 5 dishes (one course be a piece of bread) so this was odd. Again, it was a prix fixe menu not a tasting menu. The food was continually brought out too quickly so we had four dishes sitting on the table all at once.

Now the food: The food was brought out with no explanation. Every single dish was lacking something. Whether it be lack of umami, salt, spice, an acid or it had an odd mouth feel. Nothing was good, not one dish. The temperatures were off. The platings were wrong. The wine of the diner next to us was served in a glass without a stem. Our water was served in a shot glass. It’s almost as though the chef had zero culinary experience from front of the house to the kitchen. Granted, I know good food (from local diners to Michelin restaurants) but even the people to our left and our right quietly complained about their food to each other too. Sandy clams to tough and greasy bread. The dessert was unpalatable. We each took one bite and left it. The service was so rushed and discourteous among all diners. When we were brought the iPad to pay, she simply said “insert your card”. When I asked to see a summary, she acted mad. We dine out at least two times a week at high end restaurants and enjoy spending our time and money on food. We wanted to like this place so much but we left feeling robbed of our money and hungry. I would have rather donated the $200 to an animal charity and eaten a sandwich at home. The entire hurried experience took less than 45 minutes (thank...

I’m not exaggerating when I say this is the best meal you’ll eat in Ann Arbor. Indeed it would not be an exaggeration to say you’d have a hard time finding a better place in New York or London - and I’ve tried. Abby’s cooking is always superb, always in season, always surprising and comforting at the same time. If she makes it, I will eat it, even if it’s something I’d normally hate. Yes it’s not cheap, but unlike a dozen other places in town where you’ll pay the same, you’ll leave feeling like you should have paid more. I’ve included pictures of the October menu and once again I can’t believe how I always think it can’t possibly be better than last month, but after years of coming for every menu, every month, I’m still charmed every time. This food is special. You’re not getting this somewhere else.

I should also add that I’m not much of a wine drinker, but what I know about wine I owe to Steve, who makes choosing wine a delight. First, he provides a curated list with each menu, both by the glass and the bottle, and you can be sure whatever you choose it will pair beautifully with what you’re eating. But even better, he and the staff make wine fun and easy rather than intimidating. I’ve learned so much because I felt confident to try things; I know I won’t be steered wrong and I know I’m not being judged. We’ve even gone to the special wine tasting evenings and started buying wine to take back home.

The atmosphere here is also amazing, which honestly doesn’t feel fair to other restaurants since the food and drink are already so superb. Every member of the staff is pleasant, friendly, and helpful. I haven’t felt like a local at many places in my life, but I’m truly always happy to see how everyone is at Spencer’s. That’s not just because we’ve come for years, it was that way from almost the first time we came. I love supporting this restaurant, not just because I love dining here, but becayse I care about the people, I want them to do well, and my life is richer because this wonderful place is part of...