Trattoria Funistrada — Restaurant in Empire Township

Hands down one of my new favorite restaurants of all time. We came from Detroit for our 10 year wedding anniversary. Everything was literally the best I have ever eaten.

The service was some of the best I have ever experienced, including giving my wife a tasting of the wine to see what she prefered, and we ordered bottles of it for home as well (Late Harvest Riesling). They made us feel welcome from the moment we walked in.

The ambience of the setting was amazing. The energy and life of the staff radiated through everything. It felt like coming home with a welcoming family to greet you coming in the door.

We had the prosciutto asparagus as an appetizer and the flavor was so good I almost shed tears. My wife got the anniversary chicken, which was the best chicken we've had in our lives. No Joke. The Bistecca Balsamico was heaven of meat. The outside was a perfect crunch of amazing, the inside done to perfection, and the reduction was a wonderfully tangy offset to the candied steak.

I cannot say enough good things about this place. I wish I lived closer but that might be dangerous as I would want to eat here like 15 times a month. I cant wait to come back up and experience this amazing restaurant again. I cannot stress that this is one of the best places to eat in Northwest Michigan. I know I will be setting a reservation as soon as we can escape up there again.

My hats off to the entire staff for making it such a memorable night.

Thank you from the bottom...

I'll break my review into several sections and I fully understand that it may have been circumstantial, so here is my 2 cents:

On visiting with children: I can summarize this in one word: frustrating. They have no children's menu and charge $8 to split a plate - which means the lowest you will pay for one child to dine here is about $12-16 for their meal. If you have kids, skip it.

On the food: My expectation of the food I eat is in proportion to the price-point. This is a very high price-point for pasta dishes (most are $21+) that does include a salad. The salads were very fresh and quite good. The pasta, on the other hand, was average at best. I had the Penne Puttanesca w/Chicken and tried the Tortellini and the Lasagna. The Tortellini was the best of what I tried, but the food fell short of expectation.

On the service: The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was quaint. The blasts of 12 degree air hitting us from the front door had much of our party keeping jackets on through the meal. Service could have been a bit more attentive for an establishment at this price-point - my water glass was filled once and left empty for most of my meal.

Overall, am I coming back, probably not. Might this be a decent place for a small party of...

We were very fortunate to get a seat here, and I know why: the food is excellent! It's not easy (almost impossible) for me to find an Italian restaurant that meets my standards, so I prefer to prepare it myself. We were on vacation in Northern Michigan though, and tired of bar and diner fare, wanted something un po' più elegante. They were all booked for at least a week, so I called and managed to score two seats at the bar--the only two seats at the bar, where we received first-rate service from Olivia (if I recall), and got to interact with staff and the proprietor a bit.

To start we ordered the baked olives appetizer that was served with a creamy ricotta spread seasoned with lemon zest. The contrast of sweetness from the cheese and savory elements of the olives was a dream come true. The salad was fresh, side dish of pasta with a marinara sauce and for an entree, veal saltimbocca with a Marsala sauce we're all if superior quality. I enjoyed a nice Super Tuscan with that.

Next time I'm North, I'm going, but making a reservation well in advance. Buon...