S2S Sugar to Salt — Restaurant in Garfield Township

We came here once a couple months ago, and we were excited to try it. Cute little place, but it’s very small and very loud. Difficult to have a normal conversation. Our server wasn’t super friendly, but they were busy and my friend and I both having been in food service, we tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. There was a beef and sweet potato waffle on the menu that sounded amazing, but it was prepared with a poached egg on top that I asked if could just please be left off (I can’t have eggs and almost everything on their menu has eggs), and the server stated “umm, I’ll have to ask the Chef, he gets really weird and irritated about any alterations”. The food arrived and the brisket on the waffle was completely inedible. It was nothing but globs of fat, so I boxed it up for my dogs. We left underwhelmed to say the least, especially for the price. We have some friends this past weekend that wanted us to give it another shot, so we called ahead at 9:15am, and made a reservation for 9:45 for 4. The hostess said they had plenty of space and would ready our table. We arrived on time, and were seated. Our friends texted that they were running a little late, so we informed the server and ordered coffee. There were a decent amount of tables, but there were plenty open and several outside still available as well. We were just chatting and enjoying the coffee, and it was after roughly 15 minutes of being seated, either the hostess (or maybe she’s the manager) came over and rudely snapped “is the rest of your party almost here? I need to know when I can turn this table over”, and after we apologized and informed her they were about to arrive, she just turned around and walked away. We were completely blown away! We felt so uncomfortable from then on, and felt very pressured to rush, eat and get out. This woman kept looking at our table as she walked by, and we even caught a couple of her eye rolls while we waited well over 45 minutes for meals to come to the table, and the server never came to check on us or let us know they were behind. It was so loud again, and difficult to visit with our friends, and our server definitely wasn’t overly friendly either. We truly just felt like burdens, even though we spent over $100 on breakfast (as did our friends). The $28 (very small) steak breakfast one of them ordered was near raw, almost all fat, and completely unable to cut or eat. I appreciate the attempt at folks wanting to create a unique dining experience, and we loved the location and idea, but between the prices, volume level (and tables are very close together), food quality, attitudes and service, we sadly and definitely will...

After looking at the stunning photos when finding this spot online, this restaurant was the one I was excited for the most on our trip to Traverse City. It was as busy as can be when we arrived, usually always a good sign. One of the servers was able to seat us quickly after we arrived so we didn’t have to wait the 45 minute quote time, which was heavily appreciated. It was fantastic to see the suspected manager or owner conversing with patrons in a genuinely meaningful way, topping off waters and running food. Our server was sweet. It did take about an hour from arrival to receive our food.

The first dish finally arrived, but was finished by the time my partner received his. We were planning on sharing a few bites anyway, but if we hadn’t that would have made for an awkward and unenjoyable dining experience. I ordered the chicken sandwich and while the presentation was nice, it was lackluster and disappointing. IMMEDIATELY upon receiving it, the focaccia was so soggy and wet that I couldn’t even pick up the sandwich for the first bite. I wouldn’t normally send things back, but I would have had I seen the server again sooner. The cheese on the bottom was thick and hard. The chicken resembled a milanesa style, but that little protein was not satisfying for so much bread. There wasn’t any component that had much flavor, and my favorite part ended up being the fries that were all about 3 inches in length.

My partners pancake dish finally arrives and the plating is lovely, the colors vibrant and the ingredients interesting. He pours the syrup, and it sloshes out with the consistency of water. The pancakes were dense and fluffy, but still somehow soggy even at first bite- I’m not sure if the squash added too much moisture or if they were sitting too long. There was no crisp to allow the syrup to blanket the top without making the pancake even soggier. It was sweet and savory with sugared berries and sage, but in a much too subtle way that didn’t compliment the dish. I’m not sure if the fruit on top was supposed to be poached but it was hard and uncooked. The blue corn meal was a fun touch of color, but it didn’t add much to the dish. Another dish that wasn’t bad, but definitely unimpressive.

Maybe this isn’t the case normally and the kitchen just missed the mark on this particular day. However, it’s hard to not feel cheated when you’re presented with Instagram-worthy food that does not taste good. I’m glad we tried it, but I don’t see...

Fantastic brunch and service. Went as a group of four on a Saturday and did not have a reservation. However, we only had to wait roughly 5-10 min before we were seated at the bar. The waitstaff were very friendly and helped with menu questions and suggestions. We ordered the Beef and Waffle and The Sandwich. The Beef and Waffle dish included crispy leeks, pea shoots, an egg, hollandaise, and roast brisket served atop an herb potato waffle - incredibly tender with well balanced flavors. Only note is the crispy leeks, although fun to look at and added a level of crunchiness, were difficult to eat due to their size. The Sandwich includes two meats, pastrami and fried chicken, along with an egg, provolone, greens, and scallion aioli all served on fluffy focaccia. I was hesitant with the meat combo at first but it was savory selection, each element blended graciously and not as messy as I imagined. Only note for the sandwich is that I had to rearrange my dish to avoid eating off the bar because it came out on a trendy, but impractical plate - more like a rustic slab. I give this place props for making choices that showcase their creativity, in style and ingredients but I’d also caution them to balance with the customer experience. It feels modern but not rigid and welcoming but not desperate. I definitely felt welcome and the crowd was relaxed and excited about eating both their mains and desserts, which were on display when you enter. We ended up getting the lemon bar, which I enjoyed thoroughly. Would definitely try their cinnamon roll next, which I watched several people order while we dined. I’d consider this a good date spot and also reasonable for families and friends. Even single customers can sit at the bar and enjoy their meal or simply a hot drink, I’d suggest the chai - it smells amazing. My only interior note is the walls need some upgrades style-wise to match the overall attitude of the food. The far wall screamed Hobby Lobby country mom decor, which is cute in small doses but not as a theme. Overall, so pleased with our service and brunch, definitely adding to my TC...