Spring and Porter — Restaurant in Petoskey

I am hard pressed to post negatively as the food is always good, but our experience tonight was a rocky one…our reservation (which we had to secure with credit card — albeit uncharged) was seated 50 minutes late. It then took us 15 minutes to be greeted by our actual server who was clearly overwhelmed as she had taken majority of the seatings by the time we got to our table. We ordered drinks, apps, & entrees at the same time with the stipulation we wanted it as soon as it was ready (we had a two year old with us—hence the reservation) and it still was coursed out very slowly. My husband ended up leaving to go home before our entrees were dropped which was over an hour into our time post being seated as our son had hit his limit being out (2+hours by that time). I can’t fully blame the shortcomings of our meal on our server as plenty of staff could have greeted us while our server was catching up—even if it was just to take a drink order or apologize for the massive delay in our seating. All 5 of our party members spent about $100/per person and would have likely spent more had our service been more attentive.

On a positive note, all the appetizers, sushi rolls, and cod were delicious as were the cocktails. I know your theme nights have had a great response which is very exciting for any business! Hopefully after this months success for you—a better handle on your timeline for reservations will be addressed moving forward—since you are required to put a credit card in to hold the reservation & the penalty for a no-show ends in a credit card charge. If I as a guest am required to hold up my end being present, the table reserved should be...

Often I find myself trying to one up my past culinary treks with something new and exciting. I tend to gravitate to places based and meaningful reviews and or friend's advice. This time I used our friends recommendation.

There's a common theme among good eats and to me that's a spartan menu. It makes sense if you think about it. Focusing on making a few things really well vs. making many things good is a better route IMHO.

Spring & Porter isn't located in a particular trendy or fancy location, yet the offerings will treat your senses. The interior is well executed, but not overkill in luxury. I wanted to treat my wife to something special for her birthday. The menu selection was wide enough including land and water based proteins.

I'm not a food critic by any means, yet I've been fortunate to experience Michelin level eateries and I thoroughly enjoy taking food focused trips sampling everything from roadside Tuk-Tuk kitchens to linen cloth tables with suit clad server restaurants. I found S&P to straddle the line between higher end chains like Ruth's Chris Steak House & Michelin 1 star contenders.

I tried their venison steak and sampled my wife's Halibut. I was quite pleased with the attention to detail and subtle taste nuance extracted with precision prep. With our 8 year old in tow it was a little more challenging to get the full experience. The selection of deserts and appetizers was nice as well.

Expect higher than average prices, but also prepare for something made with heart. The next time we're up north I'll try and to go again. I recommend...

Update review - Dined 12/11/202 We went again and the food was amazing. Jen is our new FAVORITE server. She is a gift by herself. Pair it with my Venison our guests had the Prime Rib Strip, the Duck and the Chicken. All were perfect and truly shined. Our Apps were the Lamb Meatballs and the Duck gnocci which were so delicious. What a great night with great friends. Which truly think Jen is now one of us! You can't go wrong here.

Previous Review Absolutely the best dining experience Since coming to northern Michigan. We decided to face the crowds on opening night and it was well worth the gamble. My appetizer fried green tomatoes are truly the best I have ever tasted and I have thought about them every day since. My husband had the calamari and it was delicious and there was plenty to share. He had the Halibut and risotto and I chose the filet with Asparagus and root vegetable puree. The atmosphere was exciting because it was opening night and yet intimate and cozy. The food really was outstanding and and will be a place that we visit often. Congratulations chef Tommy and chef Ron truly it's going to be an adventure that pays off For both you and the community the...