Wren — Restaurant in Suttons Bay Township

We booked a reservation 1 month out for our dinner last night for 8:00PM. We arrived at 7:45 and checked in. The restaurant didn't have a dedicated host but rather the servers were rotating the role when reservations came in. This waitress told us that our table wasn't available yet and we should "come back at 8:00." We thought that was a little odd that we weren't invited to have a drink at the bar, etc. Maybe that was implied but it seemed odd that they didn't state that/welcome us.

After waiting outside on a bench, we came in and our table was still not available. We were told that "our" table was being used by the chef's family. They had been there since 5:30, 2 and half hours. One would think the chef's family would understand the need of the restaurant to satisfy their PAYING customers and kindly get up when the other reservations arrived as scheduled. After waiting until 8:11 we were sat at a table and we were told that we will need to 'move once "our" table was ready.' This is not the customers problem. When customers go out to a restaurant, they expect to be seated once, in the timeframe of their reservation. Neither of these expectations were met. We waited 14 minutes from the time we ordered our drinks until they arrived at the table. The drinks were delicious, kudos to the bartender (who seemed to be the only competent FOH person in the restaurant). "Our" table was available 25 minutes after our reservation time. We sat down, again, and ordered immediately.

We had ordered a la carte but I had asked the waitress if we could have our items one at a time, she obliged. When we had questions about the branzino (fish) the waitress said "Yep, it comes with everything, the bones, the tail and the eyes looking up at you." I am not paraphrasing, that is EXACTLY what she said. Would you order that if it was described to you in this way?!

The food was for the most part exquisite and delicately prepared. We got the beets, caesar salad, deviled eggs, cheese board as appetizers. I ordered the ducks and my GF ordered the steak cut medium. Out favorite appetizer was the beets with the carrot puree and raspberries. Pacing was going fine until we were waiting for the cheese board. We waited 20 minutes for it to arrive. We had started to become full once the cheese board arrived so we didn't eat it all. We asked for it to be boxed. Once it was boxed, we waited another 15-20 minutes for our entrees to arrive.

My duck was overdone (our friend who happened to also be eating there next to us and ordered the duck specifically told me to order it MR because his was also overdone.) However, I love duck so it didn't concern me all that much. But when you're paying over $40 a plate I'm sure you could understand that this is not an unreasonable request to have it prepared correctly, and timely for that matter. When the server came back to check on our entrees, my girlfriend mentioned that her steak was underdone (MR when ordered MED; See picture below) and the server more or less shrugged it off; Didn't apologize, didn't ask to fix it, didn't offer / bring a small free dessert / comp our first round of drinks, etc. The staff seemed nonchalant about the entire dining experience.

Once the check was dropped off we ask for our first round of drinks to be comped because of our poor experience throughout the entire evening from start to finish.

We returned to the restaurant after visiting for the first time last year for our anniversary, however the magic was not there for this visit. Unfortunately, we did not have the experience we were expecting for a restaurant who prides itself in the fine dining experience.

TL;DR the food was excellent but the service was poor. We spent $200 for a 2 and half hour dinner for poorly prepared entrees (specifically) with a staff ill equipped for the fine dining experience.

Next time we'll choose a restaurant that values our time and money elsewhere for better service and...

We are a family of six and eat quite well at home. After figuring what we were spending each month, eating out on the fly, I determined that we would instead go out for a special family dinners on the first Friday of each month.

Last night was our third official "First Friday". We dined at Wren in Sutton's Bay. The six of us had a reservation for 8:30pm, as late dinner seem more relaxed, and restaurants often are not at peak service hours. We like a slow meal to enjoy, particularly if we only blow it out once a month.

Service was polite and warm. Our table was ready upon arrival, and we were brought out some lovely little nibbles from the chef. My husband's old fashioned was very (!) well done and the glass of Chilean Cab Sav was also a great little gem to have on the menu at that price point ($15).

As always, I ordered two desserts for us all to pass around and try. Dessert first is part of the fun. The brownie with Mexican-spiced "hot cocoa" (like a fancier version of Abuelita) ice cream was really well balanced and went quickly. The other dessert, which I was looking forward to, was a house-made Apple Cake. The apple cake unfortunately came across as fancy day-old muffin. Dense, dry, and there were bites left that we had to coax our 11 year old into eating. However, the next ordered offering knocked my knickers off.

I make a lot of soup. We eat a lot of soup. Always labor intensive and from scratch. I braise high quality (usually local) meat and bones for broth and I use my own fresh and dried herbs, onions, and other aromatics for the seasoning. But nothing, and no amount of hype, could have prepared my senses for that beyond-stellar, white pumpkin soup.

That soup was the most perfectly executed first course that I may have ever had. For reference, I drove six hours to Chicago in May, just for dinner at Galit, a Michelin-starred establishment. There was nothing on Galit's starter menu that even closely aped the divinity of Wren's white pumpkin soup. 'Nuff said.

The Lamb Ragout was also a stand-out. The richest of gravies (or sauces, depending on where you are from) was the vessel for tender, well seasoned, and memorable lamb.

The filets on the table also went quickly. Pristinely cooked to med-rare and perfectly rested prior to portioning. The poached duck egg on top was killer! The potatoes were fine but a local roasted root veg might have been more fun and flavorful.

Scallops were also a good choice, although, I like mine med. At Wren, they were served closer to rare, which I fully understand, some folks do prefer. The accompaniments to the scallops were spot on and the quality of the scallops were indeed, quite nice. But a more deliberate sear could have offered a mildly tighter scallop and brief crunch to contrast the herby drizzles and creamy dollops on the plate. The painterly composition was clean on the palette and a delight to eat.

The Whitefish was also a notably present dish. Our eleven year old ate everything on his plate, and when asked, said that the "lemony" taste of the fish was "exquisite and ornate". Pretty insightful for eleven. He didn't bother to share so I can't comment of the flavors.

Atmosphere: The space has great potential to be moodier and memorable, given its small footprint. I was hoping for something dark and intriguing and it really doesn't get there, inside. The deliberately saturated hues on the website and the building exterior are much bolder that the impression the interior provides. And, given the online nod to upscale butchery, there were no truly fleshy starters. Add a tartare, maybe? Please?

If we visit again, it will only be my fella and I and we would do the fixed price five course menu with wine. And in hindsight, I suspect that's the whole point of Wren. Because the couples at the bar having the tasting menu appeared wholly contented. Swirling. Smiling. And admittedly, I was a...

Let me start this off by saying that the food is very close to 5 stars. Execution and attention to detail were the best we have experienced in the area.

There are 4 main reasons I can't give Wren 5 stars. #1 the music was absolutely atrocious for the setting. 6, Yes 6 songs by the backstreet boys, 5 Brittney Spears, and sprinkle some Vanilla Ice and Boys II Men on top. Music is part of the dinning experience and this was a major dent in our evening. #2 the wine pairings weren't ideal with the tasting menu. Being Oenophiles, my wife and I are more sensitive to this than most people, but when you are paying $125+/person for a coursed meal execution on pairings is essential. The Pike Road Pinot paired with the Wagyu isn't ideal being that it is a smoke tainted wine. The Big Little Underdog Gamay Noir wasn't finished and beat up the front of the tongue and overpowered the beets. Finally, the Ya Cuvee Brut...it was a really pleasant wine on it's own, but pairing bubbles with mint is a dangerous proposition. Once they collide, they can create an overpowering bitterness that numbs the pallet and destroys your sense of taste. Finally, wine should be served at the proper temperature and serving reds at room temperature isn't acceptable. #3 It is completely inappropriate to dust during service hours and especially above set tables. #4 booking a table is actually hard to do and this doesn't make any sense considering they were at less than 50% capacity...