Traverse City Record-Eagle,  March 7, 2003
Off Night in the Off Season

A high point of our recent dinner at Hattie's was the warm greeting from the server, who took our snow-covered coats as we came in from the blizzard blasting Suttons Bay that night. Between then, however, and the time we left with nary a thank-you or goodbye, lay some disappointments. This troubled us, for Hattie's is one of our favorite restaurants, and we've had plenty of good experiences there in the past.

     Perhaps on that Tuesday night they simply had the winter blahs, but the perfunctory service and inconsistent fare were something all too common here in resort land, where we locals sometimes feel taken for granted in the off-season.

     We sensed all was not as it should be when the server let us sit fifteen minutes without bread, and then bringing some that included a piece so stale we thought at first it was toast. Moments later, after one of us ordered braised veal shank, the server returned in a few minutes from the kitchen to say, "There isn't any veal."

     Not: "I'm sorry, we're out of veal, but may I suggest . . . "

     Not: "I know it's on the menu, but . . ."

     Just: "There isn't any veal."

     So we ordered braised lamb instead, silently wondering how the kitchen came to be out of veal when we were the evening's first patrons. Fortunately for our wallets (but not for owner Jim Milliman's bottom line), the lamb was one of the night's "pre-theater" dishes, for about $12 less than the regular menu's $28 veal.

     Mind you, disappointments were not unremitting. Hattie's showed flashes of its usual self. The star of the meal evening was the a la carte soup, a generous bowl of creamy, comfy root-vegetable puree that blended all the warm and earthy flavors of rutabaga, turnip, and parsnip. Our salads, too, were the familiar, airy blend of fresh greens and light vinaigrette that Hattie's has always done so well.

     The lamb, alas, fell short. Braising is supposed to leave the meat tender, moist and eager to fall from the bone. What we got, however, was so hard and dry we had to tear it apart one stringy bit at a time. Our other dish, whitefish, was okay for a $15.50 early-bird special, but nothing to write home about. Its herb seasoning and mustard sauce were lovely, but the tablespoon or so the kitchen provided wasn't nearly enough to enliven both the fish and the dry, unadorned (and almost raw) carrots, string beans, and broccoli that came along.

     Under other circumstances we might have sent the main courses back, but our server hardly gave us a chance. After not checking at all on our satisfaction with any of the earlier courses, he didn't do so for the main course until we were halfway through. By then it was far too late, and when he asked, "Everything okay?" we mumbled, "Fine," and soldiered on.

     Server and hostess alike busied themselves much of the time preparing nearby tables for groups to come, and hovering over a newly arrived couple. The couple, we decided, were friends of the staff, for they were greeted with happy hugs and jovial tableside conversation, including a long discussion about wine. We couldn't help noticing that their red wine warranted proper goblets whereas we made do with generic little glasses that made swirling and sniffing risky at best. Lest you think this picky or paranoid, we'll add that we were also the only diners not offered butter for our bread.

     Dinner wasn't cheap, but it was hardly exorbitant. Two $15.50 "pre-theater" dinners (salad, main dish, and caramel-sauced bread pudding dessert), plus a $6 bowl of à la carte soup, wine, and coffee came to $82 with tax and tip. (It would have been more save for the absence of veal from a much-advertised "new menu.")

     Will we go back to Hattie's? Sure, we will. Milliman's a friend and we like his restaurant, his style, and the way he boosts local artists. Will we send friends there? Sure, again -- after making certain this experience was an anomaly. Granted, we showed up unexpectedly without a reservation on a slow Tuesday night in mid-winter. But the prices were in mid-season form, and we reckon the food and service ought to be, too -- even in resort country.

DATA: Hattie's  (www.hatties.com), 111 St. Joseph St., Suttons Bay; 231-271-6222. Tues.-Sat. in winter, daily in season. Pre-theater menu (5:30 to 6:30 p.m.) with limited selections for $15.50 including salad, entree and dessert. Otherwise appetizers and salads $5-10, main dishes $26-31.