Dec. 24, 2004
Tip of the week: Chandlers . . . For lunch
Any listing of top regional restaurants has to include Chandler's, the tiny hideaway in Petoskey's Gaslight District. Alas, it is also one of the most expensive -- so pricey, in fact, that it might not fly in, say, Traverse City. Petoskey, however, has a certain air of insouciant affluence about it, and Chandler's has a loyal following there.

Fortunately, for people like us whose affluence doesn't rise to the level of insouciance, Chandler's is open for lunch as well as dinner. That makes it a perfect example to illustrate our tip of the week for people who really like to eat well but can't routinely afford $18 foie gras appetizers, $8 salads, and $38 steak. Our tip is simply to do what so many Petoskey food lovers seem to do: Go there for lunch.

At mid-day, Chandler's "crispy calamari" appetizer is a mere $9, a happy discount from the $12 the same recipe fetches in the evening. Ditto risotto -- $10 by night, $8 by day on recent menus. At lunch, salads and soups run $3 to $8, rather than $8 to 10.

We headed there earlier this month after a long bout of Christmas shopping. Footsore and in search of a long, leisurely lunch, we found respite from the windy streets, enjoyed a lunch as exquisite as any Northern Michigan has to offer, and spent no more than $25 before tax and tip.

As we sometimes do, we ordered a single complete meal to share -- an appetizer, a salad, and a dish from the menu's "grill-and-sauté" section. Chandler's is not known for lavish portions, so we were prepared to have dessert as well, if need be, but the three items turned out to be just right -- for us. Bigger eaters might want to double up on the "grill-and-sauté" order, or add a soup to the salad. (And if you want bread with your lunch, ask for it. We didn't get any until we did, although they seemed quite happy to provide.)

We began our meal by sharing a plate of that calamari, which came with a smoothly rich remoulade laced with ancho chilies that added a very satisfying bite to the soft texture of the underlying dish. We can't imagine that it would be any better at dinner than it was at 1 p.m., and we stretched that plate of calamari out as long as we possibly could.

Then we ordered a salad we'd really enjoyed on an earlier visit in the fall: baked goat cheese on a bed of greens, pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes with roasted-garlic balsamic vinaigrette. The kitchen this time was quite generous with the goat cheese, but we enjoyed the salad more on the earlier visit when it actually included the pine nuts and tomatoes.

As a "main course" we shared a sort of California Club in the round, consisting of lahvosh wrapped around a generous supply of seared turkey breast, crisp bacon, minced red onion and tomato with a lush avocado aioli. It was quite good and we have no regrets, but when we re-read the menu later, we lamented bypassing some things that might have been more interesting and adventuresome. The mistake was entirely ours, of course. Next time we'll hope they're still offering baked rigatoni with roasted tomato and chorizo sauce, or Chili served, Cincinnati style, with onions and cheddar.

Chandler's is a very interesting restaurant, and no wonder. The head guy, Chandler Symons, all but grew up in the specialty food and wine shop next door that his parents, Tom and Lynne, have operated for nearly 50 years. Then, after college and a stint at the Culinary Institute of America, he returned to Petoskey. After expanding the store's wine shop into the cellar, he launched Chandler's across the alleyway.

We've always had a soft spot for the general store, because a bottle we once found in the bargain bin there was one of the best red wines we have ever had. It was a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chateau Rayas, and we figured at first that it got into that bin by mistake. But the more we thought about it, the more we began to suspect it was a very clever marketing ploy, because we've been going back ever since looking for more. As you might expect, Chandler's has a wine list that is more than respectable to go with all that terrific food.

DATA: Chandler's, 215½ Howard Street, Petoskey; 231-347-2981.