Hoarder of the Gateaux

If you haven’t been to Dexter in awhile or you have never been, you may be surprised by this nice little town outside Ann Arbor.  We decided to take the scenic route from Ann Arbor along Huron River Drive.  This was a great idea until I took a wrong turn and we found ourselves bumping along rutted, dirt roads and running late for our reservation.  If you don’t follow our route, Dexter is an easy and pretty 15 minute drive outside Ann Arbor.

Terry B’s is located in a former farmhouse at one end of Dexter’s downtown.  It doesn’t disappoint on the homey feeling quotient and the crowd inside was stylized in everything from Harley wear to sport coat attire.  Immediate impression was anything from a romantic first date kind’a place to casual pop-in place for a drink and an app at the bar after you’ve been soaked at the game.

Terry B's - Dexter, Mi

Inviting Space

Terry B’s was purchased by the current owners in the fall of 2005 and opened the following spring after extensive renovations.  I must confess the name of the place didn’t bring gourmet food to mind.  A good burger, maybe …house made pastries and charcuterie, accompanied by a strong wine list …absolutely not.  But we were in for a treat.

Our 6:30 seating coincided with several larger parties arriving in other areas of the restaurant.  After a few minutes of getting settled and our waiter smiling at us a few times as he rushed past, the bartender stepped in to get us started on drinks and wine.  We liked Sean so much we decided to keep him.  Despite doing double duty at the busy bar and our table Sean had that easy manner that you wonder if anything stresses him out.  His first act of good service was to bring over a very nice, dry martini.  For those of you who have already noticed a trend of martinis among our posts we’ll arm-wrestle anyone who says we don’t know a finely made cocktail.

The basket of bread arrived with our drinks.  Don’t be shy about asking for more of the Parmesan crisps.  Deeeelicious!  I wiggled in my seat as I realized I was going to eat way too much and be happy, happy, happy.  Next…pecan dusted calamari with a sweet bourbon ginger syrup complimented nicely by a Meyer lemon vinaigrette and green apple slaw.  We order calamari a lot and we love it, but I don’t expect to be surprised by it very often.  This dish had me trying to figure out all of the ingredients so we could give it a go at home.  One person at the table wished the pecan coating was crisped-out a bit more …always one in the crowd.

Smoked Salmon Pastrami

House Charcuterie

We also sampled the Dexter Plate and the kitchen sent out the House Smoked “Pastrami” Salmon as a specialty of the house.  As expected, the charcuterie plate offered a variety of meats, cheeses and sides.  Someone I believe Sean referred to as “The Doctor” makes the cured meats in-house.  He has the skills.  It was a beautiful selection although a bit overwhelming with all the varieties and a bit tricky to divide the samples between multiple people.  The House Smoked Salmon however was a perfect presentation and proportioned for everyone to have a nice taste.  At the end of the night it made favorite dish for one member of our party.

The specials that night included a rack of lamb presented on a ramp risotto with a subtle cherry glaze.  Done!  Two orders for the ladies at the table please.  We also ordered up the Filet.  Both entrees were excellent.  Proportions across the board were good for being able to sample multitudes of courses (like we did) or just add a salad to your entrée and head home nicely satisfied (without the need to run extra miles the next day …like we did).  Pricing was also reasonable not only for the type of food, but add in the level of quality and creativity and you have an exceptional value.

Filet with Bacon and Haricots Verts

Colorado Rack of Lamb with Ramp Risotto

We couldn’t leave without dessert and when one person at the table who will remain nameless (but pictured above) refused to share the chocolate gateaux after her first bite I assumed it was her favorite dish of the night.  It looked fantastic, but she never stopped baring her teeth at us long enough to scam a taste.  I had finally hit my wall of gluttony and ordered the key lime crème de pot with raspberry sorbet, which was a refreshing finish to the night.

Gateaux Plating

Chocolate Gateaux

Chef Doug came out to say hello and check on our evening.  Always a nice touch, but I tend to question the sincerity when the chef  has been alerted to the potential written word.  What if I had just been Joe Diner in here tonight?  In the case of Chef Doug he was a genuine guy.  Once the rush was over and before he introduced himself to us I noticed him circulating the dining room several times and greeting people with a handshake or by name with a smile.  People don’t come here just for special occasions they come when they want to go out, have a good meal, but feel as at-ease as they do at home.  Overall Terry B’s has managed to create an experience that offers variety to a wide clientele …families, young couples, a group of retired friends and at the end of the night they even offered a keyboardist and singer who inspired a few dancers.  Terry B’s slogan is “a comfortable place to be” they just need to add “…with exceptional food.”

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Yummmm!  Is it the food?  The crowds?  The great wine list?  Yup, it is.  It is also and perhaps most importantly the staff. I sit at the bar a lot because I like to watch the mechanics of a restaurant and in Café Zola everything is viewable from the front row.  I am also required to sit at the bar at Café Zola because the man in my life, someone who regularly professes to love me, has a crush on one of the bartenders.  There you go.  All that great food, made from the freshest and best ingredients available and it is all secondary to a crush.  However, while my partner waxes poetic about the wine list with his drink-slinging goddess, I get to enjoy some great food and chat-up a few people around me …whether they like it or not.

Cafe Zola opened back in 1996.  I have vague memories of it being a breakfast, coffee, hang’in out kind’a place back then, but after a 10 year hiatus, I came back to find it all grown-up. The owners, Hediye Batu and Alan Zakalik, have managed to keep that casual, relaxed atmosphere I recalled and kindly added a whole bunch of wine!  There is a French flair to many of the dishes with bits of the Mediterranean and Italy included for variety.  As with many independent restaurants in the area, they are loyal to other local businesses using small bakeries to supply anything they don’t make on site.  Whether you plan on coming for breakfast, lunch or dinner Cafe Zola serves up everything from coffee to a Whole Fish enPapillote with attention to detail and the satisfaction of the customer.

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I did like the horseradish sauce …a lot!  Will that compliment save me from the wrath of the Sidetrack loyalists???

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