Echelon Kitchen + Bar
We spend a significant amount of time highlighting Detroit because it is home for us, but Michigan as a whole is doing incredible things when it comes to food. Timing worked out beautifully, and on our way home from our Charlotte, North Carolina adventures, we finally made it to Echelon Kitchen + Bar in Ann Arbor.
Echelon has a beautiful Chef’s Counter that gives you a front-row seat to the wood-fire cooking happening in the kitchen. And as we head into the cooler, and eventually much colder, Michigan days, sitting in front of that fire may be one of the best seats in the house. The menu is incredibly seasonal, with a strong focus on showcasing Michigan farmers, producers and ingredients.
When we saw there was a Chef’s Counter experience, there really wasn’t much discussion about where we wanted to sit. We love being close to the kitchen and watching a team at work, especially when wood-fire cooking is such an important part of what they do. Michigan’s food scene continues to get more exciting, and there is so much talent across our state. We love seeing restaurants embrace what Michigan has to offer while creating something completely their own.
The canapés were beyond our expectations. Tartare, foie gras and more arrived together in a beautiful presentation that honestly felt like opening a box full of little gems. Each bite was completely different, and it was such a fun way to start the experience.
Canapes Kanpachi Crudo Fruits de Mer
From there, we moved into the Kanpachi Crudo. Personally, we love opening a tasting menu with a crudo, and this one was hibiscus ponzu, preserved strawberry and red onion. It was bright, delicate and beautifully balanced, exactly what we want from a crudo at the beginning of a meal.
As Emma likes to say, “Everything is better with caviar,” so of course Echelon’s take on “Midwest Caviar” immediately had our attention. California white sturgeon reserve was served with French onion dip and salt-and-pepper gaufrettes. Gaufrettes happen to be one of our favorite ways to enjoy caviar, so of course we were locked in and having a wonderful time.
Midwest Caviar Crab Anolini Fermented Wild Saskatoon Sorbet
From there we moved into the Fruits de Mer, a beautiful representation of exactly what its name promises: fruits of the sea. We talked about the tostada on the entire car ride home, the scallop was perfection in both taste and presentation, and the crab laab served with butter lettuce was another standout.
There is nothing that screams summer to us more than crab and corn, so transitioning into the crab anolini was perfect. We had just returned from warm weather to those first cooler Michigan days, and having one last dish that reminded us of a beautiful summer felt like the perfect way to officially start accepting that fall is here.
The dry-aged Stonefall Wagyu tri-tip with foie pierogi, braised cabbage, maitake and bone marrow sauce took us in the completely opposite direction. It was rich, warm and exactly the kind of dish that makes you a little more excited about the colder months ahead. We especially loved the foie pierogi. It brought something familiar into the dish while still feeling completely at home as part of the tasting experience.
We closed with a root vegetable dessert. There is something so fantastic about taking ingredients we typically think of as savory and using them in a dessert.
Wood Roasted Maitake Dry-Aged Stonefall Wagyu Pear Sorbet Root Vegetable
We absolutely loved our experience at Echelon. The Chef’s Counter, the wood fire, the focus on Michigan ingredients and the progression of the menu all made for such a wonderful evening.
Detroit gets a lot of our attention, and deservedly so, but there is an incredible food story happening throughout Michigan. The talent we have in this state continues to impress us, and after our recent Echelon x Vecino dinner, it was especially fun to make our way to Ann Arbor and experience Echelon in its own home. It is about time the rest of the country starts paying attention to what is happening here.
We may not follow football, but we have a lot of friends who do, so we know plenty of you will be making your way to Ann Arbor this fall. On your next U of M game day, make Echelon part of the plan. Football may be the reason you are heading to Ann Arbor, but there is some incredible food happening there too, and this is absolutely a restaurant worth experiencing.
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