Logan, an American Restaurant is located at 115 W. Washington Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Logan is easy to find for those familiar with the city. It is just across the street from Grizzly Peak and Cafe Zola and only three doors from The Earle. The building’s facade is painted a cheerful yellow and an attractive art deco sign leaves no doubt that you have arrived at Logan. Inside you find a long, deep room painted in an orangish umber. Colorful abstract paintings line the walls. Like its neighbor, Cafe Zola, Logan favors a simple arrangement of wooden tables and chairs with linen table cloths. A small bar with four or five seats fronts the enclosed kitchen area. We were seated at a two-person table which had ample room for us to sit comfortably. We were offered a choice of tables as we arrived early for our reservation and the restaurant was not yet busy.
The meal began with a complimentary green papaya salad dressed with cilantro and peanuts. The green papaya was light, slightly sweet, and crispy. The cilantro and peanuts provided wonderfully contrasting flavors to the papaya and to each other. The first of two well made Manhattans arrived for me and my wife ordered a good German Riesling (Dr. L) for her meal. I ordered the Salmon Cakes for an appetizer and the Gnocchi and Pinenuts for my entree. My wife ordered the Bourbon Pork Tenderloin. We each ordered a side of Ginger Carrots.
The Salmon Cakes, three of them, arrived and proved to be more than enough to share. The cakes were pan seared, encrusted with poha, and served with a traditionally made curry sauce and crispy rice noodles. The salmon was firm and mild. The curry sauce tasted faintly of Dijon and was a tasty addition to the salmon without overwhelming the delicate flavor of the fish. The crispy rice noodles looked like a wedding cake decoration gone very wrong but it was a bit of fun for an already impressive appetizer. The noodles had no discernible flavor, at least not to me.
Our entrees arrived almost as soon as we finished the appetizer. My wife’s Bourbon Pork Tenderloin proved to be medallions marinated in Woodford Reserve small batch Bourbon, Spanish paprika, honey and Dijon. The were served with a potato gratin, poached pears and a herbed pork reduction. She began to praise this dish as soon as she tasted the pork. I didn’t taste it so I can’t comment further than to say it looked delicious and it is likely to be my selection the next time we dine at Logan.
My Gnocchi and Pinenuts was served with a Gruyere cheese cream sauce, garnished with marinated oven-roasted onions, toasted pinenuts and fresh herbs. The potato dumplings that comprise this dish were pillow-shaped and about one-and-a-half inches long by about one-inch wide. Ample amounts of cream sauce meant that each gnocchi was well coated with the mild, rich sauce. The marinated onions were surprisingly sweet and the pinenuts, well, they tasted like pinenuts. Overall, there were many flavors in my dish to keep the taste buds attentive. None overwhelming the other, just seemingly endless combinations of creamy, sweet, nutty, and the rich blandness of the gnocchi itself. The Ginger Carrots that we both ordered came in their own dish. They were firm, with a light ginger taste that didn’t mask the natural sweetness of the carrots.
During the meal I switched from my second Manhattan, promptly served after the first one was finished, to coffee. I didn’t inquire but the richness of the taste of the coffee made me suspect it was an Italian roast.
We finished the meal with dessert. My wife chose the Chevre Cheesecake and a pot of herb tea. Made with goat’s cheese and sour cream I was intrigued by the cheesecake and sampled it. It was lightly sweet and very tasty, a nice departure from the usual cherry-dripping New York cheesecake available at many other places. I chose a snifter of Sambuca which was served in the traditional manner with three coffee beans floating in the liqueur.
Throughout the meal the service, ably provided by Larry, was prompt, responsive, and unobtrusive. He also refrained from calling us “guys”, our usual designation by less mature wait staff. When I thanked him for his service at the end of the meal he told me I could request him the next time we visited. I would be happy to do so but I suspect that all the staff at Logan would provide equally skilled service. Still, the thought of not only asking for the wine list but also the staff list is appealing.
Logan is not inexpensive but the meals are exceptionally well prepared and served. The room is quiet and the diners focused on their conversations and entrees. My overall impression of Logan after tonight’s meal is of a restaurant where everyone, management, decorator, chef and kitchen staff, wait staff, and bartender know what they are doing and are focused on giving the diner the best experience possible. If you appreciate the civilizing effects of fine food and drink, skillfully prepared, attractively presented, and ably served then Logan’s a restaurant for you. It is high on our list of dining spots in Ann Arbor. See you there and bon appetite!
16 Minutes from Hell 