If you’re unfamiliar with Ann Arbor Restaurant Week, it’s an annual week-long event that celebrates the vibrant culinary life in downtown Ann Arbor with select restaurants offering special menus and even discounted meals. This year, Restaurant Week ran from Jan. 18 through Jan. 23, and I decided to dine at one of the participating restaurants — Vinology — on the very last day.
Unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired. Their deal included three courses for $40. A steal on paper, but my experience had a few major issues. The menu didn’t mention automatic gratuity, the portion sizes were small and the overall experience felt inconsistent.
For some background, on my birthday in August, my sister and I dined at Vinology. Everything was exquisite — I think the steak I ordered was roughly the size of my hand — and it truly felt like we never wanted the meal to end. Even the appetizer, simple thick potato wedges, was mesmerizing and somehow elevated into something memorable. It’s safe to say I went into this Restaurant Week with high expectations, which made it all the more unfortunate to see that nearly all portions — dessert aside — had been cut in half, and then that half felt halved again…