We were all very impressed.
A couple months ago, my aunt was telling me how much her and my uncle loved to go to the Earl and we absolutely had to try it out..... but, weeks go by, we go to our staples and never make it out to AA. Â
A lady that I worked with told me that Travelzoo had a deal to try out this restaurant that she had always wanted to go to but she lives on the east side of the state and didn't want to drive over an hour (one way) Â to eat. Â She also told me that she has heard wonderful things about it... and it was called the Earl.
Usually one person raving about a restaurant is enough for me to want to go and try it out... but two and a deal to try it out- I am there!
I called up mom and dad to see if they wanted to double date, so we headed out to AA- ready for a delicious meal. Â My hubby and I started out with escargot.... Many places don't sell them but it is one of our favorites. Â They had an interesting, very fresh approach to the preparation. Â Most places drench the escargot in butter, garlic and parsley; albeit delicious, they are sometimes a little oily tasting. Â These were the same flavor but not swimming in the heart clogging bath. Â The escargot was served in the middle of a crispy pastry shell. Â At $10.95- sign me up any day of the week. Â My parent ordered the ginger shrimp appetizer. Â It was very good, my mother said the garlic from the shrimp stayed with her a little while.... She doesn't mind it but if you are on a first date, you might want to steer clear Â
My father and I ordered the sea scallops. Â DELISH. Â I am not a huge fan of mushrooms but the sauce was super excellent, scallops were meaty and moist and slightly sweet. Â The dish usually comes with rice but they are happy to change it out. Â I think they were $27.95. Â My husband ordered the Roquefort steak- it was incredible. Â Although he wouldn't say it, the sauce may have been a little too over powering for the entire meal. Â The steak was cooked to perfection. Â Lastly, mom ordered the veal medallions that would melt in your mouth....
The service was good, we had two waitresses that were attending to us... water never went more than half empty and they were attentive but not annoying. Â The dessert plates looked delicious too... but none of us had the energy or stomach capacity to eat any more!
The only thing that seemed a little odd was the plates.... I know it is the weirdest thing to even think of.... They were not high quality.... Still a 4.75 star place
I have to go back.....
When I made the online reservation, I noted that it was our anniversary. Â Upon arrival we were given a cozy booth and throughout the evening the staff that came by to serve or check on us all wished us a happy anniversary - a very nice touch. Â With their huge wine list we had no trouble finding several wines of the vintage from the year my wife and I met and the wine steward helped us with an excellent and affordable selection. Â The food, service and atmosphere was the best I've experienced in Ann Arbor. Â Very reasonable prices, too. Â Great vibe, cool music, beautiful room. Â An instant fav.
Review Source:Went here for dinner with a large group. Had the grilled salmon and a dirty martini (plus+: they made a fantastic martini). The salmon was pretty good and the service was great...my only complaint was the fact that the restaurant is in a basement, so it is very cellarish and dark, but that may be romantic I suppose for a date.
Review Source:The food was fabulous!! Â I had the beef tenderloin with a gorgonzola cream sauce and walnuts with cheesy potatotes. Â So good! Â The calamari was just ok...the garlic sauce that accompanies the calamari had too much garlic for my taste. Â The almond torte with raspberry sauce was outstanding.
Review Source:My friends and I went for Restaurant Week so the service was splotchy but this can be excused as the restaurant was really busy.
We all ordered the duck because we had heard great things about it. It was fantastic but I would have liked it to be more cooked. Mine was too raw to even be considered rare. The dessert was great. My friends ordered the creme brûlée (which was not as good or big as La Dolce Vita's) but was still amazing. I ordered the white chocolate ice cream with a Grand Marnier sauce, which I LOVED.
They were able to accommodate my gluten intolerance, which was great.
First off... love their happy hour mussels! Great big wine list, but it is looking worn and dated. There must have also been 20 pages... a tablet wine list would be so perfect for them. A friend and I had to send our french onion soup and the sausage linguine back because they were just so bland and very disappointing-- but the server (Rachel) was quick to take care of it and we very much appreciated her service and attitude. She was excellent throughout the evening.
We then ordered the bruschette trio and got a nice big whopping punch to the face with the garlic and onion. Holy smokes, and not in a good way. It was a polarizing taste experience, I have to say. Not a huge fan of the spreads and bruschetta being served slathered on top of the toast either... it gave the bruschetta toast time to get nice and soggy.
If I had one service critique-- we ordered a bottle of sparkling. I was surprised by the lack of champagne service; the manager or somm brought the bottle over, poured it and asked if we'd like an ice bucket (um... does anyone actually say no?), which we requested... then she literally brought a bucket of ice. No water, just ice. And throughout the whole evening I continually poured for us. Then set the bottle on top of a big block of ice in the bucket as I didn't feel like shoveling ice chips. I was generally a little surprised that they had such an extensive nice wine list but such lack of detail on service. Sure, we are sitting in the bar area and enjoying happy hour specials but a great experience would have been our segue into wanting to come back for dinner. Just... not... impressed.
Oh, big thumbs up on their almond cake! We inhaled it in seconds.
All in all... not intrigued to try much more; I will be back for those mussels though!
This was my second visit to the Earle; first time for dinner. Â I was so impressed with everything! Â The live jazz music for dinner was so relaxing. Â Our waitress was probably the best wait staff I have ever encountered. Â I have food allergies and I have never had such a wonderful experience. Â Very understanding and accommodating! Â I ordered the balsamic chicken and my date ordered the whitefish. Â We both loved our entrees. Â The salads were very good too. Â We will be back regularly!
Review Source:Favorite all-time restaurant in Ann Arbor. Â The food, the atmosphere - it's all perfect. Â
This place is especially good for a romantic date night! Â Amazing happy hour specials - get there early for the mussels.
I'll leave this review short because there's not much to say except - EAT HERE.
I'm so torn on The Earle. Â I've been here a handful of times and I would happily go back, but it's never a place that I go out of my way to visit.
The good parts: the live jazz music (usually piano and bass), the intimacy of the setting, the old-school dessert tray (fun to look at!), classic meals that you don't see elsewhere in Ann Arbor
The not-as-good parts: the dankness of the setting, the price of the food, the heaviness of the food.
So this place seems like a good choice for a college student whose parents are visiting, or someone who wants a more traditional and intimate dinner. Â Or, someone who loves eating to live jazz music!
I originally had my wedding dinner rehearsal here a few years back and I was excited to go back again for a Valentine's day dinner. Â
I was disappointed! Â We had the Spicy Shrimp to start off with as an appetizer and for $10.95 I was expecting some fresh awesome shrimp; instead we found ourselves looking at four pieces of shrimp that probably came from the frozen section from Meijers. Â The hubs ordered the Ceasar salad, be prepared to be garlic bombed, and I got the Mediterranean salad, which was good. Â The entrees ordered were the Sea Scallops, this was well prepared but I realized that I do not like sherry sauce, why is it so freaking sweet? Â I don't get it. And he got the Linguine with Scallops which was really good!
Also the dress code had me a little confused as well...the table next to us were dressed up for the occasion and the other table across from us was a dude in sweat pants and Crocs with socks?! Â I think that was the highlight of our dinner. I don't think we'll ever be back at this place.
I've been here twice (the second time was only because I had a coupon), and I don't think I'll be going back. I've only tried two of the appetizers: the calamari and the crab cakes, neither of which impressed me very much. Too dry and WAY too salty. Their pastas and entrées are pretty ordinary as well. I can't justify paying $30+ for a dish I could make at home that would no doubt taste equally as good if not better.
The ambiance is nice though, and the mark of "French" dining may be an ideal experience for a first date kind of occasion. I also hear they have live jazz bands that play from time to time. But that doesn't detract from the fact that the food is sub-par. I've been to just about every Main St. restaurant in Ann Arbor, and this one has to be my least favorite.
My boyfriend and I went to The Earle on a Saturday night, and I was completely blown away! We were seated immediately in a very quaint table for two, overlooking an amazing jazz band. The band was a lovely touch because the music was not overpowering or too loud like live music often is. Our service was prompt and knowledgeable. We ordered the calamari and beef tenderloin appetizers, both of which were different from what I expected but completely amazing. We split the lamb chop entree which was AMAZING and the quality and quantity completely matched up to the price. I wasn't expecting 5 lamb chops, so we were pleasantly surprised. We had a flour less chocolate cake for dessert which was decadent and served with strawberries to offset the sweetness. The food was out of this world!!
The restaurant is located in a basement to look like a trendy wine cellar. I absolutely loved the ambience and atmosphere. The privacy walls separating the tables were made of corks, the lighting was nice but not too much or too little. I thought it was a gorgeous, but not stiff or uptight place, which I really appreciated.
The earle is one of the few places where the price actually matches up to the food and the overall experience! I will absolutely return.
We decided to try The Earle during Ann Arbor's Restaurant Week this January and I was very impressed with the food. Restaurant week allows for local restaurants to showcase their best/ most popular foods using a prei fixed menu at a prei fixed price.
We started of with some wine and for the first course ordered the Pasta e fagioli. A soup with pork and white beans, which was a lot more flavorful than I expected and was a nice sized- portion too. The live Jazz band that was playing really added to the ambiance of the place.
For the second course, I ordered the Linguini with Garlic Sausage. It was a little lacking in salt, but was tasty otherwise. I liked the zing that the hot peppers gave to it. I only wish it had a little more gravy/ sauce to it. It tasted extremely dry, and a little bit of sauce would have made it an excellent dish. My husband ordered the  Sautéed Duck Breasts. It was a surprisingly large portion of duck, and was excellent. The waitress said that it was one of their most popular dishes and I highly recommend it. Our friend ordered the Salmon in Puff Pastry, and it was even better than the duck. I don't like salmon, but the puff pastry, the spinach and the salmon, all paired together so beautifully, I would probably make an exception at The Earle and order this dish.
Our last course was dessert, and we decided to order three different things and share them all. So I ordered the White chocolate Ice Cream, which was a gamble, but I won. It was the best dessert at our table. I could really taste the white chocolate in the ice cream and it was delicious. My husband ordered the Creme Brule, which I found a little too sweet, but otherwise very nice, and our friend ordered the Chambord Chocolate Mousse, which was nice in taste and consistency, but nothing to write home about. All in all, The Earle is excellent, and we will be going back.
The one thing I absolutely love about this place is the decor and ambiance. Enter the building, and proceed downstairs to the restaurant proper and you're immediately wowed by the hewn-brick walls and underground French feel. On a Tuesday, there was only a singular piano player, but show up on weekends to hear an excellent jazz trio while you dine. I began with the white bean soup, perfect to combat the extreme cold on the walk over. Main dish was an impressive mezzogiorno, and the garlic-infused sausage was the shining star of that dish. The portion size was perfect as well (perhaps borderline too much), a refreshing change from the usual Main Street haute cuisine imitators. The Earle's wine list is extensive (I discovered their wine bar on this visit!), and as the sommelier was quite busy that night, our random guess at a merlot ended up working excellently. Dessert was a rather uneventful cheesecake, but it capped off the meal perfectly coupled with a dessert wine.
My previous to the Earle had awful service, but this time around our waitresses were extremely quick and attentive, even during Restaurant Week. I would definitely come here again for a dressy evening with good food, wine and jazz.
Another visit to the Earle for a mixed dining experience. Â Good in some areas...a disappointment in others.
Midweek and early evening, so not very busy. Â Seated with my daughter on the along the edge of the main dining room in clear view of the music for the evening. Â
Being midweek, the entertainment is  some light jazz guitar instead of the usual piano, bass, drum trio on trio weekend.
Every visit to the Earle (and worth visiting the Earle for period) is the Calamari. Â The calamari here is quite good, but what makes it capital O outstanding is the heavenly garlic/lemon sauce served alongside. Â It is absolutely decadent and delicious. Â Order a second cup of this elixir if you dare and keep the fresh bread coming.
Main course for me was the ocean white fish over spinach. Â Mild ocean fish, lightly breaded, served with plenty of vegies on the side.
Rather salty for my taste. Â The wine I was enjoying helped that.
My daughter had the salmon wrapped in puff pastry. Â She liked it. Â I make this at home, so have some reference for it vs the offering here at the Earle. Â I found the Earle's version much, much too dry. Â A cream sauce was served on the side (thankfully) to counter the flaky pastry and the dry overcooked salmon., Â 2 stars for that item.
5++ Stars for the Calamari (as usual). Â
5 Stars for the atmosphere and ambiance (great jazz guitar on the weekdays...sometimes just piano instead)
5 Stars for the service.
2 stars for the main courses. Â This is the second visit in as many months to underwhelmed by the main courses. Â Rather disappointed for relatively simple dishes.
Having been to the Earle a lot (and will be back again following my advice below), I can offer a sure fire prescription for success:
1. Visit the Earle on a weekend to hear the great jazz trio play
2. Enjoy the Earle's extensive wine list; and order a few appetizers and a nice salad from the extensive appetizer list
3. Skip the main courses altogether.(based on this and my last un-reviewed visit here)
I'd like to say I was impressed about my first experience here. Don't get me wrong, it was pleasant, but I can't seem to put my finger on anything that WOW'ed me, if you will.
Ann Arbor Restaurant Week, Tuesday night, reservations at 6pm. Made reservations via Yelp/Open Table with ease. Getting to the restaurant was a little tricky- I didn't realize it was a converted basement and the first person welcoming me was coat check so I felt a little silly when I told him about my reservation. (I obviously wasn't reading any signage...I was pretty hungry).
Ordered the Pasta e fagioli (white bean soup), Salmon in Puff Pastry and creme brulee. I particularly enjoyed the salmon merely because it consisted of my favorite things: salmon, pastry and spinach. I felt that the basil mousse that came with it was a little bland and couldn't "get on the same page" of its intent if you will. Creme brulee was delish! They gave me a nice portion too which I inhaled...with sophistication of course. I AM in a French and Italian fine dining establishment after all. I also thoroughly enjoyed the bottle of Gerwitzaminer Retzer which they kindly placed in this fancy steel, floor ice bucket- great presentation.
Staff was very professional and organized. What lacked was smiles on their faces! I'm all about hospitable smiles if you haven't figured that out yet. I will say that I am interested in returning for more wine, dessert, happy hour specials and live band.
Have been to this place with co-workers a few times for drinks/dinner. The menu is a little pricey (usual for Ann Arbor), but their happy hour is quite decent.
I had their shrimp and it was good. The table bread is very soft and is served with butter, which I really liked. Have tried their assorted bruschetta and mussels both of which were good as well.
Great place to eat, especially during their happy hour. Nice atmosphere too.
This review is for their weekday Happy Hour only.
I went to the Earle with my family yesterday for their happy hour (5-6:30 for the mussels; 5-8pm for everything else). I was immediately impressed with the quiet, casual and friendly ambience of this restaurant. They have a nice restaurant part and a bar part; we sat in the latter.
Two people in our group were arriving an hour late, but the server was extremely accommodating about it and seated us right away. She even took orders for the two that were late so that they could make sure to get the happy hour deal. I was extremely happy with the friendly, professional service.
My brothers and I ordered beers (20% off) and their mussels special ($2.75!!!). It was amazing. The mussels were well cooked and fresh tasting in a garlic-white wine sauce. They arrived in a big bowl and the portions were quite generous, especially considering the price. Soaking up the sauce with the generously provided bread was an extra treat.
I would definitely go back for the happy hour special; it's probably one of the best deals in town. I also look forward to trying their regular menu sometime.
A classic Ann Arbor restaurant that has never disappointed, The Earle Downtown is where I turn after a long week. Â
Staff is really kind and will remember your name if you visit often enough (heh). Â It's nice to dress up if you're having an evening dinner and drinks, but I've shown up in jeans and tons of jewelry and felt fine.
They have a scallop pasta dish that is amazing; nothing else on the menu compares, so just trust me and order it.
I love you, Earle!
This review is only for their happy hour. Â
My husband and I decided to go there one day, and since it was still a bit early for dinner (we were both hungry!), we decided to take it casual and just try their happy hour at the bar, since they claim to have "the best happy hour in town". Â
Yes, the selection is limited, but for a happy hour menu, I thought it was quite complete, and we were happy with what we had. Â We were just a few minutes late for the mussel deal ($2.95 for a plate of steamed mussels or something), but since I don't like mussels to begin with, I wasn't missing it at all. Â
We had the cold soup (forgot what it was) with some lump crab meat topping, crab cake, and shrimp scampi with linguini. Â The two crab dishes were very good! Â We went in July, so the chilled soup was very refreshing, and the lump crab was a a lovely addition to it. Â The crab cake was pretty good and not too "cakey". Â The linguini was, unfortunately, a bit too oily and greasy for our liking (yes, it's oily AND greasy, I had to say it twice, to emphasize the point!), and lacks some flavour, so was a bit disappointed. Â My husband had some kind of wine (which I forgot), and I had lemonade. Â Our waitress was super nice, though the service was a bit slow, which we didn't know why, since the main dining hall looked pretty empty, due to the earlier hour. Â She brought out a tray full of dessert options, but nothing looked interesting to try, so we skipped the dessert. Â
I would go back for their happy hour again sometime.
Great place for a special night out! I've only been once, but I had a really great experience. We got one appetizer, two entrees, and two glasses of wine, and everything was delicious. The atmosphere is nice, romantic, quiet. Nothing special in terms of decor, but the dark-lit room and tea lights make for a more formal setting. Great place for a date, or somewhere to take your parents. However, it's a little on the pricey side, so personally I'll only go back for a special occasion. Or for restaurant week!
The garlic plate appetizer was something I've never seen on a menu before--a whole head of garlic, roasted, with a bunch of yummy pairings. Really good, especially if you like garlic! The lamb chop entree was unbelievably delicious. You could really taste the butter, though, which would be my only critique. We also got the pepper-crusted steak. Also a great choice, as long as you like pepper! The portion sizes were very good, I was impressed. Our server was quite helpful, especially with picking a good wine to go with our entrees. Unfortunately (or fortunately?!) we were too stuffed for dessert, but their selection looked wonderful. Next time!
The Earle is consistently tasty, unpretentious, and one of my favorite spots in A2.
The atmosphere is a little lacking, being situated in a lightless converted basement. Â Most of the time, it's not noticeable, but when it's crowded, i feel a little claustrophobic. Â the aisle tables are annoying, so i try to never get stuck without a reservation.
The portions are good, the ingredients are creative, and the prices are very good. Â
The appetizers are all fantastic (at least what I've tried) Â The bread and cheese is my favorite, and i've been tempted to have seconds on those. Â
My favorite dish is the Delmonico steak, which I've come back for several times. Â I'm trying to remember if I've had anything disappointing, but I can't recall anything.
The desserts are also solidly good- not insane, overly large, or gross like so many local places. Â The almond tart is my favorite so far.
The Earle is a solid home-style place that reminds me of my grandmother's cooking. Â This is the place I bring visiting family.
We were celebrating our baby brother & his wife being in town from Southern California . I studied all the wonderful Ann Arbor Yelp reviews, and a dear local friend highly recommended  The Earle. All the food would get a 5 star.... but they were understaffed and very  SLOW!
My  husband & I arrived @ 6:15  pm (we asked to sit in The Wine Bar , to enjoy the discounted happy hour specials. We missed the mussels by 15 min.s )  It was a Friday night and a very big crowd.
We were seated right away,The decor was very eclectic & warm....but OMG.... The service was slower than SLOW! We didn't see our very frazzled waitress for over 20 min. No water ,no nothing.  We ordered a specialty pomegranate martini & a glass of wine .... We didn't get them for over 40 min.... After our French onion soup - which was pretty good & Hot.the calamari was mediocre Gordon's food supply ... But the aioli sauce that was served with it was GREAT. Our waitress felt so bad about the drinks , she brought us a 2nd little cup of the great sauce, that we shared with our family when they arrived @ 7:30 ish. They raved about it, too . While the service was slow the food was great! Den had the filet of beef with a Roquefort sauce that was excellent! I had the fresh whitefish coated with hazelnuts . All arrived cooked perfectly and in addition all 6 dinners were at the right temperature. While the food was good it was a bit pricey, some would think it worth it. Go when you have the time to eat at a leisurely pace. Desserts  ( we shared tiramiso, & an italian white cake...).. . they were mediocre at best, but all home made from scratch !  I am glad we went, the laughter with our family is PRICELESS!!!
The restaurant had a really cool atmosphere, you literally walk into the basement of a building, where you find lots of brick work and a nice bar with tons of seating.
I went there on a date and spilt the crab cakes for an appetizer (fantastic!) then i ordered the duck for my main dish (waiter said it was the best thing on there menu, I agree!) my date order the penne pasta, which was good but I felt the duck was better.
I would love to go back
I love this place. I must have eaten here half a dozen times in the past two years. I admit that is is a little pricey, but its worth a couple extra bucks to give yourself a decent meal.
They change their menu seasonally so everything you eat is always fresh and perfect for the weather. Their steak dishes, however, are on the menu year-round and are delicious.
I usually have a salmon dish which I am always pleased with, which is surprising because I don't really love salmon.
I always finish with their Tuscan Torte which is a small piece of dense vanilla cake with dried pears and a hint of anise in a bed of sweet cream. It is delicious and very subtle, not too sweet or overpowering. My favorite!
Came here few months ago with the family. The atmosphere here is nice-- somewhat old fashioned, but still quite impressive. In terms of food, however, the only thing I had that day that I was kind of impressed with was the calamari appetizer. Collectively, our family ordered steaks and pasta dishes that were all okay but not amazing, especially considering the price point.
Overall, the only thing I felt after eating at the Earle was a "blah"-- not bad, but not great and somewhat generic. For the price, I think there are better places to go in Ann Arbor.
This is my second time there. I was again impressed with the food, delicious, good
options etc. I wouldn't recommend the pasta, it's not their strength.
Their service is TERRIBLE!! They take forever, you end up with three different waiters, none of whom help much. It's a tragedy they make good money off the expensive food because the waiters customer service leaves a lot to be desired!
The atmosphere is lacking, but it's a unique place.
Happy hour: AWESOME happy hour here... 20% off wine, $3 bowls of steamed mussels... And their happy hour goes until 8PM! Doesn't get any better!
Dinner: My favorite appetizer is their roasted garlic, which comes with toasted slices of crostini, a bulb of roasted garlic, sliced avocado, and fresh tapenade. Their steak with roquefort sauce is just AMAZING. I'm always torn between this and their veal whenever I go.
There is usually live jazz on the weekend nights. I just LOVE this place!
I've been to The Earle several times and have always had an amazing meal. Â Most recently, my three dining companions and I tried the rosotto balls, caprese salad and the crab cakes appetizers which we all totally enjoyed. Â The salad with mint was out of this world, very fresh and flavorful - a palate cleansor. Â I had the scallops which were seared to perfection and glazed with an extremely tasty sauce. Â My boyfriend had the peppered salmon which I tasted and immediately coveted, even though my scallops were delish. Â Although I did not taste my either of my brothers' meals, given how clean their plates were and the broad smiles on their faces after we finished eating, I have no doubt their entrees (steak, veal scallopini) were excellent. Â Our desserts (peach ice cream, tiramisu creme brulee) were stupendous.
The Earle is my favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor bar none.
They had me at happy hour. Damn do I love happy hour. A very nice Limoncella martini and some cheaper nosh with a fun friend? Yes please.
Happy Hour runs 5:00-8:00 Monday thru Friday. From 5:00-6:30 enjoy steamed mussels in wine, garlic, and tomatoes for $2.75 (a second bowl is just $3.75). From 5:00-8:00, receive 20% off items on the wine bar menu, as well as most beverages by the glass.
In addition to happy hour and mussels, they offer the following promotions in the Wine Bar:
Monday and Tuesday:
Staff Picks...special pricing on staff favorites:
Mushroom Cap Appetizer $6
Tortellini Appetizer $7
Chicken Wrap $6
Beef Wrap $7
Whitefish Entree $12
Mezzogiorno Pasta $12
Wednesday: All pastas cost just $12.95
Thursday: Martini Night: $6 for select martinis
Friday and Saturday: 20% off all pastries
We came on a Monday, shared two bowls of mussels, an order of tortellini (a bit meh) and some mushroom caps. I ate a bowl of hit the spot fish soup flavored with saffron, pernod and gruyere. She had a chicken wrap. I imbibed one limoncella martini and she took in a couple of *perfect* Manhattans. We were stuffed and happy. Service was friendly and we grazed in peace for the most part.
I will be back. I think she will be too. Maybe I will get an actual dinner...
I'm a pretty big foodie, and I love authentic food at a good price. Â This place is a little pretentious, trying to act classy with a wine menu and cellar decor. Â I don't think the food is above average for a decent restaurant. Â
My boyfriend ordered the chicken - which was dry, and my salmon was fishy (don't get me wrong, I love seafood, especially sashimi) but this salmon tasted a bit slimy and definitely a bad fishy. Â
The service was terrible, we waited forever, they had two people running around like crazy and the restaurant wasn't even full. Â The waiter also freaked out when I tried to order dessert early, goodness forbid if you try and step out of the norm of having dessert last... Their white chocolate ice cream was really really sugary... so be prepared.
Overall this experience wasn't BAD, just nothing special for how expensive it was. Â I can get way better food for half the price in metro Detroit than downtown Ann Arbor. Â My recommendation: try other restaurants before you go here. Â We've literally been to just about every main street restaurant and this was the last one in the area left.
Happy hour = 5 stars
The rest = 4 stars
The Earle has the BEST happy hour in town. Â Best as in Damn! for your dollah. Â Best as in quality (and quantity) of libations and eats. Best PERIOD.
It is a mixed crowd that the Earle draws, especially in the early evenings. Â Between the cheap mussels and the soft bread and creamy butter you could make a meal for under $7. Â Add a few glasses of wine and you're probably still under $20. Â
When flushed with cash, I come here with my girlfriends and we order the FABBO roasted garlic appetizer platter, load up on bread and fantastic wine and we're good to go. Â The ENTIRE bar menu is 20% during happy hour (5-8pm!). Before there was Vinology, there was The Earle. Â Still here with the best wine list in A2. But wait, there's more: Â Mondays and Tuesdays are $5 martini nights!!! Â
Eating meals is where it gets expensive. Â I've eaten here many times and if you stick to the meats and fish, you won't be sorry. Â My favorite is the sauteed duck breasts. Â Dense, rich, all meat duck breasts in a light pan-sauce featuring currants, pears and sometimes strawberries.
All desserts (including the sorbet) are made in-house. I try to swerve away from Tirami Sue but she just won't leave me alone! Get off the road!!
If she could tickle the keys like Cecil Taylor, I'd guarantee her 1-2 nights a week in my belly.
Restaurant Week reviews: better late than never?
G/f and I had dinner at the Earle at the beginning of Restaurant Week.
Together, we had the bean soup, a mixed green salad, duck breasts, mezzogiorno pasta, cheesecake, and the creme brulee.
Everything was phenomenal. The duck was amazing and I got far more than I thought given the price. Her mezzogiorno was great - not too much oil, just the right amount of meats and peppers. Would definitely return.
Though initially I thought of it as a place only for my parents, the Earle has grown on me in recent years. Now I really do like it. For me, though, it seems that I like it better with a bit of a discount. Â They often have surprisingly inexpensive meal options early in the week, and coupons always seem to be around as well.
I'd suggest giving the Earle a try for happy hour first -- you'll get the chance to check out the wine list as well as sample some lighter fare before making a commitment to a full meal. Â If you are hungry, though -- the French Onion soup is a great deal and the perfect way to thaw out on a chilly day!
We all know how it feels to be nickeled and dimed....but how often do you get to be demid dna delekcin? Â That's right--the exact opposite: you save a little here and a little there, and everything winds up being way happier and more affordable than you expected! Â I had one of these serendipitous experiences tonight during happy hour at The Earle's wine bar.
I'd never been to The Earle before, and when I found out that's where we were going tonight with SK's friends, I was a bit wary....too rich for our blood? Â Then I found out we were going to the wine bar, rather than the main dining room--phew! Â At least that puts us back in our income bracket. Â THEN I realized we'd be there during happy hour (hard to miss it when it's 5-8 every weekday!), so drinks and appetizers would be 20% off. Â AND THEN! I noticed that on Mondays and Tuesdays, sandwiches, wraps and pannini are $5. Hell-o, that's cheaper than Panera! Â (The normal price is $9ish, and regular happy hour price is $7-ish). Â We had deals upon deals on our meals! Â
The beef tenderloin tips sandwich (with melty mozz and sauteed onions and mushrooms on crusty baguette) was yummy and cozy--don't miss the delicious garlic creamy sauce, and don't skip the fresh green salad that comes with it! Â SK enjoyed the chicken pesto pannini, and we both sucked down the "risotto" (really arancini, the fried risotto balls with cheese in the middle. Â Because what could be better?).
All in all, we had 3 drinks, an app, and 2 sandwiches for around $40 (with tip)--ordinary prices would have put it at more like $60 (with tip). Â Just enough knocked off to make the whole thing seem pleasantly reasonable: demid dna delekcin. Â And to get us eager to come back--The Earle knows what they're doing.
The wine bar was pretty empty, but I liked the dark, underground atmosphere--it suits November (probably wouldn't be my favorite on a summer evening). Â Our server was just what you want in a fancy restaurant: he wasn't particularly warm, but he was extremely competent, professional, attentive, and probably much smarter than all of us, and spoke veeeery sloooowly in a smooth, confident tone: let you know that you were in a nice place, but didn't make you feel like you didn't belong.
On our way out, I noticed that the pianist seemed to be playing a jazz version of "Back Home Again, in Indiana." Â I haven't decided yet if this should raise or lower the rating by a star.
I agree with what most have said, especially Daniel S. Â I went here for Valentine's Day. Â I have been here several times and I really loved the ambiance, but was somewhat wary because of my service experience here the last couple times.
This time was no exception. Â As usual, the positives were the live jazz trio, the overall feel of the restaurant and the impressive wine list. Â Service moved at a very slow pace, even for Valentine's day...it took nearly an hour and a half to get our entrees! Â There were also several mixups including being brought the wrong wine which I didn't notice until we had already begun drinking. Â The price difference for the bottle was minor--$35 instead of $20, but the wine was incredible. Â We were also brought the wrong appetizer initially and the waitress went missing for the greater part of the night, until we were practically the only ones left in the restaurant.
As for the entrees...I ordered the beef filets and the only thing that struck me when I recieved it was how small it was. Â The flavor was spot on, and cooked well, but my god the portions were microscopic! Â It was delicious, but I was ready to go get Jimmy John's as soon as I was done eating because I was still very hungry. Â My date ordered the duck and it was very sweet but very good. Â I was very jealous of the feast on her plate once I tasted it. Â
Overall I wasn't in a mood to complain about anything. Â I had a very enjoyable time at a relaxed pace. Â The wine was superb (Jester Cabernet 2004) and the food was decent, but again overpriced for the serving. Â You should give the Earle a chance, but keep your expectations cooled before dining.
Ann Arbor is no cultural mecca. It's a college town. And, yeah, so its perhaps overpriced compared to the burbs, and the restaurants and bars are often crowded (that's the complaint of former reviewers).
But A2 is a cute little oasis of charm in the otherwise brand-infested, drab, strip-mall-sprawl that makes up Southeast Michigan. If you like the Olive Garden, stick to the highways. If you are looking for a little atmosphere, drive on the small streets to A2 and do a little finessing to avoid the college scene.
The Earle is tucked away downtown, in the basement of an office building. This is the place to go  for a great wine selection and a little privacy. The live jazz music lends some class. If you want to relax, get away from the chest-beating, fratty throngs, and have a conversation without shouting, I recommend going "down under." Take your pick of seats in the bar or dining room, and enjoy the dark, brick-walled, wine-cellar-like atmosphere.
If you want pretention and poor attempts at hip-ification, try Vinology and Melange on Main street. The Earle is old school. The food isn't spectacular, but fresh and house-made and not unreasonably priced. The happy hour goes til 8. In this yelper's opinion, the best place in the city for small plates, a little atmosphere, and good wine.
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