My wife and I were there and ordered calamari as an appetizer, she ordered the seafood pasta, and I ordered the special which was a pasta with prosciutto. Over all the calamari was under seasoned and tasted very poorly. The pasta dishes were also under seasoned. Service was good, but between drinks and food you can definitely find a better value for 100.00. I live within 7 miles of the location and will not eat there for a very long time.
Review Source:Server was very friendly and helpful. We arrived and had a couple drinks first. Then we moved on to soups/salads, which were fine, but not remarkable. Our entrees were good. My wife got the "fruit of the sea" which looked and tasted delicious (apparently!). I got the broccoli sausage pasta dish which was very good too. Solid italian. A little pricey for what it is. But it was a nice atmosphere.
Review Source:Our office visited the Bistro for our Christmas Lunch and we had a good time. Â We had very attentive servers and the food was great. Â Appetizers were tasty and main dishes very flavorful and filling. Â I appreciated the fact that the dinner menu was compact and the beverage menu a little more expanded.
Review Source:I'm a fan of the food, but not the prices. Â My "Special" was $24 and consisted of a creamy tomato and basil sauce over linguini with 4 - 1/2 dollar size prawns. Â The wine was decent but way overpriced. Â Sells in store for less than $12/bottle but it was $32 on their menu. Â My husband and I were in time for the early bird special which is a glass of wine, entree, salad and desert for $25. Â He ordered it but our server forget the salad and when we mentioned it, he said it would be less expensive to not do the special. Â UMMMM no. Â Priced out it would have been $38...I hate to keep harping on the prices but 2 dinners (no salad) a bottle of wine and an appetizer was $105 with tip. Â We won't be going back unless we hit the lotto.
Review Source:Actually zero stars. Â We had a reservation for 5 at 6pm. They wrote it down for 7pm. We said we'd sit outside if the weather was nice. We arrived at 6 and it was a blustery chilly evening. They only had a table for us outside, which was stupid because no one wanted outside. Â They offered to let us sit at the bar (with 3 kids!) or give us a 3-top and a 2-top (2 separate tables!) for our "family dinner"! Â Terrible service, and the restaurant still had lots of open tables. Â And FYI, it looked like an olive garden inside. Â We turned around and left. Â Would never go back. Very unprofessional.
Review Source:What a find in Traverse City. Great service, interesting selections and partial bay views. Â We would have sat on the patio if it had not still been 88 degrees outside. Â
We started with the Carpaccio which was delicious although I prefer it with capers. Their bread served with pesto oil was fantastic. The chef was very accommodating to sub grilled asparagus with the wild mushroom veal - excellently prepared. They serve all their pasta dishes either as a full or half order. The half order was perfect. The orecchietti, Â broccoli rabe and sausage was also delicious. Â The dessert of profiterole and ice cream with a very tiny bit of chocolate was a bit of a disappointment - just so-so. Overall a fantastic place to enjoy a well prepared meal.
Do not let the unpromising location of this restaurant -- the ground floor of an office building on West Bay that's very easy to miss while navigating busy Traverse City traffic -- discourage you from giving it a try. We had a delightful early dinner here recently, starting with a fresh, rich carpaccio. We followed with pasta bolognese and veal scallopini with a creamy wild mushroom ragu and potato cakes. My partner's bolognese was the winner-winner of the two -- you could taste the low, slow care taken to simmer the sauce to perfection; and we enjoyed the pop provided by a bit of femnel. It may, in fact,  be the best bolognese either of us have ever had.  My veal was tender and enjoyable, as were the potato cakes (think latkes with onion, which went well with the earthy ragu); but the dish was spoiled somewhat by a heavy-handed application of what tasted like raw garlic....less garlic and more fresh parsley, and this would have been a truly fine dish. We liked seeing some local produce -- asparagus, specifically -- being highlighted in daily specials. Service was friendly and courteous -- a very young staff, and a little "green," but our waiter did an excellent job explaining the dishes.The interior of the restaurant is cozy and comfortable, and includes a full bar. (There's also some patio seating where you can  look across the highway to the bay and a busy marina, but we wondered about the street noise, and chose to eat inside this time around.)  We will absolutely visit here again when we have more time to really explore the menu.
Review Source:An excellent experience for the two of us. I have lower expectations when I  look for a restaurant in  a tourist location. Â
Tuscan Bistro was a very good dining experience that could hold its own in  the larger metro markets.  The veal and pasta dishes  were  quite good.  The wine list  offered  many choices at very modest  prices.  Our waiter was very helpful with our wine selection. The service was very attentive. I think this place offers great value and would be happy  to try it for a second helping
LOVE THIS PLACE. I cannot tell you enough how wonderful this place is. They definitely deserve Olive Garden's slogan "When you're here, you're family." After only having been here two times the wait staff remembered who we were, what drinks we preferred and our favorite table. This service at this place is out of this world. Friendly, attentive servers and management. The one time we had to wait for a table, which was all of 5 minutes, our first round of drinks was on the house. They definitely make you feel like they are glad you came.
The goat cheese bruschetta is the best bruschetta in town as far as I'm concerned. Creamy goat cheese, awesome blend of tomatoes, onion, vinegar etc and not a small portion either! My fiance always orders a pasta dish that isn't on the menu but they always go out of their way to make it for him and he's always pleased with the end result.
I haven't had a dish there I haven't liked and we go about once every week or so.
The chocolate terrine is divine! Definitely satisfies my sweet tooth, I always have to get one to go.
If you're in Traverse City this is definitely one of the spots you have to check out.
We originally had reservations for Trattoria Stella based on the suggestions of my fellow Yelpers as a place to go to for our Anniversary dinner. That would be my wife and I's Anniversary not myself and my fellow Yelpers. Although that would be pretty cool! Anyways after looking over their menu we felt it was just a bit too out there for our tastes.
Sweetbreads, Pig Testa and Offal just aren't appealing to us and we felt we'd be paying for the ambiance rather then the food. We wanted something nice, but recognizable to our palette so we went to Tuscan Bistro instead. When it was all said and done we made a good decision on the switch.
It was a bit pricey and not a place we'd go to on a regular basis if we lived up that way. It is more of a "fancy occasion" place. The portions for the price were alright. For $22 a plate I'd expect a little more then what I got and a Salad to come with it. Instead, if you want a Salad that is extra.
We both got Caesar Salads and the lettuce was still pretty wet and there wasn't much dressing on it. The dressing that was on it became washed out by the watery lettuce. Not worth the extra $5.00 you pay for it. If it had came with the meal I probably wouldn't be so put off by it.
The service was great and the place only had a few tables sat so we got the full attention of our Server and never had an empty glass. That was a plus. All in all it was for the most part a really nice evening filled with good food (minus the Salads), great wine, even better company and top notch service.
We settled on this Italian restaurant when we couldn't go to the original Italian place we picked. The original didn't have any reservations available and could have been at least a two hour wait. However, I called Tuscan and they had didn't have a wait at all. That's a good thing right? What also scared me was that we had a two hour wait at one place and this one, no wait at all. I think the other people know something I didn't
They were right. I would come back here for an entree or dessert. The appetizer was fine, but I had the Cavatelli for dinner and bread pudding for dessert.
The server warned me that the Cavatelli is a heavier dish, however, not only was it heavier, but it was also very bland. It was extremely weak in flavor, the pasta was extremely dense, and it was very oily as well. Stay away from this dish if you happen to find yourself there.
The bread pudding looks good, it's better to look at it than to try and eat it. It was not good at all. It was extremely dense and we almost had to use a knife to cut through it. The chocolate sauce around it was overly sweet and I tried to avoid dipping in it or any piece of the bread pudding that was touching the sauce. Â The table next to us ask if it was any good. I first thought about giving the usual response, good good, not bad, etc...Oh no, he saw me hesitate and start shaking my head back and forth and I told him my thoughts.
Stay away from both of these dish.
My husband and I went there for the first time this past weekend and it was an overall pleasant experience. Â I was in the mood for pasta--which of course my limited-carb diet does not allow for excess in that area--and so I suggested we give it a try.
The staff was very friendly and I had the Cavatelli with Wild Mushroom Ragu and it was perfectly cooked. Â I did have to add salt, but I would much rather have to add it to my dish than be overwhelmed by it already in the dish.
I had to laugh a little at the music, because when we arrived, a less-dramatic rendition of "The Godfather" theme song was playing.
My husband ordered a Corona and they were out, which I found unusual, but not a big deal. Â I ordered a Mojito and was rather disappointed, but not enough to throw a tantrum.
Overall, the food was perfectly cooked and just what we were looking for, the staff was very nice and efficient, and we will most definitely go back--just maybe skip the mojito. Â ;-)
Just OK, without the "A". ;)
If you're really craving  Italian food, this place is near the bay and isn't very crowded.  The upscale prices may keep many tourists away, which is good if you don't wish to wait for a table. Â
We sampled the Tuscan Valley Bean Soup, which was good, but lacked depth. Â The Orecchiette with broccoli rabe, sausage was...salty. Â This was the first thing that I tasted with my first bite into this dish. Â
My husband ordered the whitefish with sweet & sour eggplant, which was OK. Â He said that the breading on the fish didn't enhance the flavor of the delicate whitefish. Â My husband enjoyed the eggplant, but wishes that they gave him a larger serving of this side dish.
The good: Â The pasta entrees are available in half-size portions ($9), this is more than enough for dinner and two people had enough leftover to take home. Â The bread is excellent (I'm a real bread snob), and it is served with olive oil and herbs, a perfect combination.
The Oggi Pinot Noir 2007 was a nice wine by the glass ($8).
I really love their open, airy bar which has huge windows and gives the restaurant a nice look.
The bad: Â A bit pricey ($19 entrees), there are several other restaurants in town that I'd prefer to spend my money for a better dinner and dining experience. Â Although the waitstaff was good, I just expect 'great' for a restaurant with this level of pricing. Â Something as simple as how the servers refresh your water glasses is the first thing that I would recommend to the Front Manager. Â (Don't overfill the water glasses to the very tip of the rim and don't spill water as you pour)
I have been here three times and each time the food was amazing....authentic, and VERY flavorful. Â I love that they offer HALF plates of pasta--it's always just enough for me to eat the whole thing and not feel overstuffed. Â While the service is not great---slow, and ineffiecient...the food makes up for it every time. Â This place is new still and the service improves each time i'm there. Â
I always get the mushroom ragu---it's amazing every time. Â Tastes the same too which is great since I typically don't stray from a favorite plate.
We always order a bottle of wine with dinner as well. Â The bread and olive oil are fantastic. Â FRESH homemade bread, as much as you want, is delivered promptly to the table. Â
Location is nice too since I live only miles away. Â It's nice to view the bay too from the restaurant!
Have had several very good meals here.  Tonight's was tops.  Had the best pasta I have EVER eaten (and I use to live in NYC).  it was the special tonight--Penne with proscuitto and baby geen peas in a garlic light cream sauce.  Everyone at the table was stealing my pasta.  So absolutely delectable!  Great wines with nightly pairings.  Dessert shared by table was an ice cream in a cream puff of perfect texture--slightly crunchy on the outside and melt in your mouth inside.  Sevice tonight was as good as it gets.  So proud of TC to have a such a fabulous  Italian restaurant that serves fresh homemade pasta and other  fine entrees.  Maybe we are a "foodie" town after all?
Review Source:This is one of my favorite places in Traverse City. Â It's close to home and the food is consistently excellent. Â When they first opened, I had a totally negative experience there but, I wrote them a letter and their response was very kind. Â
The ambiance is comfortable . . . soft colors on the walls, soft music playing in the background and a cozy fireplace to boot. Â The wait staff is attentive and will actually listen when you ask that your dinner not be served until you've finished your drink. Â They refill water glasses and bring more bread and that yummy pesto as appropriate without being intrusive. Â I usually order their homemade sausage pepperonata . . . moist (read non-greasy), nicely seasoned tender sausage, with sauteed peppers and onions served on a bed of heavenly polenta . . . I would go to this place for the polenta alone! Â The serving is so generous I always cart the rest home for the next day's lunch or dinner. AND, the food is HOT when it reaches your table . . . it's not allowed to languish under a heat lamp somewhere. Â Their wine list is certainly adequate for a restaurant this size with several reasonably-priced choices.
You can count on consistency at this establishment . . . and if by remote chance you should have a problem . . . request to speak to the manager and it will be solved promptly and graciously. Â I wish them the best and hope they continue to do well in this location. Â We need more restaurants like this one in Traverse City--it's obvious they care about pleasing customers.
We went here based on Colleen C's review this weekend. We ha the raw bar oysters and shrimp which were HUGE. The shrimp was freakishly big and REALLY good.
I had the salmon with cherry couscous and steamed spinach. Holy crap! That is hands down the BEST salmon I've ever eaten in my life. It was a bit crisp on the outside but then perfectly cooked in the middle. The couscous was great with the cherries, which I'm just going to assume were local, because that just makes it quaint.
I liked that they serve pesto with the bread instead of just butter, it went well with the soft, warm bread AND the oysters, by the way.
Where was this place when I needed it!? All of the nights from birth to age 18 that I spent mawing on over-reciped, generic Italian food at Auntie Pastas (even the name is original, eh?) and I could've been eating at this place...
The food was absolutely fantastic. All around we were extremely pleased. My brother with the flank steak and asparagus, me with the Chicken Tuscana (with mushrooms, peas and polenta) and mushroom/zuchhini soup, parents with shrimp risotto...peppered with several glasses of excellent wine and finished with a lovely bread pudding drenched in carmel sauce. Heaven.
The service was impeccable. Our waitress was absolutely on top of every single item...knew all about the menu, the wines, recited everything perfectly from memory and recommended several good choices. The chef/owner visited our table, nice touch :)
Excellent location across from the water. Quaint, humble ambience. The presentation is unlike any I have seen in TC...and with Italian, sometimes presentation lacks in my opinion. Tuscan Bistro hits a nice balance between upscale and homegrown. A wonderful meal...
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