Dinner at Whistling Straits

Neither Conrad nor I are golfers. In truth, it's a game I can't relate to, though I think that golf courses are often stunning works of landscaping. Consequently, I struggle to remember when last I set foot in a golf clubhouse.

Last night we caught the resort shuttle out to the Lake Michigan shore for dinner at the Whistling Straits Restaurant. I wish we'd gone early enough to see some of the place in daylight, but that would have meant a 4:30 dinner. At 7:00, all was inkily dark out there.

In the end, I think that Conrad and I agree that it was a nice experience and one that would be reasonable to repeat, but that the food was a little lacking. Not bad, but we've had some very good and interesting food in recent weeks, and it's difficult not to compare. I did enjoy the sweet treat of sticky toffee pudding for dessert, and my pan-seared Chilean sea bass fillet with leek and pancetta risotto, roasted-tomato cream, and French beans was the better of our two entrees (Conrad's seared halibut with shiitake and morel mushroom risotto, grilled asparagus, and sherry cream sauce was overcooked, though it photographed well!). The spinach salad with aged white Cheddar cheese, Granny Smith apples, and warm smoked-bacon dressing was pretty basic in the end. Conrad's Whistling Straits sautéed escargot with applewood-smoked bacon, wild forest mushrooms, port wine sauce, and tomato concassee was both substantial and very tasty while my Georges Bank scallops crusted with Stravecchio cheese and served with crisp prosciutto and a sherry gastrique were a bit bland and chewy.

The wine surprised us some: on the menu it was listed as a Carneros Pinot Noir, which was true in so far as the origin of the grapes. In fact, the wine was produced and bottled in Door County, WI. That set us into snob mode immediately, but the wine quickly and appealingly opened up in the glass, and we had to admit that we would enjoy it for what it was if we didn't know it was a Wisconsin wine. It kept us good company through dinner.

The staff was very friendly, and the room had a warm lodge feel to it. So, the food struck out a bit. The dinner was still a welcome part of a two-day getaway.