Kevin Yi, a culinary student, directs customers at the host stand as part of his dining room services class where students receive real experiences working in a restaurant while having the safety of instructors supervising their work. Lily Merritt | Washtenaw Voice
By John Kopelman
Contributor
From the entry of the Student Center, it is easy to miss Garrett’s. As a student myself, I often find myself sitting in the comfortable chairs while waiting for a bus or quietly studying, barely aware of its presence. There are heavy wooden doors and a wall of frosted glass separating the restaurant from the considerable bustle of the building. The Sweet Spot is more noticeable, being enclosed in clear glass.
Once seated at one of the tables or comfy-looking banquettes, the wisdom of this design becomes apparent. The agreeable soundtrack, the frosted glass, the separation from the building entrance all combine to give the space a sense of calm and make it feel like a kind of refuge.
After I was seated, I was brought a basket of rolls and a plate of butter. There were actually two kinds of butter; a dense little cloud of the whipped kind, and a triangle of with a sprig of thyme and a sprinkle of salt on top. The rolls were delicious and warm, and the butter soft and spreadable. To start, I ordered the crispy calamari with creamy remoulade sauce and sweet bell pepper confit, the summer tomato soup, and Garrett’s green salad.
The calamari was perfect. The light batter was crisp and not at all greasy. The squid inside the batter was cooked well, which is an achievement in itself–calamari becomes overcooked and rubbery very easily, and getting it right is a demonstration of skill. The remoulade sauce was creamy and punchy with red onion and capers. The bell pepper confit was also perfectly cooked; the peppers were softened just to the point of tenderness but not crossing over into mushiness.
The soup was also delicious, with the cream and the herb oil beautifully balancing the acidity of the tomatoes and tying in the classic pairing of basil and tomatoes. The salad was cool and crisp; the mixed lettuces, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes tasted fresh, and the marinated shallot vinaigrette was pleasingly tart.
Next came the entrées: the pasta primavera and the French-style ham and cheese. The primavera dish was excellent: fresh-made farfalle pasta, perfectly-cooked summer squash, peppers, carrots and light sauce which seemed to be just butter and fresh herbs.
The kitchen’s attention to detail really came through. Perfectly-cooked everything, the flavor of the different vegetables and pasta tasting exactly like themselves, all tied together with delicious, herby butter. Textbook, classic and hit the mark.
The ham and cheese sandwich was also delicious, however the chips were cold and soggy.
For dessert, I had a wonderful slice of Bunny Cake from Garrett’s Sweet Shop and an espresso. The cake was seriously delicious. The menu described it as a cake containing carrot, banana and coconut and iced with cream cheese frosting; but this doesn’t begin to do it justice. It was like the best carrot cake and the best banana bread you’ve ever had got together and had a cake-baby.
All of this without being overly sweet or heavy-feeling. There was also just a little touch of lemon cream on the plate, which was a great counterpoint to the cake and frosting. The espresso was artfully made, and a perfect example of how an espresso should be.
I would recommend Garrett’s to anyone. There were a couple of things that could be improved upon, as I mentioned, but those things were outshone by the things that needed no improvement.
Overall, this place serves simple food and absolutely nails the details. There is no better way to teach the next generation of talented cooks and managers than learning from an operation that has its priorities in order, and I believe this describes Garrett’s well.
If you’d like to check it out yourself, Garrett’s is open every Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. until November 26. You can also make an reservation on Garrett’s website at culinary.wccnet.edu. A menu is also included on the website.
