Come for the Golf, Stay for the Meal

Summer dining at Trovato at Hidden River

By Geri Dietze | June 22, 2024

Trovato, found at the lodge at Hidden River Golf and Casting Club in Brutus, north of Petoskey, has a location as impressive as its many five-star ratings.

Hidden River is a nationally recognized course, ranked among GolfWeek’s “Best Courses You Can Play” from 2013-2023. Its environmentally-conscious design protects the Maple River, while offering a natural layout with 5 tees for all levels of play. And, the Maple River, considered one of the state’s finest trout streams, is the setting for guided fly-fishing tours and casting lessons, by reservation, with established area guides.

Inside the soaring timber-and-glass-fronted entryway, the club’s restaurant overlooks a gentle bend of the Maple River through banks of windows in every direction. This is a traditional Michigan lodge with industrial elements and sophisticated finishes, all blended perfectly into its secluded setting. Trovato is out-of-the-ordinary fine dining, an accomplishment built upon a passion for food and finessed by a chef with one of the most interesting stories we’ve ever heard.

Get to Know the Chef

Some great chefs are made, but Dean Grill seems to have been born to the profession, with a happy combination of genes, heritage food, and two Old-World grandmothers—one Sicilian, one French—who encouraged young Dean to play with sharp, shiny objects. By age five he could filet a fish, and he was already helping prepare feasts for an extended family, ranging from 70 to 90 members, in his Saginaw birthplace.

It was pretty clear where he was headed professionally. “I knew; my family knew,” he says.

Grill began working in restaurants at 14, and by 16 he was pursuing it full time. (His parents had careers involving frequent moves, so after cycling through 12 different schools, he decided to forgo graduation, earning his diploma later.) “I chose experience over scholarship,” he explains.

Grill has worked in kitchens from Chicago to Miami’s South Beach, from Central Florida to Los Angeles, and, closer to home, a stint as executive chef at Boyne Highlands resort in Harbor Springs (now known as the Highlands at Harbor Springs).

Along the way, he worked with some of the biggest names in the industry: Helene An, considered the mother of Asian-fusion cuisine and recognized by the Smithsonian Museum with a Pioneer Award in Culinary Arts; renowned Chicago chef and caterer Mark Chmielewski; Sean Brasel, lately of South Beach’s super-sophisticated Meat Market and owner of the company that catered a Super Bowl; and Jose Andres, world-renowned chef and humanitarian powerhouse. “I cooked for him personally,” Chef Dean says of that last one.

Along the way, he has also cooked for A-list celebrities and even a president, who, in the spirit of nonpartisanship, shall not be named.

Culinary skills aside, the breadth and depth of Chef Dean’s experience made him the first choice to helm the Trovato kitchen and to become a partner when John and Becky Duffey, owners of the very busy Douglas Lake Bar & Steakhouse, opened Trovato in 2022. The trio has also partnered in the 2023 reopening of Brutus Camp Deli, the well-loved breakfast destination down the road.

Step Into the Kitchen

At Trovato, Chef Dean does a “significant amount of business” with local Amish farms as well as the Petoskey farmer’s market. For top choice in meats, he has a “couple of Italian buddies” who run Fairway Packing Co., a highly respected family business founded in 1956 operating out of Detroit’s Eastern Market. Superior choices in seafood come from Detroit-area Carmela Foods.

Trovato’s menu is classic Italian, with modern touches informed by the chef’s wide experience. For starters, try the Spring Pea, Mint, and Leek Bisque along with traditional Italian salads, plus a nice selection of shareables, including a lavish Chef’s Charcuterie, arrayed with Amish honey, mustards, and jams; Calamari Giardinere; and Ravioli of the Day, using seasonal produce as it becomes available. Ravioli Carbonara, for example, features fresh spinach and spring peas.

Diners will find Chicken Piccata with lemon caper butter sauce; Rigatoni Bolognese made with veal, Wagyu beef, and pork; Veal Chop Marsala, a prime cut with brown butter mushrooms and wine sauce; and Eggplant Parmesan enhanced with ramp and walnut pesto. For those looking for a white fish, try the Crispy Skin Branzino, a mild and sweet European bass served with large pearl couscous, tomato and olive-caper salsa, blistered spinach, and Meyer lemon wine sauce.

As for patron favorites, the chef points to the Prawn Scampi on squid ink linguine with andouille sausage, Filet Mignon seared to finish in a cast iron skillet, and the Wagyu Short Rib with mild guajillo demi-glace. Of course, there is also the Spaghetti and Meatballs, this time amped up with wild game.

Of special interest is the Diver Scallop Risotto: fresh meaty scallops, hand-harvested one at a time, served with pancetta and lemon beurre blanc. Chef Dean has real-world experience diving for scallops, and he knows the difference. “Scallops are my favorite protein to cook and to eat.”

Desserts include Chocolate Torte with berries and raspberry sauce; Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake with strawberry, rhubarb, lavender sauce; and Tiramisu with espresso caviar and foam.

Trovato is home to a serious wine cellar, with three 2- and 3-level sommeliers to help you choose. The cellar is “Italian forward,” says Grill, but there are choices from France and Australia, California, Oregon, and Washington, plus some selections from our own vineyards much closer to home. Excellent cocktails, both classic and inventive, are a given.

Find Trovato at Hidden River, and Hidden River Golf and Casting Club, at 7688 Maple River Rd. in Brutus. 231-529-4653; trovatohr.com