West End Tavern

Come for the community, stay for the food and view

By Janice Binkert | July 1, 2017

“There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced, as by a good tavern.” – Samuel Johnson, 18th century British literary figure

Traverse City restaurateurs Mike and Sheila Connors must have been inspired by Johnson’s famous quote when they decided in 2015 to purchase the vacant property overlooking Harbor West Marina on West Grand Traverse Bay. Long before the remodeling and menu-planning process began at the property, less than a mile north of their already successful waterfront Apache Trout Grill, they had the name – West End Tavern – and a concept.

“Mike really wanted to infuse this place with a sense of community, like the original taverns, where people came to hold their town hall meetings, to get together with friends, and to celebrate life’s events — even everyday events,” said Brittnay Fritz, general manager. Now, one year after the tavern’s grand opening (no small mid-summertime feat) it seems their classic vision has become a vibrant reality.

WARM-UPS
A long, neatly stacked pile of split cherry wood lines one wall of West End Tavern’s covered entrance. “Yes, we’re into wood,” said Fritz. “It sets the tone for our wood-fired grill theme and the wood design elements throughout the restaurant that give a warm, northern Michigan feeling.” Sleek new black walnut and African mahogany bar tops inside and out are both comfortable and eye-catching, while cedar beams over the main bar and canopies over the booths in the main dining room serve a dual purpose, delineating those areas while dampening sound.

A large stone-hearth pizza oven, open to the main dining room, is another warming element and focal point, and the seats alongside it are a popular place to watch all the action. “And,” said Fritz, “our pizza chefs are really good at interacting with customers.” They’re also really good at turning out handcrafted creations like fennel sausage pizza with confit garlic and sweety drop peppers, or white pizza with whipped goat cheese, prosciutto, fig preserves, arugula, and balsamic reduction.

“West End Tavern is is meant to be a ‘crafted experience,’” said Fritz. “That applies to everything from our food to our service to our beverages. We train our servers to ‘read’ the customers. Some of them may not want to be bothered, others will want more attention, some will be in a hurry, and others will want to linger. And if it’s the latter, that’s perfectly all right. It’s a pleasant atmosphere here, and we don’t focus on turn times. We really want them to take as much time as they want and feel relaxed.”

CUSTOMERS’ CHOICE
West End Tavern’s beverage program, like its ingredient sourcing for the food menu, is committed to supporting Michigan products. “All of our draft beers right now are from Michigan, including as many local selections as possible,” said Fritz. “The same goes for our wine list. And as for our crafted cocktails, we’re tuned in to what our customers want. The Moscow Mule, for example, is still in demand, but our version is called the Leelanau Mule. It’s not in a copper mug — it’s in a glass Mason jar — and we make it with local Northwoods ginger beer, which is a bit spicier than your average ginger beer, and Petoskey-made Gypsy vodka.”

Fritz said that before starting their second summer season, the management took a step back and evaluated what changes they could make to enhance their customers’ experience. “We’ve been listening to them and looking at the reviews, not only to find out what people wanted but also what they didn’t want. They weren’t crazy about sharing plates, so we adapted our menu to reflect that. They did want more local fish options, so we now offer lake perch fish and chips, a walleye sandwich, and a weekly market fish selection. They wanted hearty home-style options, so we added classic tomato soup with half a bacon-grilled cheese sandwich, and lobster mac and cheese, as well as wood-grilled BBQ ribs, and a 24-ounce Tomahawk bone-in ribeye.”

Since January, Chef Grant Steiner has headed up the kitchen at West End Tavern (see sidebar). “In addition to bringing in his own ideas, recipes, and perspectives, he has been very open to suggestions from us. He didn’t change the menu drastically, but working with Mike, who really stays on top of trends, [Steiner] grew it to a new level,” said Fritz. “I’m excited to be working with him.”

FOR THE BIRDS
Fritz is also excited about the restaurant’s latest addition: a rotisserie/roaster. “It’s a fantastic piece of equipment. Among other things, it’s where we start our chickens before transferring them to the wood-fired grill to finish. They are worth trying! You know, like a lot of other people, I make chicken at home, so if I go out to eat, I seldom order it, but this chicken really special, very flavorful and juicy.”

And speaking of birds, if you look carefully at the West End Tavern logo, you’ll notice that it incorporates a stylized bald eagle. “Mike is fascinated by bald eagles,” said Fritz. “Driving to work along the bay on M-22, he often sees them and wanted to reference them in some way because he sees a parallel: He watches over his restaurants just like the eagles watch over their territory and have a bird’s eye view of everything.”

West End Tavern is located at 12719 S. West Bayshore Dr., in Traverse City. On June 30, the restaurant will celebrate its one-year anniversary with a deck party. For more information, call (231) 943-2922 or visit westendtaverntc.com. Rating: $$-$$$

MEET CHEF GRANT STEINER
FROM NYC TO TC
Where can you find a chef who brings to the table an arsenal of dishes as diverse as exotic Thai chili-marinated chicken wonton tacos with coconut rum sauce and decadent down-home carrot cake? Well, since January, he’s been heading up the kitchen at West End Tavern. Prior to that?  Sous-cheffing at Mario Batali’s Eataly in New York City, where he worked in multiple kitchens — a clear indication of his versatility, organizational skills, and competence. Said general manager Brittnay Fritz: “Meeting Grant, I knew he was going to be a great fit — [he’s] calm, hardworking, dedicated, personable, and very knowledgeable.”

If his employers feel lucky to have him, Chef Grant feels just as lucky to be here: “I have a background in classical French techniques, but I’ve also done Asian, Italian, and steakhouse cuisine. What I really enjoy, though, is that this type of restaurant lets me exercise my creativity in so many ways. We dress things up [with bold, flavorful sauces, dips, and seasonings] and we put great emphasis on plate presentation” — a natural inclination for this former graphic artist. “Most importantly,” he said, “We have the same goal: making sure that the quality is there, and that we’re serving a really good product.”

SAILING AHEAD
NEW PROJECTS ON BOARD
“We are very conscious of pleasing our boaters, who are our neighbors — and also customers who are literally at our feet daily,” said Fritz. “We have worked hard to build a good relationship with them and have listened to their feedback. We are now offering delivery to the harbor, and we might expand that to the other marinas at some point.” Also in the works is the possibility of opening a retail take-out shop in part of West End Tavern’s newly enlarged prep area, and yes, pizza definitely would be on that menu.