Logan: An American Restaurant with a contemporary vibe

On June 7th my husband and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary by having dinner at the restaurant Logan in downtown Ann Arbor. This was our first time dining at Logan but it certainly will not be our last.

From the moment you enter the bright, contemporary dining space, you are greeted by friendly and accommodating service staff.

The food is equally as contemporary and innovative as the surroundings. Before placing our order, we were given an amuse bouche, compliments of the chef, of a cucumber salad with a light vinaigrette. The cucumber had been shaved to look like short spaghetti noodles, and it was one of the most bright, refreshing salads I've ever eaten: this coming from someone who hates cucumbers. But something the chef at Logan, Thad Gilies, must really understand is that texture can make or break a dish. In this small little bite (that I didn't bother to take a picture of because I assumed I wouldn't like it), I found myself wanting to lick the last little bit of cucumber and vinegar left in the dish.

For an appetizer, my husband and I shared a pasta dish of wild boar bolognese. I've never had wild boar before, but the way it was described on the menu left me intrigued, and hungry:

Texas wild boar braised in red wine and aromatics, tossed with our handmade pappardelle pasta and garnished with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Not only was the wild boar delicious  - it put me in mind of a milder form or short ribs - but I love that it was the perfect amount of food to whet your appetite for the main entree. So often restaurants give you such large appetizer portions that you're full by the time you get to the main meal.

For the main entree I ordered the Tuscan pork tenderloin served with potato pave.

And my husband got the Greek leg of lamb served with ponzu roasted cauliflower and celery root puree.

Honestly, everything we ordered at Logan was absolutely delicious, but I have to say that the care and creativity with which they treat the vegetables is top notch. Once again, with my husband's entree, I found myself devouring a vegetable (cauliflower) that I normally hate, so much so that I think I ate more of it than he did. It definitely inspired me to go home and roast my own cauliflower (which I did, and though not as good as what we had at Logan, it certainly gave me pause to keep it in mind for future dinners at home).

Since it was our anniversary, we decided to go all out and order dessert as well. What we ordered was not only delicious, but almost too pretty to eat:

Hazelnut explosion: sponge cake, hazelnut ice cream, chocolate sauce

Overall, Logan was a memorable dining experience and one to keep in mind for special occasions in the future. If you find yourself in Ann Arbor for a special occasion or just some money in your pocket to burn, give this place a try.