Glen Lake Restaurant Week profile: Trattoria Funistrada
From staff reports
In advance of Glen Lake Restaurant Week, May 1-9, we reached out to several participating restaurants to ask our local chefs what excites them about this culinary opportunity before the local tourism season kicks into gear. Participating restaurants will offer their own 3-course prix-fixe dinner for $25. Some establishments will offer $15 lunch specials as well. Glen Lake Restaurant Week began in spring 2014.
Next up is Trattoria Funistrada.
Glen Arbor Sun: What delectables will you offer on your Restaurant Week menu? What’s your personal favorite?
Funistrada: I love the pork loin. The citrus infused olives are such an amazing
combination – sweet, salty, savory …
Sun: How did you fare during Restaurant Week 2014? Did you see a boost in sales?
Funistrada: We saw a surge in ‘head count’. It’s a bit of a hit to our sales, but a great opportunity to create new business.
Sun: Are you experimenting with any new foods or courses this year that folks should know about?
Funistrada: Lots of play w/ fish right now! Chef Jake is so talented…
Sun: How, when and where do you typically conceive of new recipes? I.e., on the boat, in the shower, or on a trip to the Caribbean?
Funistrada: accidentally! Some of our most popular dishes are fun combinations that are put together for the nightly staff meal…
Sun: OK, so what’s the perfect day in Leelanau County? That is, what’s the ideal way to spend a day that concludes, of course, with a meal at your establishment?
Funistrada: coffee on the dock, perhaps an early hike, relaxing on the boat, cocktails on the dock and dinner at Funi! Sunset finish
Sun: As Northern Michigan becomes more and more of a “foodie” haven, what challenges does that present? How do you distinguish yourself?
Funistrada: I think we provide a relief from that, if anything. There are so many great places trying new and trendy things successfully – but that’s not us. We’re the tried and true, back to familiar and consistent. While we try to throw specials into the mix, they never sell. People want their old comfortable favorites …
