A is for Amore!!!

I must admit there are not many restaurants in west Michigan that begin with "a", so Amore Trattoria Italiana was the choice all four of us.  Of course we were in the middle off winter storm warning but that did not deter us from heading north to Alpine and 6 Mile.

Amore is a place one could drive by without noticing, however the packed parking lot seemed like a very good sign.  As Amy and I entered ( of course we let the guys go find a parking spot, it was freezing!!!), we were warmly greeted by the manager and hostess.  We were early for our reservation so the manager invited us to the bar to have a drink while we waited.  There were two bartenders and both suggested we look at their martini menu.  They had a tremendous variety and we each chose a different one.  They were presented beautifully and were some of the best we have tried.  I ordered the Toto which is an espresso martini, the bartender asked how sweet I would like it and informed me that he makes his own whip cream vodka, score!   Be sure to check out the pictures!  By the time we tasted our martinis and settled our tab our table was ready.
   We were seated in the back dining room in a comfortable booth.  The restaurant is comfortable and inviting but not fancy or stiff.  The hostess took our coats which was a nice touch.  Our waitress was Jennifer, who has been with Amore from the beginning.  I could go on and on about her but let's just say she made us feel so much like family that we were showing each other pics of our dogs before we left!

Jennifer listed off a LONG list of specials and gave a few recommendations off the regular menu.  A few things you should know about the four of us, Greg detests veggies, John is allergic to dairy, and Amy and I are usually more interested in what is on the dessert menu!

We skipped appetizers, soup, and salad after reading the dessert menu :-), and ordered our entrees.  Based on Jennifer's recommendation, John ordered the rabbit modifying it with a wine and mushroom reduction instead of the cream sauce.  I ordered the ravioli of the night which was vegetable and chose the bolognese sauce from the 5-6 options I was given.  Amy ordered the lasagna, and Greg ordered a chicken dish.

The bread on the table was fabulous and obviously made in house like everything else! We usually order a bottle of wine to share at dinner so we inquired about any recommendations.   The wine list is all Italian wines with information about the regions including a little map!  We opted for a wine that was not on the list but part of a special shipment they had ordered.  The manager arrived at our table with the bottle, an aerator, and a carafe.  He chatted with us while he prepared the wine.  We ended up telling him how we were already blown away with the service in the restaurant and explained our blog.  He told us that their staff is trained to treat everyone like family and not a number to get through.  Well done, Amore!

I have no idea how long it took our food to arrive because we were just enjoying our time.  It seemed to be perfect timing.  The rabbit and chicken dishes were nicely presented with a zucchini side and some delicious potatoes.  The ravioli and lasagna were in large pasta bowls.  The lasagna is 13 layers and HUGE!  We may be weird but we all usually try each other's food so when I share our thoughts they reflect the group!  The lasagna was the best we had ever tried, it had amazing flavor but was not heavy.  The ravioli was amazing with very tender pasta, the right amount of filling, and a delicious sauce.  John was the adventurous one who tried the rabbit, the wine and mushroom reduction made the dish (the kitchen staff even brought out a little dish of extra sauce for him).  The veggies and potatoes were delicious and complemented the meat well.  Greg's chicken dish was very tasty and a great dish if you are avoiding carbs but if you are at Amore, live it up and try the pastas or something unusual like rabbit!

Time for dessert! There is a great selection of Italian desserts, so we chose a variety, Chocolate truffles rolled in toffee, salted carmel gelato, and a chocolate carmel tiramisu!  All were simply an amazing way to end a fabulous meal!  Guests are also given a complimentary chocolate liqueur made by chef Jenna.

At one point in the evening Chef Jenna came out to chat with us.  She was so warm and friendly, we had a great time sharing wine making stories!

At the end of the evening I tried to figure out how to make Amore start with a B, C, D, etc!  We left wondering if there were any places that could top our experience at www.amoretrattoriaitaliana.com/www.amoretrattoriaitaliana.com/. No worries we WILL be back!