Sylvan Table - Amuse’s your Bouche beyond that amazing first bite!!

Sylvan Table, a restaurant in a 300 year old barn with warmth and charm!

Sylvan Table amuse’s your bouche from the first bite to the desert drinks and probably the best carrot cake you would ever dream to taste. This is a farm to table restaurant that does it right. Dining in a 300-year-old barn, on a 3-acre working farm, with a warm and sophisticated-rustic atmosphere which relaxes your soul from the moment you arrive, while stimulating your taste buds from the very fist bite. This restaurant focuses on sustainability, warmth, and flavor. One that you should not miss. Wondering why it took us so long to try them. Don't make our mistake. Go see what we are talking about. It’s like being in Pioneer days with your own personal talented Chef - Dan.

Even in the winter it has a fun outdoor (enclosed) area to gather.

Sylvan table “amuse’s your bouche” so what does this mean? An amuse bouche is an unplanned, Chef inspired, first bite to tantalize your taste buds. A way to introduce his food concept to your pallet. This amuse bouche told me that this chef knows simplicity and flavor. The little herby, crispy (gluten free), toasted, unique leafy base of deliciousness went in as an interesting bite that finished with an unexpected spicy warmth that lingered and called for more. Like an herby everlasting gobstopper - Dan (but better than Willy Wonka could have dreamed). It was the perfect way to alert you to the fact that you were about to have a great meal.

An amuse bouche of crispy, tantalizing deliciousness!!

Nothing starts a meal off right like a good bottle of wine…just saying!

This was a typical Chianti Classico (always dry and refreshing). This wine held accents of wood and spice and a slightly cherry finish. Perfect for this rustic farm atmosphere. This, decanted for a little while, would be amazing! The last sip is always the best, especially when you go from opening to immediately drinking. But who can wait. Not me - Dan!

For starters we decided to order the Bee Sting Flatbread and the Mushroom Risotto. The Bee Sting Flatbread is a wood-fired flat bread topped with hot soppressata, provolone, house-made ricotta, chili peppers, red onion, honey, and herbs. This was a last minute impulsive addition to the beginning of our meal and a truly repeat recommendation. We would definitely order this again. The flatbread was crispy, flavorful, with the tangyness of the soppressata and chili peppers, to the sweetness of the honey, and the fresh addition of herbs. This was one of our favorite parts of the meal (among many!). We paired that with the mushroom risotto. Dan does not even like mushrooms, but somehow seemed to hum at each bite. The mushroom risotto was creamy, earthy, with a little crispy onion on top. This would pair well with one of the rustic dishes like the braised short-ribs or the duck (which we ordered both). For someone who would not eat a mushroom if you gave me a million dollars, (don’t tell anyone I tried this), this dish was excellent! - Dan.

For the entrees…Dan ordered the 5 Spice Duck Breast. This was served with Calabrian & mirin sautéed greens (which Dan had to comment was his favorite accompaniment he ever had!), forbidden rice (black, firm, and beefy), circled in a rhubarb beet puree. The duck was seasoned perfectly and cooked to a firm but tender bite. Dragged through the rhubarb beet purée added an interesting sweetness without any bitterness. Rotating through the three, produced the perfect balanced dance of texture and flavor. Smack me on the ass and call me Barbara, that was delicious! - Dan.

Pam ordered the Braised Short Rib. This was prepared in the traditional braised manner that produces the melt-in-your mouth texture. It was generously seasoned with the perfect full rustic, herby crust. This was served over a potato & celeriac croquette. The croquette was crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and carried the right balance of flavor that was the yin to the short-ribs yang. Riding aside was a chili roasted pumpkin, which I did not know that it was pumpkin. I thought it was a root vegetable of some sort. This was delicious and necessary to cut the richness of the seasoned short-rib. Along with the wilted greens with a horseradish Diane sauce, the sides were the perfect medley of flavor, texture, and color. A definite order again. Just seeing and tasting her dish, I looked like Pavlov’s Dog - Dan.

How to finish a good meal…with a dessert drink and a dessert.

A great ending to a great experience!!

For the perfect finish to a great dining experience, we decided to order dessert drinks and dessert. Dan ordered the Tiramisu Martini within is a drink using the house coffee liqueur, Bailey’s, cream, espresso, mascarpone, and chocolate. This drink was everything you would imagine it to be: rich and creamy, with the right amount of sweet bitterness. Not a drink to spill a drop. Which I did - Dan. Every drop, that was left was worth it!

Pam ordered the Jump in Line. This is a drink that has Bumbu, Bumbu Creme, Tempus Fugit Creme de Banae, with salted vanilla syrup, and nutmeg. What??? Bumbu is a West Indies Barbados born spiced rum. It is unique in that it is aged in Kentucky bourbon casks (for up to 15 years if you get the good stuff) and uses sugarcane from Latin America. It has a banana, vanilla, almond, and caramel sauce flavor with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg which presents very light on spice. Tempus Fugit Creme de Banae, is s liquor made from a 1883 recipe using small reddish bananas from Costa Rica. The flesh is macerated in 60% neutral alcohol for 7-10 days before small-batch distilling to create a concentrated banana flavor in a deep amber liqueur. It is silky on the pallet with an intense overripe banana, light cinnamon, black pepper spice, and faint chocolate finish. So as you would expect, this was a spicy, banana drink that was warm and smooth. It took a few sips to truly appreciate its full flavor.

Onto the dessert. The Sticky Toffee Carrot cake was the best version of carrot cake that we ever had the pleasure to taste. This was a fried, rich, crispy on the outside, warm on the inside carrot cake filled with raisins and walnuts, topped with a cream cheese toffee sauce and paired with in-house made salted vanilla ice cream. This was a necessary part to the meal. Even if you are full, box up the rest and order this dessert. You will find room. This was amazing from the first bite to the empty plate. It is not always paired with the homemade ice cream, but don’t skimp here. It needs the cold, salty, creamy vanilla side-kick to balance the rich, warm, moist bite of the crispy fried carrot cake. I don’t like carrots with my cake (she made me order it), but that was delicious. Who knew? - Dan.

We hope we inspired your tastebuds and your spirit of adventure. This is a must-do, return often, restaurant. Metro-Detroit has a lot of great restaurant options and deserves the attention and patronage. We try to visit and bring to you our favorite places and dishes to help support their hard earned efforts to please your taste buds. The restaurant industry is a hard industry and we hope to encourage and support worthy establishments. Please subscribe to our website and follow us on social media for our next adventure. dEATtroit Eats, we have not been everywhere, but it is on our list.