The Stand Bistro Review

Summer is quickly fading away. So well it’s still semi-nice outside, I have been trying to hit the town as much as possible. Recently, Mom, Dad, and I met up with our friends Linda and Dick at The Stand Bistro in Birmingham, Michigan. They are some of our favorite friends, and we always have a good time laughing and talking the night away.

I always bring Linda and Dick a baked good when we meet up. This time was no different; they got some rice Krispies Treat Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches and Cherry Banana Bread. I know – they are some lucky people! They also brought us some cannoli from Holy Cannoli! It was such a nice treat and Linda even made sure they didn’t have chocolate in them.

Amid all this food we exchanged, it’s easy to forget we were there to eat dinner. We started the evening with a duck slider and lobster BLT that we cut up so we could each try it. The duck slider was unanimously declared chewy, while the lobster BLT received mixed reviews. Mom and Linda both really enjoyed it and said they’d order it for lunch one day. Dick was on the fence, and Dad and I found the tarragon mayonnaise to have a strong flavor. However, the house made bacon on the sandwich stood out from all the other food we ate. Though we each only had a small piece, it was immediately evident that the flavor and quality were outstanding. Dick also had the chopped salad and enjoyed it.

The wait for entrees was a bit long, and when they finally came, the reviews were once again mixed. Dick’s shrimp pasta was good, as was Linda’s halibut entrée. Dad liked his Wagyu sirloin, but not the green beans it came with. Mom’s bone in filet was very overcooked, though she still enjoyed the flavor. I really liked the flavor of the green bean, red onion, and tomato salad I ordered, though it was a shame that the chef didn’t utilize local heirloom tomatoes at the peak of their season.

The macaroni and cheese was good though not great. Though we all have very different tastes, we all agreed the sautéed corn and almond side was outstanding. Dad ordered it and I figured I wouldn’t be a fan, but I was wrong. Mom and I ordered the duck fat fries. The first set that came had good flavor but was very soggy. The waiter tried to blame this on the fact that we ordered them without salt. Ummmmm . . . yeah, salt doesn’t make fries crispy, cooking them long enough does. The waiter agreed to bring a second set, which tasted much better. Some of the best fries we’ve had in awhile.

The dessert menu was rather a disappointment. Mom really wanted to try something, so she ordered the French apple tart. Again, apples weren’t in season at all when we dined at The Stand. It would have been so refreshing to see something with peaches or plums on the menu. Again, the waiter tried to tell us the seasonal fruit ripened early this year, when in actuality, in Michigan, everything has been very late. The tart wasn’t very tasty and went uneaten.

A beautiful restaurant, The Stand has the potential to be a long standing Birmingham restaurant, but it is not meeting that potential. A few changes and some fine tuning of the menu and wait staff would go a long way in creating an amazing dining experience.

Regardless of the fact that we experienced yet another disappointing dining experience, it was great to see Linda and Dick and enjoy a lovely night in metro Detroit.