The Soul music is the first thing that can be distinguish in this restaurant. It is hard to recognize if it is Aretha Franklin or another 1960´s singer. The music fits perfectly with the environment. As the restaurant’s name “The Union Grill Cabaret Grille” alludes, the place is reminiscent of the mid 1950’s New York or Chicago bars and cabarets, where Jazz and Blues musicians met up and played. White and black paintings decorate the brick walls, giving it a classic touch. A mini scenario with a big piano is in the center. Velvet curtains separate these two areas. The scenario lights give an artistic air to this place. Stained glass windows transform the inside light into different colors during the daytime. A bar table is in the back part for those who profit from Happy Hour martinis from five to eight in the night all the week long. It is more a casual than a fancy place. The atmosphere is nonetheless pleasant.
“This is an American restaurant with a little twist”, says –“The Union’s”- chef, Eric Gillish. It is difficult to find that “twist” he referred to in the menu. It is a mix of different cuisines. While reading the options, there are principally Mediterranean food like seafood and pasta; and all of them are based on ingredients like basil, pesto or balsamic vinegar. However, some of them have an American touch. Many are deep fried, have bacon or are served with mashed potatoes. You could find hamburgers and sandwiches, except for the fact that they are prepared in a more gourmet way. There are Salmon Burgers or Smoked Gouda Chicken Burgers. Most of the hamburgers are seven to nine dollars. Steaks are the top dishes of –“The Union”-. There are five types of steaks, whether with mushrooms, garlic or peppers. All of them are accompanied with vegetables and some kind of potatoes or rice. Steaks are twice most expensive than sandwiches, they are between $15.25 and $18.95 dollars. Gillishe’s educational influence is clearly reflected in la carte du jour. After studying at Grand Valley State University (-in Grand Rapids-), he did a food tour and training in France, Italy and Spain.
Even if Kalamazoo is a student’s city; the Union is full of middle-aged people around 40 or 50 years old. Customers enjoy their Saturday drinking from the enormous variety of domestic and imported wines the restaurant offers. A bottle of wine ranges from $19 to $40.
You could also find some families chatting while Western Michigan University College of Fine Arts renowned musicians entertain the guests with live jazz music. Music is the principle ingredient in this restaurant. Even when Gillish is in the kitchen, he cooks with the rhythm of music.
The best way to begin a “Union’s” dinner is with a Fried Boursin Cheese. One of the waitresses always highly recommends it to all of her customers because it is her -“favorite”-. The fresh goat cheese covered with crunchy fried pastry looks unappetizingly like a deep-fried potato, but once it is in someone’s mouth, opinions usually change. Slices of hot baguette and glorious small tomatoes seasoned with basil and olive oil surround the cheese. The combination of the cheese with the tomatoes and the bread is simply delectable. It is easy to feel how the palate expanded with the mixing of the sweet tomatoes and the milky cheese. This appetizer is so good it could pass for one offered in a restaurant on Rome’s Via Veneto. The appetizer prices are between $3.99 and $9.25. The most expensive is a sampler platter of several options.
The Grilled and Chilled Shrimp Cocktail is six large herb and garlic - grilled shrimps, served with a hot sauce and corn tortillas. The shrimps are fresh, huge and have a lot of flavor. However, the combination of the shrimp with the hot tomato sauce simply does not match, and the sauce is bland. They are discordant. It is like putting together red pants and a boring yellow blouse.
The recorded music that comes on is Aretha Franklin again. The musicians take a break and drink water to moisten their throats and discuss among themselves. They can rest, but the waiters can’t. They are walking, nearly running, from one place to another. Dishes come in, dishes go out. People continue inspecting the menu. It is hard to figure out exactly what type of food this restaurant offers. This is not specifically American food. It is a wild European, Mediterranean, American combination. The place adapts perfectly to a Unites States environment, but the food does not.
The Union is close to celebrating its tenth birthday; it opened in 2002. Eric Gillish says that in commemoration of this celebration, he is planning to change the restaurant’s menu. However, he must not change the incredible and extravagant Seafood Papardelle, handmade wide noodles tossed with shrimp, lobster meat, pan-seared scallops and pesto cream sauce topped with a lump of crab and a few drops of balsamic. The mix of the cream and the balsamic dissolves easily in anyone’s mouth. They serve generous pieces of lobster and again, huge fat shrimps. For seafood lovers this is the perfect dish because it has a variety of everything. The Papardelle is $19.50, the most expensive dish on the menu.
Eric Gillish explains that compared with normal American food, he doesn’t use a lot fat in his food. He tries to make it as healthy as possible and relies on olive oil or light butter. “This is one of the biggest problems with American food,” affirmed Gillish. He also says he can’t choose his favorite menu dish. It depends on his humor and the day. According to him, our appetites and tastes change every day.
While this is true, most of people can’t deny desserts, especially in - “The Union”-. This restaurant does not have a lot of dessert options, but they are worth of eating. Their prices are from $3.75 to $4.50. The Pecan Toffee Chocolate Torte and the Apple Blueberry Crisp are the most popular. The first one is a cake which has three layers of different types of chocolate and pecans. The layers of dark chocolate, butter toffee and the chocolate mousse look thick and rich in chocolate. Even though the second one also has different layers, in this case it has oatmeal, nuts, apples in caramel, and blueberries. It is served warm with vanilla ice cream. This one looks homemade. Delicate and tasty!
-“The Union”- is a good casual place to enjoy an evening out with friends, have a drink, listen to good music and eat something fancier. Nevertheless, before deciding to go there, it would be better to have a large budget because it might be more expensive compared with other restaurants in downtown Kalamazoo like Epic Bistro or Martell’s.
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