Timothy's in Union Pier

[bob_rx2000]

The Bob_Rx’s have been living quietly, from a dining out perspective, for the past year or so. However, and hard to believe, our second wedding anniversary is on Monday, so this Saturday we ventured out for a nice dinner in celebration of having to have managed to keep it together for two full years…

We ventured over to Timothy’s in the Gordon Beach Inn, located in Union Pier, Michigan. I am a fan of Timothy’s from long ago and they lived up to my expectations for this dinner. The Gordon Beach Inn is an old hotel and the atmosphere, while reflecting the early 21st century summer beach culture, still resonates of an earlier time. (The older I get, the more I like older places..) The cuisine is “modern American”, which is traditional American food prepared with a healthy twist. Reservations are a must at Timothy’s and parking can be a bit tight, especially if Illinazis are frequenting the place, as nobody from Chicago apparently knows how to park…

We had 6:30pm reservations and arrived on time. Timothy’s doesn’t play the “table not quite ready” game and we were seated immediately. We were, in fact, offered the choice of a table on the screened in porch, or in the dining room. It was hot and humid, and there was a larger party on the porch, so we elected to sit in the dining room. Summer attire at Timothy’s is “beach friendly” and everything from neat shorts with t-shirts to summer dressy was in evidence. I truly enjoyed the people-watching during dinner as the place was nicely full and the diners were an eclectic lot.

The staff at Timothy’s is professional, the key members have been in place now for a number of years, and the service reflects this stability with professional wait staff and even the summer busboy help being always present and yet not hovering over your shoulder. Our waitress was friendly and we never had an issue with water, bread or other basics running out, and yet we didn’t feel she was hanging around keeping too close an eye on us.

We changed up our normal appetizer and had Florida blue crab cakes. They are served with a dash of white mustard and a chipotle sauce that has a nice smoky bite but manages to not overwhelm the crab. I was impressed that the crab cakes arrived about 5 minutes after our drinks, having given us just enough time to sample the fresh bread. They were hot and crunchy, clearly just out of the oil and a nice touch with the martinis. I had my normal Bombay Blue Sapphire martini while Mrs-Bob_Rx had an abomination - the “blueberry martini”… Mine was perfect, dry, cold and served as I asked with one olive – a cold cloud. I won’t comment on the abomination.

Our dinner salads arrived just as the appetizer plates were being cleared and the entrees were out just as our leisurely salad browsing was completed. Mrs-Bob_Rx had the “Shrimp 5-ways”, which is served on a bed of greens while I had the “Macadamia / Coconut Incrusted Grouper”, which is served on a bed of garlic-spinach. I know the food was good, as I think we said 3 sentences to each other while we ate. The grouper was light, flaky and I’d love to know how they did it, as the fish was perfectly cooked through while the coconut in the crust was just toasted and not a bit over-cooked. Mrs-Bob_Rx’s shrimp was also perfectly cooked and ust a bit on the spicy side. I was reminded of a blackened creole style shrimp, except without the burning of the spices. For dessert we both opted for the mango sorbet, which was delightfully tart and an excellent way to end a terrific meal.

Make no mistake, if you’re going to Timothy’s, plan on spending between $75 and $125 for two, depending on how much you drink. We had several drinks and thus were at the high end of that range, but it was an anniversary dinner to be remembered. The wait staff at Timothy’s earned a top-end tip as well, so it was a fairly expensive dinner. We won’t be eating there every weekend, but for one of those special birthday or anniversary occasions, you simply have to have Timothy’s on your short list of great local restaurants.

[backstagedee]

http://www.timothysrestaurant.com/

Timothy's Restaurant
at Gordon Beach Inn
16220 Lake Shore Road
Union Pier, Michigan 49129

Please call 269.469.0900 for reservations

[Happy Mom]

Bob, Happy Anniversary to a Fabulous couple... Has it really been two years? Thank you for the, as always, detailed and wonderful review and Dee, thank you for the link and info..

[Buck Wheat]

Splendid review, Bob. Did "several drinks" require the sevices of a designated third-party driver (i.e. chauffeur)? Or did you and the missus shack up at the GBI? Timothy's always conjures up memories of Buck's favorite 70's song:



They dined on meat ...

Happy Anniversary!!

[bob_rx2000]

BW, that thought about a designated driver did cross my mind, actually quite a bit more than just cross... I had my last drink (I had 2) finished with the salads, and we took a bit of a walk down to the beach before heading home, so I believe I had processed enough out of my system to be safe behind the wheel.

[Buck Wheat]

No need to explain, Bob. Buck knows you are a responsible fella. Heck, I drive drunk all the time. After my most recent DUI arrest, I blew a .33 on the Breathalyzer. Thank God Bill Stanley performs miracles as a defense attorney!

[Happy Mom]

No need to explain, Bob. Buck knows you are a responsible fella. Heck, I drive drunk all the time. After my most recent DUI arrest, I blew a .33 on the Breathalyzer. Thank God Bill Stanley performs miracles as a defense attorney!

I sooooo hope you are being facetious...

[Buck Wheat]

Nope. I am an alcoholic. Kicked my weed habit a few years ago though. Vicodin and Percocet? Pop 'em like Skittles. My brain functions better when it's impaired ...

[bdcbbq]

Timothy's is an excellent choice for dining out. The owner also has Tim's Too in St. Joseph. I've been having lunch fairly regularly there lately. Its not a place for a leisurely meal with lots of atmosphere but the food and choices are great.