Artisan To Open In Traverse City, MI

Artisan is a collaboration between Charles Mallory, Founder of the Greenwich Hospitality Group, Rick Wahlstedt and Joe King, restaurateurs, and Chef Frederic Kieffer, who have combined their expertise to create this unique and innovative casual fine dining restaurant.  

“The opening of Artisan in Traverse City is very exciting,” says Mallory. “It is the culmination of a shared vision of a remarkably talented team and will hopefully build upon the critical success of our other restaurants in Connecticut. We are graced with a truly beautiful location on West Bay with magnificent views and outdoor dining that is unparalleled. The seamless synergy between ARTISAN and our hotel, DELAMAR Traverse City, makes staying at the hotel, dining at Artisan, or hosting a private event, whether large or small, a remarkable experience for residents and visitors alike.”

Everything about ARTISAN will speak to the thoughtful decisions that have been made to enhance the dining experience and create a comfortable gathering spot for all occasions. With an architectural layout that creatively organizes over 300 seats into intimate and extraordinary spaces, ARTISAN invites guests to choose among casual and elegant settings both indoors and outdoors – all with spectacular views of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay.

The Artisan Menu

Artisan’s Great Lakes-inspired menu will reflect the rhythm of the seasons with local seafood, farm fresh fare from an onsite garden and local farms, and homemade pastries. Some signature dishes will include a sumptuous Great Lakes Chowder ladled over a mound of smoked whitefish and served with fennel crackers; a Michigan Lobster Roll, adroitly replacing lobster with whitefish, made with apples, corn, fennel, dill, served on grilled brioche and topped with crispy shallots; and Artisan Cioppino, a mélange of calamari, shrimp and mussels with seasonal Walleye or Lake Trout.

“It’s exciting to add a Midwest perspective to Artisan’s New England favorites and create new recipes that use ingredients and flavors indigenous to the region,” says Chef Frederick Kieffer.

According to Chef Frederick, menu items will feature Otto’s organic chicken, locally grown dried cherries, and desserts made with Traverse City’s Moomer’s farm fresh ice cream. Goat Bolognese, wild mushrooms and pasture-raised pork will be among Artisan’s fall menu highlights.   

Art & Architecture

Guests will enter Artisan through the Tavern, seating approximately 50 people at tables, banquets and at a stately bar with a Parisian pewter top. A magnificent mural representing the tree of life, hand-painted by Stockholm ArtistJonas Wickman, graces the walls, and comfy sofas and chairs surrounding a hand-crafted Swedish farmhouse fireplace invite cozy evenings by the lake. The main dining room boasts a large fireplace, wide-plank hardwoodfloors and a second mural by Wickman depicting birch trees reaching toward the sky visible through glass walls encasing the “Birch Room,” an elegant private dining room for 12.

Heading outdoors, guests will enjoy fine dining under the lakeside pergola, gather in the lounge by the fireplace, or meet friends at the bar for small bites, cocktails, and even a game of bocce ball.

Located at 615 E Front St, Traverse City, MI, Artisan Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern will open starting with dinner. Soon, lunch will be served daily and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.