Plymouth, MI — A couple of weeks ago, I met some of the leadership team and the sous chef from The Ledger during a foodie segment at my work. The Ledger is a fine-dining establishment smack dab in downtown Plymouth at the corner of S. Main Street and Penniman Avenue. Admittedly, I don’t make it out to downtown Plymouth all that often, and after trying some of their cuisine after the segment, I told The Ledger crew that I’d dedicate an adventure to their restaurant in the near future.
During this time, my aunt Lynn and uncle Jeff, who are actually two of my blog’s biggest supporters, were visiting downstate and staying with family in the Ann Arbor area. Since they live Up North, I typically don’t get to see them that often, so we coordinated to meet up for dinner while they were in town. I was about to leave the cold behind for several days with a vacation down to the Gulf side of Florida with a friend, so we planned to meet for dinner the day after I got back.
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Due to the distance and construction headaches between the Ann Arbor area and where I live in Hazel Park, we determined it would be best for us to meet somewhere halfway. Downtown Plymouth, a fun downtown known for sporting multiple fantastic eateries, seemed like an ideal candidate for a halfway point. I remembered wanting to check out The Ledger, so I promptly made a reservation for the three of us on Tuesday night. I also gave the restaurant a heads up on Instagram, because I really wanted to meet and interview the Executive Chef, Gregory Alexiev. So, on top of getting to see and catch up with my aunt and uncle, they would get to join me for a foodie adventure!
I arrived at The Ledger about ten minutes early, before my reservation, so that I could shoot my usual interior/exterior b-roll before my family arrived. This way, all I would have to get afterward would be the shots of the food and a quick interview with Chef Gregory. My aunt and uncle arrived promptly at 5 p.m. and met me at our table. We spent several minutes catching up, and I filled them in on my dual purpose for selecting The Ledger as our dinner choice. Being the big fans that they are, they were thrilled to be partaking in a foodie adventure!
I really liked the bright and light tones throughout The Ledger. It had a very elegant and upscale feel, while not being too over the top in the sense that I felt like I needed to be dressed in a three-piece suit to dine there. Overall, it’s a relaxed fine-dining vibe, with a seasoned staff to help explain, guide, and serve with the utmost professionalism. Our server, Carrie, was a prime example! She explained the daily food and drink specials, and really helped point me in the direction of the tequila cocktail that I would select: What the Fig — a Reposado tequila-based drink that had a bit of spice to it!
As my aunt, uncle, and I discussed several of the menu items that caught our attention, Carrie explained more unique things about The Ledger and how the kitchen operated. It’s an ‘all at once’ ticket order for the table (except for drinks/dessert), so everything gets put on a single ticket for the kitchen but still comes out in waves (starters to entrées), per usual. As we were finalizing what we were going to order, I also put in a quick request to speak with Chef Gregory before the dinner rush started to hit, knowing that the kitchen was soon about to be a beehive of activity.
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Gregory and I went over to a table off to the side and spoke for a few minutes as I set up my gear for the interview. I learned that he has been cooking for about 31 years in Metro Detroit. He started off in corporate/franchise kitchens before heading off to culinary school. Afterwards, Gregory’s culinary journey took him to Ann Abor where he worked as a catering chef. He eventually went to work as a sous chef at a restaurant in Novi, and before The Ledger, his most recent kitchen was Five Steakhouse at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth.
Gregory explained to me that when he was presented with the opportunity to helm the kitchen as Executive Chef for The Ledger, it felt like a good time for change. Gregory spoke very motivated about what his team accomplishes, both at The Ledger and The Ebenezer day in and day out. From the service, to the food, and ambiance, I asked Gregory what kind of experience he hoped people would walk away with after a visit.
“I want people to be able to come here and get stuff that they don’t normally or can’t readily get. You know, in the summer months, we like to feature Alaskan halibut. Winter months, right now we’re working with Patagonian toothfish. We’ve worked with seabass in the past; we’ve done monkfish. Just different items that you can’t get anywhere else,” said Gregory. “And that’s kind of our motto. I’m trying to build a fun experience that’s not next door or anywhere else.”
That focus on the uncommon does make The Ledger’s menu stand out, as both my colleagues at work and my uncle, who is an avid fisherman, all agreed that none of us had ever seen Patagonian toothfish on a menu before! That focus transcends beyond the menu and lives within each staff member at The Ledger, who all seemed to be operating at their respective A games. Working to build such a harmonious atmosphere for his staff and patrons, I asked Gregory what he enjoys most about his job.
“I would say something that I really enjoy doing every day, as much as it’s about the guests, it’s also about your staff. I love interacting with my staff. I love giving them the opportunity to create, to help the restaurant grow, and help them grow. I’m really about giving back,” Gregory said.
I could tell from the way Gregory spoke about his team that he was really proud of the work they do, and the growth he has already seen some experience during their time at The Ledger. It’s important for the staff of a fine-dining restaurant to work like a well-oiled machine, because guests usually come in with higher expectations for their dining experience. Chef Gregory stated that he and his team not only try to meet that standard daily, but are always looking to raise the bar.
“No matter what, you won’t find better service in town. We pride ourselves on the quality of ingredients that we use. We only serve prime meats. I work with numerous local farmers; one of my favorites is Stonefall Farms Wagyu. We have their steak on the menu. I also feature their ground beef on sliders downstairs at The Ebenezer. We also use other cuts for making nachos and brunch items. So, I love to focus on the local, and I love to focus on getting the best quality ingredients possible,” explained Gregory.
I noticed at the end of our interview that several starter plates were beginning to arrive at my table. I saw that my aunt and uncle were patiently waiting for me to return since they knew I would likely want to take tons of photos and videos, so I thanked Chef Gregory for his time and for all that he does as a chef, and returned to my table.
The Food
To start, our server brought over a suggested appetizer for the table, the Beef Tallow Candle. Which, as you could probably gather from the name and photo above, is a makeshift melting candle comprised of beef tallow — which is rendered from cow fat. The beef tallow, which was also doused with olive oil and parsley, slowly melts from the flame resting atop, turning the “candle” into a pool of warm butter for the nearby slices of herb focaccia.
I’m not one to go crazy over bread and butter before a meal (since my eyes are usually on other foodie prizes), but if it’s placed before me, I’m also not one to say no to this classic dynamic duo! This was a scenario where I had to rein myself in after two slices because this bread was off the charts. The bread was so light and airy, even a half-inch slice of this focaccia felt as light as a dollar bill. The herbs provided a herbaceous blast of rosemary and thyme, which were accentuated by the butter-inspired beef tallow. The oily and earthy tallow was kept liquefied when spread across a bread slice due to the bread being freshly baked and still warm. A perfect kickstart to a meal at The Ledger!
Next up, the two starters we ordered: the Honey Aleppo Pork Belly and Tuna Tartare. The first, featured in the left side photo above, was something I was eager to try. I’m always down for pork belly; at The Ledger, it comes garnished with a carrot top pesto, potato pavé, sherry vinaigrette, pickled vegetable slaw, and microgreens. I enjoyed the visual creativity and color, from the stark contrasts of the dark, earthy pesto to ruby red micro tomatoes.
The flavors themselves provided equal dynamic contrasts, but in a juicy and fresh bite kind of way. The carrots and vegetable slaw had been saturated by the sherry vinaigrette, so this profile had a very sweet and vinegary twang to it, which also contrasted the salty and very crispy pork belly. The vinaigrette and thick, zesty pesto helped prevent the pork belly from tasting dry at all, with the pork belly itself being cooked quite well. After two bites, I had to remember to share with my aunt and uncle, who were also big fans of this dish!
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The Ledger’s rendition of the Tuna Tartare was certainly one of note, eclipsing the top three best among my personal adventures where I’ve encountered tartare. The Ledger’s tartare comes served with a cucumber and avocado blended spread, atop iconic chunks of sesame ginger marinated tuna. The dish gets some additional microgreens and garnish, served alongside colorful shrimp chips for dipping. As if the shrimp chips weren’t already a tasty deep-fried starchy snack on their own, the chips serve as clever conveyors of hearty and ginger-heavy tuna.
I was actually blown away by how refreshing and urgent these flavors flooded the taste buds. The cucumber and avocado spread was very fresh and one of the better guac variations I’ve had in quite some time. The tuna was exploding in flavor, and I couldn’t be happier that my uncle Jeff eagerly suggested this starter, because it turned out to be downright amazing. The selection of the shrimp chip not only paired perfectly with this tartare, but it also scored a few brownie points for the colorful and creative take on the dish.
For my main entrée, I had ordered the Ibericho Pork Rack Chop, but also ordered a 6-oz Wagyu Ribeye Filet on the side because I felt compelled to order steak in some capacity since I was at an establishment known for its wagyu selections. When in Rome, after all.
I ordered the steak rare plus, that between medium rare and rare type of cook, which results in a good blend of a rare center, medium-rare mid ring, followed by the medium exterior, which comes from being seared in a hot pan for the last leg of its cooking journey. The three rings were each cooked perfectly, with an extremely tender center encrusted by a flavorful and well-seasoned exterior kissed by fire to round out one of the juiciest and most sensational ribeye steaks I’ve had in a long time.
I also have to give a massive shout-out for that in-house zip sauce served alongside the butcher’s cuts. This sauce was so top-tier; I’d love to see it utilized in other ways, like an alternative sauce to the Duck Wings. It was like A1 steak sauce on steroids. I honestly drenched every ounce and drip out of that cup onto the steak after I sampled it. It was so good, I practically demanded that my aunt and uncle try a saucy steak slice each so they could also experience this sheer level of steak mastery. Even though this zip sauce was a scene-stealer, in general, so was this steak. Although beef and steak prices are currently higher than one would like to see market-wide, this is one of those rare occasions where it’s worth treating yourself to one of the higher-end tiers of beef and cut quality because it’s absolutely worth it. If not for the steak, do it for the zip sauce!
My main order, the Ibericho Pork Rack Chop, arrived not long after my steak. I was just finishing the last piece of steak when my chop and my uncle’s Half-Rack of Lamb arrived. The dishes looked relatively similar, with my uncle’s lamb appearing a bit more meatier, but my pork chop was coated in a sticky fig glaze, atop a bed of golden and crispy potatoes. The pickled cranberry chutney also provided a sweet and ripe berry twist, which complemented the firm and juicy consistency of the pork chop.
The pork chops were great, especially with the fig glaze enveloping the meat, but they were a bit limited in terms of meat portions. Which, in this case, can’t be helped; it’s just the size of the chop. But just bear in mind when ordering this dish because it might be worth adding on a small steak or additional appetizer to your order to compensate if your hunger is truly ravenous. Unless you’re looking for a lighter or more modest meal, this entrée is perfect! It really was enough on its own to satisfy, but since I rarely visit fine-dining restaurants, I felt compelled to try as many things as possible and let the credit card take the wheel. Plus, I had to make sure my aunt and uncle were enjoying their first special guest foodie adventure!
I’m giving a quick nod as well to my uncle’s Half-Rack of Lamb, which he gallantly offered a slice of. This was indeed a much meatier and savory selection, with the lamb cooked a bit more on the rare side than medium. This helped keep the meat a bit more tender and easier to cut through. It was very well seasoned and had a light sear. I dragged the lamb chunk through some of the melba sauce, a vibrant and smooth red berry-based purée, and concluded that this lamb was another solid choice for a main course dish.
We couldn’t throw in the towel on this special occasion just quite yet; however, not without trying one of The Ledger’s most buzzing menu items — the Safety Deposit dessert! This stacked, souped-up carrot cake is a layered cake with warming spices, carrot purée, pineapple, toasted coconut shavings, and a rum caramel icing.
I reaallllly had to rein myself in when this was placed at our table, limiting myself to about three moderately-sized forkloads. The staff member who delivered this delightful dessert initially had the platter covered, because this crowd favorite gets the smoke show! This dish gets a grandiose entrance, and by the time you’re finished, you’ll be glad that you ordered it.
I savored every bit of this creamy caramel and coconut-covered cake. The creamy richness from the purée, toasted coconut, and rum caramel all blended very well together, while the refreshing carrot cake covered its bases. The cake was very moist and sweet, but wasn’t overpowered by the other involved sugars. I loved the layering as well, which assured every bite would include some of the carrot cake, as well as the other sweet ingredients.
After paying our tab, I walked my aunt and uncle back up to the entrance to say our goodbyes and thank them for joining me for dinner. They both loved all of the foods they tried and were thrilled to have gotten to join me for a foodie adventure and to spend some time together catching up. The only thing I love more than doing these foodie adventures is when I get to adventure with family or friends, and for this very reason. Whenever you get to do something that you love with the people you care about most, it always makes the adventure more special.
Aside from loving basically every dish placed at our table, I can’t thank Chef Gregory, Carrie, and the wonderful staff at The Ledger enough for their professionalism and dedication to their craft. That focus on providing an experience not commonly found elsewhere really did ring true, and I could tell it left quite the impression on my aunt and uncle, who actually used to live in Plymouth for many years and even joked with Carrie that they had wished The Ledger was around when they lived downstate!
We parted ways, and I was escorted downstairs by staff to The Ebenezer, where I enjoyed a cocktail in a dark, cozy setting. I ordered a bourbon-based drink, but only kept it to one since I’d have to drive home. For a Tuesday night, there were actually quite a few tables of patrons scattered around the edge of the speakeasy, all enjoying craft cocktails in a sophisticated and established setting. I would definitely love to adventure back sometime to try the food specifically crafted for The Ebenezer, as well as a few more of their artisan drinks. Until next time!
The Ebenezer
For more information about The Ledger, click here. For more details regarding The Ebenezer, click here.
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