About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Dining at Sweet Lorraine’s is an experience. Both the décor and the food are unique and entertaining. While creative and inspiring, however, the food doesn't always live up to the expectations created by the menu's description. Additionally, the wait staff needs to be more attentive, and the food should be served warm.

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Pros

• Intriguing food combinations
• Interesting decor

• Quiet and good for business lunches
• Full bar

Cons

• No basic dishes
• Unique twists to food combinations don't necessary add to dishes
• Service is average

Description

• The restaurant is located in the lobby of the Livonia Marriott, which is itself attached to Laurel Park Place mall.
• French doors lead from the dining room to an enclosed, outside dining patio.
• Curved walls and ceiling tiles make for an interesting decor.
• Eclectic menu includes a long list of daily specials, salads, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, meatloaf and steak.
• Menu includes vegetarian dishes and a "lite" section.
• Wine list is expansive.
• Organically, locally produced ingredients are used in dishes when possible.
• Lunch menu includes sandwiches and burgers starting at $7.95. Entrees range in price from $10.95 to $19.95.
• The menu is a la carte.
• Not a great restaurant with kids because the dining area is quiet and the dishes are anything but basic.

Guide Review - Sweet Lorraine's Livonia

Atmosphere:

Sweet Lorraine's has a boutique-type atmosphere with many curved surfaces within the dining area undoubtedly inspired by the Art Nouveau style of architecture.

The room is decorated in deep colors and art work, including a quote from Virginia Woolf along the top of one wall. Unfortunately, the use of quotes to decorate food courts in area malls has taken away from this once distinctive touch.

Food:

The menu is, in a word, “intriguing;” each dish has some unique twist to it that piques your interest. It’s obvious that Lorraine – Chef Lorraine Platman –- strives to make different combinations and give her food a creative flair. For instance, the “Down Home Pot Roast” is braised with Coca Cola. This is a pro or con depending on the patron, however, for there are few basic dishes for those with non-discriminating taste.

The daily quiche special with a hash brown crust was served cold and was, frankly, bland. The crust is certainly an interesting choice, but while different and unique, doesn’t necessarily add anything to the dish. Additionally, the egg was so whipped, it reminded me of the Béchamel sauce that tops moussaka, but without the flavor.

The Chicken Kebabs “Corfu Holiday” was presented with the kebabs creatively intersected to form a tepee structure. Again, this made for a unique presentation, but proved distracting and maybe even a little bit dangerous as the Jenga-like structure slowly lost its supporting kebabs. The dish, however, was very good; the “twist” I’m coming to associate with Chef Lorraine (and M. Night Shyamalan for that matter) of serving the hummus a top a Greek salad worked for it.

Service:

Quiet and unobtrusive, the service was fine, but not outstanding. My coffee cup was often colder or emptier than I would have liked, and the wait for the food was longer than it should have been.

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