One North brings elevated fare and ambience to former Reno’s West

It’s been a tough summer at the He Ate household. My much better half had two knee replacements, and the pain management and recovery have been hard to witness. All the while, I’ve been attempting to corral the four lovely but energetic younger ladies in my life. I’ve become equal parts physician’s assistant, dad Uber, short-order cook and referee (and this doesn’t even include the “day” job at Michigan State University).

In short, I’ve been busy and exhausted — though extremely grateful for the support of family and friends who’ve helped out with pickups, overnights and meals. All that said, it’s been an even rarer-than-usual privilege of late to experience a nice meal with good ambience and service.

Enter this month’s food review at an address I know well, but with a new owner and menu I’m less familiar with. One North Kitchen & Bar opened in December 2020 at the site of the former Reno’s West. I’ve spent many evenings and game days at Reno’s locations across the region, and while they were known for being great places to grab a pitcher or a Long Island iced tea and enjoy a round of pool or an MSU game, One North’s menu brings another level of excitement. Featured on YouTube’s “America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow,” I was both eager to taste from the “scratch kitchen” and curious about how the new franchise would reinvigorate the space.

Classic pub fare is joined on the menu by entrees with Tuscan or Southern flair. One North is neither pretentious nor overly relaxed, both in terms of culinary options and atmosphere. It’s made good use of the massive footprint, and while you’re never far from the sightline of a TV, the modern décor, patio seating options and absence of video games from the Reno’s days provide a chicer vibe.

What’s hit or miss

Given my current domestic circumstances, my first visit was to pick up a takeout order. I placed my order through One North’s website rather than a third party, hoping to maximize the revenue going back to the restaurant. When I arrived, the hostess couldn’t find my order in the system, but after a few moments, the manager found it and had the kitchen start it immediately. Staff shared their apologies, and after another few minutes, my order was ready. Glitches happen, and the courteous response was appropriate.

On my second visit, my daughters and I deferred a school shopping trip until after brunch ($5.95-$19.95). The extensive buffet offerings of hearty breakfast staples and New American lunch items were reinforced by the incredible array of antipasti and fruit and a well-stocked salad bar. A tower of parfaits was surrounded by donuts, pies and other assorted desserts.

The ups and downs started in the breakfast area, where the cheesy eggs and Southern fried chicken tenders & waffles were a high point, but the cheesy potatoes with peppers and onions were home-fry-style, even though the ladle on the outside suggested an earlier version in the morning had shredded potatoes. I was also frustrated by my time spent foraging through the woefully undercooked bacon, searching for an edible slice — and I’ve eaten many a European breakfast where medium-rare bacon is common. Most disappointing, though, was the lack of attentiveness by the waitstaff as I waited more than 10 minutes for both of the cranberry juices I ordered, even though the bar was but one table away from us.

What’s good

The takeout dinner was better. I ordered the Brussels sprouts ($12), and while they’re not the best in town, I found them to be nicely charred, and both the Parmesan and bacon were tasty. They just needed a bit more balsamic.

I really enjoyed the torpedo shrimp ($13.75), a creamier take on sweet chili or boom-boom shrimp. Paired with a delectable Asian slaw, I would order these again.

The Michigan salad with blue cheese ($8.25/half, $12.50/full) was also a hit, from the dreamy balsamic dressing to local cherries and apple slices that sang the best of Pure Michigan.

Best bite

The pulled pork sandwich ($14.50) was on point. Slow-roasted pork was joined by pepper jack cheese, pickles, house-made barbecue sauce and a crunchy, creamy coleslaw. This handheld was tender and yummy — salty, sour and sweet all at once. Large enough to eat over two sittings, I was a fan both times.