Third Time‘s the Charm for Chandler‘s

He’s the third generation of Symons in Petoskey, and he’s the one in charge of the “Best Place To Be Seen” in Emmet County. He says that the two main ingredients in everything prepared at his family’s restaurant, Chandler’s, are “love and quality.” And he thinks that Chandler’s fish is “the coolest thing.” We’re talking about Chandler Symons III, the manager of Chandler’s Restaurant in Petoskey.
The Symons have long been known in the Petoskey area for their wildly popular general store, Symons (of course), where some of the best gourmet foods, snacks, and ingredients in Northern Michigan can be found. The Symons family were also responsible for the now-closed Chandler’s Wildlife Gallery and Gifts - named after the eldest Chandler Symons (the first) by the second Chandler Symons, who is Chandler, the restaurant manager’s father. Got that? Yes, it might read a little like a soap opera, but it’s really just three men who have long followed the Symons tradition of great foodstuffs, unique products, and top-notch customer service.
“The wildlife gallery was named after my grandfather by my dad,” Chandler Symons (the third) reconfirms, “so I thought I’d return the family favor and name the restaurant after my dad.”
And Chandler’s it was. Opened in December of 1999, Chandler’s Restaurant wasn’t in the grand plan of the Symons’ local empire - it was, as Chandler Symons says, more of a “natural progression.”
“The general store was focused on fine food and fine wines,” Symons explains, “and we needed more room for the wine, so we expanded downstairs. Then we decided to put a few seats in, and a small deli, and we got a liquor license so that people could taste the wine before they made their purchases. There was really no original intent to make a restaurant.”
Symons shakes his head as he remembers those early days. “But once we got the liquor license, we found that there were quite a few requirements that resulted in us running out of space once again,” he chuckled, “so we thought we might as well use some of the other space that my father owned.”
The wine-tasting facility soon moved over to the space previously occupied by another shop that was renting from the Symons, and soon evolved into a full-service restaurant.
“Even once the restaurant started running, we weren’t intending it to be as high-end of a restaurant as it has turned out to be,” Symons muses, “but the people we have working here - specifically Peter Hamm, our Executive Chef, and Andrew Adams, our Chef de Cuisine - just have so much pride in their work that I leave it up to them to decide in what direction our menus are going to go. Andrew and I have been working together for five years, and Peter and I for around three, so we have a pretty good idea of what each other wants, and I just critique where necessary.”
As Symons explains, the two head chefs have their fingers on the pulse of both food trends and what the customers want.
“Andrew, especially, just lives food,” Symons enthuses. “Our menu is really great, and we do changes monthly.”
Currently on the Chandler’s menu, the focus is on fish, which is all brought in straight from Florida overnight from Chandler’s purveyor, so that the fish is always fresh, and there’s always variety.
“Our fish really is the coolest thing,” Symons continues. “Right now, we’ve got some great halibut and Chilean sea bass and grouper; we don’t list the fish specifically on the menu, because we’re always offering something different. We don’t do whitefish but occasionally, since everyone does that in this area; when we’re in the slow season, we do use John Cross Fisheries locally, but mostly for his great walleye, perch, and salmon. Oh, and we also do sushi, which is something not a lot of people know about us - we do sushi Fridays and Saturdays in the off-season, and every day in the summer.”
A quick peek at Chandler’s menu showcases the fish he so enthusiastically mentions, and a whole lot more. Starters include Calamari, Crab Quesadillas, Broiled Gulf Oysters, Escargot, and two varieties of Risotto, depending on whether you choose a lunch or a dinner selection.
The brief but effective sushi menu includes California Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, and Cobra Roll. Daily soup specials change daily and are served with bread in a crock or a cup. Salads include the familiar Caesar as well as the more exotic Baked Goat Cheese Salad and the Chinese Salad with Bok Choy. And the entree menu - dubbed “Grill & Saute” - features everything from Fish and Chips, a Salmon Burger, and a Gyro to the “Five Dragon” (Corned Beef, Sweet and Spicy Slaw, Lappi Cheese, and Thai Dipping Sauce served hot on bread), the “Gillie” (Feta, Swiss, and Cheddar Cheeses melted with fresh tomato and onion on bread), the Herb Crusted Oven Roasted Veal Chop (with Creamy Parmesan Polenta and Herb Beurre Noisette), and the Symons-endorsed beef selection, the Char-Grilled eight Oz. Center Cut Filet, about which Symons says “Our steaks are killer - you don’t even need a knife, you can just cut it with a fork!”
There’s something for everyone, including desserts for both traditional and adventurous palates. The dessert menu includes the favorite Creme Brulee, a Vanilla Bean and Lavender Cheesecake, a special Cheese, Fruit, and Nuts plate, and a Blueberry Cobbler.
“Our bar service is a great complement to our food, too,” Symons points out. “We have a terrific wine by the glass list - over 20 different wines are available - and we have some great martinis. We also do Tuesday night wine tastings, presided over by our Cellar Master, Brian Frank, that will continue through June.”
And are there any other special events coming up at Chandler’s?
“Of course!” Symons smiles, “we’ll be having Mother’s Day brunch, and we’re continuing our Saturday and Sunday breakfast specials all day in addition to the regular menu - you can get Stuffed French Toast, Eggs Benedict, prepared pretty much however you’d like. And we have entertainment Wednesday through Saturday now, and seven days a week during the summer busy season.” And with all of these impressive menu selections going on, it’s easy to see why things are probably busy most of the time at Chandler’s.
Chandler’s - A Restaurant - is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily during the busy season, with the bar area additionally open until 2 am. They are located at 215 1/2 Howard Street in Petoskey, telephone 231-347-2981.

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