COMING SOON
430 E. FRONT STREET
TRAVERSE CITY, MI 49686
Catch Our Upcoming Events
Be one of the first to experience Umbo before it opens in Traverse City with our new at-home dinner subscription. Once a month, Chef Cameron & his team will curate a rotating multi-course meal featuring a generous array of shareable dishes! With our love of supporting local community, we'll be sourcing our ingredients from our network of surrounding farms as much as possible. December’s meal, available for pickup on Tuesday the 23rd of December from 12pm to 6pm will feature a special menu and pricing for the holiday. With the patio party season winding down, your participation in our meal club this holiday season helps to keep the ball rolling with the buildout of our future home on Front Street. This revenue will go directly into renovating the space so your participation is deeply appreciated. There are limited spots available for pick up in Traverse City.
December Menu $175/kit (meal feeds two)
Focaccia + Truffle Butter
Dates Wrapped in Bacon - idyll chevre stuffed, pepper jelly, rosemary
Clam Chowder - savory broth, local root vegetables, pork crispies
Caesar Salad - local greens, caesar dressing, soft breaded egg, anchovies, lemon
Confit Potato + Sunchoke - roasted chile sauce, chopped olives, garlic
Creamed Spinach - lemon cream, aleppo breadcrumb, cream cheese
Maple Roasted Baby Carrots - charred, local maple, brown butter
Lobster Thermidor - crab and lobster stuffed, madeira egg custard, herbs
Gingerbread Cake - cherry sauce, whipped cream
Head to their website to subscribe: https://app.table22.com/product/umbo-supper-club
One Night Only: New Year's Eve with the Chef Duo Behind Umbo
Chef Cameron Rolka and Chef Sarah Welch are hosting a New Year's Eve dinner at Riverside @ Commongrounds—a rare opportunity to experience the vision that's about to further elevate Traverse City's reemerging food scene.
This celebratory dinner showcases the culinary vision behind Umbo, Traverse City's most anticipated restaurant opening in 2026: a seafood-driven, small-plates destination built on seasonality, precision, and deep relationships with Northern Michigan's growers and makers.
What to Expect on the Menu
Pristine oysters and caviar. Locally sourced proteins prepared with the techniques that earned these chefs national acclaim. Celebratory champagne pairings. A rotating tasting menu that showcases the thoughtful, sustainable approach defining their careers—and the future of Umbo:
To begin:
Ukranian garlic bread & garlic butter
First:
Sea Bass Crudo: citrus marmalade, fennel pollen, olive oil, caper berries, quark
Second:
Truffled Pelmeni: smoked beets, creme fraiche, chives
Third (choice of):
Seared Cobia: potato whistles, cauliflower agridolce, almonds, herbs
or
Stuffed Lamb Loin: savoy cabbage, stuffed with kasha, chestnuts, and cherries sauce allemande, herb relish
Last:
Brillante panna cotta: lingonberry preserves, maple oats, buttermilk ice
The Chefs
Chef Sarah Welch — Four-time James Beard nominee, Top Chef finalist, and the force behind Marrow, Detroit's multi-million-dollar dining institution.
Chef Cameron Rolka — Culinary architect of Mink, Detroit's critically acclaimed raw bar known for exceptional seafood, intimate hospitality, and rotating seasonal menus.
Together, they're creating a dining destination unlike anything else in Northern Michigan.
Join us December 29th and December 30th from 4pm to 10pm for our first, Italian leaning, pop up with our friends at The Little Fleet. Yep, you heard us - we’re teaming up with The Little Fleet for a special pop-up celebrating good Italian food, great people, and the energy that makes Traverse City feel like home.
What to expect? Show up anytime for la carte menu items harnessing Cameron & Sarah’s roots cooking soulful, Italian they learned when they met working at Mani Osteria. Think bold flavors, handmade touches, and a few beloved crowd favorites (did you say oysters?) all served in the laid-back, buzzing atmosphere only The Little Fleet can deliver. Come hang, eat well, and be part of a collaboration built on community, creativity, and a love for feeding people right. No pretense—just really good food, great drinks, and even better company.
Menu:
Pickled Tomatoes – house-made focaccia, olive tapenade & creamy ricotta
Caesar Salad – boquerones, grana & crunchy croutons
Sarah’s World-Famous Meatballs – rich tomato sauce, olive crumbs & parm
Chicken Roulade – Loma Farms polenta, cipollini onions & savory jus
Squash Agnolotti – handmade pasta, hazelnuts, rosemary & ricotta
Cioppino – mussels, shrimp & scallops with warm focaccia for dipping
Finish Sweet with a Tiramisu or Ice Cream Sundae
✨ Two nights. One collaboration. Don’t miss it. ✨
Our food has a story and we like to share that story with everyone…
We have many options for feeding you a meal. And we love a good party. So whether it’s stationed meals for those who prefer a more casual experience or a family style sit down affair to spark conversation, we can work with you to curate your perfect event. Regardless of the service style, we honor every detail. From interactive workshops to hot dogs & caviar, we're available to pop in at your house until we open the doors to ours. Let us take the load off and entertain you and your guests this holiday season. Whatever your event dreams may be, we are here to make them a reality.
Let us bring a taste of Umbo to you this winter!
BE SURE TO CATCH THE LATEST…
Our Founding Team
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Our Chef - Cameron Rolka
Chef Rolka has worked in a wide array of establishments, from 3-Michelin star Martin Berasategui in Spain to some of Detroit's best restaurants, (Dime Store, Republic Tavern, Takoi in exile, Takoi, and Marrow.) His role in the opening of such prominent Detroit restaurants led him to the opening of Mink in Corktown, Detroit in November 2019. Mink is a small 17 seat restaurant featuring a seasonally influenced and constantly rotating selection of oysters, a seafood based tasting menu, caviar service, and a wide selection of curated tinned seafoods. Impeccable sourcing from local farms, a diverse list of oyster farms, sustainable seafood, and high end ingredients sets chef Rolka apart. Cutting his teeth at Mink served as the perfect training ground for the launch of Umbo.
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Our General Manager - Sarah Welch
Sarah Welch is a Founding Member and Partner at Marrow. She is also the co-Founder of seafood-centric restaurant Mink in Detroit's Corktown. Marrow was voted a semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant in the country by the James Beard Foundation in 2019, and in that same year was named one of the top new restaurants by Eater. Since then, Sarah has been nominated four times for James Beard Foundation's Best Chef in the Great Lakes category making it to finalist in 2023. Sarah competed in Top Chef: Houston in 2022 and was one of 3 finalists. Sarah trained formally at the renowned International Culinary Center in NYC after getting a business degree at Michigan State University. Her time as chef and partner at Marrow & Mink respectively has primed her appetite for her debut running the front end of Umbo.
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Quality Control - Angus Eugene Welch
Angus oversees Umbo’s most essential operations: quality control, team morale, and snack security. With a background in persistent observation and a nose for detail, he ensures every product and process meets the highest standards—especially if treats are involved. Known for his calm leadership style and unwavering commitment to office culture, Angus brings a balance of both discipline and delight to the workplace. When not performing site inspections, floor managing, or supervising meetings he can be found frocklicking around the outdoor parks of Traverse City in search of life’s next great adventure. While he’s been known to engage with newcomers with a bit of intensity and fervor, he’s really just a silly little guy. Most times you can find him in his favorite cold floor spot engaging in his favorite professional development activity: napping with a purpose.