Cinco de Mayo, 114 Monroe Center - 9/1/10

Opening some months ago, the restaurant occupies the old Herkner Jewelry store (which moved to the suburbs after a shooting incident involving the owner taking a few shots at a fleeing robber in broad daylight, but that’s another story).

The space is a now a color extravaganza. Painted walls, artistic renderings on chairs, booths, and tables provide a feast for the eyes. Upon entering, the restaurant seems small. But the booths lining the far wall move through the narrow hall and open up into another dining area that provides an entrance off Ottawa. There are TVs playing various channels but they were not noisy.

It was a late lunch and we took a booth away from the few other occupants but we found ourselves scrambling for foot and breathing space. Booths are tight; there was no chance of anything spilling on our laps. And all the tables and booths feature large foot pedestals; nice to look at but cumbersome for legs and feet.

The menu is large with all of the usual Mexican restaurant offerings but it also lists items featuring tongue and other more unusual dishes. Even the few always present American dishes are imaginative: hamburger or cheeseburger but with taco meat, and a hot dog but wrapped in a tortilla.

Chips and salsa were brought out promptly. We had to add hot sauce to the salsa and various sauces were already on the table. All of the appetizers were too hearty so we started with our main dishes. It took us a while to investigate the menu and our server repeatedly tried to get us to order. If you are looking for a leisurely dining experience, you will need to resist being rushed. If you’re on a tight schedule, you’ll be fine.

First up was Plato de Arrachera: steak, mexican cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocados. It was a creative and amazingly good dish. The steak was tender, and everything was fresh and flavorful. Along with this came charro beans, a sort of bean stew that was very interesting. After a few spoonfuls, the saltiness became hard to ignore but the dish had a nice kick to it.

Our second item was Carnitas Mexicanas: deep-fried pork served with pico de gallo. It was another delicious plate of food. The “deep-fried” is not what you might expect. It was batter-free and quickly fried until just slightly crisp on the outside. The pork was well-seasoned and not overcooked; the fresh pico de gallo was a taste treat.    

We were told that the full menu is available on their facebook page but we’ve been unable to locate the page, even after a phone call to the restaurant. Egg dishes are also available but note that there is “no Coke, Pepsi.”  And the restaurant has recently obtained a liquor license. If you want more than Tex-Mex fare, you should try this restaurant. 

May 2011 - We visited this restaurant again and were seated in the rear dining area, which was much more comfortable. We were struck again by the fact that although much of the fare is typical for a Mexican restaurant, these people do it right.
                                 

Twisted Rooster, 1600 East Beltine - 8/26/10

A lot of attention has been paid to this restaurant and its conversion from the national chain, O’Charley’s, to what will become a “local” chain. We had to give it a try.

Walk in and it still feels as if you’re in a chain restaurant. Several young greeters/hostesses are milling about. A large dining area lies straight ahead, a bar with high-top seating is to your left, and leads to another dining area. The interior has been redone with nondescript modern decor, but the bar is attractive. At least nine TVs could be seen and very loud music is piped in everywhere in the building. With their attempt at a creative menu, it might be described as  a Sports Bar that wants to be a Gastro Pub.           

We were seated promptly and our server took a few minutes to describe the menu (not sure why - it’s not that complicated). Although the menu throws “twisted” in front of many of the items, most of the items are not that unusual. There were no appetizers or sides to start things off so we went with the soup of the day, gazpacho. Topped with homemade croutons, it was amazingly tasty and perfectly seasoned.

Next item up was the bison burger (nicely credited as Byron Center Buffalo). It came with white cheddar, tomatoes, leaf lettuce, “twisted sauce,” and salt pepper fries. Ordered medium rare, it verged a little close to medium but was flavorful and delicious.

Our second dish was the hard-to-resist twisted mac & cheese: cavatappi noodles, white cheese, house smoked chicken, sweet peas, asparagus, cherry tomatoes with baked cheddar bread crumbs and fried parmesan. It was a spectacular concoction with all items combining nicely, and nothing overcooked. The parmesan was a nice touch.

Our server asked if we wanted any dessert but there were none listed. She then brought the dinner menu, which listed the desserts as well as appetizers. When asked if we could have had one of the appetizers, she informed us that most of them were available. But how would we have known that? Check out the menus online beforehand if you’re going for lunch. Our food tab came in under $30.00.

The menu claims to emphasize local food but credits only the buffalo with its source. They do have a nice list of local beers and wines. But the main problem with this restaurant is the noise level. It is unbearably loud, unbelievably so. The music volume makes everyone speak up to be heard and the resulting roar is overwhelming. A man two tables down was talking on his cell phone, which is usually a major irritation. But although we saw his lips move, we couldn’t hear a word he was saying.

The Twisted Rooster reserves a few parking places for those picking up “to-go” orders, and this would be a much more pleasant way to experience their food. It will be interesting to watch how this place and its menu evolves. (The logo found below was kindly sent by the owners' marketing office.) And if you are wondering if there's any significance to the name, there isn't. As possible names were being bandied about, this is the name that stuck.

www.twisted-rooster.com

Leo’s, 60 Ottawa Ave NW - 8/10/10

Walk into Leo’s and you smell fish. Although there are alternative items on the menu, if you’re not a seafood fan, this is not your restaurant.

With an attractive bar to the left, the main dining area is very spacious. Last time we were here, we dined in the bar area and it’s a much more intimate setting. Although there are a few booths, the dining room on the whole is wide open. Decor is muted with light wood trim, an elevated black ceiling, and large windows. It’s classy but still has a dated feel to it. And the absence of diners is a little eerie and makes one feel somewhat conspicuous. To top it off, there’s piped-in light jazz music which immediately reminded us of the weather channel. Salt and pepper shakers were situated on the table, which is not a good sign.

Our server was attentive but distant, almost as if he disapproved of us; the attitude remained throughout, but he did bring us deliciously warm dinner rolls (unusual for lunch). We started with seviche: sea scallops, scottish king salmon, and halibut, served with marinated cucumbers, onions, avocado, red peppers, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. It was a lovely and tasty creation, with our only criticism being that it was slightly oily.

First main dish was the brazilian grilled shrimp: gulf shrimp (hard to believe) with spicy honey-herb marinade, served with harvest blend rice and fresh vegetables. All good except that nothing went into the presentation. It’s Sunday dinner at your Mom’s - each item just piled on your plate.

Our second dish was grilled alaskan halibut. The restaurant claims to receive its fish daily and we have no way of knowing whether that’s true or not. Along with the aforementioned rice and vegetables, the fish was served with roasted lemon vinaigrette and Mediterranean tapenade - really nice accompaniments but again, presented without any creativity.

The menu is updated by the week, and the online menu changes accordingly. As a nice final touch, your bill comes with two fish-shaped chocolates. Our tab was over $50.00 and we would recommend the bar atmosphere for a more enjoyable setting.
                    
www.leosrestaurant.com

Ichiban, 3005 Broadmoor SE - 8/6/10

This was our second visit and we tried the Chinese wing of the restaurant this time. It‘s a large room with about 16 tables and is very tastefully and minimally decorated; dark wood tables and chairs, and white table cloths. There was no one else is the room when we were seated. After about five minutes, the hostess seated another two people - right next to us.

The lunch menu offers fourteen different lunches at $6.45 and another seven items at $6.95 each. We began with crab wontons and they were brought to our table in less than two minutes. Obviously they were already prepared. But the filling was good and there was a lot of it. Unfortunately, we did not have plates on which to eat them.

Our hot and sour soup was brought next and although there was a nice addition of a dumpling in the soup, it was neither hot nor sour.

Ingredients for each lunch item are not listed on the menu. We chose szechuan pork for our first main dish and confirmed that we wanted this and our next dish to be spicy. They obliged nicely; jalapeno and red chili peppers covered both dishes

Our second selection was orange flavored beef. We’ve had this dish many times before and this was our least favorite to date. The beef appeared to be chicken and the deep-fried little pieces were light on meat and more like little fat chunks. But vegetables were nicely done and the spice level was perfect.

Our server was very polite and prompt, and menus are online. Although the ambiance here is quite nice, we enjoyed the Japanese food much more (see October 2009 Review).

www.shanghaiichiban.com

Mexico’s Little Kitchen, 2747 Clyde Park Ave - 7/30/10

This is the old location of Lindo Mexico, which has moved into new digs near Studio 28. We dined here when it was Lindo and have yet to visit their new location. But today it was about MLK (that is how they refer to themselves). The owners also own a nearby grocery story.

The small restaurant is divided into two sections, separated by the entryway. On the left are four booths along the wall and three large tables. On the right are two small tables and three booths. The place has a nice tile floor but is otherwise decorated with typical Mexican restaurant decor. A Mexican game show was playing on the TV at a high volume.

The menu is large: nine appetizers, two salads, four soups, four enchiladas, a category labeled Mariscos offering seafood dishes, six Mexican platters, twelve Mexican specials, seven burritos, three fajitas, two chimichangas. You get the idea; it’s another very large Mexican restaurant menu. But this one has handwritten modifications and black magic marker cross outs on it.

Our server brought us tortilla chips and salsa immediately. The tortilla chips were double layered, quite greasy and very good, but the salsa was bland. When we asked for hot sauce to liven it up, it arrived when our main selections did, spicy salsa along with a separate dish of hot sauce.  

Looking for something different to start with, we picked the Southwest egg rolls. We knew it would be some Tex-Mex configuration but it was a taste treat all the same. The guacamole that came with it was excellent, and we ignored the accompanying bland salsa and ranch dressing.

Our first lunch selection was the taco dinner: three soft shell corn tortillas; one spicy chicken and two steak. The tortillas delivered were flour but they were great and  definitely home-made. Ingredients needed spicing up with the hot sauce, and the chicken taco paled in comparison to the steak tacos.

The second dish was carne asada. Ingredients: little chunks of steak simmered with tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and onions. Fajita style was ordered and it was an excellent choice. It was good and “hot;” the flavors all blended well and were not overwhelmed by the jalapenos.

There were only a few people in the restaurant but we had to physically get our server when we were ready to go. Up until then, service was fine. Most items are below $10.00. There is no website so you’ll need to check it out in person.

The Daily Grill, 445 Ada Dr SE, Ada - 7/28/10

August, 2012 - the restaurant has re-opened, not as a Gilmore location, but as Chloe Elan.

On August 20, 2010, I read a notice that the restaurant will be closing at the end of the month. The future of the leased building is unknown but Greg Gilmore is planning on building a new restaurant on the adjacent 12 acres that he owns, sometime next year.

The oldest member of The Gilmore Collection, the former Thornapple Village Inn is an expansive restaurant located on the Thornapple River. It has a large outdoor deck and a small, beautiful bar. The main floor is divided into three rooms. The dark lower level has private dining/banquet rooms and a wine cellar. Wooden walls and large windows predominate upstairs and it’s a pleasant atmosphere.


The lunch menu is not online but there’s enough overlap with the dinner menu to get the idea. Fresh, local food is emphasized and the restaurant has its own garden.

We had tried most of the appetizers already on previous visits and therefore selected the PEI (Prince Edward Island) mussels. This beautiful creation consisted of lemon thyme butter broth, garlic bread, crushed bacon, and olive rocket salad (arugula & onions). Lovely to look at and even better to eat. Combined, everything worked perfectly and the toasted garlic bread provided much needed texture.  

Next up was the TBA: local honey smoked turkey breast, bacon, and avocado with red onions, organic greens, and basil mayonnaise on ciabatta. The idea was good but the individual parts could not be consumed at the same time. The avocado was a thick slice, arbitrarily placed at one end of the sandwich. There was no way the flavors could evenly combine.
                                
Penne was the other selection: pasta, grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, shitake mushrooms, and asparagus with herbed bleu cheese sauce. It was a decent choice but the blue cheese sauce completely overwhelmed everything. The ingredients could be seen, but only bleu cheese was tasted.

Service was friendly and prompt. However, when asked to box up the second half of the sandwich, our server omitted the fries without asking or mentioning it. That, along with a ripped and frayed cloth napkin, was a little surprising at this otherwise nice restaurant.    
                        
www.thegilmorecollection.com

Bloom, 40 Monroe Center - 7/14/10

Update:  Bloom closed its doors, effective 11/1/10.

We’ve dined here at least four times previously and always love the food but hate how long it takes to arrive. It’s never been crowded, which makes the delay inexplicable. But the food is relatively creative and we think it's worth the wait. Located on a corner, the restaurant has an open design with exposed round duct work, wood trim, and warm colors. It’s not a cozy or intimate setting but it has an attractive, trendy atmosphere.

There were ten appetizers offered and the pressed quail stood out among them. Accompanied by peas, almonds, and drizzled lemon vinaigrette, the dish had a nice interplay of flavors. 

Next up was crispy pork belly, served with lentils, glazed turnips, mustard, and red onion/honey jam; a little heavy on the lentils but otherwise beautifully presented. The pork belly was done well with a crispy top but still retained great taste.

Our second main dish was seared whitefish, paired with crispy bacon, raisins, and multiple carrot preparations. This was interesting and so creative; carrots came pureed, marinated, and sauteed, and one cooked carrot was on the plate with a slice of bacon resting in it perpendicular. Who does that? Just the people at Bloom. We don’t know exactly what the “whitefish” was, but it was expertly seasoned and delicious.

Because of our past experiences, this time we checked the timings. Our appetizer arrived in 25 minutes and our server let us know after 20 minutes that it would be up shortly. The main dishes arrived 40 minutes after ordering. If you’re not in a hurry, enjoying your conversation and some bottled beer, this wait time is acceptable. But we did order our main dishes before our appetizer arrived, which we usually don’t do. There was only one server tending the tables but with just three or four tables filled at one time, no additional servers were needed. She was friendly and efficient.

Bloom offers a weekend brunch that is rumored to be excellent. Multiple menus are posted online. If you like a pleasant environment, are not in a hurry, and enjoy original, innovative cuisine, visit Bloom.

www.bloomgr.com