thistles - August 10, 2007

4168 W Broadway Avenue
Robbinsdale, MN 55420

Her perspective: B

I went out to lunch by myself and had been wanting to try this place for a while. I entered through the rear entrance (there are two entrances) and was greeted immediately by a busy server. She bustled a bit for a minute, then seated me after asking if I wanted to sit inside or outside.

The decor was that of a very nice cafe; casual, but elegant. The service staff is in casual attire and the kitchen is actually in the same room. They do have a small bar, and, I didn't notice it at first, but there is another room. Considering the room I walked into was quite small (only about 10 tables), it makes sense.

I ordered a lemonade and looked over the menu. It was a combination of things that I would expect to see on a fine dining lunch menu - from lobster bisque to seafood dishes. It was quite reasonably priced, under $20 for entrees. I ordered the chicken fettuccine and settled in to read my book.

This dish is very tasty. The pasta and chicken were tender, the chicken had a nice crisp to it like it was sauteed. The sauce was great! It almost didn't need any seasoning, but I couldn't taste any garlic. That was a bit disappointing since I like garlic so much, but the flavor was very good even without it. There was crumbled bacon mixed in and it was garnished with shaved parmesan. Very nice! I finished every bite, which is quite uncharacteristic of me. This is the kind of food I would expect from a fine dining restaurant.

Since I was reading, the server left me alone, only stopping by for the necessary check-back on my food.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others and would like to try it for dinner some night soon.