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Our Restaurant Week is off to a strong start —what about yours?
Here are some of our thoughts on Restaurant Week — share your experiences on our food and dining Facebook page. Thanks for diners Dennis Hall and Ann Roberts who have already reviewed their dinners at Sunrise Cafe, Savona and Giuliano, An Anticoli Tavern! Here’s what we found:
Day 1 — C’est Tout
Sunday night took us to C’est Tout in Oakwood, which is not normally open on Sundays but made the exception for Restaurant Week and was rewarded by a robust turnout.
I doubt any diners left disappointed, especially at the $20.11 price point.
The first course of Cold Tomato and Strawberry Soup with Peppercorn was well-executed and delicious. Suffice to say I’ve never tasted a single dish that combined tomatoes and strawberries as the two main players, but this smooth, pureed blend, with its balanced sweetness accented with a distinct kick from whole peppercorns, was creative and refreshing. And it may be the best food pairing with a glass of dry rose wine that exists on this planet (Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Rose, $7.50/glass).
The entree choice of Braised Lemon Sole,served with Lobster Sauce Rice, Peas, and Mushrooms, was cooked perfectly, just to doneness, and was complemented by the rich and rather decadent lobster sauce. Beef lovers should opt for the Slow Roasted Prime Rib Au Jus with Horseradish Pomme Puree and Vegetables. The creamy potatoes packed a robust horseradish punch, and the generous serving of beef, with a touch of smokiness from a turn on a grill, was prepared as ordered.
The Flourless Chocolate Bar with Ohio Cherries will not disappoint chocoholics, but the warm Apricot Cobbler topped with ice cream also brought a satisfying end to a bargain ($20.11) Restaurant Week meal.
Day 2 — Hawthorn Grill
Hawthorn Grill also decided to embrace Restaurant Week by throwing the doors open on Monday night when it’s usually closed, and the restaurant had a nice buzz of activity when we arrived.
And here we found another chilled-soup winner, this time a Sweet Corn and Roasted Garlic Soup topped with a crunchy crouton smeared with Boursin cheese. Creamy and satisfying, with the roasted garlic nestled in the background of the sweet corn.
The entree choice of Pan Roasted Cod served atop Farm Stand Ratatouille Creamy Polenta also came deftly cooked, accented by the finely diced vegetables, mostly tomatoes. The Sausage Stuffed Pork Loin with Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Vegetables and Mustard Sauce is a rich, comfort-food dish, with the pork having a ham-like salty smokiness set off well by the mustard sauce.
Chocolate enthusiasts probably won’t read past the Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Cake — with Oreo Cookies, Homemade Brownie, Mint-Chip Ice Cream and Homemade Fudge — that is delightful decadence on a plate. The restaurant had already run out of our other choice — peach cobbler — but substituted an apricot cobbler. All in all, a very fine three-course meal for $25.11.
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