the dinner report
I've managed to drag myself into work after a great evening last night. We headed to Annapolis in our shiny new car, and only got slightly lost trying to find the restaurant.
The Wild Orchid Cafe is a house-turned-restaurant, very similar to Cafe Phoenix back in Grinnell, which was about the only restaurant we really liked in that town. I often find that there's a comfort to eating in a house that's a restaurant rather than a regular restaurant -- it feels very personal, casual while still classy.
We were seated toward the back, in a little nook that could've been a walk-in closet back when the restaurant was a house -- it was big enough for us to fit comfortably, and it opened into the restaurant completely so it didn't feel claustrophobic, but it was still close enough to feel more intimate than we would've at the other tables. The server brought mini-phyllo cups with a roasted red pepper mousse - very similar to the pepper dip we make at home but creamier - as a complimentary appetizer.
The menu, as most are in Annapolis, was pretty seafood-heavy, and neither of us eats seafood, but we both had choices in entrees, which Tim often doesn't have being a vegetarian. I decided on tournedos of beef wrapped in veal bacon with a peppercorn sauce, served with yukon gold potato and frizzled leek hash (basically cubed and beautifully fried potatoes), and grilled asparagus. Tim had basil and goat cheese ravioli with pesto, also served with asparagus and I think some spinach, or similar greens. Both entrees came with freshly baked, warm cheddar bread (plus oil with freshly ground pepper, which I always appreciate), and a house salad of organic greens with strawberries, toasted almonds, and gorgonzola. We paired it with a Spanish 1999 Malbec (I can't remember the name, but they had a reasonably extensive wine list) which was very red :) I think I'm losing my taste for alcohol - it's very bizarre.
The food was quite good, and entrees with the salads and bread were in the 20s, which seemed pretty reasonable. There's a balance between quality and quantity at restaurants with $20-something entrees, and this one was a little higher on the quantity, lower on the quality than I would prefer, but still definitely worth the price. They did lose a couple of points for serving Tim's meal on a plate that I recognized was sold at Target (and sure enough, checked the bottom and the brand name was Gibson). Details, details. The wine was very reasonably priced - not marked up nearly as much as we tend to see at restaurants. Plus, we got to use our entertainment card, which gave us one entree for free, and I was too full to eat dessert, which means we'll go out some time this week or next to finish off the celebratory dining experience. The meal with 20% gratuity was under $90, so, for an anniversary deal, it was reasonably economical, and highly satisfying.
The Wild Orchid Cafe is a house-turned-restaurant, very similar to Cafe Phoenix back in Grinnell, which was about the only restaurant we really liked in that town. I often find that there's a comfort to eating in a house that's a restaurant rather than a regular restaurant -- it feels very personal, casual while still classy.
We were seated toward the back, in a little nook that could've been a walk-in closet back when the restaurant was a house -- it was big enough for us to fit comfortably, and it opened into the restaurant completely so it didn't feel claustrophobic, but it was still close enough to feel more intimate than we would've at the other tables. The server brought mini-phyllo cups with a roasted red pepper mousse - very similar to the pepper dip we make at home but creamier - as a complimentary appetizer.
The menu, as most are in Annapolis, was pretty seafood-heavy, and neither of us eats seafood, but we both had choices in entrees, which Tim often doesn't have being a vegetarian. I decided on tournedos of beef wrapped in veal bacon with a peppercorn sauce, served with yukon gold potato and frizzled leek hash (basically cubed and beautifully fried potatoes), and grilled asparagus. Tim had basil and goat cheese ravioli with pesto, also served with asparagus and I think some spinach, or similar greens. Both entrees came with freshly baked, warm cheddar bread (plus oil with freshly ground pepper, which I always appreciate), and a house salad of organic greens with strawberries, toasted almonds, and gorgonzola. We paired it with a Spanish 1999 Malbec (I can't remember the name, but they had a reasonably extensive wine list) which was very red :) I think I'm losing my taste for alcohol - it's very bizarre.
The food was quite good, and entrees with the salads and bread were in the 20s, which seemed pretty reasonable. There's a balance between quality and quantity at restaurants with $20-something entrees, and this one was a little higher on the quantity, lower on the quality than I would prefer, but still definitely worth the price. They did lose a couple of points for serving Tim's meal on a plate that I recognized was sold at Target (and sure enough, checked the bottom and the brand name was Gibson). Details, details. The wine was very reasonably priced - not marked up nearly as much as we tend to see at restaurants. Plus, we got to use our entertainment card, which gave us one entree for free, and I was too full to eat dessert, which means we'll go out some time this week or next to finish off the celebratory dining experience. The meal with 20% gratuity was under $90, so, for an anniversary deal, it was reasonably economical, and highly satisfying.