August 10, 2013 8:53 AM
Restaurant: SPICE
Debbie and I went to Spice with Suzie, Jimmy, Zack, and Debbie P.As you enter the restaurant there is a bar to the right with a dozen high stools. There are also some smaller tables in the bar area. The balance of the restaurant is various combinations of square 2 tops, 4 tops , 6 tops and 8 tops. The tables are covered with white cloth tablecloths, with white paper covering the table area. Presumably only the paper cover is changed between dining parties. We were offered the opportunity to eat outside, but to accommodate me, everyone in our party agreed to eat inside. The restaurant seats 75-80 people.
Our group started by sharing Polenta Chickpea Fries with spicy remoulade, Zucchini Biscuits with hartzler butter, and Mushroom Beignets with honey goat cheese crème Fraiche.
For the second course Debbie P and Jimmy had the soup of the day, which was a Corn Chowder. Suzie had Spice Acres, goat cheese, radish, cucumber, hazelnuts, lemon vinaigrette. Debbie and I had Tomato Salad, greens, feta, shaved onion & white balsamic dressing.
For the main course (called “Substantials” on the menu) Debbie P and Jimmy had English Pea Ravioli, ratatouille, eggplant puree. Suzie and Zach had Roast Chicken, chive spaetzle, market veggies, green garlic sourbise. Suzie ventured that it was the best chicken she had ever eaten in a restaurant. Debbie had Soft Shell Crab, and I savored the Pan-Seared Walleye, rice fritters, summer beans, scallion mojo.
For dessert we shared two freshly made Peach/BlueBerry cobblers.
Our server was a woman by the name of Raquel. She was one of the best servers I have encountered in a long time. And the wait staff worked with her seamlessly.
There is a basic restroom. In one corner is a square ceramic washbasin on top of a two-drawer chest, with a relatively large mirror on the wall above the basin. There is a white ceramic wall-hanging urinal in another corner, and a small separate commode area with a heavy medium dark wood door.
The floors are covered with large yellowish tiles, and the walls have similar sized grey tiles to about a four foot height, with the balance of the walls being painted.
