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Patience is rewarded
By BARBARA RYALLS
COURIER TIMES
Always the slightly suspicious one, I'm leery of places
that name themselves "bar and restaurant" rather than
"restaurant and bar," wondering where the emphasis is
really placed. But all doubts were erased once we set
foot in Johnny Apples.
The greeting is gracious, the environment is handsome,
and though the bar bustle does permeate the place, there
is no doubt that dining rather than drinking ranks the
uppermost.
Four dining areas, both smoking and nonsmoking, are
filled with light oak tables, softly illuminated with
forest-green shaded oil lamps. The dark green of the
carpeting picks up the green of the walls, low-lit with
attractive fixtures reminiscent of Italian ironwork.
Seated in the area adjacent to the bar (though well
screened from it by frosted and etched glass panels), my
husband needed to be nailed to his seat as eager Eagles
fans rooted and groaned in response to the play in
progress.
But spotting steak au poivre ($17.95) brought his
attention back to the meal at hand. The menu is a rather
traditional one...crab cakes, broiled salmon, veal
picante, chicken marsala, pasta primavera ($10.95,
stuffed flounder, broiled pork chops, prime rib, lobster
tails ($22.95, with a few twists, such as seafood
portifino that mixes shrimp and scallops with
artichokes, roasted red peppers and capers in a white
wine sauce, or downtown veal that adds shrimp, spinach,
mushrooms, and tomatoes to medallions.
From an appetizer listing that includes steamed clams,
shrimp
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cocktail, crab fries,
chicken wings, and spicy Cajun shrimp, we shared the
beer-battered mushrooms ($4.50), a generous lightly
fried dozen and a half, served with a creamy horseradish
sauce. Parkerhouse-type rolls, which would have
benefited from warming, also appeared.
Given a choice of soup or salad with the entrees, we
tried both and came away with raves on both counts. Some
wilted greens and tasteless tomato wedges couldn't be
resurrected by a very good house walnut raspberry
vinaigrette, and the vegetable beef soup was tasty, but
hinted at having a commercial start, with its little
square potatoes and canned corn, carrots, and peas.
Despite the fact that the joint was jumping and our
server had several large parties to handle, including a
small wedding reception, service never faltered. Support
staff whisked dirty dishes away, brought food hot from
the kitchen, and our primary server kept in touch to
check on our satisfaction level. Which went up with the
arrival of the main courses.
That steak au poivre, a New York strip steak looking to
be a hefty 8 ounces was, in a word, succulent. Pan
seared with course black pepper, it was topped with a
brandy cream sauce. Delicious. To get a real baked
potato is a pleasure and so it was here. Done just to a
turn, slightly mealy, skin begging to be eaten. Served
with real sour cream. Lightly steamed zucchini slices
and thin green beans finished off the serving.
Sea scallops are a passion of mine, but rarely turn up
satisfying on a restaurant plate. There were perfect
here ($13.95).
Filling a small ramekin, nearly a dozen plump sweet
scallops were
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broiled in butter and lemon
just long enough to cook through but not toughen. It
would take no more than those scallops to bring me back
time and again. A side of linguini (entrees come with a
choice of potato and veggie or linguini) was just as
good in its own right. Not a speck of extra moisture and
a light, herby tomato sauce.
For those not ready to tackle a full meal, a short Lite
Fare menu ($7.95) lists sandwiches - grilled chicken,
hot roast beef, hot roast pork - and two baskets, shrimp
and chicken. A dessert menu tempts those willing to
continue, but discovering that none are made on the
premises and satiated to boot, we passed.
Those who have driven by this Holland landmark for the
past couple of years waiting for it to finally open its
doors are indeed well rewarded for their patience.·
We say: A restaurant worth waiting for
Credit: Yes
Menu: Traditional surf and turf
Reservations: No
Parking: No problem in their lot
Handicapped accessible: Yes |
