"Here I am offering up a two-for-one review, as the understated, and stylistically lower-cased, woodland grill provides an attractive menu for both lunch and dinner business meetings in their newly appointed private dining room. It is said that the room can accommodate 12 guests, but I would not venture beyond 10. And for those of you old enough to remember the Paris Peace Talks, you will appreciate the round dinner table! Jonathan Lundy's second effort following the highly successful Jonathan at Gratz Park provides a less formal atmosphere and a more minimalist menu. It seems to be a good decision on both counts.
My three recent visits allowed me to experience a number of the differences and similarities of the two menus. All nine lunch offerings in the appetizer section are available in the evening as well, along with littleneck clams ($7.95) and Redneck Rockefeller ($8.95) — Oysters Rockefeller with a touch of pimento cheese. My guest and I found the Rednecks to be superb. There are two soups offered daily, the Tomato Dill soup ($2.95) and the Chicken Noodle soup ($3.95) with Amish egg noodles. The other hit from the "first impressions" appetizer section is the Bourbon Ale Beer Cheese, using Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale as a central ingredient.
The luncheon visit afforded the two of us choices of salads, sandwiches and lunch plates. The sandwiches and lunch plates come with one side dish from a dozen choices. I wanted to try the woodlands salad ($10.95), but postponed my gratification until one of the two scheduled evening visits. My guest had the fried walleye pike sandwich ($10.95) on a toasted bun, with country-style green beans and it was well received. I had the best value on the menu, a chicken salad sandwich on brioche ($7.95) with a fresh fruit cup. It, too, was delicious. Overall, the food has out-shown the service, which is, at times, erratic and frustrating when you must repeat a simple request for a glass of water.
The two dinner visits were distinctly different; the first was with a guest, while the second found me as one in a party of four. From the grill and featured suppers in the evening, along with the entré, you have a choice of two sides, now totaling 14 with the addition of basmati rice and a small green salad.
On the first visit my guest ordered the citrus-soy glazed salmon ($18.95) with the mashed potatoes and a small green salad with the house-made deviled Thousand Island dressing, of which he raved. I didn't fare as well with the daily special. This is a recent addition to the menu with a weekly cycle of the same item once a week. It was Wednesday, and the special was turkey and dressing ($17.95.) It was served with the country-style green beans along with the cornbread dressing. I thought that at a restaurant by Lundy, a complete turkey would be roasted. Rather, this was a breast, and the slices were very dry. When the server asked how everything was, my complaint about the turkey didn't translate into correcting the problem. Back in Columbus, Ohio, when Marzetti's still had the restaurant on North High, before they re-focused on their national salad dressing prominence, they had a sign over the door to the kitchen — "If you wouldn't eat it, don't serve it!"
The other dinner visit with three friends gave me the opportunity to try the Woodlands Salad ($10.95) with grilled chicken, dried fruit, nuts, goat cheese and mixed greens tossed in apple cider vinaigrette. It was excellent, as was the trout amandine special that two friends had, and the ground chuck burger ($10.95) on a toasted bun with that distinctive beer cheese that rounded out the party of four.
The woodland grill has a friendly bar atmosphere for small meetings, along with tables in the dining rooms that can serve many different needs, but the best meeting space I have reviewed over the past 12 months is their private dining room, with reservations required, of course. There is no room charge.
As for the restaurant's food and service, I could say it is a work in progress, but it is unlikely to disappoint.
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