Woodlands and Spike's
Restaurants
add to Eagle Ridge Visit
by Daniel Hines
Publisher/America's Seniors
Just when you think that you have
enjoyed just about all of Eagle Ridge, along comes yet another
attraction--the great dining at its Woodlands and Spike's Restaurants.
We and our friends visited Spike's
first. It is more of a 'resort' or 'lodge' type of facility,
featuring a vast open lounge and dining region that overlooks the
beautiful rolling hills that typify the region.
Since there were four of us, we had
the opportunity to sample a broad variety of foods.
The youthful and enthusiastic waitress was an added bonus. She was
familiar with the menu and was highly attentive.
My friend, Steve had a heaping plate
of succulent ribs. He is somewhat of an authority on ribs and,
judging from the way he devoured these, they certainly met his own high
standards.
His wife, Mary Lou, had fresh walleye
lightly seasoned and prepared with a tasty herb crust. It too was
sensational.
My wife, Brooks, chose the pork loin,
which she described as one of the best she had eaten. I had a
filet that was heavily peppered and was reminiscent of a pepper steak.
It was highly flovrable.
We learned one thing about the food at
an Eagle Ridge establishment...be prepared to have a large appetite! The
servings are immense, and are presented in a wonderful manner.
The next night, we dined at the
Woodlands. Please note, I say dine. While the restaurant retains
the easy-going manner of a resort lodge, it is a more formal
restaurant. It features a handsomely decorated dining room, that
like its counterpart at Spikes overlooks a panoramic view.
The hostess who seated us set the mood
for the evening with her friendly and gracious manner.
Our food was again outstanding.
The Woodlands boasts of its 'American Style' cooking, and it was easy to
see why. My wife and I shared our orders of pork loin (for me) and her
order of a veal pot roast and vegetable mashed potatoes. Both were
again amazingly large portions. The Pork featured a red onion
sauce that complimented the perfectly prepared entree, while the veal
had a wonderful sauce that, while tasty, did not overwhelm the
veal. The mashed potatoes were a delight, and a dish that we will
attempt to replicate in our home cooking.
Steve ordered a wonderfully prepared
salmon, which obviously met the same success as the ribs of the previous
evening. Mary Lou enjoyed a steak that was prepared and cooked
equally well. Of interest to me was the way that the chef had
retained the moisture of the meat in such a way as to keep it
sizzling. Superb!
Brooks and I ordered a Greg Norman
Cabernet. It was, as we might expect, a full-bodied, tasty
selection that was in keeping with the quality of the rest of the
meal.
Again, the portions were large, so we
decided to utilize a carry-out for what we couldn't eat. It was
just too good to walk away from.
Now,
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