Ledge Rock Grille - revisited

The Parents treated the Husband and myself to dinner at the Ledge Rock Grille, Larsmont Cottages - just south of Two Harbors, MN - last Friday night. I noted our first visit back in June 08 here.

Our first experience in June was outstanding, and so it was with delighted anticipation that we returned on a brisk fall evening. Unfortunately, our expectations were sadly disappointed for this return visit. The ambiance was still just as fun, with the open kitchen at one end and big windows at the other, but it was the food which, somewhere in the intervening months, took a downward slide.

The Husband ordered the Spicy Chicken Flatbread.
The Mom ordered Baked Seafood Cannelloni
The Dad had a steak off of the "Hawaiian" menu (it was Tiki party week)
I had Parmesan Crusted Stuffed Portobello with flatbread.
We shared an appetizer of fancy fried onion wedges and Dad had some rather tasteless French Onion soup.

The menu seemed to be lacking...something. There were only 4 steak items - and this includes the Hawaiian menu. The Steak Kabob appetizer, Hickory Scented Filet Mignon ($34.00!), steak and onion flatbread and the "Hawaiian" dish Dad ordered (which was a "hanger" steak, aka flank steak). Three of the "Wood-fired" specialties were, as we came to realize when the Husband ordered his dish, merely 10" pizzas. Prices ranged from reasonable to outrageous with no middle ground. I certainly do not mind a small menu, but there needs to be a reasonable range of dishes and prices.

Dad was underwhelmed with his dish. We were all shocked that the two choices of steak were either the filet mignon or a hanger steak. Talk about two ends of the spectrum. The Husbands "wood-fired" Spicy Chicken Flatbread was merely a pizza: bits of diced chicken with some melted cheese and - this is funny - 4 whole cherry tomatoes neatly spaced around it. Visually laughable.

Mom's seafood dish was good, if not a bit rich as it was smothered in a cream sauce. I did enjoy my Portobello mushroom but I didn't need 8 wedges of flatbread. Some sauteed veggies or a wild rice pilaf would have been a better side.

The best part of the visit (other than just being out with good company) was their wild rice bread with lingonberry butter. Oh my. Served warm, the sweet butter melts delightfully over the nutty bread. I could have ate a couple baskets of that alone with some cheese and wine. Mmmm...

So it is with regret I am reporting back that Ledge Rock Grille did not stand up to the quality of our spring visit. Sadly, we probably won't go back for a while now.