Joffler

My wife and I went there last night for her birthday. We live in the neighborhood and had been keeping an eye on its progress. We didn't want to go there when it was first open, preferring to wait until they had time to work out any kinks. It's not terribly fancy but then it's supposed to be like a lodge. For its size, it feels cozy, comfortable and relaxing. We had a room all to ourselves that was lined with shelves containing books, vases and decorative boxes. and a nice view to the patio outside. We had wine ($8/glass) and a mandarin martini ($6.50 ea.--i had 2 actually) and enjoyed both. The food was really good. She had the filet mignon ($22) which, in my estimation, was the tenderest I'd ever had, and sweet mashed potato was one of the sides. I had the stuffed quail in madeira pan sauce i think ($19) w/ spinach and mashed potatos and it was absolutely delicious. We topped it off with a small bit of bread pudding ($???). We're not big fans of bread pudding but we like the one from Cafe Express on FM1960 and we figured everything is so good at The Lodge that their bread pudding must be awesome too. And you know what? It was awesome! Different from Cafe Express' pudding, but awesome just the same. Didn't try their coffee though. Above all, though, was the service. Our waiter not only offered us attentive service, but was knowledgeable about the dishes, informed us about upcoming events and performances at The Lodge and clued us in on tips to make arrangements for future dining excursions to their restaurant. I know we'll come back regularly. In fact, I may want to stop by, call my wife to meet me at the bar and have one of those mandarin martinis again.