Limestone Grille

Limestone Grille is a Bloomington gem that has artistic food you would expect to get in a trendy New York bistro. On the menus and front door they advertise themselves as a restaurant that serves locally grown produce, meats and coffees; which is great because local farms and growers are benefiting. At this time, I only know of one other restaurant that does this (Farm); and I would say that Limestone Grille FAR exceeds in quality, taste, ambiance and value. With its romantic and "cool/modern" atmosphere, it is definitely a place I would take a date. The setting is candle-light romance, with modern pictures and wall frescoes to entertain the eyes (when not staring at your date).

I have been to Limestone Grille previously, and thought the food was amazing back then (about 5 years ago). They were (and still are) a bit overpriced. But the meal isn't something that you can get down the street (or anywhere else). What brought me back tonight (and no it isn't a special occasion), was that Restaurant.com sells dirt cheap gift certificates that are good for $25 off when you spend $50 or more. We ended up paying about $50 for a meal for two (including a 20% tip on what the entire meal would have cost before the $25 deduction) and our meal was fit for royalty.

I started with a salad that was beautifully presented with thin strips of carrots, hikima, and tiny wild mushrooms jutting out of the top like a fireworks display. My main course was a pasta creation of reduced marsala wine with cream, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes. My husband ordered a grilled pork chop and sauted collard greens with bacon. Both of our meals were to die for. And if all of that wasn't enough, we ordered a fantastic flourless chocolate cake that tasted like a mixture of ooey-gooey brownie and warm fudge. We topped this off with coffee, which as suspected, was also good. They buy their beans from a tiny coffee shop in Brown County; where they perfectly roast their own beans. The coffee tasted so fresh.

All in all, I give this restaurant props. It isn't somewhere I could afford to eat at often, but I sure wish that I could. Next time you have a special occasion to celebrate, take your loved one to Limestone Grille.