Grand Forks: A History of American Dining in 128 Reviews

by Marilyn Hagerty

  We walked past the row of tables near the windows. We passed the tables around the bend. We circled around the glassed-in room where wines are kept at optimum temperatures and went into the lounge area.

  We were seated in a booth, near the dark wood bar, which is staffed with friendly university types. Our waiter was Joel Loomis, an airport management major from Minnetonka, Minn. He told us of the Monday $10.25 special. A meatball, he said, but a very large meatball, and spaghetti.

  JZ chose Crab Alfredo, an entree made of penne pasta, roasted red peppers, pancetta and Dungeness crab meat tossed in Alfredo sauce ($15.25). I ordered fusilli with scallops (also $15.25). Since I couldn’t pronounce fusilli, I pointed to it on the menu, and caught on when the waiter said “foosilly.” Our entrees were preceded by warm focaccia bread, served with a little pot of butter whipped with sun-dried tomatoes.

  Lola’s is a special place in downtown Grand Forks. It’s open only in the evenings, and it serves such wonderful appetizers that some diners make a meal of them. Appetizers include artichoke dip with grilled Tuscan bread ($7.75) and two crab-stuffed portobello mushroom caps with Dungeness crab and Parmesan cheese ($9.25).

  The menu also includes veal dishes and chicken cacciatore. The signature dish is Chianti-roasted duck, served with rosemary potatoes and seasonal vegetables for $19.25. Choices include ribeye, strip loin, grilled rack of lamb, grilled salmon, pizzas and calzones. Last weekend, pheasant was featured. Eighty percent of the food at Lola’s is prepared over a wood fire. There is an extensive wine list to complement the food. And the dessert menu is above and beyond, with great endings such as tiramisu, pear pie and chocolate torte.

  Lola’s has established itself in Grand Forks as a Northern Italian restaurant, and it does a good job of staying with the game plan. It does not try to be everything to everybody. Manager Doug Knoll displays art by local artists, including Diane Rey, Ben Brien and Adam Kemp. He uses live entertainment on weekends to attract a college-age crowd. He encourages sports fans by hosting the Wednesday night coaches show over at KCNN.

  The restaurant is artsy and appropriately located in a historic building. The old brick and wooden floors were retained in the decor. Ceilings are high and open. There are white tablecloths under glass and large white cloth napkins.

  JZ says she likes the way Lola’s keeps tall wooden pepper grinders on each table. That way customers can help themselves when and if they want it—no need for a waiter to go through the charade of “tell me when you have enough.” Another plus: good music, played softly. And another plus this time of year: convenient hangers for coats in the entryway. They do away with that awful business of eating a nice meal with your coat or jacket hanging over the back of your chair.

  Lola’s is marking its fourth anniversary in Grand Forks during October. The Italian restaurant was opened here by Doug and Ralph Knoll and chef Kim Holmes in September 1996. It was closed for three months following the flood. Kim Holmes left Lola’s in April in order to devote his full attention to the reopening of his Sanders restaurant. Lola’s originally served lunch as well as dinner, but manager Doug Knoll says dinner only works best for his operation at this time. He wants to do well what he can handle, I guess.

  Sanders Is Cream of Crop

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  OCTOBER 13, 2000

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  We were dawdling over dessert at Sanders and wondering if there is a better restaurant in North Dakota. Daughter Gail (DG) and her husband, Dale Sandstrom (DS), and I had just finished dinner, which has become a traditional outing for us when they come up each October during homecoming at UND.

  In Bismarck, they have the Bistro. North of Minot, there’s a nice place called Field and Stream. There’s an excellent dining room in Prairie Knights Casino near Fort Yates, N.D. The food at the Radisson in Fargo is head and shoulders above other restaurants. And the Fargo Country Club excels—but it is open only to members and has a long waiting list.

  All in all, it seems to me that Sanders is the best place for dining in North Dakota, and Grand Forks is fortunate to have it back in business in the heart of a rebounding downtown. Our reservation—which I made a couple of months ago—was for 6:30 P.M. Saturday. We were greeted at the entry and seated in a booth, where I could see the open kitchen with copper kettles hanging above the stoves. DG and DS could see the bar area with its custom woodwork and the booths with Norwegian painting that so long have been a trademark of Sanders.

  The whole restaurant has a festive ambience. There is an ornate door from the original Sanders on Kittson Avenue gracing the wine room. Artsy touches include a permanent floral arrangement in the women’s restroom. There’s an after-dinner room, where you can shoot pool or have a cigar. And it has a special ventilating system to take the smoke right out.

  Table settings are upscale, with white cloths under glass and white napkins in goblets. There are proper water glasses. Your waiter arrives with a pitcher of water and a vivid description of the evening specials—usually fresh fish and another choice. Sanders’s homemade French bread is served in a basket, with unsalted butter. We found many of the traditional Sanders dinners on the menu. DS remembered well the Swiss Eiger beef and ordered the 12-ounce version ($16). I ordered Grilled Salmon served with Sanders North Dakota prairie sauce ($18).

  Entrees are served with vegetables and include salads.

  Presentation is a strong point at Sanders. My salmon arrived with creamy mashed potatoes and three spears of fresh asparagus arranged like spokes. Fresh, perky parsley and radish roses are used to carry a message from the kitchen that the chef cares about you.

  Sanders has been a part of Grand Forks since it opened at 312 Kittson Ave. in 1982. It was purchased by Kim Holmes in 1985 and developed a strong following up until 1997, when the flood wiped it out with the rest of the downtown. Holmes regrouped and reopened in a strip mall along South Washington Street at 24th Avenue S. He also went into business with Ralph and Doug Noll at Lola’s at 124 N. Third St. He left Lola’s in April to concentrate on the renewed version of Sanders, which opened in July.

  And in the first three months, Holmes says, business has been exceeding expectations. Never did he question whether he should go back downtown with Lola’s in the aftermath of the flood. Holmes has a wide acquaintance around Grand Forks and makes it a point to get out and personally greet guests during the evening. That helps create a friendly, intimate atmosphere. His staff includes longtime waiters who also know their customers. His chefs include Paul Browning, who has a four-year degree from Johnson & Wales school of cooking, and Joe Hanson as sous chef.

  In his new and larger location, Holmes is reaching out to a more diverse clientele with more variety and a wider range of prices. Dinners from $9 to $12 are specials each evening. His wine list includes 20 bottles for less than $20. He is willing to compete with low prices and happy-hour munchies as well as a late-night menu. It features calamari for $7.50, duck quesadilla for $7, a buffalo burger with fries for $5 and a 16-inch lavosh for $11.

  But back to the dessert. Sanders has its traditional Chocolate Decadence at $4. There are cheesecakes made by Beth Holmes. It was the Creme Caramel ($5) that caught the eye of DG and DS. This is a delicately flavored custard served with fresh fruit and real whipped cream.

  So much to cheer about with the reopening of Sanders! Not much you can criticize here. However, it seems to me the waiter should tell you how much the specials are after they recite the description. Oh, I know it might not seem genteel, but I like to know the price.

  And maybe it’s just me, but I would like the waiter to wait until everyone in a small group has finished before removing the plates. When the others’ plates are gone and one guest is left eating, it becomes uncomfortable. On the other hand, I know there are people who like their plates removed promptly.

  Classics Keep Customers Coming Back to Quizno’s

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  MARCH 23, 2001

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  “I see you have homemade soup. Is i
t made here?” I asked as I entered the new Quizno’s Subs shop on South Washington Street.

  “Well, no,” said the attendant at the counter.

  “Oh,” I said. “Is it made in someone else’s kitchen?”

  The young man nodded, and I ordered a cup of broccoli cheese soup. Then, never having been to Quizno’s before, I tried to figure out what kind of a sandwich I wanted. There are signature subs and classic subs listed on the menu. Under signature subs, I found a turkey-bacon guacamole combination that comes in small ($3.99), regular ($4.99) or large ($6.99). I figured small would do me. I asked for whole wheat bread, rather than white.

  This was an excellent sandwich. The bread was toasted and warm. The turkey was very thinly sliced and had a nice smoked flavor. The combination with guacamole and bacon was most tasty. The soup ($1.29) was as thick as porridge. Good enough, but it might not win a blue ribbon at the state fair.

  Quizno’s is relatively new in Grand Forks, and adds another interesting dimension to the eating out scene. The company bills itself as an upscale sub shop and is growing rapidly.

  Inside all Quizno’s shops, the colors are red and green, and the tone is Italian. There are red, green and gold lamps hanging over the counters. When I had lunch there a week ago Thursday, the music was playing, and the pop machine was humming away. My soup came in a paper cup with a plastic spoon. I like the napkins at Quizno’s because they are natural-colored and are made from recycled fibers.

  My plan was to try a salad or a classic sub on my second visit to Quizno’s. I looked over the hot beefeater, albacore tuna and other sandwiches. But my eye kept straying back to the turkey-bacon-guacamole. I enjoyed it so much I went for a repeat. Thus, I did not taste three other sandwiches that are top choices of Quizno’s regulars: classic Italian with salami, pepperoni, ham and cheese; Mesquite chicken with bacon; and Black Angus steak on rosemary parmesan bread.

  The cookies are generously sized and $1.09. The lineup includes chocolate chip, oatmeal chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, white chocolate chip, M&M and Reese’s Pieces. Dessert choices include a chocolate Bundt cake, carrot Bundt cake, apple cobbler and very berry cobbler. All are $1.69. Coffee and hot tea are 69 cents at Quizno’s.

  The sandwich I had twice at Quizno’s was indeed above average and just a tad pricey. I would go back for it again because I like the way the bread tastes—so fresh and toasted. The bread comes in flash-frozen from Colorado and is baked at the shops. The homemade soup, as it turns out, comes from a grocery supplier.

  There are currently two Quizno’s restaurants operating in Grand Forks.

  Late-Night Grazing Enhances Sanders 1907 Repertoire

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  SEPTEMBER 5, 2001

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  At the very mention of Sanders 1907, my mind conjures an evening of fine dining with food and service a cut above anything else around. But the image of Sanders has broadened since it reopened in its larger quarters downtown a year ago.

  Sanders, which started as a small cafe that could serve 40, has become a more versatile dining place with an enlarged lounge and pool room. It’s a place where you can get late-night fare and listen to music. It can accommodate 100 people without even seeming crowded, since the place flows from the bar area to the dining room with side openings to two semiprivate dining rooms and a pool room. Yes, and a cigar room—carefully cordoned off from the dining areas and equipped with special fans.

  The late-night menu has several of the appetizers from Sanders’s dinner menu, as well as burgers and fries and such. I tried it out with three Herald friends—Jaime DeLage (JD), Tu Uyen Tran (TT) and Rachel Jeffers (RJ).

  TT contemplated escargot but decided he would not get enough food for his $8 and opted for a barbecued prime rib sandwich served with fries for $7.50. JD followed suit, and both seemed well satisfied. RJ ordered the duck burrito ($9.50), covered with red sauce, sour cream, corn relish and avocado. It’s great if you like a lot of zip.

  My choice was smoked salmon Napoleon ($9.50), a delightfully rich combination of smoked salmon, Boursin cheese, and chopped onion, with a nice taste of capers. All of this might have been sort of soggy, had it not been for a built-in crunch of potato chips. It was actually enough for two to share, especially since the late-night fare is preceded by the sourdough French bread and unsalted butter that customers count on.

  Buffalo burgers at $6 with fries are a popular late-night choice. So is the lavosh with ground buffalo, tomato, onion, peppers, black olives, mushrooms and Havarti cheese—a 16-inch pie for sharing at $13.

  Kim Holmes has a flair both as a chef and as an entrepreneur. He and his wife, Beth, work well as a team. She does much of the bread baking and creates sauces and desserts. We tried a superb creation of white chocolate–orange cheesecake to round out our foray.

  One of the strengths of Sanders is the professional staff. Many have been there for several years and have a way of recognizing and giving a friendly welcome to customers.

  But, no place is perfect. The second booth in the dining room is squeaky. And avocado is spelled wrong on the late-night menu.

  Touch of Magic Caters to Lovers of Cheesecake, Fine Dining

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  JANUARY 9, 2002

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  Dennis Narlock, who does business as Chef Nardane, is starting the year 2002 with high expectations for his new Touch of Magic Ballroom in East Grand Forks. He already has hosted a couple of events in the elegant banquet and ballroom overlooking the Red River.

  The new ballroom was the scene of a grand bash to thank people who helped build the new facility, and to show it to people of the community who have been supportive of the chef’s dreams.

  What matters more to Chef Nardane than money, he says, is how guests feel when they reach the top of the wide stairway or come by elevator to this Touch of Magic. He wants a wow. And that probably is what he will get.

  As they arrived, guests were awed by the ballroom that takes up 6,200 square feet of the 10,000 square-foot facility. The rest of the space is devoted to kitchens and offices. The ballroom has paneled windows that provide a panoramic view of the Red River and Grand Forks. There are stone columns with gold gilding at the top. Dark mahogany chairs surround round tables that were set for 350.

  Tableware is the large European style, and the gold lines on the china are under a glaze to protect them from wear. Coffee carafes with glass liners were secured by the supplier, Dakota Foods, from Germany. Russian crystal centerpieces, designed in Poland, have a Star of David on top.

  Chef Nardane says that his family is just one generation away from Poland. He is one of six children of Dan and Yvonne Narlock. And he says all the jobs he hated to do in the kitchen as a child when his mother was sick gradually have become an asset.

  He has developed a specialty of cheesecakes named after celebrities—or, as he calls them, the icons in his lifetime. The dessert table at his opening party included Debbie Reynolds crème caramel cheesecake, chocolate strawberries and pineapple, His Holiness Pope John Paul II pierogi cheesecake, Dame Elizabeth Taylor’s Beverly Hills cheesecake, and mountain cake.

  The menu for his first party began with liver pâté and garlic cheese served with crackers and breads at the round tables. The salad course served at the tables was mixed greens topped with raspberry vinaigrette. The main course buffet featured creamed salmon, rack of lamb with raspberry mustard sauce, prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus with toasted cashews.

  A buffet, Chef Nardane says, offers a choice of tastes for the guests. The Touch of Magic dinner plates make plenty of room for tasting, too, since they are 11 inches in diameter.

  As he was preparing for a wedding reception Dec. 29, Chef Nardane was working with a staff of four in the kitchen and planned to have six or seven servers. Usually, he figures on one server per 50 guests. The dinner was to be served buffet style, with servers available to assist any guests who find a line difficult.

  Chef Nardane, at 36, is a man who
dares to dream. He was operating Touch of Magic in the Comfort Inn of East Grand Forks until the motel was closed because of the flood. He was about to leave the area before he found the place to follow his dreams.

  With the help of Mayor Lynn Stauss of East Grand Forks, he was able to get a low-interest loan to develop the vacant area above Applebee’s. And arrangements were made to work with the new Cuckoo’s Nest lounge owner, Kyle Gregoire, for service of wine, beer, champagnes and liquor.

  Now, he envisions a private membership club in his new Touch of Magic Ballroom. He hopes to start in the coming years a club that would provide celebrity entertainment and fine meals to members.

  The chef told guests at his opening party he is grateful for a family that taught him to believe nothing in life is impossible if you have a vision.

  After nine years of business, Nardane closed Touch of Magic and began selling off his assets. On June 12, 2011, the Grand Forks Herald reported that Nardane intended to join a recently established Catholic religious order in the Diocese of Fargo.

  Diners Can Tee Off on Good Food at Eagle’s Crest Grill

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  FEBRUARY 27, 2002

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  The opening of Eagle’s Crest Grill at King’s Walk Golf Course seems to summon a new era in Grand Forks. Since its opening Feb. 4, Eagle’s Crest Grill has been trying to get acquainted with people of the area. Special rates and discounts have helped encourage diners to come out. Sunday brunch has been drawing crowds.