and ready yourself for a memorable meal.
Choose breakfast, lunch or dinner
— you'll climb back into your car
feeling satiated, a little bit pampered and utterly relaxed.
In April of next year, the Rhododendron will mark its 20th
anniversary. That's 20 years of serving the freshest Northwest
foods imaginable, mixed with exotic dishes from around the
world. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a restaurant in
our area that serves a more eclectic ethnic menu, as each month
finds the staff focusing on a different area of the world.
|
Rhododendron Café |
|
Location: 5521 Chuckanut Drive, Bow
Phone: (360) 766-6667
Hours:
11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Friday
9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
Serving: A delicious mix of Northwest fare and
ethnic foods, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A classic
Skagit Valley restaurant.
Menu items sampled: Baked goat cheese crostini
$8.50
Mixed greens $2.75
Caesar salad $3.75
Cassoulet $16.95
Chicken Parmesan $12.95
Gateau chocolat $5
Eggs benedict $8.95
Omelet $8.50
Orange juice $2 |
A recent Sunday night found us pulling up in front of the
café for dinner. The place was bustling and we had to wait a
few minutes for a table, but the restaurant provides a spacious
waiting area behind the dining room.
We were eventually seated at one of my favorite tables in the
window and were instantly greeted and brought glasses of water
and menus.
My eye fell immediately to the baked goat cheese crostini
appetizer. It sounded so divine that I couldn't be swayed by the
other tempting starters. I'm glad I listen to my intuition on
such matters, because the appetizer instantly shot to my list of
top five favorites.
Two orbs of goat cheese rested next to one another in a small
bowl of olive oil. Each ball had been rubbed in fresh herbs and
was joined by long strips of roasted red bell pepper. The plate
resting underneath this bowl of cheesy goodness held seven
sizable slices of slightly toasted bias-cut crostini.
As our server came to retrieve the quickly emptied platter,
she removed the bowl of olive oil and dregs of missed chevre,
noting that we might want to use up the rest of it as a dipping
sauce for our bread. Had she read our minds?
A basket of fresh-from-the-oven bread, wrapped in linen
napkin to hold in the heat, was brought to our table next. This
wasn't just warmed bread; it had clearly just finished baking.
Each chewy slice was made all the more enjoyable by the leftover
olive oil.
My mixed green salad arrived next, drizzled in a savory
creamy cheddar dressing. Too often greens are overpowered by
dressings, but the Rhododendron knows appropriate portioning and
hit just the right balance.
My husband's Caesar salad was presented beautifully, long
leaves of romaine lettuce sprinkled with garlic vinaigrette and
Parmesan.
Our entrées arrived not long after we finished our salads.
My husband ordered the cassoulet, a classic French dish of white
beans and various meats, covered and cooked slowly to pull
together the flavors. The thick, hearty stew mingled the plump
beans with ample pieces of duck, lamb and sausage baked with
tomato juice and herbs.
I enjoyed chicken Parmesan, a Washington-grown chicken breast
lightly breaded and fried, topped with a robust marinara sauce
and sided with pasta and fresh cooked vegetables.
I think my husband uttered the word "exceptional"
half a dozen times as we shared a wedge of flourless chocolate
cake. Set atop a yin and yang of crème anglaise and marionberry
coulis and topped with the most sugary dollop of freshly whipped
cream I've ever tasted, the dessert was beyond divine.
Last Saturday found us ready for another visit to the
Rhododendron, so we piled into the car, stopped at the outlet
mall on the way (saving the scenic route for our drive home),
and pulled up at 11 a.m., with half an hour left of the
breakfast service.
Breakfast at the Rhododendron means simple fare prepared with
care.
I went the traditional route and ordered a ham and cheddar
cheese omelet, while my husband ordered from the specials board.
After taking our orders, our smiling server brought us a
complimentary surprise of Russian coffeecake with chocolate
chips, coconut and dried apricot, served with a wedge of melon
and fresh pineapple.
Just a few scant minutes later, she returned and placed two
plates heaping with food on our table, while concurrently
apologizing to the table next to us. She told them that she had
mistakenly put our order in with the kitchen in place of theirs.
The couple was gracious, and we jokingly apologized to them as
we dug into our plentiful portions.
I overheard the couple re-placing their order with our server
and noted that their choices were identical to ours, save for
the omelet ingredients: I'd asked for ham, while the gentleman
seated next to us ordered Italian sausage; my husband and the
woman at the table both ordered the same special.
Imagine my surprise when I slid my fork into the fluffy
omelet only to find Italian sausage in place of ham. Rather than
bring it to anyone's attention, I continued with the flavorful
egg feast, chock full of mild, flavorful sausage and shredded
cheddar cheese, topped with a sprig of flat leaf parsley and a
tendril of roasted red bell pepper.
But I felt guilty while I enjoyed the meal, hoping the diners
next to us didn't catch on that we were eating their breakfast.
My omelet (or, rather, my neighbor's omelet) was served with
thinly sliced potatoes seasoned with garlic and browned ever so
slightly. Thick slabs of homemade wheat toast also shared the
plate, topped with fresh strawberry jam. A kiwi cut into a star
shape garnished the plate.
My husband loved Rhododendron's take on eggs benedict.
Poached eggs rested atop English muffins, tomato slices and Wild
Oar bacon, topped with a light cheddar cheese sauce. I snuck one
savory, satisfying bite.
When the check arrived, I noted that our server had written
my order correctly on the ticket, so who knows why I received
sausage instead of ham. To be honest, the meal was still so
fantastic that, in the end, I didn't much mind anyway.
Rhododendron Café is a classic dining spot as evidenced by
the crowds of regulars who flock their day in and day out.
Peruse its menu and see which ethnic specialties are offered
each month at www.rhodycafe.com.
