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| - Our visit to Sweet Melissa was actually not planned. We were driving around the west side, looking for somewhere to eat and not being able to agree on something (as usual) when, lo and behold, we came across this little gem. From it's name you'd probably think they are all about desserts. Well, my friends, don't be fooled. There's more to this neighborhood eatery than meets the eye.
First off, the front of the restaurant is actually in the back. I know, it's one of those places. Sure, you can park on Detroit out front, er, back and walk through the doors and make your way all the way to the back, I mean, front to the hostess station, but it's probably just easier to park in the back, dammit, I mean front and skip the hassle.
The place isn't all that big, but it does feel nice and open. Big windows, lots of light and a large central dining area all add up to a comfortable and uncrowded experience. There's a bar, tables and chairs and a few booths along the walls, and, yes, a dessert case full of goodies you'll wanna nosh. I really like the atmosphere and our seats, up by the windows were nice and secluded.
Our server was excellent. He didn't try to oversell anything, didn't harp on the gluten-free side of their business and was quick to take our orders and fill our waters. Sure, the place was practically empty during our visit - it was somewhere around 5:30pm on a Tuesday - but I have a feeling this guy was just good at his job.
We started with the deviled eggs. I know, who wouldn't? Three whole eggs, halved and filled with creamy, dijon-laced cream. Crispy applewood smoked bacon and scallons on top. Delicious. I especially liked the heat from the spice sprinkled on the plate.
For salads we each picked a different one:
Butternut Squash: Overall, not a bad salad. Mixed greens, cubes of cooked butternut squash, red onion, candied pecans, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and bacon. This salad combination isn't anything new and is still one of my favorites. I really liked the combo of the acidic dressing with the slightly sweet squash. The dressing, a brown butter vinaigrette, wasn't all that flavorful and could have been more plentiful
Warm Goat Cheese: Field greens, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, dried cranberries, slice of Gala apple, balsamic vinaigrette and served with a crostini. Fresh and tasty and a play on sweet and sour, this salad was quite delicious. I would have liked another goat cheese medallion and would have preferred that the apple had been diced, but overall a good offering.
My wife kept it soup and salad with the lobster bisque. A delicious and buttery smooth soup with small, tender pieces of lobster. A delicious rendition of this classic.
I had wanted the meatloaf sandwich but was told they were out of meatloaf. Calling an audible I opted for the much healthier Brooks's Blackened fish tacos. The tacos, served with house chips, were OK. The fish was cooked nicely, tender and juicy, but I found the combo of the horseradish sauce and mango jicama slaw to be a bit too wet. I would have also liked more heat.
Of course we got dessert. How could we not? And we went big. A triple-layered German chocolate cake. Three layers of densely chocolate cake topped with chocolate ganache and coconut, pecan caramel frosting. I love this classic and this version didn't let us down. In a word, yum.
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