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| - During a break in the action from my daughter's soccer tournament, we ventured to Sjolinds Chocolate House in search of a home-style cooking. While the experience did not blow my hair back, the food was generally well prepared with fresh ingredients. Even factoring in the imperfections, I would return if travelling through Mount Horeb.
On a brilliantly sunny day, the sunlight struggled to make it into the interior of the store. If you are looking to catch some rays while you eat, there is a nice elevated patio behind the restaurant.
The cashier, the pastry display case and the tiny kitchen are located in the center of the restaurant. It gets a little cramped in the ordering area when more than a couple patrons queue up to order. The lunch menu is small (six sandwiches and three savory Finnish pies). In addition, several soup, salad and lunch specials change on a daily basis.
The food is prepared by hand with fresh ingredients. Because the small kitchen size, our food came out two dishes at a time and it took a while for all five members of our group to receive our food.
The food is generally worth the wait. When discussing the meal, everyone in our group liked their food, but there was always one thing that prevented them from loving the dish.
The roasted tomato soup with bacon was brimming with tomato flavor, but the smokiness of the bacon seemed out of place. The borscht was chock full of vegetables, but the tomatoes seemed of place with the cabbage and the beets. While I enjoyed the soup, it lacked the deep earthy flavor that I associate with this dish.
The sausage in my lunch special ($7.25) was superb. When I saw that it was sliced in half lengthwise, I was worried about it being too dry. However, that was not the case. It was moist, well seasoned and packed with flavor. My only misgiving - it was far too small in relation to the massive serving of potato salad and Limpa. Please sir, could I have some more...
The red potato salad served with my lunch was lightly dressed and well seasoned with a generous dose of dill. I also enjoyed the hearty slices of Limpa (Swedish rye bread), peppered with caraway and anise was practically a meal by itself. Cut into triangular wedges, I imagine Frodo and Sam could sustain themselves on their journey to Mt. Doom with just a slice or two of this bread.
My gooey mozzarella and cheddar in my daughter's grilled cheese sandwich would make the heart of a seasoned Cheesehead melt in delight. However, the English muffin bread was too dry and in need of a little more butter.
The lefse wrap ordered by my wife and mother-in-law spawned a strong difference of opinion. My wife thought the lefse served as an effective wrap for the succulent turkey and crisp greens. My mother-in-law, who probably gone through a metric ton of potatoes making the holiday lefse for her family was less than impressed with the quality of the lefse and was not a fan of her sandwich.
I have enjoyed the scone and cinnamon rolls and they are an excellent value at $2.
I soooo wish I could give Sjolind's a 3.5. It's clearly better than A-OK, but the rough edges to the meal make me hesitate from entering "I'm a fan" territory. Since I have a soft spot for family-owned and operated businesses and for restaurants that apply some effort when preparing their dishes, I'll round up to four stars.
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