Editor’s Note: Our columnist is not a trained or paid professional, nor does he get complimentary meals from the restaurants visited. He and his party arrive unannounced and do not reveal that they will be doing a review. Comments or questions may be sent to Sam Geati, greengeezer9@comcast.net.
Travel just about 20 minutes from Sun City and you will find a pearl of a restaurant called Art & Alma’s Century Inn. I planned to visit this establishment for some time and finally worked it into my schedule. Fellow musician Bill Brindell and his wife Loretta have been after us to join them for a meal at the Century Inn for some time.
Why is it called the Century Inn? Because it’s been there in Burlington since 1908! You’ll find it right in the heart of this little burg filled with country charm.
As soon as you walk in, you can’t help but be noticed by the bartenders, who patrol the ancient wood bar and greet new and old customers alike. Judy and I felt like we were with celebrities, as all the staff seemed to know the Brindells as soon as we walked in. They are snowbirds also, so they hadn’t been to their favorite restaurant for months. Consequently, many of the staff members welcomed their return with hugs.
We arrived about 5:30 on a Friday night, and the place was just beginning to fill. Reservations are not taken on weekend evenings, so we made it a point to get there at this time. Good plan, as we were seated immediately and greeted promptly by Laurie, our server. By the way, Laurie was a superb server. According to Bill and Loretta, the place is loaded with great servers, several of which stopped by our table to exchange greetings with them.
Laurie brought a warm loaf of fresh-baked bread and took our beverage orders. There were several specials available, but we each ordered from the menu that included many beef and seafood selections. Our companions told us that beef is king here, as they offer outstanding steaks and prime rib.
But before we got to the main course, we all visited the soup and salad bar, which was included with our entrees. It would have been easy to overdo it with the great chicken and orzo soup along with the fresh salad items, especially the creamed peas, marinated cucumbers, the bowtie pasta salad, plus so many more choices.
For entrees, Loretta ordered her favorite, an 8 oz. petite filet ($23.50) that came exactly as she requested it: medium rare, ladled with a red wine sauce and sautéed mushrooms. She said she hardly needed a knife to cut it–it was that tender. Bill ordered one of his favorites, the Iron Skillet Canadian Walleye ($19) lightly sautéed in butter. He said it was perfect, as usual. Judy chose one of the house specialties, Cognac Flamed Tenderloin Tips ($15) with mushrooms, green peppers, and onions on pasta. She said the steak was very tender, tasty, and way more than she could finish in one sitting. In fact, Bill was the only one who managed to clean his plate, so to speak.
Bill recommended that I try the Seafood Monterey ($19), crab, shrimp, and scallops baked in a cheese-and-wine sauce over angel hair pasta. As delicious as it was, I was only able to finish half of my portion. For our side, Bill and I ordered a cheesy potato mixture made with sour cream and baked. It was really good. I also ordered an add-on side of their wonderful crab cake (a deal for $4) served in a champagne sauce. It ranked in the top of any crab cake I’ve ever tasted.
For dessert, we could have returned to the salad bar for a variety of puddings, but Judy and I couldn’t resist splitting a slice of warm caramel walnut apple pie with a scoop of cinnamon crumb ice cream! All I can say after that is wow! Bill and Loretta shared a concoction called a brandy ice that came complete with flame. Both desserts were about $6, but large enough to share.
Final comments:
If you haven’t been to Art & Alma’s, put it first on your dining out bucket list. As for a rating, the four of us agree that this is a little gem in the country. Price-wise, some of the entrees are very reasonable, but the beef selections tend to be what you would expect for superior quality. One word to the wise: on weekends, come early unless you don’t mind having a few drinks at the bar while you wait for a table.
