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There are several dining spaces on a couple of different levels. Opulent with its rich colors of orange, red and raspberry, the woodwork is inviting and comfortable seating is at the forefront with round padded booths and cushy upholstered chairs. We were lucky enough to get a booth near the four-sided stone fireplace with a rich copper hood, an impressive focal point.

From their extensive wine and cocktail list, I ordered a Walberry old fashioned ($9). There were a couple of intriguing twists to the standard Korbel cocktail. It had muddled fresh berries, which gave it just a hint of sweetness, and walnut bitters. With a nutty earthiness, we all agreed it was the best old fashioned ever.

For appetizers, we chose the mushroom chips ($12) and risotto croquettes ($14). Thick slices of mushrooms were battered and fried. Dunked in marinara or not, they were appreciated and there were plenty to share. The risotto croquettes were rice balls stuffed with cheese and jalapenos, then battered and deep fried. They were a treat and came with a lovely cilantro lime dipping sauce.

When it came to choosing entrees, we all wavered in our decisions. The menu runs the gamut from salads, sandwiches and pasta to steaks and seafood, so you can imagine our dilemma.

On a dare from Helene, I almost tried the peanut butter and jelly burger. ThereÃÛèÖÊÓƵ always next time… I loved my final selection, the blackened catfish tacos ($16). Three large flour tortillas, flavorful fish topped with cabbage, black olives, cheese, and chives came with salsa, sour cream and cheese sauce. I couldn’t eat them all because the side I picked to accompany my meal was a hearty bowl of beef stew.

Butternut squash ravioli ($22) was HeleneÃÛèÖÊÓƵ choice, with a side of meatball soup. The soup had a thick tomato base with sauteed onions, diced green bell peppers and chopped tomatoes. The entree had a roasted portobello mushroom cap as its centerpiece, along with spears of asparagus, both had that beautiful grilled, browning flavor. This complemented the ravioliÃÛèÖÊÓƵ soft, creamy butternut center. The pasta was in a light tomato cream sauce that didn’t overwhelm but married the meatiness depth of the mushroom with the light sweetness of the squash.

Nikki ordered the Southwest bowl ($32.50), which came with a choice of meat. She opted for steak, which was a slight upcharge. Her meal was served in a deep fried tortilla bowl and had some of the expected elements like roasted red peppers, black beans, pepper jack cheese and pico de gallo. Instead of rice, though, it came with sauteed potatoes. The spice level was much milder than she expected, but it was a tasty and filling dish.

Jennifer opted for HarryÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Stir-fry ($19). She added shrimp ($6) and was served a colorful bowl full of seasoned wild rice, sauteed broccoli, mushrooms and onions together with sliced green and red peppers. The rice was a bit too salty, but the fresh veggies were crisp-tender just the way she prefers them. The shrimp were good sized but lacked charring from being stir-fried. It seemed the shrimp had been boiled and placed on top of the rice medley. Her meal came with a fresh and crisp spring mix salad with creamy blue cheese dressing which she devoured.

At the end of our meal, our server brought out their dessert tray. We love this presentation and not many places still do it. We all had to-go boxes and just didn’t have room for anything else, but there were some tempting offerings like an apple torte, peanut butter chocolate cake, and cheesecake. While they are not made in-house, they don’t come from too far away. The Pine Cone, the restaurant across the street, supplies desserts and will be on our list when we head back “up north� again.