DECEMBER 30, 2009
When it’s cold, you want soup—and you want it hot. We found it that way at Applebee’s on the Boardwalk in East Grand Forks when our Meet and Eat group met there recently.
With help from my neighbors, I found the place on the menu where you order from something called Pick ’n Pair. Starting at $5.99, it says you get a choice of two items. I had a cup of tomato basil soup and a grilled shrimp and spinach salad. The soup was thick with plenty of basil flakes and chunks of tomato. It was a very nice, very satisfying lunch, especially with the toasted focaccia bread that comes with the salad.
My neighbor, Jan Wendell, proclaimed the broccoli soup as the best she ever tasted. And that’s high praise from a good cook. Ruth Barney ordered a Reuben sandwich in a basket, and got a box to take half of it home. The portions are generous. The Reuben features a pile of corned beef brisket sliced thin with sauerkraut and Russian dressing along with melted Swiss cheese on rye bread. It’s topped with dill pickle slices and served with fries.
We nodded our approval of the “Sweet Finish” dessert, called “shooters” of ice cream creations, for $1.99.
The menu is in keeping with a trend to serve smaller items that you can pair. There are a dozen or more appetizers to choose in lieu of ordering a full meal. They are called “Killer Apps” and include boneless buffalo wings and sliders—three burgers with cheese, onion and sauce on toasted mini-buns. They are served with fries for $7.99.
Manager Greg Remz says customers like the “2 for $20” offerings of two full-size entrees and an appetizer for $20. He says people like to know how much they’re spending, especially with the stressed economy. A couple can eat for $10 apiece.
While some Applebee’s have been updated, the EGF location still sports the original design—hanging lamps of colored glass and an eclectic decor including sports banners from local high schools and colleges. And there is the traditional barber pole. During the holidays, it has been bright and inviting, with a multitude of cheery white lights.
Service was very good. Our waitress was pleasant and able to keep everything, including separate checks, in her stride.
The Applebee’s in East Grand Forks closed in 2011, but there is currently a franchise operating in Grand Forks.