APRIL 7, 1993
Poppy-seed bread, breakfast quiche and pull-apart caramel rolls are trademarks of the Sunday champagne brunch served by the Windmill Restaurant. Constant Companion and I went there after church Sunday with Earl and Jan Strinden, and we were able to get a table in the Garden Court atrium. We sat and looked out at the swollen Red River. We watched a big tree bending under the pressure of an ice floe.
The Windmill is an attractive restaurant with a stained glass windmill as the distinguishing feature in the long, maroon-carpeted foyer. There are also curios, such as a cream separator, in the entryway.
On Sunday, we began with juice and champagne. And there was coffee. We moseyed out to the buffet table, where we found a good selection of breads including muffins, bagels, doughnut holes and caramel rolls. There was a tray of fruit, including fresh pineapple, grapes, strawberries, honeydew melon and wedges of watermelon. Beyond that were eggs Benedict, breakfast quiche, pancakes and a white fish in a light sauce.
The Windmill brunch is $7.95. Some people approach it by having breakfast selections first and then going on to lunch items. I sort of cornered the best of both worlds on one plate. With the bread, fruit and fish, I went heavy on the steamed broccoli but skipped the ham.
All four of us made different choices. And we didn’t overlook the desserts, which included slices of blueberry pie. Then we sat and visited.
This is what the Windmill is all about, according to owner Tom Potter. “We try to create an atmosphere for relaxed dining,” he says. Tom and his wife, Weezie, own the restaurant building at 213 S. Third St. January and February were slow, Potter says, but things are moving faster now. He has plans to feature more dinner theater in the upstairs facility.
He has made arrangements for Fire Hall performances in May, and UND Burtness Theatre productions in July and August. The Rotters also plan to feature Southwest nights in the Garden Court this summer. They also are thinking of country nights, which will include dance lessons.
The Windmill serves lunch and dinners from Tuesday through Saturday. Reuben sandwiches, quiche and pasta are bestsellers at noon. The New York steak and roast ducks are favorites of dinner customers.
Boondocks Lounge, on the lower level, opens at 4:30 P.M. Tuesday through Saturday, featuring different music each night and karaoke on Thursday.
The Windmill is no longer in business.