Why travel to Paris or New York when you can experience fine dining right here in Bloomington? From upscale steakhouses and Italian dining to modern comfort food, Bloomington has got you covered. 
- Bloomington Chop House
Located in the lobby of the Hilton hotel, Bloomington Chop House serves up steak done pretty much any way you can imagine. Try the Waygu 8-ounce flat iron steak with coffee rub and ligonberry demi-glaze or the surf and turf with a 10-ounce sirloin steak and cold water lobster tail.
On the weekends, brunch is served family-style, with a starter of fresh-baked banana bread with roof top honey butter, plus the chop house scramble, eggs benedict, and big house-made buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and whipped butter. The build-your-own Bloody Mary with ingredients brought to the table is a fun brunch twist.
- Kincaid’s Bloomington
Kincaid’s serves traditional American food in the style of a chop house, and is perfect for a special night out. For appetizers, enjoy oysters on the half shell, country fried calamari, or shrimp and grits. A house favorite are the simply grilled steaks, either a 12-ounce New York strip, a 7- or 10-ounce filet mignon, or an 8-ounce 40-day aged American Waygu sirloin.
Beyond traditional steak dishes, enjoy the special rock salt roasted prime rib, char-grilled chop house burger, or a number of pasta dishes. Finish off the night with burnt cream with berries, key lime pie, or New York-style cheesecake.
- Hazelwood Bloomington
For a modern, upscale twist on American comfort food, check out the casual-elegant dining experience at Hazelwood Bloomington. Traditional dishes include pork chops, rotisserie chicken, burgers, and wood-fired pizza, but with a twist: pizza options include Thai chicken, mushroom truffle, or “Drag-It-Tru Da Garden” pizza.
For something totally unique, check out their burgers, which include options like the blackberry brie burger with brie cheese curds, blackberry jam, roasted jalapeños, and candied bacon, or the cowboy burger with an award winning BBQ sauce, crispy onion strings, smokehouse bacon, and Tillamook cheddar. All burgers are served with fries, coleslaw, cottage cheese, or seasonal fruit, or sub tater tots or soup of the day.
- Ciao Bella
A Twin Cities favorite, Ciao Bella was created in 1997 by Minneapolis restaurateur Rick Webb. Serving fresh Italian made with local, top-quality ingredients, each handcrafted dish can be matched with an approachable wine selection. Hometown menu favorites include the selection of flatbreads, brick-roasted chicken, braised short ribs, or the mouth-wateringly fresh fish, including pesto sea bass, wood grilled Ahi tuna, and Walleye Milanese.
- Wildfire
The décor of a modern-day 1940’s dinner club with jazz music in the background makes the perfect setting for Wildfire’s selection of seafood, chops, and steaks, as well as fresh sandwiches and salads.
Enjoy Wildfire’s thick prime Angus burger, open-faced Mediterranean salmon sandwich served with avocado, tomatoes, and cucumber yogurt sauce, or the crispy buttermilk chicken sandwich. The Sunday night special, a roasted turkey dinner served with mushroom-herb stuffing, gravy, cranberry relish, and redskin mashed potatoes, is to die for.
No matter what you’re in the mood for, these five restaurants are sure to be up to snuff.
Image via Flickr by kurmanstaff used under CC By
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