Main Street Café: A Reflection of Medina Square

Neil went away for a few days and I was on my own until Eric came home from work.  I was looking forward to exploring the outdoors but it's been so rainy.  (I like drinking the murky water in the puddles.) There were a couple of hours of sunshine so I made the best of it.  I was anxious to hear what Neil had been up to when he returned home.

Town Square in Medina, OH

      I visited our friends Cindy and Will in Medina recently.  Cindy and I get together for a few days from time to time to inspire one another as artists and designers.  Of course, meals are another way we get energized.  My second day there, we went up to the historical Medina Square in the center of town for a visit to the Main Street Café.  The square is turn of the last century and as we entered the café the time period was repeated. 

Turn of the Last Century Dining Room

      We had dinner there about a year ago and I was quite impressed by their take on several of the dishes.  It was around 2 p.m. so we had missed the lunchtime crowd.  Cindy found a Salmon Wrap on the menu and I was attracted to the Blackberry Chicken.  My entrée came with soup and I chose the Steak and Potato Soup du Jour (the lobster bisque is also yummy).  It was thick and robust in flavor with a generous amount of meat and potatoes.  Cindy liked her salmon, but was really intrigued by the pasta salad served alongside.  The dressing was homemade and quite light.  My chicken arrived with side dishes of ginger-cashew rice and snow pea pods.  Both were nice flavors with the chicken that was roasted to perfection with a blackberry demi-glace reduction.  At first I thought there was too much sauce, but the taste was a great accompaniment for the savory chicken.  I recalled the creamy tiramisu I had for dessert on my previous visit, but I just couldn't make room for it that day.

Steaming Steak and Potato Soup du Jour

Salmon Wrap

Blackberry Chicken

      Main Street Café offers an extensive menu and wine list, especially for dinner.  Many of the same items are also offered at lunch.  The décor is early nineteenth century but the selections have a modern twist with their signature sauces and dressings, as well as side pairings.  In addition, there is Sunday brunch, banquet facilities, catering, and a cellar with live entertainment on weekends.  

$$$

http://www.themainstreetcafe.com

UPDATE VISIT:
On a recent visit to Medina we had lunch again at the Main Street Café.  Unfortunately, this experience did not live up to our prior ones.  I ordered the Blackberry Chicken again and it was tough, stringy, and ultimately inedible.  The rice was undercooked and hard.  Eric had the Grouper Sandwich that was a very small portion.  Cindy and Will were with us so we didn't make a big deal out of our disappointment.  However, they didn't seem too pleased with their selections either.  We shared two desserts hoping for redemption, but both of those scored badly also.  Their Chocolate Torte was dry and they left quite a bit of it on the plate.  Our Homemade Cream Puff was a chocolate puff with strawberry cream.  Eric thought it was OK but I felt it was dry and gloppy, and there was no mention of the flavored version on the menu.  The strawberry garnish looked freeze-dried and should never have left the kitchen.  Cindy and Will (they live in Medina) have seen inconsistencies over the years with the café so I would have to say we agree.