4 out of 5 stars

Happy to finally have a chance for a date night since having baby Wolfie, I arranged for some friends to meet Glen and I out at Fosters American Grille. It’s located right in Cameron Village and seemed a great place to meet up with some buddies and eat well, but not too pretentiously. I have a problem with pretension as I generally have pretty uncomplicated (but demanding) tastes.

Reviews online have varied wildly but of late Fosters has gotten some acclaim from the peanut gallery. Rumor on the grapevine is that management has changed and some original staff has been hired back which has revitalized the food and service. I have to agree!

Fosters has a broad menu so I knew everyone would be able to find something they’d enjoy and I was right. It spans salads, grilled pizza, pasta, and a selection of traditional entrees. (Menu here.) We started with a few appetizers, taking advantage of the $5 for any appetizer special that happens from 4-7pm daily. The crab dip was splendid, served with toasted flat bread. The lettuce wraps were just ok, consisting of a hoisin sauce over chicken, water chestnuts and little fried noodles. Friends also appeared to enjoy the crab cakes served over a corn succotash.

The entrees really wowed us, all served with fluffy mashed potatoes that were clearly homemade with care and lightly sauteed vegetables that were tender and not oily. I really enjoyed my short rib entree which was fall-apart tender and rich, “simmered overnight in red wine, tomatoes and garlic,” according to the menu. Hubs had the 6 ounce filet, which was perfect, and D had the rack of ribs which he enjoyed. Our lady friend was in love with her Chicken Rockefeller, a spinach and bacon stuffed chicken breast.

Apologies for the low-light iPhone pics.

Chicken Rockefeller

Short Rib

Ribs (I think half rack?)

Filet

We fully enjoyed most everything we ordered and I look forward to returning. I also wish I had left room to try dessert. The atmosphere here is lovely whether you sit downstairs in the dining room or bar area, or upstairs where you’ll be outside and have a view of activity on Cameron Village streets below. I hear it turns into quite the late-night spot and they seem to have music and dancing many nights. But don’t underestimate what a delicious meal you can get at reasonable prices. Sandwiches from $8 and entrees from $14.

A wonderful surprise for me was the check-in special on Four Square!  We got 20% off the food!

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4 out of 5 stars (upgraded since first review)

Mimi’s has a wonderful atmosphere and great service, but the taste of our breakfasts didn’t knock our socks off.  They have a number of unique items, like a crab and avocado omelette with asiago cheese, and quiches.

I tried out the country fried steak and my husband tried the homemade corned beef hash.  Our meals came with a choice of juice and a choice of muffin, which was a nice touch.  We enjoyed our muffins and coffee, but the breakfasts weren’t the best.  DH’s poached eggs was undercooked and in a pool of water, his corned beef was more like a paste than a hash, although it had good flavor.  My country fried steak was good quality with nice breading, but the gravy was low on flavor and had a strange stringy quality to it.  Our home fries were relatively greasy.

Added 3/12/10:  While we didn’t love our breakfast, I have been to Mimi’s many times for lunch and really enjoyed it.  I have often ordered the parmesan crusted chicken which comes with a lunch sized portion of spaghetti.  Lunch prices are reasonable and the depth of selections means that everyone is happy.  Salads from here are always a favorite with co-workers.  When you come remember to ask for the bread basket because they only bring it if you ask! In summary I’d describe Mimi’s as a less-expensive Cheesecake Factory styled restaurant, where the menu is huge and most items are done well. They are modeled after a New Orleans vibe but the food is all-American.

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