FARGO There's Monte's, of course, the new Silver Spoon and several other places for a nice dinner in Fargo-Moorhead. We recently ended up making a reservation at the Ho Do Restaurant in downtown Fargo. And we came away with the feeling it was a good choice for an upscale place with an interesting menu and a pleasing ambience.
The Ho Do, which is part of the renovated Hotel Donaldson on Broadway, was quiet but not dead on a Wednesday evening in November. My daughter, Gail Hagerty (GH), of Bismarck, and I looked over the "Small Plates" section of the menu and shared an appetizer of three artisanal cheeses with accompanying bits of breads and crackers. They were just-right bites as we studied the menu which features local
and regional fare such as Dakota Farms natural New York strip steak and grilled bison tenderloin.
Since I had been eating on the heavy side and longing for vegetables, I ordered a vegetable bouillabaisse dish ($15) with vegetables grilled and then simmered in a saffron stock and served with a side of grilled bread. It was different, and it suited my fancy.
GH chose smoked chicken breast served with wild mushrooms and gnocchi sauteed in brown butter and fresh herbs ($19). With it, she ordered a roasted beet salad ($6) that turned out to be a highlight of dinner. The herb roasted
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beets were tossed in a fresh herb vinaigrette with caraway seeds and topped with horseradish cr?me fraiche.
It is dishes such as this that make dining in the Ho Do memorable.
The bison tenderloin at $35 is the spendiest item on the menu. It's served with sweet potato croquette, roasted fig chutney and seasonal vegetables. Other choices include grilled wild salmon served with wild rice and roasted squash and seared duck breast served with roasted potatoes and broccolini in a brandy orange sauce.
We found the Ho Do an ideal spot for visiting with soft piano music in the background. We enjoyed the contemporary black-and-white decor with local and regional artwork on display. I especially liked sitting in a com-
fortable booth by a window overlooking small shops across the street.
Along with the Ho Do in the Hotel Donaldson, there is a lounge where food is served during the lunch hour and evenings in a casual environment.
Our service was friendly, and we felt unhurried as we dawdled over coffees and dessert. And the Ho Do shines when it comes to wrapping up a meal with its small servings. You can get one dessert for $2, three for $5 and five for $6. This does away with people hesitating to finish off a meal with a large dessert. Instead, they can have a few small bites. There is no longer for that sort of disgusting custom of people ordering a dessert and several forks or spoons.
Dessert choices include creme brulee, caramel apple bread pudding with vanilla
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ice cream, chocolate truffle,
mocha pots de creme, Black Forest ice cream tower as well as sorbets, ice cream
and cheeses.
Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or (701) 772-1055.
