Hoa Rodriguez, who operates the new North Side Cafe on Gateway Drive, claims she makes the best egg rolls in town. She makes 300 of them Wednesday evenings for the Thursday special of egg rolls and chow mein. In the course of a week, she often makes between 700 and 800 egg rolls to fill special orders and meet the restaurant's needs.
Her plump egg rolls are filled with ground beef, celery, onion, carrots and cabbage that she chops in the cafe's gleaming new kitchen. They are encased in an eggshell wrap and come fresh from the deep fryer. Unlike most egg rolls of today, they have never been frozen.
When Rodriguez told me about her egg rolls, I ordered a couple of them for a trial. I was eating with the Rev. William Sherman (WS) and Delores Hackenberg (DH). Before long, the egg rolls came out of the kitchen accompanied by a serving of a mild plum sauce. DH and I gave an approving nod, and WS said he would vouch for Hoa's claim they are good.
The taste test was on a Wednesday in September. On Thursday, I went back for the luncheon special of egg roll and chicken chow mein ($5.95) and found it to be substantial. The chicken is nice and tender and the celery and cabbage slices large enough to be discernible.
The dish tends to be bland, but you easily can heighten the taste by adding soy sauce that comes along on the side. I also asked for some hot mustard to go with my egg roll. And I quickly found out that a little touch of this mustard is more than enough. It was a good thing Rodriguez warned that it is "hot-hot-hot."
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The cafe, which opened May 31, has a menu similar to other truck stop or travel restaurants near Interstate 29. Breakfast offerings are extensive and are served all day. Dinners include liver and onion ($7.75) and a chicken-fried steak dinner topped with white gravy ($7.95). There are hamburgers and buffalo burgers. The sandwich list includes hot beef, turkey or pork sandwiches served with mashed potatoes and gravy or french fries ($5.95). Nine salads on the menu are served with dinner rolls and butter.
North Side Cafe serves everyday food in a spacious new facility that used to house a bottle shop near the Westward Ho Motel. The building was gutted and rebuilt by owner Bill Graveline.
The interior is spacious and wide-open. It is done in neutral tones with deep burgundy accents. There are neat little hanging lamps and artificial orchids in some of the windows and some framed prints on the walls. It has a clean and uncluttered feel. There is no loud music, and the good acoustics make it possible to enjoy a conversation while you eat.
The staff is made up of experienced workers, many of whom worked with Rodriguez in nearby restaurants before she branched out on her own. Among key staff members are Nga Aarnes, kitchen manager; Andy Hundley, assistant kitchen manager; Barb Geisen, dining room manager; Georgia Overby, head waitress; and Wendy Auville, who does much of the preparation work in the kitchen.
The servers wear crisp white shirts and black trousers, and the staff is the strength of the North Side restaurant. So, too, is the presence of Rodriguez, who greets and talks to customers and keeps an eye on everything. She bakes carrot cake and makes bread pudding once a week along with the pies she turns out almost daily.
The vegetable beef soup is as good as any I've ever eaten. I tried a cup of it on my first of three visits and wished I had ordered a bowl. The beef was lean and tender. There was a nice tomato base to it and fresh-tasting green beans, corn, celery and carrots.
With all the pluses, there are a few minuses. The napkins wrapped around the tableware are very thin and small. The glasses are plastic. Service is on the slow side at times, although the waitresses work together to keep up. An orange slice or some garnish would add appeal to breakfast plates.
Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or (701) 772-1055.
