If I were reviewing the wedding reception that was being held here, it would get five stars, but instead I'm reviewing the food and service that was provided during the reception. When invited to go here, I pulled up the web site and was presented with not much more than an advertisement for the head chef, NarDane. The index to the site is adorned with references to NarDane and a quote from Elizabeth Taylor about how good his cheesecake is. I did a google search for NarDane expecting his past to match his apparent ego and found only his A Touch of Magic establishment. So, I figured, maybe he's so good that he built a reputation from East Grand Forks, MN. I kept an open mind. So the evening of the reception, I was told by someone in the wedding party that I should help sit the people around me down because the guy that runs the place needed to begin serving dinner at exactly 6:30 and would "get upset" if anything slowed him down. Ok, I understand that serving a few hundred people can be stressful. That said though, this is a wedding reception and the newly-weds did pay you a large amount for the food. Shouldn't it be on their terms? The dinner started on time and servers began bringing out our meals so nothing came of this. I just found it interesting that a place that is seemingly unheard-of outside of Grand Forks, ND is so demanding. We got our meals: basically a "fine dining" version of pork chops and applesauce with mashed potatoes. The pork chops were dry and the potatoes were nothing special (plus the bread sticks he stuck into the potatoes was just silly). Nothing a chef with an ego the size of his would make without it being a joke (assuming his ego was warranted). The desserts were better: a sort of candied pineapple, NarDane's "famed" cheesecake and a serving of mountain cake. They were all good. That's it. Nothing special. Nothing spectacular. The servers were good. They quickly served us our meals and were relatively friendly while doing it. The location is beautiful. The sunset is shines directly onto the patio and through the glass walls. It overlooks the river and had plenty of room for the several hundred guests of the wedding. The interior has that classic ballroom feel and was extremely well kept and clean. Overall, this place was ideal for the wedding reception we attended. The food wasn't bad and the interior was great. If I hadn't seen the website first, this place might have received four stars from me. Unfortunately the head chef seems so full of himself that he raised my expectations beyond what he could deliver. Note to NarDane: Get over yourself. You're not that good. read more

I recently attended a wedding reception here and it was gorgeous. Overlooking the red river, this second story ballroom/banquet room is very inviting. I would describe it as a colonial style with a touch of traditional. Colors are very calm and it can hold close to 300 people (Guess). The wedding reception was catered and the meal was very nice; steak or chicken with cashew roasted green beans and garlic potatoes. The outdoor balcony was great since it was a hot Midwestern evening. The space is nicely laid out for any event. I would definitely recommend this for formal events like receptions or large gatherings! read more