No other restaurant in recent memory has garnered as esteemed a place among our list of favorites as Clark and Lewie's. In my previous review, during our first visit, I raved about the Bloody Mary having ruined all others, and a year later, that reputation still stands. No one else has come close. Since then, we've returned at least three times, and each experience has only compounded the good things we have to say about this place.
Perhaps it's due to Clark and Lewie's somewhat unique use of two of my favorite carnivorous choices, buffalo and elk, but those choices alone aren't what make it stellar. No, they are just components to be used, pieces of a much larger puzzle. Whoever came up with their menu is an absolute genius, who knows how to pair rustic ingredients and pair them with flavors that enhance and embellish the experience in subtle, yet superior ways. The Bloody Mary is another perfect example of their synergistic superiority: easy to make on paper, bog standard at so many other places, but here, it is elevated to almost an art form. I really can't rave about it much more, because I honestly don't understand what makes it special. It's not the garnishes (although they're fantastic, and that bacon is perfectly thick, crunch and lean every time). It must be the vodka, or the mix, or just a symphonious combination of the two. Just...just order it, for God's sake. You'll see what I mean.
Over the course of our visits, I've never repeat ordered anything (sans Bloody Mary), which is *unheard of* for me, as I usually gravitate to one or two things on any menu, at any location. Not here. There's just too many awesome choices. We've had the Bison Burger, Elk Burger, French Dip, Beet Salad, and an assortment of appetizers and starters, including the charcuterie board, hummus platter, sliders, Sgt. Floyd's meatballs and Lewie's Poppers. My wife, who is pretty much a strict pescatarian, has torn into each of them as ravenously as I have, each time. There are few testimonials better than that! And the crazy part is, I've seen other people order the fish and chips each time, looked upon them longingly, and yet somehow haven't chewed through the rest of the inviting menu choices and ordered them. Something always jumps out at me and cuts them off, which mean I am going to have to make a special trip out here just to satisfy my curiosity, because they look *phenomenal*, and if everything else on the menu is any indicator, they're likely to jump to the top of my favorites list. Man, my stomach is rumbling just thinking about them.
OK, this has been a wordy review, so I am going to cut to the chase: just come here! Sit on the patio, order the Bloody Mary, then blindfold yourself and throw a dart at the menu, because I guarantee that whatever arrives on a plate in front of you is going to make you happy. You can thank me when you do; we'll probably be sitting at a table next to you. read more