I went to JiMichael's the other day. I was not in the mood to cook. I brought my son and brother in law. It was my second time there.
The interior is a throwback to grandma's house, cozy yet surprisingly large inside. There are small knickknacks in areas all over, most with sayings on them, and cutesy yard decorations for sale up front. Remember, this is Sun City we are talking about, so we wouldn't expect much else.
We were seated immediately. There were several diners in the place yet it still read somewhat empty. The menu is large, with lots of options, all day breakfast as well, and several specials, including fried walleye. That did it for me- I'm from northern Illinois and there are very few places out here serving walleye, my favorite fish besides halibut. My son got the payment and brother in law got the polish kielbasa with the sauerkraut on the side because he doesn't like it and Mike and I would eat it.
Service was prompt and very attentive throughout the meal. Dinners come with soup or salad, potatoes or veggies. I chose one of the soups of the day: cabbage tomato. It was pretty tasty. Their cup size is almost a bowl in other restaurants. My son got the split pea and he was happy with his as well.
Our entrées arrived. Mike's patty melt was huge. Ron's kielbasa was ok. Not a giant portion of the sausage but he also got mashed potatoes and the sauerkraut came in a salad dish. He loved the sausage. There were four giant sized pieces of fish on my plate, golden brown, and a good-sized portion of French fries. Plus tartar sauce.
One bite of the fish and I was instantly transported back to family vacations in northern Wisconsin when I was a kid. The fish was amazing -- moist, flakey, perfectly fried. The coating was not thick- it let the fish shine through. At 72, I don't usually eat much at dinner anymore but I downed every bite of the fish, most of the fries, and a couple of spoonfuls of the sauerkraut. It would be great if they had an all you can eat walleye day there. But I think they would go broke because I would be there each time, lol. The tartar sauce didn't seem homemade - it was a little sweet for my taste but it went well with the fish. I'm a fan of malt vinegar on fish but didn't ask for it. Did I tell you fish was so freaking good?
With our bellies quite full, we got desserts to go - my son got carrot cake, I got the chocolate cake, and Ron got cheesecake. I've had their carrot cake before and it's really good. Ron liked the cheesecake. The chocolate cake was just meh. It was dry with an odd aftertaste. Hardly any frosting. I expected better at a place that looked like most things are homemade.
I'll definitely go back for the walleye there. They also had catfish on the menu - maybe I'll try that if the walleye is not on next time.
With tip, the four of us ate for a little over $88.00. It wasn't cheap but it was not like getting dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the city (even though I'd nominate that chef for the catfish, lol). read more