Limestone Grille offers fine dining, intimate atmosphere

The Limestone Grille, 2920 E. Covenanter Drive is a hidden Bloomington treasure. Nestled behind the Kroger store on College Mall Road, most people never see this establishment and don't realize it even exists. But our meal was delightful from beginning to end, and this American grille quickly took its place as one of our favorite restaurants.\nThe limestone theme is carried throughout the decor of the restaurant, with a limestone mural along one wall and a limestone porch for warm-weather dining. The muted colors and window treatments made for a pleasant, private dining experience.\nOur service was great. The waiter was attentive and quick to explain menu options and daily specials. Our drinks were promptly refilled when only half full and empty dishes were soon whisked away.\nAppetizer\nWe ordered the chicken saltimbocco. It is a grilled chicken roulade served with basil, prosciuttos, provolone cheese, lemon, peppers and butter. It took about 10 minutes to prepare, and our server was kind enough to inform us of the time length and make sure it we were OK with it.\nThe chicken was unusual, but had an excellent flavor. Five small pieces were served on a black skillet. The four of us had to fight over the fifth piece, because we all immensely enjoyed the flavor.\nEntrees\nOur first entree was the rainbow trout filets. These two filets were grilled and served with roasted vegetables and potatoes. The trout was well-cooked, with a flaky, tender texture. The two filets were more than enough to satisfy a seafood craving. In addition, the potatoes were excellently seasoned and resembled scalloped potatoes. But the vegetables were dry.\nWe also ordered the filet mignon, well done. It was one of the best steaks we have sampled in Bloomington. The six-ounce steak was well-seasoned and tender. It was also served with potatoes and grilled vegetables.\nOur companion ordered one of the chicken dishes, which was also served with the well-seasoned potatoes. It was wrapped in a thin layer of egg, and resembled an omelette, which made the chicken taste wonderful. This hearty dish was filling and had the perfect amount of seasonings.\nDessert\nThe desserts tasted good, but seemed somewhat misnamed.\nWe ordered the bittersweet chocolate almond tart, but it did not resemble the flaky, light crusty delight we anticipated. Instead, it bore a strong resemblance to the chocolate pate at the Scholar's Inn. The flavor was excellent and the strawberry garnish was a fantastic touch.\nWe also sampled the heavenly cream caramel. But it wasn't quite what we expected. It resembled the flan at Tortilla Flat. But the caramel topping had a good consistency and the dessert was served at just the right cool temperature.\nWe enjoyed the flavors and textures of our desserts. But neither was what we had anticipated based on their names, so we would suggest some more realistic, accurate titles.\nOverall\nLimestone Grille offers fine dining, so don't wear blue jeans. We know this from experience. Overall, it's a great place to have a quiet, intimate meal. The food is excellent and the service is friendly and prompt. Entree prices range from $9-18.