Comfort Food and Walleye in Brainerd

A pistachio-crusted walleye dinner is a fine way to get acquainted with this polished but comfortably casual Brainerd restaurant. The regional fish is one of the menu’s recurring pleasures, handled with more care than the usual hurried fish fry and presented in a setting that stays bright, clean and friendly.

The kitchen ranges widely enough to suit a table where nobody has agreed on the same mood. Seafood, sandwiches, soups, pasta, steak, chicken dishes, salads, appetizers and desserts all have a place here, so lunch can be as simple as a sandwich and fries or as drawn out as cocktails, an entrée and something sweet.

Walleye appears in several forms, which is good news for regulars who have already picked a favorite. There is the pistachio-crusted dinner, a grilled walleye sandwich, a substantial walleye sandwich, and a fish-and-chips-style entrée for diners in the mood for crisp fried fish.

The pistachio-crusted version has been a particular standout, even prompting two people at the same table to order it. It makes sense as a dinner choice when you want something distinctly Minnesota-minded without giving up a composed restaurant plate.

The grilled sandwich takes the fish in a lighter, hand-held direction. Sliced jalapeños can join it for a bit of heat, while the larger walleye sandwich has won notice for being notably generous with the fish itself.

Fish and chips pairs naturally with clam chowder, another item that has appeared again and again in satisfying meals here. That combination has the easy comfort of a cold-weather lunch, though it works just as well when the craving is simply for chowder and a proper plate of fish.

The sandwich side of the menu is not an afterthought. A chicken sandwich combines tender chicken, sautéed spinach and house-made sauce, giving a standard lunch order a little more personality than it might have elsewhere.

The New York Reuben has drawn praise for both its bread and its meat, the two details that decide whether a Reuben is worth ordering. A po’boy has also made an impression on diners with high standards for that particular sandwich.

Regular fries are slender-cut, and truffle fries are available when the table wants a more dressed-up side. Poutine has also worked well both in the dining room and packed up for takeout, which is not always an easy trick for a fry-based dish.

For a larger burger lunch, the Maytag burger has been described as notably big. Onion rings, when available, bring a batter that has attracted its own appreciative attention.

House-made sauces and dressings give the menu a small but important signature. They show up especially well in the sandwich and salad choices, where a good sauce can keep a familiar order from tasting generic.

The golden beet salad is a strong example of the kitchen paying attention to a quieter menu category. Its roasted, house-prepared beets give it more substance than a token side salad.

For the sort of table that likes to begin with a few things in the middle, the menu has included calamari, bruschetta and a scallop risotto appetizer. French onion soup has shared the table nicely with more substantial orders such as chicken Parmesan and chicken cordon bleu.

Pasta is another useful option when fish or a sandwich does not sound right. Carbonara has made a successful late-lunch order, with enough richness to carry a leisurely meal without requiring a big steakhouse-style dinner.

Key lime desserts deserve a little advance planning. Both key lime pie and key lime cheesecake have been especially well received, offering the bright, tart finish that can be welcome after fried fish, pasta or a large burger.

Tiramisu is another dessert option, and it has been paired happily with the pistachio-crusted walleye and clam chowder. This is a restaurant where dessert does not have to be an automatic afterthought.

Cocktails and tap beer give the meal a broader landing place than a quick lunch counter. Strong drinks have been noticed alongside the food, and an espresso martini is available for diners who prefer their after-dinner coffee in cocktail form.

During a late lunch, the cozy bar can provide a particularly intimate corner of the room. At busier times the restaurant can have more energy, and one evening account described some echo and noise, so the mood is not uniformly hushed.

The dining room’s décor contributes to a cozy, casual feel rather than a stiff special-occasion atmosphere. It works for a quiet conversation, a lunch with a friend, dinner for two, or a larger gathering where people need enough menu variety to settle in.

Hospitality shows up in small practical gestures. In one instance, extra barbecue sauce from a chicken dish was packed up to take home, a simple kindness that suggests an accommodating approach without making a production of it.

Takeout is part of the picture, too. A generous fish sandwich or an order of poutine can travel home, while the broad dine-in menu gives the restaurant more range than a place built around one specialty.

There is a free parking lot with plenty of parking reported, an uncomplicated benefit for a restaurant meal in a busy part of the day. The room has accommodated everything from pairs to larger parties.

Spending can vary considerably with the plan: a sandwich-and-soup lunch lands differently than drinks, an appetizer, dinner and dessert. The menu gives you room to keep it casual or make an evening of it.