Chicken craisin salad, ham and cheese scones tempt diners
Date Modified: 08/12/2010 8:35 AM
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Out to Lunch
Address: 1312 N. State St., Waseca, Minn.
Hours: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday; 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m.-1p.m. Sunday.
Breakfast favorite: Ham and fresh asparagus scramble.
Lunchtime favorite: Chicken craisin salad.
Special treat: Their version of a banana split with bananas, strawberries, blueberries, mixed berry yogurt and granola topped with honey.
Price of banana split: $4.50.
Other services: Available for private parties, do catering, take out available.
Call them at (507) 835-9776
WASECA, Minn. — Rick and Ranae Roberts had no prior food service experience when they jumped into the restaurant business, but they've found that listening to their customers is a recipe for success.
"One of the reasons we've been successful is we know our customers," Rick Roberts said. "We know them by name."
They know what the customer wants when they come through the door and how the customer wants the meal prepared.
They've also stressed consistency in their entrees.
"I think you need to be consistent with your food," Roberts said. "If you change something people will know."
And people may not like it and may not come back, but Rick and Ranae make a point of talking to customers. Roberts said he comes out of the kitchen to talk and costumers will tell him if they did or didn't like something. They will ask if he changed something and give their opinion.
Roberts has used his customers' advice to create unique menu entrees.
Their ham and cheese scone that is grilled and topped with eggs and hollandaise sauce. A popular weekend menu item is the Rueben egg bake, Roberts said.
The Westin, featuring homemade French toast, blueberries, strawberries and bananas with syrup, is another favorite.
People will come in twice a week and order only the chicken craisin salad, Roberts said. It's romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken breast, fresh carrots and craisins with a homemade oatmeal muffin and homemade red-onion based vinaigrette dressing. The chicken and carrots are whacked, he said. They don't slice, they whack.
The turkey griller, turkey bacon club and grilled OTL round out the top-requested lunchtime entrees.
The turkey griller is wheat bread, Swiss cheese, turkey, sliced apples and honey. The turkey bacon club is Chipotle mayo, pepper jack cheese, lettuce and tomato. The grilled OTL is Chipotle mayo, pepper jack cheese, beef, ham, cheddar cheese, tomato, green pepper and onion.
Sandwiches are served with chips and a pickle or veggie sticks.
Roberts emphasizes freshness in his cooking. They cook off all the turkey, beef and chicken at Out to Lunch. They don't add salt or pepper.
In the summer, fresh produce is on the menu. Roberts makes jams from scratch. His strawberry-rhubarb, raspberry and five-berry jams are available to purchase.
He also makes a a couple vinaigrette dressings that customers can purchase.
He makes scones everyday and most of their soups are homemade. Their homemade soups include Rueben chowder, mushroom bisque and potato ham.
Rick and Ranae have a separation of duties, with Rick taking everything from the kitchen back and Ranae taking everything from the kitchen forward.
Ranae has furnished the dining room with kitchen tables that look like those you find in your mom's or grandma's kitchen. No two are quite the same.
She also sells antiques and collectibles.
"We've made a really large number of friends through the restaurant business," Roberts said. "People have really been good to us. I guess we're just really thankful for all the support we've had."
—Janet Kubat Willette