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From Columbian.com's Restaurant of the Week: Sweetwater Casual and Fine Dining, www.columbian.com/entertainment/dining/sweetwater.html.
At the request of more than a few of our readers, we took our search for great restaurants in Clark County to Sweetwater Casual and Fine Dining.
It’s a charming little restaurant on 78th Street in Hazel Dell. Come expecting to find a cozy room full of colorful arm chairs and potted plants. The ambiance is complete with peppy 1930s jazz playing in the background. The straight-forward menu offers something for every appetite: salads, pastas, burgers and sandwiches (complete with vegetarian options). They also feature an a la carte menu consisting of popcorn shrimp, veggie platter, halibut fish and chips and sirloin steak. I really appreciated the flaky fish and abundance of hand-cut chips in my order.
Sweetwater also serves a daily special. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, they served corned beef and cabbage. Molly is the brave soul in our group who tried and enjoyed the traditional fare of this menu item.
The staff is friendly and attentive, especially chef/owner Jay Irvin. He brought the dessert choices around to the tables and explained in detail the time and care put into each delectable offering. As both types of cheesecake looked too good to be true, we needed a minute to decide between lemon and chocolate caramel cream. After much discussion, we compromised by ordering a slice of each.
Mmmmm.......
It really is too good to be true. I didn't try the chocolate caramel cream but Molly, Shannon and Cheryl assured me that it is divine - right down to the chocolate shavings. Karen and I both appreciated the fine points of the lemon cheesecake. It looked nearly too beautiful to eat with the sugared lemon slices and whipped cream adorning the top.
We were in dessert heaven! Jay Irvin possesses an incredible talent where cheesecake is concerned.
So, run on down to Sweetwater and enjoy the airy, cheerful atmosphere and comfortable food, but don't forget to stay for dessert. Believe me, for those who are concerned about their waist lines, it is well worth the extra walk around the block. They also serve berry pie and O'Mara's Irish Cream dessert wine for those who don't appreciate the finer points of a well turned cheesecake.
Sweetwater Casual and Fine Dining is located at 1307 N.E. 78th Street in Hazel Dell. The phone number is (360) 555-6709. Prices are more than reasonable with nothing on the menu more than $10. Dessert is $3.95 per slice or, if you prefer, you can order a whole cheesecake for $30. The chef would appreciate 24 hours notice in the event of a whole-cheesecake-craving order.
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