Cynthia's Restaurant3

Last night as we were trying to think of a place to get a quick bite to eat, Griffin remembered Cynthia's Restaurant on 3rd (though he kept calling it Suzanna's). At first I couldn't recall the place because he didn't really remember what we got and he couldn't remember the right name. Once we drove past it though, all the food memories came rushing back. It's certainly been over a year since we dined at Cynthia's, but now that I remember it, I can't wait to go back. We didn't end up eating here last night because we didn't intend to spend $70 on dinner, but we did pick up some of their blackberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. More on that later.... Once I looked at the menu for Cynthia's I could remember everything we got and just the way it tastes. I recall that we started with the goat cheese quesadilla with mango creme, thinking it would taste similar to the goat cheese and guava quesadilla we loved so much from Cha Cha Cha. It was a little different, but still delicious. For our entrees I tried the spicy fried chicken, as I had read several really positive reviews about it online. As any fried chicken should, it comes with some creamy mashed potatoes and green beans. So good. I realize this is my second time to blog about fried chicken this week, and both are delicious, but they are very different. The fried chicken, and all the other dishes from Cynthia's for that matter, are very upscale home cooking. I guess because it costs $25 and is on a real plate it makes you think it's a little healthier than the Honey Kettle variety too. Griffin had the Dijon pork chop with potato pancakes and applesauce. While I'm not too keen on any kind of mustard or applesauce, I remember the potato pancakes being just great. For dessert we had the blackberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream. I had also read about this online and between the fried chicken and the cobbler, we had to try it. I love all kinds of cobbler, but I think the blackberry might be king. It's sweet and tart, warm and cold (from the ice cream), and just an all-out mixture of sugar and spice and everything nice. I know it's been a while, but thinking back I remember that we sat in the table next to the bar in the back and that our waitress was about as nice as can be. Even the owners stopped by to say "hi." I also remember that when we went it was a weekend night and it was pretty full, but when we went by to pick up our dessert there last night (a Friday) it looked pretty quiet, with several open tables in the small space. So I'm not sure if you'd really need a reservation or not, but if you are planning ahead, then there's really no harm in making one. There's street parking if you are lucky enough to find any, but there's also $5 valet at the restaurant. For a party of 2, you definitely wouldn't be able to eat 2 entrees and leave without shelling upwards of $60, and that's just for entrees and doesn't include any apps, drinks, or delectable desserts. If you want to try Cynthia's on a budget, you may want to try going for lunch, when most menu items are under $15 (though the menu is admittedly smaller - but they still have the fried chicken!). Whether it's for lunch, dinner, or just dessert, Cynthia's is definitely worth giving a try.

http://www.usmenuguide.com/cynthiasrestaurant3.htm