True Cuisine -- Coventry Inn

After our mediocre Quiznos lunch, we decided to up the quality factor and dine at the Coventry Inn on North 6th Street. We've been there several times before, and we were very much looking forward to this.

We didn't have reservations. Well, we never make reservations because we prefer to eat at the bar. There were plenty of seats when we arrived, but they soon filled up. The lighting at the bar was a little dim, but then again, it is a BAR. The restaurant itself is simply gorgeous. The years of renovations really show.

We were kindly greeted by Jeff the bartender. Now this is a bartender people -- a big departure from College Bimbo Barbie who's only interest is scoring with the frat guys in the bar rather than serve you drinks. He's always welcoming, shakes your hands and lets you know that his priority is you. I had a fantastic glass of Chilean Cabrenet and my husband had a Newcastle draft. I love the fact there are simple sourdough pretzels on the bar.

We had a very difficult time deciding what to order for dinner. Their menu choices were outstanding. For the adventurous ones, you could select a rabbit soup or rack of venison. For those less adventurous, classics such as ribeye steak and roast chicken were available as well. There are a few things I really love about their menu selections -- the classics remain, but the specialty dishes are changed out periodically to reflect the season and what's available and fresh. THIS IS WHAT A REAL RESTAURANT DOES.

I decided to keep it simple and go with their French Onion Soup and Grilled Steak Salad with Ranch. My husband ordered the Pork Tenderloin with Black-eyed Peas and Collard Greens.

As we waited for my soup and his dinner salad, we were brought a basket of warm bread with a small dish of three small hand-rolled balls of butter. This bread was outstanding -- crisp, crusty exterior with a soft and slightly chewy texture. I could have easily had more than 2 slices.

The soup -- what can I say other than this was the best French Onion Soup I've personally ever had. The broth was very rich and highly seasoned. The onions were perfectly caramelized. The cheese layer was scrumptious. It was the perfect comfort food for a cold Indiana winter evening. My salad arrived after I was completely done with the soup. The presentation was lovely -- slices of properly cooked medium-well steak on top of a stacked bed of romaine with tomato and onion slices drizzled with just enough ranch dressing. I was brought a steak knife, but I didn't need it. The steak absolutely melted in my mouth and was nicely seasoned. The dressing was most definitely made from scratch -- no bottled dressing here! My only minor complaint is that I would have preferred to have a romaine heart instead of the more outer leaves as I did one other time I ate at the Coventry. I could have used a little more steak, but that's only because it was so darn tasty.

My husband's Pork Tenderloin dish looked beautiful--three nice pieces of tenderloin on top of a bed of black-eyed peas and collard greens. He said it melted in his mouth and the seasoning had a slight sweetness to it. He did use his steak knife, but he said he probably didn't need to use it. The peas complimented the dish nicely, but he couldn't stop raving about the collard greens. Now, he's had greens made by a dear friend of his who learned to make them from his mama...the real deal. He said they were a step above his friend's, and that's a huge deal. I got a little taste of them from his plate, and it looks like I've got to learn to crack the code and try to make them at home myself. I have a feeling I'll have a lot of misses before I hit it right!

We had no leftovers. They give you just enough food to satisfy not stuff you full. We did peruse the dessert menu. There were lots of great selections, but nothing I personally wanted to blow calories on. I'm a coconut cream girl, so if they would have had something along those lines, I definitely would have ordered it.

Dinner for 2 plus our drinks, tip, etc came to around $60. It's not the cheapest eats in town, but worth every single penny. We vowed to dine there once a month, so keep a look out for more reviews of the Coventry!