By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

When my guest (my 11-year-old son Daniel) and I arrived at the St. Clair Restaurant, in Dearborn, for dinner recently, we weren’t expecting a gourmet meal. After all, the St. Clair is nestled in the heart of Henry Ford Village, a local retirement community, so how great could it be? Or so we thought.

We were immediately seated at a roomy table with a crisp, white tablecloth and comfy chairs. Our server took our drink orders (mine, iced tea with lemon; his, chocolate milk). To Daniel’s surprise, the server asked if he’d like whipped cream and sprinkles with his chocolate milk, and although he declined, he appreciated the idea just the same (he’d never been offered that before; nice touch).

Soup’s on
Although most of the meal was presented buffetstyle, our server offered us a choice of soups, including tomato, cream of mushroom, chicken tortilla, and split pea. The tomato soup was obviously fresh and homemade with the perfect balance of acidity and cream, with bits of pasta in it, as well. Daniel eyed my soup and watched (mouth watering) as I reveled in soup bliss. Soon after, he too ordered a bowl, and we both sat there in silence (except for “mmm”) enjoying the best tomato soup we’d ever tried.

After we had cleaned our bowls to the last drop, we went to the salad bar and made ourselves heaping bowls of crisp, fresh salad greens topped with purple onions, cheese, and croutons. The salad bar also featured three types of Jell-O (two sugar-free and one regular), fresh fruit, and a wide variety of salad dressings. We both opted for ranch—delicious and creamy.

Dinner entrées included beef lasagna, fried chicken, and lemon-baked flounder. Side dishes included steamed carrots, mashed potatoes, onion rings, and peas with pearl onions. Garlic bread and generous slices of wheat bread were also available.