The Verona Woods is a restaurant and bar situated in a growing business park that serves better-than-casual fare. Judging by a one-hour wait on a recent Friday night, it’s become a popular spot.
The menu is creative and long, starting with a half-page of appetizers that include two burgers for some reason.
- Many of the appetizers appealed to me, and I settled on the Tequila Sunrise Tiger Shrimp ($12), which is perfectly cooked with a hint of grilled flavor, and it sits atop fresh guacamole contrasted with crispy wonton wrappers. It’s a very enjoyable way to start a meal.
- I know it’s out of the ordinary to rave about chicken tenders, but Verona Woods’ Tater Chip Chicken Tenders ($6 half, $12 full) are breaded in potato chips. That, along with the juicy chicken, makes for a tasty combo.
Several of the entrees come in lunch and dinner portions. Friday features fish fry, and Saturday features baby back ribs.
- The short rib in the braised red vino short rib pasta ($8 lunch, $15 dinner) was supremely tender, and the flavorful broth was a delight to eat with the pasta. This was definitely a highlight.
- The chicken cordon bleu ($11) is a good sandwich because of the bacon and grilled bun, both of which helped mask the somewhat dry chicken.
- Among the sides, the tomato bisque ($3 cup, $4 bowl) was very creamy and a little sweet. Other sides include bourbon brown sugar carrots ($4) and kale caesar side salad ($3).
- The robust food selection also features burgers, seafood, steaks, salads and tacos. On a future visit, I’ll get either the shallot cream chicken ($15) or the lemon grass halibut ($24).
The bar features several specialty cocktails and a decent wine list. I tried the Verona Woods’ version of the Bloody Mary, which is made with Four Roses bourbon and more Worsteshire than normal. The garnish was the same pickle that comes with the sandwiches, plus two green olives and a slice of lemon.
The Verona Woods is open every day for lunch and dinner.
I was expecting greater things from 
Zoup!
I was impressed with the Pumpkin Pie Bisque ($5.25 for a cup) because it’s true to its name. It’s pureed pumpkin with brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and tastes just like the pie. In other words, imagine putting a pumpkin pie in a blender until it liquefied–that’s this soup.
My No. 1 is French onion soup, and Zoup!’s version ($4.50 for 8 oz.) did not disappoint. It was very thick (instead of that watery crap other restaurants serve), had the right amount of salt and the onions were soft and tender, as they should be.
