The Mystic Kitchen & Tasting Room — Restaurant in Bloomington

I recently had the pleasure of dining at a fairly new restaurant in the Bloomington/ Normal area, The Mystic Kitchen. To say that this was a pleasurable experience would be a gross understatement. This is a combination bar / restaurant with a definite upscale vibe. It reminded me of a Chicago nightclub, with only the best attributes. As you enter, you are in the bar area. This is a combination of booths, bar rail seating, high tables, and a couch / overstuffed chair seating. While we were waiting for out dinner seating to be ready, we perused their extensive wine and designer cocktail menu. After ordering, our cocktails were delivered and partially prepared in front of myself and my dining mate. We also ordered an appetizer of Tamale Cakes with Carnitas, creama and salsa. As our table was ready, we were escorted to the dining area of the restaurant, followed by the server with our appetizer. Superb. The dining area probably has seating for 35 people, with a small side area where they have occasional wine tasting. For dinner we shared the smoked duck flatbread with goat cheese and fig jam, and I had the Smoked tea BBQ brisket, flanked by a chilled asparagus, artichoke, and red pepper salad. Both were impeccably prepared. Both the waitress and owner stopped by to inquire if everything was satisfactory. dessert of chocolate cake with fresh berries and ice cream ended a perfect meal. This place is definitely upscale without being pretentious. I will definitely...

A friend and I tried Mystic Kitchen for dinner tonight, and it was fabulous! Parker was our server and patiently answered our several questions about menu items. He thoroughly knows the menu and makes super recommendations. The menu items can be modified based on your preferred tastes also. The menu is short but was difficult to choose one item. I did not look at the appetizers, because I wanted room for dessert. My friend isn't fond of hot, spicy food but was interested in the shrimp sliders. Parker recommended a mild option and my friend thoroughly enjoyed them. She chose the loaded potato salad and said it was deliciously tasty-the potatoes had the perfect texture. I wanted the cashew crusted salmon or the butternut squash ravioli. I asked about the protein in the ravioli dish; Parker recommended chicken and left room for dessert (I also asked about that.) My meal was a fantastic example of comfort food: a sweet, savory, creamy hug for my tummy. We both ate the sticky toffee cake for dessert and enjoyed it: decadent sweetness but not heavy. Seating matters: when I walked in, I thought the music was a little loud and I wouldn't like the experience; however, we were seated in the next section, which was much quieter and more...

First time to this restaurant. We chose inside seating and it was so dark inside. It was hard to see your food. When we were given the menu, I was surprised to see that it was not the menu they had posted on their website. Our waiter explained that they have not gotten around to updating the menu. The menu item that I had planned on having was not on the menu but the waiter was very courteous and offered to sub items to make what was listed on their website. I ordered the scallops and when they were brought out they were room temperature at best. And we're not properly cleaned as I was crunching on sand as I chewed. The asparagus was so tiny that the waiter had to tell me that they were hiding under the scallops. For a menu item priced over $30 I was shocked and disappointed in the quality and quantity. My husband ordered the chicken and it was mediocre at best. He also ordered the kettle chips and they were literally just lays kettle cooked chips in a small bowl that cost $3. I had heard such good things about this restaurant but was...