Station 220 in Bloomington, IL

My husband and I went on a date night the weekend before Valentine's Day. We went to a movie, then Station 220 for dinner, and Eleven for drinks after dinner. It was great! And you know what the best part was? Our dinner! It was seriously AMAZING!

We made reservations. Then, when we got there, we saw that they were having a celebrity guest chef.

How exciting, right? Well, for those of us in Bloomington, it's exciting. Everyone that we saw was very professional and proper. The waiters served the women first. Everyone was dressed nicely. They were very courteous and polite. It's definitely a warm welcome in Bloomington where nice restaurants and professional employees are hard to find.

Straight from Station 220's website: “Station Two Twenty, cultivated by Epiphany Farms Enterprise, is bringing Midwestern cuisine to the global stage. Our mission is to blend socially conscious farming techniques with comfortable fine dining in order to produce something that customers not only enjoy, but also understand. We strive to create food systems that provide exceptional quality and a sustainable, regenerative future. As Central Illinois' only farm-to-fork restaurant, we are committed to creating food that glorifies the cultural heritage tying us to our community. Station Two Twenty is a place for families and foodies alike. Here, you'll find familiar ingredients, grown right in McLean County, prepared with respect and presented with excitement and flair.”

Since they get the majority of their ingredients locally, their menu changes seasonally. Since we ate in February, we had the winter menu. For starters, we had the “Anju” Roll. It has Yellowtail Amberjack, Atlantic Salmon, Korean Gim, and Fresh Vegetables. I am not a sushi fan and I thought it was absolutely delicious!

For dinner, my husband got the Seared Scallops with Classic Risotto, Spiced Foam, and “Sugar Bear” Pumpkin. I had some of his and it was good. I don't LOVE scallops so they were only okay to me. However, the risotto was pure perfection. In case you're curious about the spiced foam and pumpkin or are thinking about not getting this dish just because of these two things, don't worry about them. They are small little things on the side. They're both good, but if you don't like them, it's a not a big part of the dish.

For dinner, I got the Braised Lamb Shank with Lemon Spaetzle, Herb Salad, Mint Oil, and Semolina Crouton. It was so amazing. The lamb just fell of the bone and melted in my mouth. And it was a lot of food. These were no small portions. I was a little hesitant about the lemon spaetzle. I'd never had spaetzle before so I was excited to try it, but it was the lemon part I was unsure of. Honestly though, it was pretty good. The lemon flavor wasn't overwhelming. It was like a small taste at the end. I really enjoyed it. I didn't finish it though (I was leaving room for dessert) so our waiter boxed it up for me.

My husband had a cup of coffee after dinner while we waited for our dessert and it came with sugar cubes. Like homemade sugar cubes! (I'm not sure why that impresses me, but it does.)

Then for dessert, we had a large chocolate souffle. It came with a couple homemade marshmallows, some kind of soft peanut butter squares, raspberry sauce, vanilla sauce, chocolate sauce, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a bed of crushed peanuts. It was way too much food for us (we probably only ate half), but it was absolutely delicious! It does take a while to cook so we actually ordered this when we ordered our dinner. And I would say it's more for 4 people, if not more.

Our total was just under $100 before tip for the two of us. So for Bloomington, it is a little on the pricey side, but for how nice the restaurant, service, and food are, it's a good deal. I suppose it depends on your priorities when picking a restaurant. When I review Station 220 on TripAdvisor, I will be giving it 5 Stars. I loved it!