Restaurants in North Branch

While dishes licked by line cooks turn the stomach, succulent meats licked by tongues of flame on the grill stimulate the salivary gland. Stacy’s Grille offers lunch and dinner menus composed of salads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, seafood, flame-tinged meats, and desserts. The Stacy’s Grille signature salad (with mixed greens, bleu cheese, dried cherries, pears, and raspberry vinaigrette, $8 for a large) or house-made chips and onion dip ($5) make delicious snacks or starters. On the first Sunday of every month (and Valentine's Day) Stacy's brunch menu offers a full breakfast buffet, select lunch selections, made to order omelette and waffles, and a dessert station ($17.95).

With three generations of restaurant-owning experience, the Kozlak family puts forward high-quality American fare with an emphasis on excellent service in a comfortable neighborhood setting. Only certified-Angus-beef steaks and prime rib, as well as fresh seafood, are found on the extensive menu. House cuts include the Bone-In Steer Tenderloin ($41.95), which is considered the finest steak available, fusing the flavor of the bone with the tenderness of the filet. The Filet Oscar ($42.95) is topped with crab meat and crisp asparagus and finished with smooth béarnaise sauce. For all non–beef eaters, the pinnacle of comfort food is found in the creamy abyss of the chicken pot pie ($12.95). There are many other chicken, lamb, pasta, pork, and seafood choices, including a dish that consists of watching neighboring diners feast.

Head chef and owner Jonathan Hunt changes al Vento Restaurant's menu daily, dreaming up seasonal dishes to showcase the many facets of southern Italian cuisine. Bubbling pizzas rouse palates from morning stamp-licking circles with crispy crusts and toppings such as fresh basil and tomato ($9.75) or juicy fennel sausage with herbed goat cheese ($11). Pasta dishes harness summer's rampant produce for plated tours of the countryside fueled by fettuccine mixed with asparagus, english peas, and cherry tomatoes ($14). Cooks complement tender chicken breast with italian pork sausage and velvety spinach risotto ($16.75) as knowledgeable servers help guests crown meals with jewel-toned beverages ($6−$10) from the wine and drink lists. Desserts, such as creamy, frozen pistachio custard with chocolate shavings ($6), soothe excited taste buds and cool heated arguments between spaghetti-Western cowboys.

Crumb Gourmet Deli—like a kindergarten chemist stirring together wheat flour, linseed oil, and red ink to make his own finger paint—uses only the freshest ingredients. The deli's culinary constructors use top-notch fixings to create the restaurant's soups, salad dressings, and sauces, with all cuts of meat slow-roasted and slow-danced without nitrates or artificial additives. Customers can order from Crumb Gourmet Deli's selection of hot and cold sandwiches ($5.95–$6.95) or build their own bread-bookended creation ($6.95) and give it a wacky, creative name such as "The Oven-Roasted Turkey with Light Mayo, Dijon Mustard, American Cheese, and Romaine on Multi-Grain Bread" or the "The Burton Gilliam." Crumb Gourmet Deli also wields wraps, slings salads, serves soups, and confers combinations of sandwiches, soups, and salads. Adults who have accidentally swapped bodies with kindergartners and vice versa can opt for a healthy item from Crumb Gourmet Deli's kids' menu, which offers milk or a fountain drink and fresh fruit or chips with each order.