If there’s one thing that people should take into account when visiting a new restaurant with different servings of food and appetizers, it’s that holidays may or may not be the best time to treat oneself to a new restaurant. To put it in simpler terms: one might not obtain the same attitude toward an eatery if the servings change as a result of a certain holiday.

This was certainly the case when visiting Commoner & Co. located on 6960 E. Sunrise Dr. for Valentine’s Day. While the experience at this casual diner was altered as a result of a restricted menu with limited options, the style and service made Commoner & Co. more than just an average restaurant.

One of the most important qualities that distinguishes Commoner & Co. from other casual diners is how modern the design of the place is. Unlike other restaurants that attempt to elevate themselves by showing off their dining hall or servings, Commoner & Co. is more casual restaurant. The servers may not be as formal as those of a fine dining restaurant, but nevertheless are able to maintain a sense of professionalism around others while providing customers with knowledge regarding the dishes being served.

Once seated in the dining area of the restaurant, the waitress brought the table water, followed by the menu of the day. Because it was Valentine’s Day, the menu had limited dinner options.

Normally a restricted menu that narrows down preferences is not one that sounds appealing, as is not only lacks a variety of options in terms of what one can eat and drink, but it also prevents diners from having a real experience, especially for a casual-dining eatery that works to attract more customers by offering dishes of a specific cuisine.

The menu was divided into three separate courses. One of the options offered in the first course was cream of potato soup served with roasted lemon sourdough crumbs. The Lola Rosa salad was another option with Spanish bleu cheese, pomegranate seeds and a chorizo vinaigrette.

Roasted chicken for the second course allowed diners to step away from small vegetable dishes. It was safe to say that this dish was an example of an authentic American cuisine as evident by the fact that it had ingredients such as creamy stone-ground grits, bacon and zucchini sauté. Overall, dishes were well prepared and the service at this diner was more than satisfactory.

While Commoner & Co. diminished itself by offering a restricted menu with very limited options, it was uplifted by excellent service that exceeded expectations.

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