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On a recent Tuesday evening, the rustic split-log building was humming with customers, and the menu offered eight tempting specials as well as its regular surf-and-turf menu.
The waitress said the white crab soup ($5.95) is a customer favorite, so that's where I began. Here's where some of the home cooking showed--the soup was made with condensed cream of mushroom, a splash of wine and the addition of wisps of crabmeat and a few other fancies. If you've had Campbell's, you know the taste, and you know whether you'll like this one or not.
The spiced shrimp ($9.95) was the definite favorite at our table. Twelve hearty shrimp had been simmered in court bouillon until they were pearly pink, drained, then dusted with piquant spices. The shrimp were meaty and so fresh they still had the pleasant taste of the sea. With seafood of this quality, it was wise of the chef to add the seasoning blend after cooking--a nice touch that let the shrimp flavor shine.
The Log Cabin is known for its seafood, so I tried the pan fried crab cakes ($22.95). Made mostly from lump crabmeat held together by cream and a hint of mustard, they were crisp and brown on the outside and almost creamy inside. I recommend them, but watch out for shells.
Another delicious Log Cabin entree is the filet mignon ($23.95). I asked for it cooked medium, but when the thick, seared round arrived, it was more red than pink in the center. Good thing I didn't send it back--one taste let me know it was cooked to perfection. The meat was hot, flavorful and juicy, the outside criss-crossed with tasty char marks.
The restaurant offers domestic wines by the bottle ($10.95-$32.95) or the glass ($3.95-$6.95). I chose a glass of Kendall Jackson Pinot Noir ($6.95) with my steak. The subtle, fruity red with its pleasant, tannic aftertaste was a nice match to the butter-tender beef.
At Log Cabin, entrees come with the salad bar and a choice of side items: broccoli casserole, flame-roasted corn, wild rice, cajun potatoes, french fries or baked potato.
Don't skip the salad bar. While it has all the mundane salad-bar staples--from three-bean salad to cottage cheese--it also has hand-cut carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes and sweet red onions to pile on crispy iceberg. Fresh, simple ingredients make the difference here.
Unlike many restaurants these days, the Log Cabin still knows how to bake a potato--tender and fluffy inside with well-scrubbed edible skins. These spuds deserve butter, but the restaurant serves margarine (and sour cream).
The broccoli casserole--more good home cooking--could be a meal in itself with its blend of finely minced broccoli, onions and creamy white cheese. The individual servings are covered with bread crumbs and broiled until the top is crispy.
The cajun potatoes are less tempting--small new potatoes sprinkled with garlic and spice mix, then broiled. The potatoes tasted like they had come from a can.
The restaurant serves crab Imperial, deviled crab or crab cakes (all $18.95). The shrimp comes steamed or fried ($16.95) and the whole Maine lobster ($23.95-$36.95) is either broiled or steamed. Steak--filet mignon and New York strip--is charcoal grilled. The menu also features a few New Orleans-inspired seafood and pasta dishes ($18.95-$19.95).
Specials change daily as do desserts ($5.95). Some of the choices include hot fudge cake, pecan tart, raspberry truffle cake, apple tart, cheesecake, ice cream or orange sherbet.
The hot fudge cake was devil's food baked the size of a large muffin. Drive a spoon into it and out from the center comes thick, hot fudge sauce. Log Cabin serves it with vanilla ice cream. It looked luscious, but the cake was dry. Disappointing.
The pecan tart filling was wonderful--fresh pecans in a buttery, maple syrup glaze. The tart, too, was served warm with vanilla ice cream, which was the perfect companion to the buttery, glazed nuts. But the crust was so tough I couldn't cut it with my spoon.
The Log Cabin is a cozy, unpretentious place with its warm interior, fireplace and rustic decor. You could just as easily take family there for a celebration as your love for a romantic meal.
The food is served in heavy dishes decorated in rich reds and greens with whimsical beets, leeks and carrots. There is a sturdy cotton napkin at every place-setting.
The Log Cabin's service is friendly and honest--they don't try to make the restaurant to be anything it's not.
And that is a good thing, because the down-home place is wonderful just the way it is.
1749 Jefferson Davis HighwayPhone: 540/659-5067
Hours:Price range:
Appetizers $5.95- $10.95
Entrees $4.95 and $36.95.
Desserts $5.95
Children's items $6.95
Non-alcoholic drinks $1.95
Atmosphere:
Rustic split-wood building with dark, warm interior. Appropriate for a romantic dinner or a family meal. Friendly, accommodating service.
Credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express
Other info:
Handicapped accessible;
Parking lot.
Banquet room available, as well as a banquet menu.