Room With a Brew

Carol Ann, an interior designer, loved the way Room 39 looked (though she thought the harsh noise level "dimmed some of its attractiveness"). She was even more impressed with the visual presentation of her meal, which included a unique grilled-chicken salad. Habiger and Sloan grill up an entire free-range Campo Lindo breast, slice it and fan it out on a bed of spinach and arugula, shaved cheese, radishes and whole toasted almonds, then splash the whole thing with a tart preserved-lemon vinaigrette. It deserved high marks, Carol Ann said, for "taking a boring Midwestern luncheon dish and turning it into something elegant and delicious."

Speaking of which, I'm a fan of this restaurant's notorious $8 hamburger, made with 8 ounces of McGonigle's ground chuck and sirloin. The price has raised eyebrows, Habiger says, but generated no complaints so far. Still, at that particular lunch, I decided to take a walk on the wilder side and ordered one of the costlier lunch offerings, a steak salad with arugula and spinach topped with chilled tenderloin, pungent blue cheese, crispy leeks and a brassy Dijon vinaigrette.

In all of my forays into Room 39, I've always felt too full to order dessert. But my dining companions who have indulged are always drawn to the same confection, a tiny pot of crème brûlée flavored with a hint of espresso and crowned with a perfect amber crust of burnt sugar.

"We wanted one dessert that could come out of the kitchen quickly and one that incorporated our love for coffee," Habiger says.

Even if you're not a java fan, Room 39 positively bubbles over with culinary creativity and, even more appealing, a warm, friendly atmosphere. I'll have another cup.