Garden of Paradise

Garden of Paradise
1412 E Empire
Bloomington, IL
(309) 828 – 8080
Dine-In or Call Ahead for Carry Out
Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday
Rating 3.5/5
Cost: Moderate

Garden of Paradise is your one and only real choice for authentic Greek cuisine in the Bloomington Normal area. And even if Greek is not your favorite there is also a healthy mix of American cuisine and breakfast is served all day. Not only do they have a wide variety of cuisine, Garden of Paradise claims to have “one of the largest menus in Mclean County.” They also stock a full bar of top shelf liquors and beers, including a Greek favorite Ouzo.

I ordered something new that I had not ever had before, Dolmades. Dolmades are a traditional Greek entrée. The meal consisted of a starter salad served with a choice of dressings; I chose ranch, or a cup of the soup of the day. The main dish was three dolma served with a side of peas. The dolmades are grape leaves stuffed with ground beef and rice covered in a warm citrus yogurt sauce and garnished with a lemon slice. The salad was excellent and just the right portion size. It was large but not so large that it would fill me up before the meal really began. The dolmades themselves were a complex food that I am still trying to wrap my taste buds around. The grape leaves were cooked much like a cooked spinach leaf. They were then wrapped around a “skinless” ground beef and rice sausage. The taste of the dolma was lacking. If it were not for the dressing of citrus yogurt, they would have almost not flavor at all. The lemon yogurt sauce is a unique and interesting taste that does not sound like it belongs on a dinner plate, yet it was a great way to add some pizzazz to the bland Dolmades. The peas were excellent, but it is very difficult to mess up peas. At $9.95 I felt that this entrée fell short of its price. I am not an expert on Greek cuisine but I know what I like, and I won’t be ordering the Dolmades again.

My girlfriend went a different route. She decided to exercise her right to have breakfast all day. So she ordered the Tomato, Onion, and Feta Omelette. The omelette was served with a side of hash browns and two pieces of toast. We both decided that she chose the right meal. The omelette was excellent, fluffy yet with a nice crispy outer layer, cooked to perfection. The tomato and onion were the perfect compliment to the strong feta taste. The only complaint she had for the omelette was the feta cheese was all concentrated in the middle of the omelette and she was not able to taste or see it for the first few bites. The hash browns were incredible. They were perfectly cooked to that amazing crisp that we all know and love. The wheat toast was served warm and perfectly toasted with two kinds of jelly, grape and strawberry, and butter all on the side. The omelette is a classic American breakfast staple, but this one had a uniquely Greek accent. It was the perfect marriage of American breakfast and Greek flair. The only problem we had with the entire dining experience came with part of her meal. The waitress, the only one working, forgot to bring out her chocolate milk after we ordered. This was quickly remedied after we asked for it, but as she said “the milk here is not that chocolaty.” The omelette cost $6.50 and was well worth the price. The milk was $1.99 and this seemed a bit much especially since it was late and “not that chocolaty.”

The meal came out to $20.24 before tip. This is not too bad but I decided to put the price as moderate because they serve smaller portions at the same price as other restaurants, such as Los Potrillos, who offer overwhelming portions. With a five dollar tip the meal came out to $25.24.