Foodie Friday: What You Need to Know for the Best Dining Experience

on

 

A resort full of options. Temporary COVID protocols. And a few restaurants reopening.

There’s a lot to sort out when it’s time to sit down to a meal at French Lick Resort. And today’s #FoodieFriday is dedicated to breaking it all down to have the best possible dining experience during your stay. Here’s what you want to know.

For Starters…

• All resort dining venues are currently operating with limited capacity for social distancing. Fewer tables sometimes equates to a longer wait, so we appreciate your patience during this temporary period. Between 6:30 and 8:30 is the busiest time at most venues, so an early or late dinner gives you the best chance to avoid the rush. Venues have a limit of 6 people per table, though larger parties can be accommodated by management discretion — call ahead to your venue to check.

• As you’d expect, tables at 1875: The Steakhouse are in high demand. Saturday night reservations have been filling up two weeks in advance. Fridays usually have a little bit more availability if you’re here on a weekend. Again, call ahead and book as far as you can in advance, if you’re craving some of 1875’s lobster mac and cheese or filet mignon.

A little something for everyone
at Power Plant Bar & Grill

• Power Plant Bar & Grill (at French Lick Springs Hotel) and Ballard’s in the Atrium (at West Baden Springs Hotel) are both first-come, first-served and also fill up fast on certain nights. For both restaurants, it’s a good idea to stop by 45 minutes before you’re planning to go out, to see if there’s a wait. If there is, just put your name in, and you’ll get a call when a table is open.

At both places, you can hang out nearby while you wait. Grab a drink from Ballard’s Bar and enjoy the live music in the atrium if you’re at West Baden Springs Hotel. Or, if you’re at French Lick Springs Hotel, hit up the lobby bar (open Fridays and Saturdays) and relax in the lobby or up on the mezzanine with live acoustic guitar entertainment.

 

Don’t Forget About These Options

• If other venues are filled up, Valley Bar typically has more availability. (Located in the lobby of Valley of Tower, adjacent to French Lick Casino; 21 and over.) They feature plenty of pub-style appetizers, and if you’re in need of a more substantial fill-up, do the half-pound burger or fish and chips. If you’ve got your heart set on steak but the steakhouse is full, The Valley Bar Steak Dinner is also a perfect Plan B. (Ballard’s also features Steak and Frites and a New York Strip, too.)


• On Friday and Saturday nights, an additional option is the Colonnade Italian Kitchen, serving up 9-inch pizzas, sandwiches, pasta, salads and desserts. It’s located in The Grand Colonnade Restaurant, where you can always find a meal — they still serve their cafeteria-style breakfast buffet and are open for lunch Monday-Friday, too.



• There’s still four weekends remaining to experience the Taste of French Lick in the Event Center. Advance reservations are preferred, though walk-ins are accepted when available. All this deliciousness starts with lobster mac and cheese and ends with a West Baden Chocolate Dome. Check out the 5-course menu here.

• Pluto’s Pizzeria is open for carry-out only, with online ordering available.






Coming Soon

• Good news: Sinclair’s Restaurant is reopening next Friday (March 12) for another fine dining option. It will be open Friday and Saturday nights by reservation, and we’ll have more info to share in next week’s Foodie Friday.

• Two more resort venues are also reopening for the season on March 12: Spring No. 8 (at French Lick Springs Hotel) and Hagen’s Club House Restaurant (at The Donald Ross Course). Hagen’s will be open daily for lunch, and dinner on Friday and Saturday by reservation only. (And remember, you can always use the resort’s free shuttle service for a lift up to Hagen’s.)

• Also as of March 12, additional bar seating will be opened up at Power Plant, 1875, Valley Bar and Ballard’s. If everyone in your party is 21, you can cut down on your wait and eat at the bar.

• With our new pool at French Lick Springs Hotel opening soon, we’ll be opening a new outdoor area where you can order a cocktail or a quick bite to eat. More details to come later this spring!