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Show Dudley's offers European decor plus romantic, leisurely dining i Dudley's offers European decor and the restaurant is cleverly laid out to provide several smaller dining rooms. The hosts and hostesses dressed in Jacobean period costumes. Dudley's even offers a Tower Room which seats just two people and has a dedicated server. BY KEVIN CUMMINGS LAYTON From the moment you pull into the parking lot, you realize that Dudley's at Layton isn't a run-of-the-mill restaurant. Although Al-though the building that houses Dudley's is less than a year old, it calls to mind the elegance of an earlier era. The rounded turrets and cobbled driveway bespeak timeless grace and style. The inside of the restaurant is as much a delight as the outside. It features authentic European decor review t in a convincingly European setting. ' Even the hosts and hostesses are dressed in Jacobean period costumes. The restaurant is cleverly laid out to provide several smaller dining rooms. Each room is decorated according ac-cording to a particular theme or style. For example, patrons may be seated in the Garden Room which is decorated (as you would expect) with flowers. One of the upper rooms is decorated with paintings of various subjects and has been dubbed the gallery. Dudley's even offers a Tower Room which seats just two people and has a dedicated server. Although Al-though this room adds about $25 to the cost of meal, it has proved popular for marriage proposals and wedding anniversaries. From the looks of the place, you would expect Dudley's to serve a menu featuring primarily English dishes. However, the restaurant's proprietors have seen fit to create a menu with a more international flavor. Traditional favorites such as roast beef share the menu with dishes like teriyaki chicken and mahi mahi. Dudley's describes itself as a return to the "romance of fine dining." din-ing." Certainly, this seems to be true. A typical meal will last between be-tween one and two hours and offers diners a chance to escape the e)Tte Return Qf Jomance gjo &'ne fining tediousness of both fare and atmosphere at-mosphere found in most restaurants. restau-rants. A meal at Dudley's should begin with an appetizer. These run from $2.95 to $4.25 apiece. One of the most popular appetizers is the potato skins. For $2.95 you get a plate filled with thickly cut potato skins covered with melted cheddar, bacon bits, green onions, and sour cream. Also popular are the mushrooms sauteed in garlic butter ($2.95) and the deep-fried zucchini strips ($2.95). Patrons wishing a more traditional appetizer may order the shrimp cocktail at $4.25. The number of choices for a main course is truly astounding. Patrons may order chicken, beef, veal, or fish dishes. The entrees (which include in-clude soup or salad, baked potato, vegetable, and a basket of Magleby's breadsticks) range in price from $7.95 to $17.95. The chicken dishes include a tempting chicken Marsala and a Hawaiian-style chicken teriyaki. The seafood menu includes halibut, salmon, mahi mahi, and shrimp. The beef menu includes roast beef, prime rib, New York steak, and fillet mignon. The veal menu includes veal Marsala, veal Par-migiana, Par-migiana, and (a house specialty) Veal a 1' Anglais (sauteed with herbs, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese). Dudley's also offers combination platters which are made up of some of the best elements from the regular menus. It would be hard to rind someone who couldn't find a pleasing meal on this menu. In addition to the published menu, Dudley's also offers two specials a day. These are personally prepared by Eric Smith, the head chef at Dudley's and are as beautiful beau-tiful to look at as they are delicious to eat. The Dudley's dessert menu is a calorie-counter's nightmare. The first item is a short list of treats called Death by Chocolate ($3.50), which includes a chocolate mint mud pie and a hot fudge brownie sundae. Also on the dessert menu is an item called shortcake Excalibur ($3.50) which is described as 'strawberry shortcake with ice cream, whipped cream, and homemade shortcake." Those who would prefer a simpler dessert may choose to have a slice of peach or apple pie ($2.95). Dudley's is open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Reservations are recommended, but not required. On Sundays, Dudley's doesn't serve an evening meal. Instead, In-stead, it's open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a buffet-style brunch. The price of admission is $10.95 for adults and $6.95 for children. The drinks menu includes coffee, tea, softdrinks (called "fizzers" on the menu), and alcoholic beverages. In addition to serving dinner, Dudley's is available to cater special events such as banquets, business meetings, and wedding receptions. re-ceptions. In fact, the restaurant has hosted several weddings since its opening last spring. For reservations, call 773-1000. For information on banquets or other special services, call 773-6212. 773-6212. Although a meal at Dudley's will cost a little more than a meal at some other restaurants, it's well worth the price. The food and the atmosphere combine to make a dinner at Dudley's an experience to remember. |