Jesse's Grille

Dena and I headed over to Normal's new Mariott hotel restaurant and had a super experience! 7:00 on a Friday night and the place was 10% full, which made for an unusually relaxing atmosphere. The place is set just off the lobby, but carpeted and curtained in a way that is spacious and quiet. Hidden Bloggers know that I'm no artist, but I appreciated the bold color schemes and comfy furniture. The staff was cordial. The menu selection was a step above average, with fancy specials and salt/pepper grinders, and $9 half-pound burgers to cover the cost of the ambience (not to mention that it was, you know, in a hotel). No children were there, it seemed mostly retiree-aged people, actually. A great place just to sit and talk, and we had a lot of fun. Thumbs up for a couple on a date night looking for a hidden place to go!