Northstar

I went to the Beechwold Northstar last night with an old friend (she's not old, our acquaintance is) : ) from massage school and as always had an enjoyable experience. It took five minutes to decide what to order because it all sounded good, but I settled on the Beechwold salad:

Roasted chicken, dates, avocado, legumes, onions,
goat cheese, and almonds with champagne
vinaigrette $12.50

It was very tasty and filling, though I'm not sure I've ever spent that for a salad before. And yet, because it's Northstar I don't mind so much. Their dedication to local, organic, fresh food is one of the reasons I like to support them. And they use biodegradable take-home containers and treat their staff well, which is another bonus. And I can always tell, because Northstar staff are without exception personable, knowledgeable and seemingly pretty happy. And the music is always interesting and cool, the atmosphere nice.
The chairs weren't terribly comfortable for a long sit, but that's a small issue.
I also got the Hot Chocolate:

Organic milk, dark chocolate, cinnamon and spice $4

This is by far the best hot chocolate anywhere, even compared with freshly-made Ghirardelli hot chocolate in San Francisco when Candy and I were there in September. Theirs was good, but there's something about Northstar's that is incomparable: super rich and chocolatey, extra thick and creamy whipped cream, and a hint of red pepper and something else...yummy!

Northstar is always a great place for an outing. The menus are slightly different between Beechwold and the Short North, and both are worth visiting often.