He ate: Tripping over superlatives

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The sign out front — Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center — does not exactly scream “Great food inside!”

It may be one reason the State Room, on the western edge of the Michigan State University campus, can be an overlooked star in Greater Lansing’s culinary constellation.

Other reasons? The State Room is part of the Kellogg Center, which was built in the early 1950s and looks the part. Those years of public architecture produced boxy, stiff, buildings without feeling or flair. So it’s not entirely surprising that the State Room largely turns its back to the Red Cedar River meandering past its doorstep, yet has large windows facing west toward more institutional boxiness — the Brody Complex (said this Brody Complex alumnus).

Adding to these negatives is, perhaps, an undercurrent of snobbism suggesting that any restaurant run by a public university, which relies on tax dollars and parental savings accounts, can’t be that good. So, how to counter these negatives?

First, by noting the obvious: They’re wrong.

Second, by dining in the State Room, which puts a premium on creative, seasonal menus.

Let’s start with the Michigan Harvest Salad ($7), an arugula-based salad with shaved fennel and dried cherries, tossed in a light balsamic dressing. The nuttytasting arugula was as good as what I grow in my garden. Where the heck do they find arugula this good in the wintertime? Not where I shop, that’s for sure.

The appetizers and soups we tried ranged from very good to amazing. While the panko-breaded lobster cakes ($10) were fine, it was the fennel-infused sauce that came with the cakes that elicited a chorus of “wow”s. The braised pork belly with apricot sauce ($10) had the right balance of salt and sweetness. The apple parsnip bisque ($4.50) was creamy, buttery and tangy. I’d order it again in a heartbeat.

The cheese plate for two ($13) had a fine selection of goat, cheddar and bleu cheeses, one of them made at the MSU Dairy Store. Our friend noted that cheese is best served at room temperature. Ours was not. At the end of meal I tasted the Maytag bleu cheese, and by that time its flavor was fulsome.

On our first visit, I ordered the herb-crusted trout with parmesan roast potatoes and grilled asparagus ($22). All the flavors meshed brilliantly, especially with a dab of lobster cognac sauce that accompanied the fish.

Also on the menu that night:

Braised lamb shank ($25), a 12-ounce bone-in cut of meat that was incredibly tender and juicy. It came with roasted Brussels sprouts, but unfortunately they were too al dente to suit us.

If you like well-prepared salmon, do yourself a favor and try the stuffed salmon ($23). This fish filet acts as a vessel for a mound of ricotta cheese, spinach and roasted red pepper-olive pesto. Simply amazing.

I noted that the State Room creates seasonal menus. So, not surprisingly, several root vegetables appeared on this winter menu. Beets made their way into several dishes, including an excellent beet pâté.

All right, I am tripping over my superlatives. Time for a reality check. Let’s start with the date pit. Our friends ordered the toffee bread pudding ($6), which comes with chopped dates and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, compliments of the MSU Dairy Store. This dessert was yummy. Alas, the kitchen overlooked one tiny detail. A date pit was baked into the pudding. No harm, no foul, as they say, but this potentially could have given new meaning to the term al dente.

During our first visit, I considered ordering a Caesar salad. I asked our server if it were made from scratch. He admitted it was not, so I chose another type of salad. But I really had a hankering for Caesar salad, so I ordered one on our next visit. My chicken Caesar salad ($11) is far and away the least inspired item we tasted during our two visits. The State Room has a surplus of creative juices coursing through its kitchen, so I ask its chefs to make a New Year’s resolution and reimagine their Caesar salad.

The State Room is not for those on a tight budget, but I can fairly say its entrées cost less than many high-end restaurants in this town. Other than a stray date pit and a dull Caesar salad, I’d say the State Room aced the test.

Maybe there should be a new sign outside, with the State Room in big, bold letters. And below in small print it could say: Hotel attached.

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