If you read Dish, you probably like trying new foods and restaurants as much as me. But this pursuit often leaves little room for repeat visits to local establishments. Yet, time after time, I end up sitting down in Wayne’s Teresa’s Next Door.
In spring it was for an over-due gossip fest with a longtime friend. In June, it was after a tough day – the kind that only a good Belgian beer can tend to. And last weekend it was for a Saturday night dinner with family.
First-timers initially frequent this gastropub for its beer – TND offers one of the most extensive lists in our area. Dozens of Belgian and local brews are on tap, as well as countless (hundreds) by the bottle. If you’re a beer lover, be prepared to spend some time pouring through the thick beer menu. Whittling down your choices to 2 – 3 selections for the evening is no easy task.
But another draw is TND’s mellow, warm atmosphere. (You’d never guess it used to be a paint store.) There’s usually a range of dress and clientele, so feel free to arrive in your work finery or to stroll in donning weekend jeans. The one drawback: this restaurant doesn’t take reservations and often has wait times. But with a little planning – coming in later on weeknights, or earlier on the weekends – and the worst thing you’ll have to do is stroll around Wayne’s downtown for a few minutes.
On to the food. One of my favorite menu items is the Game Burger – each night there’s a different exotic burger, ask the server. Last weekend it was alligator, and the time before it was bison (a fav). A burger of some sort invariably ends up in front of me, even the Portobello, because it can be tricked out with whatever toppings you might desire: fried egg, beer braised onions, queso fresco, goat cheese, Serrano ham … need I go on?
I’d be remiss not to mention the six varieties of mussels on the menu. Primarily because it’s a Belgian classic and every time I go, at least one person at the table orders them. Try the Dirty Mussels (smoked bacon, red onion, blue cheese, white beer) or the Surf & Turf (snails, garlic, shallot, leeks, white wine, chervil).
Chef/Owner Andy Dickerson also has an array of entrees on the menu. Last weekend we tried the Grilled Tuna with a Dijon horseradish aioli, served with greens, potatoes, veggies, olives and egg. There’s also the Hobbit Ribs, a baby back style from Bruges, served with basil jalapeno slaw, fries and samurai sauce.
All in all, TND lives up to its “Next Door” designation in atmosphere, food, and oh yes, beer. Before you realize it, this gastro-pub will be your neighborhood place too.
Find Teresa’s Next Door at 124 N. Wayne Avenue of Wayne, or online at www.teresas-cafe.com.
