Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

While Monmouth offers several delicious quick-bites, if you’re looking to go somewhere a little fancier, your options are limited. I knew that I wanted to take my boyfriend out for a slightly more elegant dinner to thank him for helping me move — to be honest it was mostly because I had just purchased a really cute dress and needed an excuse to wear it out — and I found myself looking out of town, but still fairly close by for a nice eatery.

After some research, I decided I would take him to Bentley’s Grill in Salem. The reviews looked promising, the menu had my mouth watering and the prices looked doable for a college student budget, while not being as cheap as some chain restaurants. We set our reservations for 7 p.m. on a Friday, a typically busy day, and they were still able to get us a nice table for exactly when we requested.

Once we arrived, we found the restaurant in an extravagant looking lobby in the Grand Hotel. Immediately, we were greeted and seated by smiling faces who gladly took our drink orders — we had many options as the location also had a full bar — and were given our menus.

I started by ordering their calamari with lemon roasted garlic aioli. My boyfriend isn’t a huge fan of seafood, but we both still very much enjoyed the appetizer which came out to us quickly. The serving size was perfect for a starter and it was fried perfectly.

Not too long after, we were brought our dinners. I ordered their Fulton New York cut steak with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a vegetable side. My boyfriend ordered their special of the day, which was ribs with arugula, rice and a sun-dried tomato salad. My steak was cooked perfectly medium-rare, and his ribs were incredibly tender. Everything was cooked just as we had ordered it.

The waitress was checking up on us frequently, making sure everything was served to our liking. She was always incredibly kind and genuinely seemed as if she wanted to make the best experience for us as possible.

We finished our dinner by somehow making room in our incredibly full stomachs and ordering a crème brûlée dessert. This was probably my favorite part, as this is my absolute favorite sweet. My boyfriend didn’t love it quite as much, but he also had never had crème brûlée before and wasn’t sure what exactly to expect.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire night. The service was top-notch, the food was all cooked to perfection, and the atmosphere and ambiance was both comforting and appealing. I’d definitely go here again if I’m looking for a more elegant dining experience.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu