Restaurants: Poor Richard's Commonhouse offers richly satisfying menu

 by Minnie Apolis 
(This review ran a couple years ago, possibly in 2006, on my Newsvine page. I have not been back to the Bloomington area to check if the restaurant is still there.)

Once upon a time this restaurant was the location of a sports bar called Major's. Perhaps the competition in the sports bar category is a bit strenuous. At any rate, the change in ownership and format has come up with a winner. The menu is suitable for impressing business associates or just venturing out with friends.

The appetizer list offers the ubiquitous wings, chicken tenders and Dijon fries, but also uncommon items like lager mussels, calamari, bison sliders and walleye fingers.
Only two soups are listed, a bison chili and a tomato soup. I tried the tomato, which is a tasty blend of tomato in a vegetable stock, infused with a dash of herbal oil. Very interesting. 
 
Entrees cover the gamut from meatloaf, pot roast, and baked scrod to six ounces of filet mignon. Barbecue lovers will flock to try the St Louis style ribs. (half rack or full rack) Perhaps your guests prefer the flank steak, sirloin, Duroc pork chop, ribeye, pork loin, skewered shrimp with pork, stuffed chicken, Parmesan crusted walleye, fish n chips, or blackened walleye.

Lighter fare includes pastas, burgers and sandwiches. I had the simple California burger with lettuce, tomato and raw onion. The large patty came on a toasted sesame bun with a choice of Commonhouse fries, mashed potatoes or kettle chips. I tried the house fries and found them substantial and dusted with the house seasoning. The dollop of coleslaw was almost a token serving, a garnish. 
 
Other burger choices are the Bloomer with Gouda, the French with brie and carmelized onions, a bacon cheeseburger, and the Early Bird (bacon, fried egg and American cheese on top of the patty). 
 
Sandwiches include walleye on flatbread, pastrami with pepper jack cheese, French-dip beef, Amish chicken club with bacon, Swiss cheese and cranberry mayo, Philly cheese steak on a hoagie, and the house chicken sandwich. This last is a grilled chicken breast with cheddar and Swiss, bacon, and mayo on a toasted hoagie. 
 
The desserts really shine, too. The peach cobbler arrives in a warm ramekin with a scoop of ice cream on top. It is crunchy and scrumptious, and very satisfying. They also offer apple pie, banana cream pie, cherry pie turnover, and brownie. 
 
All servings seem generous except for the token appearance of coleslaw on the burger plates. In all, it seems that Poor Richard offers a good value for the money. 
 
The drinks menu offers wines, several martinis and classic cocktails. The martinis are large, well chilled, and often edged with sugar, if one can judge from the trays of them being carried to several tables when I was there. 
 
Ask if Candace is waiting tables when you go there. She was knowledgeable and funny and very helpful. 
 
Poor Richard's Commonhouse bills itself as a classic American pub. Colonial taverns were called commonhouses back then. 
 
Poor Richard's Commonhouse
8301 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, MN 55437
952-835-8308
http://www.poorrichardscommonhouse.com/