I know what you’re thinking.

You’re thinking if I’m going to schlep all the way out to Apple Valley for dinner, it had better be great.

So start schlepping already.

Owners Dan and Kay Shimek and General Manager Francois Paradeise and his wife Nancy have made Enjoy! an extraordinary treat for each of the senses: touch, taste, sight, smell and sound.

The only question is which of your senses is going to have the most fun.

Lovely to look at
It might be sight. Enjoy! is simply one of the most beautiful restaurants in the Twin Cities. Designed as a Tuscan villa, each of the seven dining rooms is a delight. Some of the dining rooms are elegant with large glass windows, exposed brick walls and marble counters dominating. Others are more rustic with stone walls and hardwood floors. The wraparound outside dining areas are scenic and spacious, and indeed, what could be more pleasant than to while away a spring afternoon lolling around the patio.

There are fireplaces everywhere, inside and out, which is not surprising considering that owner Dan Shimek is the founder of Heat-N-Glo Fireplaces. It’s a big restaurant (12,000 square feet), seating about 400, but so handsomely divided into themed rooms that you don’t get a sense of its size until you start wandering about.

Opened two years ago, Enjoy! is located two blocks south of the intersection of County Road 42 and Galaxie Avenue in the Legacy Village area of Apple Valley.

Eclectic menu
There are lots of familiar fare done well, as well as several less familiar offerings. Throughout the menu – drinks, appetizers and salads, entrees and desserts – diners have the option of going fancy or plain, or mixing and matching.

“What we tried to do is give what suburbanites wanted,” said Paradeise, who has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality and restaurant industries. Most recently he was the director of operations for Cuisine Concepts, the umbrella organization for Tejas, Goodfellow’s, the Franklin Street Bakery and Bar Abilene.

Paradeise moved to the United States from Paris, France in 1974 and settled in Arizona before moving to Minnesota. In Minnesota, Paradeise was a manager at top restaurants in the Twin Cities, including Manny’s, Figlio, Good Earth and Bar Abilene. He was also director of operations and division vice president for Buca, Inc.

Service is high priority
Enjoy! strives for a standout experience in both food and service, and the wishes of the customer come first, Paradeise said.

“The rule is, is if we’re asked, we can do it,” he said.

Restaurants serve two main functions in most people’s lives, Paradeise believes: as temporary escapes from life’s complications, and as special places for celebrations. He wants his restaurant to succeed in serving both needs.

“My No. 1 goal is to make sure the guests are happy,” he said. “That when you leave, you feel better.”

Enjoy! strives to create a special atmosphere for all: couples, families, business lunches and diners, corporate and groups.

There’s a special kids menu, as well.

“We cater to kids,” he said. “Parents have too many battles to fight. We want to be a place where nobody feels pushed away.”

Now for the food
“The fare is pretty broad ... from pizzas and pastas to chops and steaks,” Paradeise said. “We try to make sure everyone feels comfortable here.”
For an appetizer, you could select standard bar grub such as the chicken wings ($10) or nachos ($8), or go a bit more upscale with the warm cheese sampler ($10) or fried calamari ($9). The chicken wings, which come either mild or hot, and served with ranch and barbecue dipping sauces, are some of the best, most meaty around.

For the entrees, you can’t go wrong with a tender and perfectly prepared 16-ounce rib eye steak ($27) and French fries, several varieties of burgers or a classic pepperoni pizza ($9).

Or you could expand your gourmet palate with a double bone pork chop ($18), the braised lamb steak ($20) with herbed couscous and gremolat aioli, the seared ahi tuna ($24) with Asian barbecue sauce, wasabi whipped potatoes and pineapple relish or perhaps a delicate angel hair pasta with garlic, capers, calamato olives and basil pesto ($10).

The Parmesan chicken ($15) with lemon cream, roasted potatoes and asparagus, and the grilled King salmon ($19) with champagne dill cream, lemon orzo and brocolini, are two standout selections, both highly recommended by Paradeise.

For dessert, you have more hard choices to make. Manager Paradeise will only say that they’re all homemade, and “they’re all great,” and he may well be right.

Again you can go from simple offerings such as a simple raspberry, chocolate, vanilla or cappuccino gelato ($5) or more elegant fare such as the spiced rum caramelized bananas with roasted banana ice cream ($7) or the maple cream brulee ($7) or mocha ice cream cake with cappuccino creme anglaise ($6).
There’s an extensive wine list. The handsome and lively metropolitan-style bar fills up quickly on the weekends and stays full.

With taste, sight, smell and touch taken care of, the only sense left is sound, and that is given its due in E Room with live music Fridays and Saturdays starting at 8:30 p.m.

John Molene is a freelance writer and photographer living in West St. Paul. He can be reached at jmolene@aol.com.

Enjoy! Restaurant
www.enjoy-dining.com
15435 Founders Lane, Apple Valley
952-891-6569