Uptown Café offers friendly staff and good food

With all the good ethnic food that Bloomington has to offer in its restaurants, do you ever crave something more like you might get at home? Something American, like mom used to make, only better -- because it's made with the secrets of a restaurant. Look no further, because Michael's Uptown Café is the place for you.\nLocated at 102 East Kirkwood, the Uptown Café offers a variety of foods from breakfast, lunch, and dinner which include typical American food like a burger to good ol' Cajun and Creole cooking from the south. Although I stopped in for lunch, a look at the breakfast menu told me I'd be stopping in again sometime to try out an omelet with a side of apple wood smoked bacon.\nI started my taste test from the Uptown Café's list of soups. I started with the corn chowder, which was the spiciest of the three, and then the chili, a little less spicy, and finished off with the Cuban black bean soup which was very mild. These dishes are simple, but tasty and have much to offer, and are highly recommended by the staff.\nFor lunch I sampled the cajun meatloaf sandwich with mashed potatoes on the side and the cajun red beans and rice with andouille sausage. The meatloaf sandwich listed on the menu immediately caught my attention and I couldn't resist ordering it when the waitress said it was one of her favorites. The sandwich was great, and not as spicy as you might expect because of its name. The mashed potatoes, also recommended by my waitress, were also delicious, although I would have expected a little more for the two dollars I was paying for them. The red beans and rice were OK, but I expected a little more spice out of this Cajun dish.\nOverall, Michael's Uptown Café is a great place to eat. For less than 15 dollars, you can enjoy lunch for two and walk away full and satisfied. The friendly atmosphere of the staff makes trying something new to eat exciting, as they show enthusiasm when telling you about what is good to eat. Although I recommend the cajun meatloaf sandwich, I can't wait to go back and try the New Yorker.