In the News

A Special Place for Valentine's Dinner:
Magnolia Grille Staying Open Late Feb. 14

HARLINGEN, Feb. 8, 2006 –  If you’re looking for a special place to take your sweetheart for dinner this Valentine’s Day, there’s no need to drive far -- the Magnolia Grille in the East Tower at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen is staying open late Feb. 14.

And the Grille -- which may be the only full-service, first-class restaurant actually located on the grounds of a hospital anywhere in South Texas -- is preparing an unforgettable menu for the special one in your life. Just check out the following full-course entrees and envision the unique time you and your loved one will enjoy right here in Harlingen.

Appetizer:    Sweet Potato Cake with Jumbo Shrimp drizzled with Chili-Honey Vinaigrette

Soup:     Oyster Chowder with Almond Cornbread

Salad:     Bistro Ruby Red Salad … Mixed Baby Lettuces tossed in Citrus Vinaigrette

Intermezzo:     Lemon Sorbet

Entrees:    Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass nested over sauteed Tomatoes in Garlic Buutter and wilted Spinach in a pool of Saffron Buerre Blanc.

Steak Au Poivre … Pan Seared Pepper-Coated Tenderloin of Beef, complemented with Cognac-Flavored Demi Glace.

Fresh Baked Wheat Rolls and Butter

Dessert:    Mango Crème Brulee with Fresh California Strawberry Coulis

or Crepes filled with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Fresh Marinated Strawberries painted with Warm Mocha Fudge.

Price:  $34.00 per person plus applicable tax (reservation is recommended)

The head chef at the Magnolia Grille, Renee Ilog -- who has been voted Cameron County’s best chef by readers of the Valley Morning Star -- has cooked for Olympic athletes and for restaurant customers across the country.  But Renee is most at home when he’s preparing country-club type cuisine in a setting far removed from a country club.  Just because the Magnolia Grille is located on the first floor of Valley Baptist-Harlingen (it’s in the newer part of VBMC-H off Treasure Hills Boulevard), don’t assume that it’s not going to be delicious in every way.

“We have a country-club type menu in a place where you don’t have to be a member of a private country club,” Renee says. “Our first-time customers here at the Magnolia Grille are always very pleasantly surprised when they come into our restaurant. They come expecting cafeteria food, but instead they find a restaurant that is beautifully decorated where they can actually sit down and order and be waited on by a very friendly staff.”

Renee, who has been cooking since 1977 (when he was 18 years old), says the secret of success in cooking is to work hard and to learn from everyone you meet … whether it’s a dishwasher, a cook or a master chef.

“Cooking is a life-long learning experience,” Renee says. “You can learn from anyone, because everyone has a different idea on how to make things.”

Renee, who once worked at an actual country club -- when he served as corporate chef at the El Paso Country Club -- says he has learned by seeing the different types of foods prepared in different cities and states where he has traveled.

“At the Magnolia Grille, we serve a combination … fresh food and hearty, full-course meals. If you have good service in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, people will leave happy.”

You can see Renee in action for yourself by coming out to the Magnolia Grille for Valentine’s dinner -- or by taking in lunch at the Grille any weekday, Monday through Friday, between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The phone number to call is (956) 389-1370 … make your reservation for a memorable Valentine’s dinner today!