NORMAL - Giggle at the name if you want. The fact is, almost overnight Swingers Grille is establishing itself as one of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities.

Restaurant manager Brett Matthews the other day described the pre-opening work as the delving into a thousand details that cumulatively equate to great dining, proper decor and mid-level prices that make it competitive with other fine dining in town.

Fine touches include garnishing a dish with an edible orchid.

Fine touches also include subtleties and the major, noticeable elements that enable Swingers to exude atmosphere that welcomes everyone from business people in suits to a couple in shorts and T-shirts who just finished hitting a bucket of balls at the golf driving range located in the same structure.

There are dart boards, a golf driving machine, televisions and a large bar that speak to casual, and artistic contemporary furnishings and table and booth seating that lean toward formal.

The employees hit the in-between, wearing polo shirts and casual dress pants. They are trained to be friendly, never snooty.

Swingers Grille opened in June in the All Seasons Golf Learning Center. Golf. Swingers. Get it? Any double-entendre ends at the name. Meat market speaks to menu.

Matthews describes the cuisine as contemporary American with French and Italian influences.

Two days before our interview, I had feasted (unannounced, as always) on Scampi Angela: Capellini pasta, abundant shrimp, smoked cherry tomatoes and a garlic, lemon and butter seasoning, spruced up with parmesan cheese.

The accompanying salad, rather than being tossed, was served as a wedge of lettuce with cucumber and tomato on the side. Swingers always serves dressing in a metal cup on the side. It will cut lettuce and mix the salad if the customer desires.

Also included was a potato. I chose the twice-baked option.

I started with an amazing non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri, made from scratch.

By the end, I was stuffed, happy and comfortable, and I felt I had received value for $22.12, plus tip, and counting the $5 drink and nearly flawless service.

The management team is composed entirely of 20-somethings. Reflecting on the low-volume Who music I heard while there, I can't help but think, as Roger Daltrey sang it, "the kids are alright."

Essentials

• Swingers Grille

• 1304 Cross Creek Drive, Normal

• Directions: It's off Martin Luther King Drive one block south of the railroad and White Oak Road intersection.

• Phone: (309) 829-5777

• Web site: www.swingersgrille.com

• Hours: Kitchen open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Bar stays open until 1 a.m. nightly (but until 2 on Friday and Saturday nights).

Food

Rib-eye and filets have been the top sellers in the early weeks, but the menu also features pasta, fish, burgers and salads. A vegetarian has a decent choice, as does the carnivore.

Children's menu available.

Drinks

The margaritas are a specialty of the house. They're big, $5.50 and come in apple, orange and strawberry. The wine list is extensive and the NA drinks cover a page of the six-page drink menu.

Money

Lunch entrees run $6 to $9. Dinner entrees are $11 to $25.

Payment options: Cash and all major credit cards.

Setting

No smoking. Patio seating available. Big parties can be accommodated with a special section or a separate room that serves up to 60. Reservations recommended.

Wheelchair access involves going to a side door. Elevator construction is planned for later this summer for front-door accessibility.

History

The initial thought was to open a concession stand at the golf center, which includes a driving range, grass tee-off space and a pro shop. Food plans grew into a high-quality restaurant, which opened in late spring. The local Off-Track Betting is to relocate to a club in the same structure but separate from the restaurant.

Not staying?

Carry-out available.