Northern Lights Cafe

[NOTE: rumor has it that Northern Lights may be closing]

Each summer, people pile into their cars, don shades, crank the tunes and head out on the "great American road trip." There was a time when a road trip was more than getting from point "A" to point "B" in the least amount of time. Today, people jump on to the nearest interstate highway and blast off at 70 mph for the next major city, stopping only for a bite at a chain drive through fast food restaurant. Although the chain place will help you keep the frantic racing pace high on the trip, you may miss the chance to discover real America. So, if you are on a road trip and zooming through North Dakota, why not take a moment and at least pull off in a little town for a bite to eat? In fact, make a point to pull off of I-94 at Cleveland and enjoy some home cooked food at the Northern Lights Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor.

Northern Lights is a classic "ma and pa" joint where the owners (Linda and Jim Bender) do all the cooking and most of the serving. If you're not used to a small town restaurant, then the eclectic atmosphere may throw you. The place feels more like a diner set inside of a home. There's knick-knacks everywhere, a model train circling the ceiling, and warm and friendly faces greeting you from the moment you open the door. Jim makes sure you feel welcome.

If you take a moment to drive through the town, you'll quickly discover there's not enough people in Cleveland to support a lunch and dinner full-service restaurant. Putting two and two together results in one thing: the food has to be good for the restaurant to survive. People come from all around to enjoy a slab of barbecued ribs or to satisfy a sweet tooth by ordering up a Blue Bunny ice cream and 1919 Root Beer float. The menu isn't deep, but the quality of the meals, friendly service, and reasonable prices make up for it.

Resist the temptation to head to the golden off-the-highway arches and visit someplace special. Take the time and enjoy a meal at Northern Lights.