As I entered the Rhema for a mid-day lunch in May, I was greeted with a pleasant hostess inviting my party of three to take a seat. Deciding to dine inside, we walked to a table covered with a crisp white linen cloth and sparkling white plates.

With roses in the center of the table, the aroma was tranquil and serene. The walls were a tint of light brown and mustard. The ambience of the Rhema dining experience was soothing and reminded me of a taste of European culture.

?As I was designing the restaurant I bought books of different European styles and I took ideas from each book and put it into one,? owner Teresa Beukers said. ?We were going for a simple elegance. The food and presentation is laid back to make the customers feel more relaxed.?

The service was flawless. The waiter was warm and welcomed us, as if we were already good friends. As we ordered we stressed to our waiter that our visit was on a short time frame. He assured us we would be back at school on time so we relaxed.

We ordered three mixed green salads and a sandwich for my friend and I to share. The food took only 10 minutes to prepare. While waiting for our entrees, the owner of the restaurant joined our table. The waiter brought us an Artisan white bread and three kinds of butter: fresh herb, roasted garlic, and chipotle to start.

?We always wanted to do things different so putting this restaurant together we wanted to make everything different, even the bread and butter,? Beukers said.

Decorative, diverse touches create unique dishes

Rhema is known for their small portion meals but don?t let that fool you–come hungry. Though they don?t sell plates with 20-ounce steaks, the meal will leave most content. It is perfect for people who want to try a little taste of the old world. A regular customer across the room agreed.

?Everything I order is very diverse and unlike anything you can get any where else,? T.J. said. ?The food is glorious.?

We ordered family-style and had a little taste of several dishes. After the bread we decided to try something different and ordered an appetizer of Red Crab Stuffed Avocado Salad. Four-stuffed crab lay on top of vegetables with a lemon zest truffle dressing and created quite a decorative dish ($8.50).

Our conversation with Beukers turned light-hearted and she jokingly asked if we wanted to try escargot. I guess she took our nervous laughter as a yes for as we were waiting for our order, the waiter brought out a small rounded white dish. Four fried snails glazed with a pomegranate citrus sauce seemed to peer up at us. The Rhema menu lists them as Four Dusted Escargot for $9.

Following the green salad, I ordered the Chicken Walnut Salad Croissant, which was my favorite of the meal ($8.50). It was grilled to perfection and lathered with Aioli, organic micro greens, walnuts, and celery helped give the sandwich its great taste. We left full.

The lunch menu was very reasonable the prices range from $7.95-15. Dinner prices range from $6 for a soup or salad or $32 for different fillets. I wouldn?t recommend taking children younger then age 8, for the atmosphere of the restaurant may be too reserved for young children.

Rhema delivers culinary tastes in sophisticated fashion

The Rhema website suggests guests will delight in a culinary symphony of flavors, texture and presentation with all courses. Rhema offers a sophisticated multi-course occasion that incorporates both exotic and traditional meats, optional wine pairings with each course, cheese and chocolate fondue, captivating desserts and an exquisite coffee bar.

Rhema is an ancient Greek word and means the living and active word of God. The owners thought to share their lifestyle and faith with their guest would be an easy way to connect with the customers.

Chef Leo Rodriguez originally was the chef at Campagnia for four years. When offered the job to be the head chef at Rhemas, he said he jumped at the chance to change locations. He wanted to work with the Beukers who were creative restaurateurs and had a chance to be head chef.

The result of hard work and prayer has grown Rhema 20-30% every month since opening in February. Bill and Teresa Beukers’ story and Rhema’s beginning can be read online.

Located at 1560 E. Champlain Avenue, and nestled in the southeast corner of Shepherd and Champlain in the Via Manta