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Nothing beats a restaurant with a great patio. I like patio dining so much, in fact, I have a running list of favorite Triad patios for different times of day and year, with some being best for weekend brunch, some best for enjoying a late afternoon beer and fries, others best for catching and holding the last of the day's heat once the weather starts turning cool.

I'm always looking to expand this list, and I've just managed to do so with Jamestown's River Twist Kitchen. The tiny restaurant has not just one but two outdoor seating areas -- the upper deck is covered, providing a shady respite from the sun, and the lower-level patio is open and airy, dappled with sunlight and filled with charming, mismatched patio furniture, plants and garden décor.

River Twist is a gift, garden and design shop. The gift shop is on Main Street, and the café can be reached either by driving around to the lower level in back or walking through the upper deck behind the store. Pass through some seating and more garden statues, and wind down the wooden stairs, past the lily pads and koi in the fishpond, to the lower patio and the café's door. Orders are placed at the counter and delivered to the table a few minutes later. A handful of tables lines one wall of the café, but the majority of seating is outside.

River Twist's menu comprises a selection of salads, sandwiches, wraps and burgers. It includes a pretty interesting range of offerings not found at your typical sandwich shop.

Take, for instance, the crab cake sliders -- lightly floured and sautéed, served on wheat rolls with tomato, baby spinach, whole-grain mustard and a chive remoulade. The J. Michael sandwich pairs grilled summer squash with fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, greens and an herb mayonnaise. There are meatloaf sliders on the menu, as well as a ½-pound burger. A chicken wrap comes with white wine dressing, romaine, tomato and shaved Parmesan, and the turkey croissant features turkey salad made with house-roasted turkey, candied walnuts, celery and dried cranberries. I appreciate River Twist roasting its own turkey and next time would likely order the shaved roasted turkey sandwich with sautéed onions, melted Muenster and honey mustard, served on rye and "grilled to perfection."

This time, though, I opted for a salad. Rather than the Steak and Blue Cheese or Caribbean Flat-Iron Chicken salads, I chose the Onion Ring Chicken Salad. A good amount of juicy, pan-seared chicken breast had been thinly sliced atop a bed of crisp romaine, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg and shredded cheese. Slivers of breaded and fried onion topped the salad, and the honey mustard dressing that came on the side was a tangy accompaniment. Other salads include greens topped with crab cakes, roasted peppers, corn and onion relish. Another tops greens with fajita-spiced sirloin grilled with onions and peppers and a cilantro ranch dressing.

As a side, I tried the potato salad, which was simple but savory. Perfectly cooked potatoes were dressed in dill-scented mustard and mayonnaise, with crisp slivers of celery and dill pickle adding both crunch and flavor.

I typically find mayonnaise-dressed salads too heavy, too mayonnaisey, but this one was anything but. I really enjoyed it, though I did think the portion size could have been a bit more generous.

For dessert, River Twist offers a small selection of cakes, cookies and the occasional brownie, courtesy of Greensboro's Maxie B's.

The food at River Twist is fresh-tasting and well-executed, and even though it might cost a bit more than I'd pay for a sandwich every day of the week, the prices feel reasonable given the quality. And the patio dining, particularly as fall settles in, is lovely.

My only quibbles have to do with details - details that could make an otherwise good meal great.

When going out for a meal of this sort -- casual but beyond the everyday in concept and price -- I expect a certain level of detail to match the food. Silverware and simple dishes would suit this food much better than the plastic currently in use.

Also, a more interesting selection of beverages would complement the food and add to the restaurant's uniqueness. There are so many tasty and unusual drinks on the market -- fruit-based sparklers, bottled sodas made with real sugar instead of corn syrup and bottled waters -- it would make sense to offer them at a restaurant that, like River Twist, seems to be aiming to provide a dining experience beyond the usual. Upping the ante with a few simple changes could turn a simple, good meal into something more like a special occasion.

Cheap Eats features local restaurants for diners on a budget. It runs every other week in Go Triad. Contact Angie DeCola at angiedecola@hotmail.com.

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