This is sort of a quick run down of places I might like to write about in the future. If you have any other ideas, let me know. These are in no particular order.
Miller's Lombard Ale House (Near Yorktown Mall, other side of Butterfield). A great casual place. Great food, cold beer and Sports on TV. It reminds me a little of Smokey Bones. Lots of seafood on the menu. I like it.
Meson Sabika-Naperville. I really like it best during the spring, summer and warmer fall days. The focus has changed over the years to a wedding place and I think that detracted from the place. But it still is a nice place to go on a summer evening.
Ram Restaurant-Schaumburg. I love this place. It has a micro brewery on premises and the food is excellent. They make the best calamari we've ever had. Of course, not as good as the Indianapolis location (Gencon and all).
Traverso's-Naperville. I feel it always is missing it's mark. The food is ... good, but something is missing. Not sure what it is, but I'll think about it.
Maciano's-Aurora on Eola. I shouldn't write about this. It is too good. Small, loud, limited tables. Excellent pasta and pizza. Well worth a short drive. Locations in North Aurora, Streamwood, Plano, Elgin and two in Rockford. This is a small locally owned group and frankly a great place.
Pizza Fusion-Naperville. It's hip to be green, but it great when the food is worth being green. Not a normal type pizza place, but I like it a lot.
That's a short list, but a good Sunday morning activity. Let me know if you agree or disagree or have a favorite to talk about.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Olive Tap-Downers Grove
Last weekend we were wandering around and happened through downtown Downers Grove. I noticed a new(er) store on the south end of town called "Olive Tap". We went in and found a cool little store that sells Olive Oil! All kinds of olive oil as well as balsamic vinegars. There were about a number of different olive oils, such as the organic Tunisian olive oil we purchased as well as infused oils. The balsamics were also very cool. I think there were two or so 'normal' balsamics and then a bunch of flavored balsamics. We bought a very nice heavy balsamic that we tried that night with a good hearty cheese. It was heaven. I also liked the red apple balsamic, but thought two was a good start. There are other goodies in the store and is a great stop.
The store is located at 5151 Main St. Downer Grove and is located down the street from Bally Doyles. I understand they are moving around the corner to 5143 Mochel Dr. in the Spring. They are a part of a three stores, one in Long Grove and the other in Medina OH. The web page is at www.theolivetap.com.
I expect we will be back soon. I can see a small collection of their bottles in my future.
The store is located at 5151 Main St. Downer Grove and is located down the street from Bally Doyles. I understand they are moving around the corner to 5143 Mochel Dr. in the Spring. They are a part of a three stores, one in Long Grove and the other in Medina OH. The web page is at www.theolivetap.com.
I expect we will be back soon. I can see a small collection of their bottles in my future.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Cafe Buonaro's-Back with Gusto
I love Cafe Buonaro's. I point to it about what makes a great restaurant great. Ron Buonaro was one of the finest restaurateurs I've ever met in both how he approached the restaurant, his life and his community. His passing left a great hole in Naperville. When Ron passed away, I worried about Cafe Buonaro's. But change is the only thing that is constant especially for restaurants. I'm very pleased to say that Cafe Buonaro's appears to be alive and well. It is like going home to go in there.
If you haven't been to Buonaro's, here is the layout. It is in 5th Avenue Station towards the Loomis side. It is tucked in the corner of the building but a large sign is over the best doorway. They use the natural brick of the building as the dominant decor, but it still has that Taylor Street look to it. There are no menus just a number of wipe boards with the appetizers, entrees and wines. There is a wine list on the table to see more detail.
The food is old school Italian. Good old school Italian. When Ron passed away, my fear was the food would go downhill without a steady hand in the kitchen. Mama Buonaro (Regina) had the sense to rehire a former chef back. The food is still wonderful. I taste some differences from the past, but the basics are there and it is worth it.
We were there a few weeks ago and my wife had the Baked Spaghetti. This seems lighter than it did before, but still delicious. This is a perennial favorite to us. I had the scallops with roasted red peppers and spinach over pasta and a broth. The red peppers balanced well with the scallops. I had over 12 scallops in the bowl, not bad for $21 or so. The Baked Spaghetti is about $14.
The service is always been good. When Ron was sick, I could tell, their hearts weren't there, but now that it has been a year, they seem to be back in the groove.
This is a strong recommendation from me. It is good old fashion red sauce kind of place. They are very independent and so much better than any Rosebud or such. Give it a try.
If you haven't been to Buonaro's, here is the layout. It is in 5th Avenue Station towards the Loomis side. It is tucked in the corner of the building but a large sign is over the best doorway. They use the natural brick of the building as the dominant decor, but it still has that Taylor Street look to it. There are no menus just a number of wipe boards with the appetizers, entrees and wines. There is a wine list on the table to see more detail.
The food is old school Italian. Good old school Italian. When Ron passed away, my fear was the food would go downhill without a steady hand in the kitchen. Mama Buonaro (Regina) had the sense to rehire a former chef back. The food is still wonderful. I taste some differences from the past, but the basics are there and it is worth it.
We were there a few weeks ago and my wife had the Baked Spaghetti. This seems lighter than it did before, but still delicious. This is a perennial favorite to us. I had the scallops with roasted red peppers and spinach over pasta and a broth. The red peppers balanced well with the scallops. I had over 12 scallops in the bowl, not bad for $21 or so. The Baked Spaghetti is about $14.
The service is always been good. When Ron was sick, I could tell, their hearts weren't there, but now that it has been a year, they seem to be back in the groove.
This is a strong recommendation from me. It is good old fashion red sauce kind of place. They are very independent and so much better than any Rosebud or such. Give it a try.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sola - Chicago - What a great place!
As a fuss for my birthday, my wife and I pick somewhere sort out of our sphere for my dinner. This year, we picked Sola, in Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. I have to confess that our niece used to serve there and raved about it, but we never got the time to go when she was working there. What a big mistake for us. It is a great semi casual place with wonderful servers, wonderful drinks, more wonderful food and overall a really enjoyable experience. I strongly recommend that people try it.
They have a great bar and wine list. We opted more for pre-dinner drinks than wine because of the weather and the distance. I had the drink of the month which is the Absent Minded which has Bulleit bourbon, housemade sweet potato -caramel syrup, ginger ale, absenthe, and lemon. Absolutely perfect. Powerful, but perfect. We started with the artichoke fritters which where a great start. I had the tuna which I found to be perfectly done and like almost all the items, a sort of Californian, Hawaiian, Asian twist. My wife had the Ocean Trout. The dish was great, but the fish was a little strong for her tastes and almost a little strong for mine. On the other hand, the presentation and the taste was wonderful. Son 1.0 had Lamb Chops. They looked great, but I don't eat meat, and I was seriously disappointed to not be able to try. Sometimes I put my chef hat on and nibble to see how it was done etc.
For dessert, I ordered one of the items that has a featured ingredient which in December was Chestnuts. I had the Apple-Chestnut Crepe with rum - cider sabayon, vanilla crème fraiche ice cream. Very nice finish.
The service was top notch. The room is tasteful and mildly hip. The layout was well conceived. The clientèle ranged from the tragically hip to older folk (older than me). I saw men in jackets to t-shirts.
The only connection to Naperville is that it isn't that far to find outstanding, independent restaurants doing outstanding food. Darn shame, Naperville attracts the chains and the look-alikes.
Try Sola, 3868 N Lincoln Ave. You will need reservations. They even have valet for we who don't live in the city. I want to go back and will try soon .
They have a great bar and wine list. We opted more for pre-dinner drinks than wine because of the weather and the distance. I had the drink of the month which is the Absent Minded which has Bulleit bourbon, housemade sweet potato -caramel syrup, ginger ale, absenthe, and lemon. Absolutely perfect. Powerful, but perfect. We started with the artichoke fritters which where a great start. I had the tuna which I found to be perfectly done and like almost all the items, a sort of Californian, Hawaiian, Asian twist. My wife had the Ocean Trout. The dish was great, but the fish was a little strong for her tastes and almost a little strong for mine. On the other hand, the presentation and the taste was wonderful. Son 1.0 had Lamb Chops. They looked great, but I don't eat meat, and I was seriously disappointed to not be able to try. Sometimes I put my chef hat on and nibble to see how it was done etc.
For dessert, I ordered one of the items that has a featured ingredient which in December was Chestnuts. I had the Apple-Chestnut Crepe with rum - cider sabayon, vanilla crème fraiche ice cream. Very nice finish.
The service was top notch. The room is tasteful and mildly hip. The layout was well conceived. The clientèle ranged from the tragically hip to older folk (older than me). I saw men in jackets to t-shirts.
The only connection to Naperville is that it isn't that far to find outstanding, independent restaurants doing outstanding food. Darn shame, Naperville attracts the chains and the look-alikes.
Try Sola, 3868 N Lincoln Ave. You will need reservations. They even have valet for we who don't live in the city. I want to go back and will try soon .
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Grumpy Bulldog Bar-Downtown Naperville
Last night as a fling, we decided to go to the hotbed of over priced chain restaurants in downtown Naperville and go to the Grumpy Bulldog. Located on Jackson, next to Tango replaced the Red Door.
The location is small and is basically a bar, but with the twist that they have a huge selection of beers on tap and bottled. We both like craft beers and were surprised to see the huge list for a little place. They have a decent kitchen and we enjoyed the evening. I hope as a cute independent place that they can survive.
OK, this is a great place to play pin the tail on the beer menu and see what you get. They have those almost beers like Millers and what ever, but you can see that this place is about craft beers. I saw a decent back bar as well. We had four different beers last night, Shiner Cheer, Left Hand Milk Stout, Magic Hat #9 and a Unibroue Brewery (this in a bottle). All were good, or good enough to talk about and enjoy.
We had the Fish Wrap and the Eggplant Parmesan sandwich. I love Eggplant Parmesan sandwiches and hold all competitors to a little joint in the Loop that closed, Rosie's. This was very good. The marinara sauce was very good. If it came from GFS, I'd be shocked. The fish wrap was well done and very tasty. The choice of sides made it easy to not just get fries.
The server we had was very knowledgeable about the beers and made it fun.
My complaints are few. The noise was a little loud even for a football game (nice TVs). I think the menu is an evolving thing based on changes from the web page to the real menu so adding a Veggie Burger would be nice as well as maybe another veggie option.
I judge a place, even a joint like this by will I come back, will I tell anyone else and finally who will I bring back. We will be back, I plan on telling my neighbors because I think they might like a place like this and finally when our kids come into town around the holidays, we will all come in.
Not a dress up place, not fancy. My only thing I might say is I'm sorry it isn't located closer or at least someplace easier to get to. But frankly, it is places like this that make me believe that the wasteland of downtown Naperville can be recovered.
And I love the name. Check this one out.
Web page is thegrumpybulldog.com
The location is small and is basically a bar, but with the twist that they have a huge selection of beers on tap and bottled. We both like craft beers and were surprised to see the huge list for a little place. They have a decent kitchen and we enjoyed the evening. I hope as a cute independent place that they can survive.
OK, this is a great place to play pin the tail on the beer menu and see what you get. They have those almost beers like Millers and what ever, but you can see that this place is about craft beers. I saw a decent back bar as well. We had four different beers last night, Shiner Cheer, Left Hand Milk Stout, Magic Hat #9 and a Unibroue Brewery (this in a bottle). All were good, or good enough to talk about and enjoy.
We had the Fish Wrap and the Eggplant Parmesan sandwich. I love Eggplant Parmesan sandwiches and hold all competitors to a little joint in the Loop that closed, Rosie's. This was very good. The marinara sauce was very good. If it came from GFS, I'd be shocked. The fish wrap was well done and very tasty. The choice of sides made it easy to not just get fries.
The server we had was very knowledgeable about the beers and made it fun.
My complaints are few. The noise was a little loud even for a football game (nice TVs). I think the menu is an evolving thing based on changes from the web page to the real menu so adding a Veggie Burger would be nice as well as maybe another veggie option.
I judge a place, even a joint like this by will I come back, will I tell anyone else and finally who will I bring back. We will be back, I plan on telling my neighbors because I think they might like a place like this and finally when our kids come into town around the holidays, we will all come in.
Not a dress up place, not fancy. My only thing I might say is I'm sorry it isn't located closer or at least someplace easier to get to. But frankly, it is places like this that make me believe that the wasteland of downtown Naperville can be recovered.
And I love the name. Check this one out.
Web page is thegrumpybulldog.com
Monday, November 16, 2009
What Makes a Great Restaurant?
Every so often, I wonder why I like some place that no one else seems to like. I used to assume it was personal taste or my quirky views on things. But there are some places I really like that fly under the radar. So why do I like these?
Of course, the food. If the food isn't at the level I assume for a place, then the deal is off. You can have exquisite settings, wonderful service, but ok food, I'm not going to like it.
Next is the service. From the moment I hit the front door, I want to feel like I'm being welcomed. Both family type dining or fancy. I don't expect a family place to be expecting me, but I want someone to greet me with a real smile and a welcoming greeting. I want a server to say hi, like they mean it. I want people to be polite and smile and not interrupt etc.
I want a clean place. It doesn't have to be scrubbed down and polished bright, but if I go into a Burger King, I really want to be clean enough to eat there. And clean enough to go to the bathroom. I've been in pretty nice restaurants that needed to have someone from the staff go in there and clean it thoroughly, please.
This isn't too much to ask, but frankly, few places do this. I guess training isn't what restaurants spend money on. Or the management is well trained either or just doesn't get it. I don't really want much, I just want to feel like I'm at someone's home.
Of course, the food. If the food isn't at the level I assume for a place, then the deal is off. You can have exquisite settings, wonderful service, but ok food, I'm not going to like it.
Next is the service. From the moment I hit the front door, I want to feel like I'm being welcomed. Both family type dining or fancy. I don't expect a family place to be expecting me, but I want someone to greet me with a real smile and a welcoming greeting. I want a server to say hi, like they mean it. I want people to be polite and smile and not interrupt etc.
I want a clean place. It doesn't have to be scrubbed down and polished bright, but if I go into a Burger King, I really want to be clean enough to eat there. And clean enough to go to the bathroom. I've been in pretty nice restaurants that needed to have someone from the staff go in there and clean it thoroughly, please.
This isn't too much to ask, but frankly, few places do this. I guess training isn't what restaurants spend money on. Or the management is well trained either or just doesn't get it. I don't really want much, I just want to feel like I'm at someone's home.
Monday, November 9, 2009
100 things restaurant staffers shouldn't do
I ran across this blog at the New York Times a few days ago and loved it. There are a number of so so basic items and a few odd balls, but they add up to great ideas. The link to the first 50 is http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/one-hundred-things-restaurant-staffers-should-never-do-part-one/ while the second half is at http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/one-hundred-things-restaurant-staffers-should-never-do-part-2/. The
comments after these are also as odd as some of the comments. Some of my favorites are
18. Know before approaching a table who has ordered what. Do not ask, “Who’s having the shrimp?”
98. Do not wear too much makeup or jewelry. You know you have too much jewelry when it jingles and/or draws comments.
Every owner, manager and server should read these and do these. These apply to casual dining, family dining and finer dining. If a fine dining restaurant needs these, it has already probably failed.
I would add my own ideas. One of which is: dress your servers like you want the diners to be dressed. Never have your diners better dressed than the servers (Francesca's?). Also have your management dressed better than your staff.
comments after these are also as odd as some of the comments. Some of my favorites are
18. Know before approaching a table who has ordered what. Do not ask, “Who’s having the shrimp?”
98. Do not wear too much makeup or jewelry. You know you have too much jewelry when it jingles and/or draws comments.
Every owner, manager and server should read these and do these. These apply to casual dining, family dining and finer dining. If a fine dining restaurant needs these, it has already probably failed.
I would add my own ideas. One of which is: dress your servers like you want the diners to be dressed. Never have your diners better dressed than the servers (Francesca's?). Also have your management dressed better than your staff.
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