The area I know (DeKalb, Sycamore, Genoa), and what I like.

This is dedicated to all of you that have filled my empty moments with culinary dreams, ideas, and good humor. What a pleasure and privilege to benefit from your knowledge and efforts given to this forum.

What first must be said is that in all likelihood, you are going to find the best of the best restaurants in the Chicago area. More choice, more competition, dense ethnic areas, diversity, all lend to outstanding restaurant choices. What I have to offer are my restaurant recommendations if you happen to be in the area. It is also important for me to note that my rural background puts some limitations on my choices that many of you may not be able to relate to. One key component in this area’s dining experience is value for your money. Value, in part, is often measured by the amount of food that is served. However, if it isn’t tasty, it has no value either. I can tell in one dining experience (in this area) if a restaurant is going to make it or not, and I haven’t been wrong yet. Another factor that measures this area’s dining experience is cost. Any main entree between $15 - $20 is in a category that calls for something special to be put on your plate. In the $20 - $25 category, it had better be something fantastic for a really special occasion. Anything above $25 may cut it with the well-to-do up and comers of the area or perhaps some of the academic staff from NIU, but the majority of the local residents just won’t spend that much money on food. (Keep in mind wages in this area are far less than what can be had in the Chicago area.) Finally, there is little room for tolerance of dining experiences that include foamed “something” served on a spoon, deconstructed anything (we are paying someone to construct us something), entrees served in a martini glass, playful takes on old favorites, and warm tiny chocolate chip cookies served with ice cold milk for desert.

So let’s get started. While urban sprawl is slowly overspreading the area, large chunks of land are still devoted to farming and the raising of cattle. We take our beef very seriously out here. There is a difference in taste when cattle have been corn fed. One of the best meals for value in beef is in an establishment called Sorrento’s. This long time establishment is located on Rt. 64, east of Sycamore.





Prime Rib is the beef dish of choice. When they bring the prime rib to your table you will feel like Fred Flintstone sitting in his car at the drive-in waiting for his steak0sorous ribs. But I am getting ahead of myself. The dinner starts with a touch of old time service with a tray of carrots, celery, radishes, and green onion and a basket of crackers for the table. Also present are a whipped cheese spread and whipped butter.



Dinner includes soup and salad. The soup is not fantastic, nor is the salad memorable. I always eat it and enjoy it anyway. Potato choices are: au gratin, baked potato, or twice baked potato. Any choice is OK…the main attraction is the beef. There are two cuts of prime rib, full cut and the ladies cut. Of course how you order it (and get it) prepared is key to a great dining experience. These photos will tell you more about that than I could ever say.

Rare


Medium Well


Medium Rare


I just like the shimmer of fat on this one!

Note: these are ladies cut portions!

Sorrento’s features a special price for a particular meal each day that they are open. Weds. is Prime Rib night, with a full cut of Prime Rib going for $17.95. It is not only special, but has value!

Sorrento’s
50W187 Rt. 64
Maple Park, IL 60151
815895-5466
http://www.sorrentosranch.com
Prime Rib Extraordinaire




Taxco

What does this Mexican restaurant have that you can’t get in Chicago? I don’t know, but I’m glad we can enjoy this place locally. I’ve also come to appreciate the proprietor’s (Jesus Romero) business journey and his civic involvement.




Jesus started as a dishwasher in his uncle’s restaurant in the Chicago suburbs. He eventually made his way out to Sycamore (about 15 years ago) where he opened a tiny Mexican (Taxco) Restaurant downtown Sycamore. As the reputation for his food grew, so did his restaurant. Jesus also started an annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration for the area, where the proceeds are donated to various local organizations. See the restaurant web site for full details.

What I Like:

This is the meal I just can’t get past, “Enchiladas”




It is a plate that features three different enchiladas: chicken, cheese and ground beef. What makes them special for me are the different sauces put on each one. The chicken enchilada features a homemade (21 ingredient) mole sauce. The cheese enchilada has a nice ranchero sauce, and the ground beef enchilada has a tangy green tomatillo sauce. The meat fillings are made with care. The chicken is boiled, shredded and sautéed with chilies and onion, while the ground beef filling is ground fine and rich with flavor.




The tortillas are all handmade. Every night a friendly woman stands in the front window and presses them out, and griddles them on the spot. The result is a tortilla that is fresh and tender.



The re-fried beans are a concoction that (to me) is like Mexican pate. They are silky and rich with lard. I’m also a sucker for the deep fried tortilla bowl that they serve them in.




The rice is also made special with little chunks of diced potato and carrot. This meal, with tax is $10.90. It is a deal with good taste!

If you want guacamole, they make it table side. You can’t get any fresher than that, and you have the added benefit of being able to tell them just how you like it. The full menu and prices can be seen on their web site.

One unique offering at this establishment is an extensive choice of Tequila. There are over 400 varieties, which are offered from $4.00 to $100.00 per shot. This offering is lost on me, but I have seen many people come in and stop at the bar just for a shot of Tequila.






Taxco
223 W. State St.
Sycamore, IL. 60178
815 895-2545
http://www.taxcorestaurant.com




Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams is a hidden gem. Tucked in a strip mall behind a bank, residents of DeKalb are quickly discovering all that it has to offer. Salad bar and make your own sandwich (they will press it in their panni press if you want) bar items are sold by weight. Everyday features a special entree. My favorite is creamed chicken with homemade biscuits. Two biscuits and all the creamed chicken you can spoon on your plate, plus a drink or a cupcake of your choice go for $5.75.







They only offer this once or twice a month, and when they do, it’s gone by 12:30. Soups are made from scratch. (Note: the chef lost 80 lbs just eating his own soup 6 times a day!). Homemade Chicken Noodle can be found every day, and two other soups rotating through as the chef feels inspired. The Baker (this is a husband/wife team) has developed the best tasting cupcake in DeKalb county. These cream filled Ganache beauties are a special treat.








In addition, there are homemade sweet rolls, decorated sugar cookies, cakes and much more.





This casual (help yourself), cozy little bistro is something special for the DeKalb area.


Sweet Dreams
1969B DeKalb Ave
Sycamore, IL 60178
815 756-8150
http://www.sweetdreamdesserts.com
No Frills, Help Yourself, Excellent filled cupcakes!





Crumpets
Crumpet’s is an exception to many of my rural notions of what “works” (as a restaurant) in this area. This is a Victorian tea room that is made for ladies looking for a bit of affordable elegance.

It is not so much about the food, but the surrounding. This old building was lovingly restored, complete with a tin roof.





The front half of Crumpets is set up as a soda shop, and the back half is more of a tablecloth dining experience. Menus are inserted into old library books, and it is fun to see what book you have been given.






What I like:




I’ve tried several of Crumpet’s offerings, but I still favor the mini croissant (tuna, chicken or egg salad) and a cup of Victoria’s Masterpiece soup. This soup is a creamy concoction of wild rice and chicken. Once you have finished eating at Crumpet’s you can go next door to Prairie State Winery, where local grapes are processed into wine. (Note: look for the turbo wind generator on this shops roof. They generate their own electricity!) They also feature products produced in Illinois. Across the street is Victoria’s Crossing. This shop is stuffed with “things” and antiques. Genoa has several really nice shops you might want to check out.



Crumpets
221 W. Main Street
Genoa, IL. 60135
815 784-6121
Call for hours of operation
http://www.rockfordillinois.com/crumpets/aboutus.htm
Sweet Victorian Tea Room – for the ladies!



Villa Verone











Villa Verone
219 W. State St.
Sycamore, IL. 60178
815 895-9400
http://www.villaverone.net
Check out the specials




Nat's on Maple



I like Nat's. It is a place to go in the area for that special occasion. I go there every time a friend of mine sells a house. You can't imagine how much I hope he sells a house! I have to say, despite the economy, my friend has had a great year, and I have had some great food!

One of the things I like about Nat's is that they really care about the food. They make an effort to make it nice, as can be seen in this salad.



They have a lot of specials, and what I've got pictured here was Chilean Sea Bass encrusted in pecans. I normally don't order fish, but I went for this dish, and it was delighted with my meal.





So if you are looking for some thing just a little bit more upscale in this area, Nat's may be what you are looking for.


Nats on Maple
112 S Maple St.
Sycamore, IL. 60178
815 895-4243
http://www.natsonmaple.com
Upscale middle class dining



Pizza Villa means more to me that just pizza. It was DeKalb’s first pizza establishment back in the 1950’s. My dear departed dad (I love that man) use to work for Pizza Villa on Friday and Saturday nights to help with the expense of having four children. When my dad would get off work at 2 AM on Saturday morning he would bring a pizza home and he and my mom would enjoy a little snack. They would put the leftover pizza on top of the oven and at 5 AM my brother and I were up to watch Flash Gordon and to finish off the cold pizza. This was the first pizza we had ever had, and it was just as good to us cold or hot for breakfast! Memories. Pizza Villa did very well over the years. They changed location in DeKalb three times before settling in at their current location. According to legend, it is Cindy Crawford’s favorite pizza (she grew up in DeKalb). My one claim to fame is that I kind of - sort of babysat Cindy and her sisters. I say that because Cindy was about 14 at the time and really didn’t want to acknowledge that she had a babysitter. She stayed in her room, which at the time made my job easier for the day. Now I wish I would have spent some time with her. Oh well. Anyway, besides Cindy’s endorsement, Pizza Villa has a loyal following. You can get pizza all sorts of ways and with all sorts of toppings, but for me there is only one pizza…thin crust cheese and sausage.



The crust is thin, somewhat crisp, but not cracker crisp.



The sauce is laid down not too thick or thin…in my opinion. The sausage is what sets this pizza apart from any other that I have tasted. I think it is the fennel, but it is a secret sausage mix so who knows. The cheese is generous, but not overwhelming. It comes out piping hot and bubbling with a thin sheen of oil from the sausage coating the surface. If you were part of my family you would have learned to eat this as fast as you could, even if it did burn your mouth. I have a brother who could eat this pizza at a speed that defies human limitations. When you have six people gathered round a large pizza, it was every “man” for himself when it came to getting your share of the pizza. Over the years I’ve broken down and tried some of Pizza Villa's other varieties of pizza. Chicken/BBQ…



I think that this is just WRONG, but my sister loves it. Taco pizza…it is not bad, but if you want a taco eat a taco!



Beer Nuggets are a popular menu item. I guess they go well with beer…soaking up the alcohol. It’s just pizza dough cooked and then you dunk it in pizza sauce. I rather wait and eat my perfect pizza. If you are in the area and feel like pizza, I would highly recommend Pizza Villa.

Pizza Villa
824 W. Lincoln Hwy.
DeKalb, IL. 60115
815 758-8116
http://www.pizzavilla.com
Thin & Crisp Crust…cheese & sausage with a sheen of sausage oil (I love it)


These are the other restaurants in the area that I feel are worthy to review. It will take me some time to get around to each one for photos and all. If you know the establishment, please feel free to jump in and put your own review in! In the meantime, I’ve captured what I think is special about each place in one sentence. To be continued!

Hillside
121 N. 2nd St
DeKalb, IL 60115
815 756-4749
http://www.hillsiderestaurant.com
Cozy with a great pot roast

Lincoln Inn & Bakery
240 E. Lincoln Hwy
DeKalb, IL. 60115
815 756-2345
http://www.thelincolninn.com
Best Value Lunch

Ollies Frozen Custard

2290 W Oakland Dr.
Sycamore, IL 60178
815 758-8222
http://www.olliessycamore.com
They line up around the building at this home grown establishment

Egg Haven Pancakes & Café
2562 Sycamore Rd.
DeKalb, IL. 60115
815 748-1200
Excellent Breakfast and Lunch (try the 5 egg omelet)

Junction Eating Place
816 W. Lincoln Hwy.
DeKalb, IL. 60115
815 758-5441
Comfortable as sitting at home. Decent middle of the road food.

I am glad to see someone familiar with the DeKalb/Sycamore area posting.

Did the restaurant - It's Greek to Me - located in DT DeKalb close?

It is nice to see options out there. On average, I have been pretty disappointed with my selections out there.

Great post Razbry! We're in the area quite a bit for various reasons (Blumen Gardens is a favorite destination!).Good call on Ollie's, great custards, the black raspberry is my favorite! One place missing from your list is Bea's Wok and Roll, a tiny spot in front of the Jewel on Rte. 23. NIU professor friend introduced us to Bea's many years ago. Bea is Vietnamese and makes a mix of Asian food, mostly Chinese but if you get to know her well she will make Viet specials that are not on the menu.

Bea's Wok n Roll
1402 Sycamore Street (Rte.23)
DeKalb

love the relish tray! only thing it needs are pickles.

Yes, I'm sorry to say that "It's Greek to Me" is gone. Also, I have been to Bea's Wok and Roll many times. Bea is one of those people who IS the restaurant. She knows everyone by name. Many people swear by the authenticity of her food, including Vietnam Vets. A couple of things held me back from recommending the place. I find it to be just a little too pricey for my pocketbook. Also, I have a problem with the type of meat Bea uses in her dishes. To me, it looks like something that was purchased in a deli. I need something better than that for the money. Vegetarian choices are excellent. Other than that, I've always enjoyed my meals at Bea's. So if you are in the mood for Vietnamese Food while you are in DeKalb, you have an excellent choice.

I think all we have had is vegetarian at Bea's though my friends had meat dishes and never made any comment about the quality. Thanks for your list, whenever we have been out that way we come up short for places to go and usually wind up at Culver's. I have some physical limitations and can't get into Bea's (steep step) anymore so it's nice to have some other suggestions.

Hi,

I will add to the list, razbry's earlier recommendation of a monthly supper at the:

Kingston United Methodist Church
115 W First St.
Kingston, IL. 60145
815 784-2010

Regards,

Nice post. I discovered some of these restaurants -- like the Hillside and the Lincoln Inn -- while attending school at NIU back in the late 80s and early 90s. I had breakfast at the Lincoln Inn about a year ago (they serve an excellent breakfast), and they had remodeled a bit but the food was the same. Of course, I also frequented the fast food-type places -- including Lukalo's and Tom & Jerry's. I would recommend either of those places for gyros and other fast-food fare.

Has anyone ever been to Lothson's Karry Out in Dekalb? I asked this once before and didn't get much of a response. It's the restaurant on the main drag that has a large metal CHICKEN sign above the front window. It has weird hours so I have not been able to make it during the week.

Lothsons Karry Out
644 E Lincoln Hwy
Dekalb, Il
(815) 756-4303

Ron A. wrote:Of course, I also frequented the fast food-type places -- including Lukalo's and Tom & Jerry's. I would recommend either of those places for gyros and other fast-food fare.

Nothing like a bag of warm beer nuggets with red sauce and cheese from Lukulo's. Can't forget about Burritoville either!

Lothson's Chicken Carryout has evolved into an establishment that cooks when they want to and for whom they want to. They were open to the public about 30 years ago, and I loved the chicken. The chicken is an original family secret recipe, and I always thought it was pretty special. I’ve been trying to get some of their chicken again for the last 20 years, and I live in the area! I’ve never seen the restaurant open to the public in the last 20 years. Good Luck!

Blown Z wrote:

Ron A. wrote:Of course, I also frequented the fast food-type places -- including Lukalo's and Tom & Jerry's. I would recommend either of those places for gyros and other fast-food fare.

Nothing like a bag of warm beer nuggets with red sauce and cheese from Lukulo's. Can't forget about Burritoville either!

Oh man, beer nuggets. It's been too long. Those things would sober you up like nothing else. So good.

Lothson's Chicken Carryout has evolved into an establishment that cooks when they want to and for whom they want to. They were open to the public about 30 years ago, and I loved the chicken. The chicken is an original family secret recipe, and I always thought it was pretty special. I’ve been trying to get some of their chicken again for the last 20 years, and I live in the area! I’ve never seen the restaurant open to the public in the last 20 years. Good Luck!

razbry,

Thanks for the intel. I think I'll give up trying. One other place that popped into my mind, if you are heading west on Rt 64 through Sycamore and then take a right (north) onto Rt 23 I've noticed a place that looks like a combo meat market/bbq shack with a barrel smoker out front. Have you been there, know what I'm referring to? It may or may not be called Country Store & Catering (after a quick look in the yellow pages)

electric mullet wrote:

Lothson's Chicken Carryout has evolved into an establishment that cooks when they want to and for whom they want to. They were open to the public about 30 years ago, and I loved the chicken. The chicken is an original family secret recipe, and I always thought it was pretty special. I’ve been trying to get some of their chicken again for the last 20 years, and I live in the area! I’ve never seen the restaurant open to the public in the last 20 years. Good Luck!

razbry,

Thanks for the intel. I think I'll give up trying. One other place that popped into my mind, if you are heading west on Rt 64 through Sycamore and then take a right (north) onto Rt 23 I've noticed a place that looks like a combo meat market/bbq shack with a barrel smoker out front. Have you been there, know what I'm referring to? It may or may not be called Country Store & Catering (after a quick look in the yellow pages)

Yep - I found this place by accident a few years ago. Had a great lunch.
Country Store & Catering
456 N Main St
Sycamore, IL 60151
(815) 899-2333
http://www.countrystorecatering.com/

Dave,

Thanks for the info. I'll check this place out next time I need to stock up on meat. Nice to have another independent butcher out west. Including this place, there are 4 solid choices either on or several miles west of Rt 47 including Reams in Elburn, Inbodens in Dekalb and Dreymiller & Kray in Hampshire.

What did you eat by the way?

Does anyone know anything about Captain Vick's Fish & Seafood on Peace Road in Sycamore?

LikestoEatout wrote:Does anyone know anything about Captain Vick's Fish & Seafood on Peace Road in Sycamore?

Don't want to be just a link dropper but you peaked my interst with this mention. I was able to find this. http://captainvics.com/

I miss the fried seafood place that was on Randall Rd in South Elgin. Looks like this place is similar in that they do fried seafood, broasted chicken plus double as a fresh seafood market. I really like Diamond Fresh for fresh fish, but because of the prices, I end up at H-Mart in Naperville more often than not. The quality at Diamond Fresh is impeccable and I've never been disappointed with anything, but their low end stuff like trout starts around 9 or 10 bucks a pound.

We have bought from Diamond Fresh too, the St Charles branch. I want to check out Captain Vick's soon. We have been going to Baybrooke Shrimp Company on Orchard Road south of Sullivan in Aurora for fried fishy goodness but looking out for other options. We only went to the one on Randall once before they closed.

I've been to Captain Vic's many times. I usually get the salmon salad, which is a nice chunk of salmon on lettuce. They have an assortment of fresh fish, which "Vic" will cook to order. The place does exceptionally well on Friday nights. This is Vic's (real person) first restaurant of what he hopes will be a chain. More power to him! I'm not a big fan of fish, but you probably will find decent food to your liking there.

My son went to a private school with the son of the owners of Burritoville. They put all their children in private schools, so business is good! I think it helps when their establishment is located in the heart of the NIU Greek community. Giant burritos, and food good enough to attract the local Hispanic community.

Beer nuggets...a waste of stomach space if you ask me. But if you are looking to soak up alcohol, than I guess it would do the trick. All in all, I'd rather wait for the pizza to arrive at the table without the appetizer of beer nuggets.


I have to admit that I haven't been to the Country Store & Catering place in Sycamore. There have been at least 4 or 5 food related establishments that have come and gone in the past 10 years at that location. I lost track I guess.

Your best choice for sausages is Reams. For good meat choice I'd pick Inboden's any day. You might be a little disappointed with Dreymiller & Kray in Hampshire. They never seem to have very much to choose from in the meat cases. Their apple wood smoked bacon however, is excellent.

I’m loving this thread!

Thanks for the report on Captain Vic's and I am glad it is not all fried like the place we go to in Aurora.

Country Store & Catering place in Sycamore. Photos for your viewing pleasure











Owner

Ok next college tour stop : De Kalb.

So what's cool and hip (I feel old just saying those words) in De Kalb or possible north around Sycamore (Rt 23 back to 72 and east)??

A weekday. Diner, drive in, dive, no Indian...

Thanks all

Chuck Siebrasse Corn Boil, 8/22/09

Looks cool. But where can we eat a lunch?

This should help.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=23332

Thanks, that link was great and I got some good ideas from it. We ended up at the Junction, mostly because I turned my head to the right at Lincoln Highway as we were leaving campus and said, oh look, the Junction. Anyway, it was quite acceptable, for that kind of thing. I had the french dip, crispy fries, fresh bread, good beef. My daughter had the salmon filet- nicely broiled, came with a blob of mashed potatoes. We split the mostly iceberg but we like that salad. The bill was $20 and change. Nothing fancy, but if that's what you go in expecting, you should be satisfied. We went about 1:15pm and it was mostly empty.

I used to eat at The Junction 30 years ago, and it sounds like it hasn't changed. It used to always be busy when we were there...evenings and weekend lunchtime.

I thought I'd give this thread a bump. Next week is NIU's Homecoming and someone out there might get something from this review!

Kind of suprised that more hasn't been written but I had pretty some fantastic frozen custard yesterday at a place called Ollie's. I passed by it a couple of weeks ago on the way home fromBea's and the line was wrapped around the building. I couldn't convince the wife to wait in the line so I made a mental note to stop by on my own.

Yesterday was such a beatiful day so I grabbed the dog and headed into Sycamore. Except for a handful of NIU students the place wasn't crowded. Unfortunately, the lack of a line didn't give me much time to peruse the menu. I eventually settled on a turtle Artic Blast. I suppose in concecpt it was similar to a bliizzard but it wasn't as thick. Instead it was more like a cross between a sundae and a milkshake.

My Artic Blast consisted of chocolate custard (my choice) hot fudge, hot carmel and pecans. The custard was cool, creamy and rich. It was had a lot of great chocolate flavor without being over the top. While the custard was terrifc what really impressed me were the pecans. They were obviously freshly roasted. In fact they seemed warm to me as if they had just been roasted. I don't think that I have ever had pecans this good or fresh in a sundae.

Judging by the menu Ollie's has a a large number of custard creations. They offer three types of custard on a daily basis; vanilla, chocolate and a flavor of the day. Yesterday it was butter pecan.


Ollie's
2290 Oakland Drive
Sycamore, IL
http://www.olliessycamore.com/index.html

It's been a few years since we've been to Ollie's, I seem to remember a blackberry or raspberry custard that became my favorite.