Gilbert's

Gilbert’s is a jem. From the beautiful architecture of the historic mansion to the impeccable service and fabulous food this is well worth the 50 minute drive from IL for us. The food was wonderful with every serving being elegant without trying too hard. Everything was seasoned minimally yet effectively, allowing the true flavors of the ingredients to harmonize yet not over power the primary ingredient, be it fish, beef or a vegetable as with the cream of asparagus soup with shrimp. Not a traditional heavy cream, this was a very light cream (some may call it watery), delicate and subtle in flavor. At first we found ourselves wanting for some salt but after a few spoons our palates began to find the soft lingering treasures and additional seasoning became unnecessary. We also like the fact that the menu changes daily – an indication of their attention to quality and working with only the finest products available that day. The deserts, made to order, are divine and the little extras such as the surprise amuse bouche and the “shooter” of various fruit juices topped with passion fruit foam (YUM!) between dinner and desert made us feel that they truly cared about our dining experience. The serving sizes will leave the average to larger appetite happily fulfilled if you go with a four course meal. We imagine the optional Chef’s Choice six course meal will have you taking treats home for the next day unless the portions are reduced. The only negative we can comment on, and for us it was very minor, was that the time between the clearing of the desert plates and the arrival of the check was a bit long (maybe 10 minutes or so, tops) without being asked if we wanted any coffee or cordials to cap the evening. We would maybe take off 1/4 star for this given the rest of the service was lovely and attentive so they get 5 stars from us. What a find!

It’s odd that this restaurant in this little town in Wisconsin is me and my wife’s favorite restaurant of all time. We’re from California and we’ve eaten at a lot of different places in and out of CA. But this is our favorite – freshest seafood, great presentation, awesome house [converted Victorian for their dining room], real-home-grown vegetables and herbs… it’s worth a trip if you’re flying into Chicago or Milwaukee.