HeatherHart

I’m already looking forward to returning to this place – the pizza was terrific… a chewy, thin crust- nice and light but still full of flavor. I had the shrimp arribata and the sauce was wonderfully spicy but not overdone. The shrimp were well cooked and not rubbery and the mozzarella added the perfect amount of cheesiness, not overpowering. The tapenade was a great appetizer and I really enjoyed my faux-jito… thanks for remembering the non-drinkers too! Our waitress was thoughtful and knew when to stop by and be attentive and when to blend into the background. The atmosphere was laid back and understated, a great place for a double-date or a family dinner. I wish we lived closer!

we loved the buffalo wing pizza and the jalapeno poppers!
http://www.bluemoosepizza.com/pizza.htm

Thankfully, we had a great waiter that kind of redeemed this restaurant experience – not that it was terrible, but it wasn’t anything to get excited about. We started off with 3 different kinds of bread & olive oil & parmesean. The bread was OK, but the olive oil was pretty good – nice and fruity. For dinner we both ordered Capricciosa pizza – the combination of mushrooms, artichokes, olives & prosciutto would have been wonderful… if it had actually been prosciutto. In reality, it was just your average cooked deli ham on top – nothing special. BUT I liked the attempt at creativity, artichokes are one of my favorites and hey were good on the pizza. The crust was nice and crispy, so that’s a plus. Also, our waiter recommended a delicious pino grigio that went well with the meal. For dessert we tried the pastry with nutella & ice cream (the name escapes me) and it was pretty good: flaky pastry and creamy ice cream… it could have used a little more nutella though. The decor was lacking in the main dining room as welll; with the large 2 story room they could have done something really upscale and dramatic, but instead you kind of feel like you’re eating at a friends house. All in all, this place was just OK – fine for a night out if you don’t have high expectations.

The seafood was wonderfully fresh, however my experice left me wanting… The waitstaff was extremely helpful and took care of our large group (about 50) very well. Our appetizers & entrees were clearly made with high qualitiy shrimp, crab, lobster, etc – yet the recipies were nothing spectacular. The breading on the coconut shrimp was similar to what you’d find at any pub, the fried calamari was cooked perfectly (not chewy) but the breading lacked seasoning, and I loved the crab vermicelli… but the asian sauce almost over powered the crab! The same happened with the lobster in my surf ‘n turf… the lobster was lost in the cantonese sauce – though I did thoroughly enjoy my steak & it’s seasonings. The mai tai was pretty good (strong!), the garlic rolls were decent, but the dessert (strawberry shortcake) was a typical diner creation. Add on top of that a complete lack of ‘presenation’ with everything (plastic baskets & mismatched settings) and I can only give it 3 stars. The quality and freshess of the seafood was the saving grace here.

a great steakhouse – my filet was velvety and cooked perfectly and the carmelized onion mashed potatoes were wonderfully sweet and earthy. we also really enjoyed the wine, cocktails and the spinach artichoke dip. if you’re not a ‘carnivore’ this probably isn’t the place for you, but if you’re looking for a hearty, somewhat upscale meal, no need to look any further! overall the menu is fairly traditional and you won’t find too many creative dishes, but what they do offer is top-notch!

the atmosphre has a nice woodsy-cabin feel with wood paneling, a cozy fire place and soft leather couches… we also noticed a great private dining area, perfect for intimate family gatherings.

This is the first time I’ve ever given a restaurant 5 stars… I really can’t imagine a more perfect meal! The entrees are inventive and flavorful, but not over-powering or unfamiliar (we loved the Rainbow Ceviches, Shrimp Chicharron, Churrasco of Beef & Muscovy Duck Breast). And the mojitos are to die for… the waitstaff was also helpful and non-intrusive, and the atmosphere is wonderfully romantic. Don’t miss this place!

loved the food and setting (very "frank lloyd wright) though the portions were small and expensive. the waitstaff was helpful in recommendations and in service. i would suggest the goat cheese ravioli – simply delicious!

a fabulous eating experience! amazing pepperjack nachos, fabulous crab stuffed chicken, extraordinary fish tacos & delish hazelnut chicken! and THEN there was dessert! chocolate ecstacy and chocolate peanut butter pie were simply divine… if only we had one of these in Grayslake, Illinois!

loved it! the Viva Las Vegas and Gojira rolls were favorites at our table – the Crazy Monkey roll was a little too sweet. we ate early (5:30) on a Saturday and very nearly had the place to ourselves. the waitstaff was helpful and recommended some nice choices. the decor was trendy/asian and great for a double date night. also the surrounding stores & shopping are ‘the Glen’ was great for walking around afterwards.

We had an enjoyble double date here, though some of the menu was beyond my normal dining palate…

We started off with the delicious Gage N-17 Fondue; I have no idea what the N-17 stands for, but the cheese and bread were warm and soothing on our cold February evening. For dinner I had the Duck Leg Confit & Roasted Breast – cooked perfectly and with a slighly sweet touch in the Apple Syrup. The smoked cheddar gratin that accompanied it was pretty good as well, though the celery flavor was a bit overpowering. Others in my party tried the Roasted Amish Chicken, Gunthorp Farms Pork Chop & the Roast Saddle of Elk – all were enjoyed.

Our waiter was knowledgeable, though a bit aloof at times. It took quite a while to place our orders… he seemed a bit preoccupied with making separate trips to our table for every little thing, but not asking for entree decisions for some reason. The ambiance was wonderful with dark wood and booths… and yet not overly ‘upscale’. Contemporary and welcoming all at the same time. One downside though, this place was busy enough that even with our reservation we had to wait about 15-20 minutes.