First bite: Jolane’s Cafe & Wine Bar
There’s a reason Jolane’s Cafe & Wine Bar (1100 N. Milwaukee Ave., Glenview; 847-375-6986) is so near the giant Abt Electronics store. It’s owned by Bob Abt, who named it for his mother, Jolane, the store’s late co-founder.
Thus ends the similarities. This elegant restaurant is an oasis compared to the cheerful hustle and bustle going on a few hundred yards away. It opened earlier this year as a coffeehouse, but management decided to retool its concept into something a little more upscale. The dining room’s elegant, dark wood appointments, subtle lighting and piped-in music create a soothing atmosphere, but a coffeehouse vibe remains. Maybe it’s the huge dessert case at the front, or the friendly, unpretentious servers and casually dressed customers.
Chef John des Rosiers’ menu is informed by Jolane’s homeland on the Austrian-Hungarian border, but it’s not limited to that region’s cuisine. Case in point: the red quinoa (an underappreciated South American grain) that accompanied a perfectly cooked (and quite large) salmon fillet with roasted Brussels sprouts in a pancetta-yogurt sauce ($18). A closer yodel to Austria, the roasted free-range chicken, with its crispy skin and moist interior, pleased us immensely, as did the accompanying melt-in-your-mouth twice-baked potato and tender cremini mushrooms ($16).
The wines available by the glass are limited but, that said, the list had sufficient range. Bonus points for the generous bread basket (a meal in itself with a trio of spreads). We loved our starters too: a spicy chicken soup ($4) and side salad of Spanish mixed greens with manchego cheese and almond-mustard dressing ($4.50).
We so wanted room for dessert, but there wasn’t even room for coffee. Too bad, because the list of Julius Meinl coffee and tea drinks is substantial. The dessert case holds tempting Austrian treats, including opera torte and Black Forest cake. These can (and should) justify a visit all by themselves. (And yes, we asked: The cafe is fine with that.)
For something less expensive, the lunch menu serves fancy finger sandwiches along with manly, towering burgers, most in the $8-$10 range. And parents will appreciate the children’s menu offering four items for $3.50 each.
— Renee Enna
Kudos
AAA released its list of restaurants receiving the coveted Five Diamond rating, and once again, Chicago is leading the pack. Seven Chicago restaurants grabbed the top honor, more than any other city in the country. The recipients, repeat winners all (number of years in parentheses) are: Alinea (3 years), Arun’s (7 years), Avenues (3 years), Charlie Trotter’s (15 years), Everest (13 years), Seasons (9 years) and Tru (9 years). AAA also released its list of Five Diamond-rated hotels, and The Four Seasons (19 years) and The Peninsula (7 years) were Chicago’s recipients.
— Phil Vettel
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