Chef James' Place - Geneva, Illinois

I decided to check out Chef James' Place in Geneva, Illinois after my favorite sommelier, Jody Richardson of hotspot Niche, recommended their Cheesesteak Hogie. After growing up 90 minutes from Philadelphia and countless trips to the city of "UN"brotherly love I'm a sucker for a great cheesesteak. The problem is I can never find one. Living on the west coast was downright miserable for seeking out the shredded rib eye and melted cheese delight. And now that I live here in Chicago one is hard pressed to find an authentic cheesesteak among the clutter of Italian Beef and Redhots.

BUT...to my surprise and down right disbelief...Chef James has come pretty damn close. I picked up my 6 inches of cholesterol joy last week for lunch with low expectations. I opted for the hogie which basically means it comes topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, oregano, salt/pepper, and oil/vinegar. You can scrap all the fix'ins and go with just cheese and steak if you desire. I thought the oil and vinegar was a bit odd but it actually was very good.

In this picture you see a lot of the hogie topping and not as much of the thinly sliced sirloin and melted american cheese. But trust me...it's in there!

What makes this cheesesteak darn near authentic has a lot to do with the perfect combination of cheese to sirloin ratio and how they prepare the steak. It's shredded not sliced. I get downright pissed when I order a cheesesteak and the steak is sliced. The sirloin is also seasoned well and like the cheesesteak hogies I get back east the toppings are a perfect compliment. And last but not least...the bread. Ask anyone back in Philly what makes an authentic Philly style steak and they'll say the bread. It can't be too hard and it can't be too soft that it soaks up grease and falls apart. The hogie rolls used by Chef James are very good. I applaud him for that. Nothing ruins a perfectly good cheesesteak than crappy bread.

Along with the cheesesteak, Chef James's Place in Geneva, Illinois offers several other sandwich options. If you're interested check out their Menu

Next time I'll selflessly try something new for the sake of the blog...even though the cheesesteak hogie is what I really want!

Chef James' Place
513 S. 3rd Street
Geneva, Illinois 60134
630-262-0023

Emmett's Tavern and Brewing Company - West Dundee, Illinois

Emmett's Tavern and Brewing Company in West Dundee, Illinois is an all time favorite of mine. It's the original of three locations throughout Chicagoland. As you can tell by the name it's a micro brewpub that specializes in small batch brewing so they can rotate styles often. After living in the Pacific Northwest (Bend, OR to be precise) I know good micro brew. I've had the opportunity to enjoy some of the best micro brewed beer in the world as the Northwest and West Coast breweries continue to put out some of the most amazing beer you'll ever have. But don't take my word for it...check out BrewerMan.com for some great insight into how the U.S. micro brew market is exploding and setting the bar around the world!

When I first moved to the Fox Valley and heard about Emmett's I'll admit I was skeptical. Probably a little snobbish on my part. But when I first put my nose to a pint (20oz pint too) of their Victory Pale Ale I knew instantly that this place was the real deal.

The brewmaster, Ryan Clooney, knows how to brew real beer. I was in heaven knowing I can simply drive a short distance to West Dundee and enjoy some great micro brews again. Along with their Victory Pale Ale, Emmett's brews a wide varietal of award winning seasonals and offers a Cask Conditioned option when available. For those who haven't tried a cask conditioned beer you need to. Not many places offer this option as a pouring style since it requires some high maintenance up keep. But enjoying a good ale from a cask is phenomenal and I highly recommend it.

In addition to fantastic beer, Emmett's Tavern and Brewing Company offers a great menu. They use high quality ingredients and really avoid the greasy "pub food" stereotype. There are several options including pasta, fresh fish, steaks, and of course burgers. I actually had a pasta dish believe it or not. I chose the Rigatoni Mozzarella with sausage. You knew I couldn't go without some type of meat! It was fresh and seasoned just like I expected. Simple but delicious. Whether it paired well with my beer was irrelevant. Check it out:

For families with small children, Emmett's offers their version of a "Happy Meal". What a brilliant idea given the popularity of McDonald's version. Trust me...even a small touch like this helps keep the toddlers at bay long enough for me to order that third pint. You know...the one you probably shouldn't order but you feel completely compelled by the beer gods. Sometimes the beer gods are angry and they make you order a fourth pint...but we won't go there today.

On a last note I like to comment on a restaurant's atmosphere. Emmett's does a good job using dark woods and brass to give you that warm pub feeling. They showcase their copper kettles when you first walk in announcing to everyone that we take our beer seriously.

And they back it up with a high quality product that goes down effortlessly.

I recommend Emmett's Tavern and Brewing Company to anyone who appreciates high quality micro brews and wants to actually enjoy what they eat. Emmett's provides both and is kid friendly to boot. It's one of my favorites and I'll be going back again and again.

Cheers!

Emmett's Tavern and Brewing Company
128 West Main Street
West Dundee, Illinois 60118
(847) 428-4500