Editor’s Note: Our columnist is not a trained or paid professional, nor does he get complimentary meals from the restaurants visited. He and his party arrive unannounced and do not reveal that they will be doing a review. Comments or questions may be sent to Sam Geati, greengeezer9@comcast.net.
This week, Judy and I chose one of the mainstay eateries of downtown Elgin, Al’s Cafe.
We walked into Al’s not knowing what to expect. The restaurant is on Dupage Court, which has been turned into a pedestrian-only block. The 2-story building and its small entrance really provide no clues as to what was in store for us. This was a Saturday night about 6 p.m., so we were surprised to be able to walk in and get seated immediately. At first, we thought that this could be a bad omen, but it sure wasn’t the case. We were greeted promptly and offered to dine either on the main floor or the upstairs dining area. We opted for the 2nd floor, and as soon as we reached the top of the steps, we knew we had made the right choice. Our advice is if you are able to handle the stairs and there is space available, go for it! We were seated at one of the tables next to the windows, which provided a good view of the street activity.
Our server, a college student named Daniel, was not only very efficient, but also very entertaining. If you are fortunate, as we were, maybe he will be on duty during the occasion of your visit to Al’s Café. Be sure to ask for him. He found time to tell us all about the history of building, the owners (Chef Tony and Hostess Pat), and most importantly, the food. I knew immediately that he was going to cost me extra money in the way of a tip because he was so good at what he does and made the dining experience so enjoyable. Granted, this is a lot of writing about a server, but in Daniel’s case, it is totally justified. Oh, by the way, Judy told me I had to write that Daniel is cute, too.
Ratings Key:
5 stars: Excellent
4 stars: Above Average
3 stars: Average
2 stars: Below Average
1 star: Poor
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★★★
Price/Value: ★★★★
Ambience: ★★★★
Overall Rating: ★★★★
You may have noticed that in the first line of this review, the word “bank” is in quotes. The reason for that, as we learned from Daniel, is this Victorian building, built in 1892, was originally a banking institution. The original safe is still visible on the 2nd floor, along with a wall containing safe deposit boxes. The rest of the décor includes shelves housing many books published since the opening of the bank. For example, I spotted the Blue Book of 1946. The tables, chairs, and chandeliers appear to be antiques. This area is also perfect for small, private occasions. By the way, the kitchen is on the first floor, so the servers make countless trips up and down the stairs.
So much for the ambience; here’s what we thought of the food. Daniel answered all our questions about the menu which, in addition to the entrees, included soups, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, specials, wines, and a separate menu for desserts. We ordered entrees that included a choice of soup or salad. Judy chose the Tomato Basil soup (very good) and I went with the New England Chowder (excellent). One of the unique features of Al’s Café is the great crusty bread which is delivered hot to the table after a short time on the grill. This grill time enhances the flavor and the crispiness of the bread. If you’ve read this column before, you know of my passion for bread. The bread served here rivals any I’ve had anywhere.
Judy’s entrée, named Newfoundland, consisted of pan-seared salmon in a tarragon cream sauce. Also on her plate were roasted potatoes, grilled tomatoes, and zucchini. Her dish, along with many other entrees, was priced at $14.95. The portion was large enough for her to take some home and enjoy another day. My choice was the NY Strip Steak, rubbed with garlic and pepper, prepared exactly to my specifications. It was accompanied by Al’s terrific mashed potatoes, which I asked for in place of the roasted potatoes. I was very pleased with that substitution, and Judy put her stamp of approval on the sample I gave her to try. My 12 oz. steak dinner was $18.95 and worth every penny of it. A tip of the hat to Chef Tony, who spent some years honing his skills in Europe, which explains why there are some traditional German dishes on the menu.
We weren’t done yet. Enter the dessert menu with so many choices, including old-fashioned malts, sundaes, sodas, ice cream specialties, and cheesecakes, even some creations with liqueurs. We asked about the cheesecakes, and Daniel sprang into chef-mode. He promised to make up one special for us to split. He personally dished up a large plate with a slice of cheesecake teeming with hot fudge and raspberry sauce circled by dollops of whipped cream ($5.95). Dude, that was awesome!!!
Daniel managed to finish us up with a few more anecdotes about the building before we finally left, full of fine food and a bit more educated about the history of downtown Elgin. I have to say that experiences like this make writing this column a joy. There are many great places to eat in Elgin, and it’s less than 25 minutes away from Sun City Huntley. So, get out there!
The bottom line is we will be back for more.
Sammy
