Stake your claim for comfort food

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

The cold, snowy, gray days of mid-winter are upon us. Cabin fever is starting to rear its ugly rear. That is why, once again, Jim and I jumped into the “Fatmobile” to stake our claim on some good old-fashioned comfort food at the Claim Jumper Restaurant and Saloon in Hoffman Estates.

The restaurant is huge with a large bar area with quite a few tables wrapping around a wooden bar. There is even a larger dining area with stone and wood accents. Pictures of miners from the Gold Rush days adorn the walls. There are some booths and some tables with the most comfortable leather and tree limb chairs you have ever sat on.

To start this evening’s meal, we noticed under “Appetizers” the hand-battered onion rings topped with Parmesan and garlic, served with Ranch dipping sauce ($8.99). There were enough of these thick, crunchy rings to satisfy a table of four hungry miners.

When our waitress took our entree order, she brought over a loaf of warm garlic cheddar bread. Nancy heard the word garlic and starting digging at the bread like miners at a new gold vein.

Now for Nancy’s entree. She chose the Original Tri-Tip Dip ($13.99). This was served on a French roll with caramelized onions, roasted Pasilla peppers, and smoked Gouda with au jus on the side. This reminded her of a fancy-schmancy Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. Her meal came with one choice from many side dishes. She chose to have the fresh-cut fruit. She added, for a $3.99 up-charge, the Premium Wedge Salad. This is a wedge of iceberg lettuce, crumbled bacon, Bleu Cheese and tomatoes with both balsamic vinaigrette and Ranch dressing.

Note from the Dining Duo Dictionary of Useless Information: The Tri-Tip Steak is a lean triangular shaped cut of beef from the bottom sirloin.

Jim evidently needed a lot of “comforting” because he started off with a cup of potato cheddar soup ($2.99). For his entree he went for the Chicken Pot Pie ($15.99) made with carrots, onions, mushrooms, and peas in a savory cream sauce. This was not like the pot pies of yesteryear. It was huge with a flaky crust and a Mother Lode of chicken. For his side he had the small green salad, which came decked out with mushrooms, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and cornbread croutons. His meal also included fresh-cut fruit.

Jim wanted to eat light tonight, so for dessert he hit pay dirt with the “World’s Smallest Sundae” ($3.99). This was two scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge, whipped cream, toasted almonds, and a cherry on top (I ate the cherry)!

In conclusion, this restaurant has good food, huge portions, and a great atmosphere to boot! We took a shopping “Doggie Bag” home with us for dinner the next day.

FYI: Handicap accessible, vegetarian and gluten free items available. Reservations accepted. Early dining menu available Monday through Friday 4–5:30 p.m.

The cost for this wintertime comfort was $59.85. We struck “gold” with this restaurant.

Jim’s take: I don’t remember pot pies being this delicious. The soup was thick with sliced potatoes instead of chunks, which made it unforgettable.

Nancy’s take: I never heard of, or had Tri-Tip, but it was great. Tender, lean and yummy. The portions are definitely huge. Could Jim eat anymore? I’m STILL amazed!

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com.

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