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.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The sun was shining, the birdies were chirping, and the Del Webbers were out walking their fluffy white doggies. What does the Dining Duo do on such a lovely afternoon? I’m glad you asked. We hop into the Mini-Mobile and venture out in search of food. We do have to keep up our strength, you know. It was such a gorgeous day for a drive in the country, and we wanted to go to Ream’s Meat Market in Elburn for some sausages to put on the barbie that evening. But first things first, it was lunchtime and we decided to take a slight detour and go to Niko’s Tavern & Neighborhood Grill in Campton Hills (yes, it does have the same name as the one in Pingree Grove).
Niko’s Tavern & Neighborhood Grill
40W188 Campton Crossings Drive
Campton Hills 60175
(630) 549-0037
gottahavenikos.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 south to Burlington road (roundabout), East to Campton Crossings Drive to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 27 minutes
Nancy was disappointed because her ride in the country was much quicker than what she had hoped for. A beautiful new shopping area appeared in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. This ride in the country lead us to two more restaurants to review in the future. Curious? “We’re not telling, na-na-na-boo-boo”.
Like the other Niko’s Tavern in Pingree Grove, it has a similar western décor with an outside patio, but it is much larger on the inside. Since we had enough fresh air from our ride in the country, we opted to eat indoors in air-conditioned comfort.
Whenever we go to the Pingree Grove Niko’s Tavern & Neighborhood Grill, we always have the reuben egg rolls for an appetizer, but today we are shaking it up a bit. We decided to try their Homemade Italian Beef Egg Rolls ($11). These are wonton wrappers rolled with thin cut Italian beef, giardiniera, mozzarella cheese, fried golden brown, and served with creamy horseradish sauce. Don’t worry, the giardiniera gave it just enough heat without burning your mouth or your gluteus maximus the next day. These Italian beef egg rolls are going to cause a problem for us, since these are just as delicious as the Reuben egg rolls. What are we going to order next time, hmmm…
My little piggy decided to pig out and basically order the equivalent of a pig on a bun. He ordered the Pig Shack Sandwich ($14), which was sliced smoked ham, slow-roasted pulled pork, smoked bacon, and creamy coleslaw piled high on a toasted pretzel bun with barbecue mayonnaise. He loved his sandwich, but even he could only eat half of it. His sandwich came with French fries and a pickle.
Nancy always orders the Italian beef wrap at Niko’s, but today she had a taste for the most boring sandwich known to man, namely the Turkey Club ($11). This was a triple-decker bacon, turkey, lettuce, and tomato sandwich with mayonnaise and served on toasted bread. She even told them to leave off the tomato. How wild and crazy can you get? Her sandwich came with French fries, coleslaw and a pickle. It’s what she had a taste for, and she said it hit the spot.
FYI: This is a handicap accessible restaurant.
We visited a new town, had a delicious lunch, found two more restaurants to review, and Nancy had her ride in the country. On the way home, we got wieners at Ream’s Meat Market and all is well in our world.
The price for our afternoon in the country was $44.41.
Jim’s take: I really liked my sandwich. A pig is such a tasty animal!!!
Nancy’s take: I think only men hate turkey sandwiches and think they are boring. I totally enjoyed mine.
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com
