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.
Nancy and I have become desperate for entertainment during this Covid-19 crisis. Nancy is convinced she is qualified to be a doctor after watching “Untold Stories of the ER” on TV, and she actually is becoming good at diagnosing the cases. Our Saturday night entertainment is now the Three Stooges followed by Svengoolie. We have also learned from the grandchildren the importance of checking FaceBook constantly. This turned out to be true when we read in the Wildflower Lake neighbors group about a new restaurant called Syrup in Algonquin.
Syrup
2555 Bunker Hill Drive
Algonquin 60102
(847) 458-6600
www.eatatsyrup.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 North to Algonquin Road, East to Randall Road, South to Bunker Hill Drive, West to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 20 minutes
This restaurant is in the location that previously housed the Colonial Cafe. The new owners gave it a much needed facelift. They left the layout the same, but transformed it into an upscale, modern farmhouse venue. The interior is bright and fresh, and would make a rainy day seem cheerful. However, there is no sign of the old “Kitchen Sink” sundae.
Syrup offers a huge menu with 11 breakfast categories, each offering several entrees to choose from. Nancy’s blonde brain was about to explode. After carefully narrowing it down to a dozen or so choices, she decided on the Funky Monkey French Toast ($10.50). This was homemade banana bread, cinnamon sauteed bananas with a Ghirardelli sea salt caramel drizzle, topped with whipped cream and chopped pecans. Banana bread french toast is one of her favorite breakfast dishes and this version spoiled her forever. The platter had four thick slices of banana bread french toast with a quarter of a banana placed by each slice. The presentation was pretty and the taste was, in her words, “OMG, to die for”!!!
Jim also had a problem choosing his entree today. After much deliberation, he went with the Mini Waffle Flight ($12). This was a sampling of their four waffles: Raspberry Marscapopne, Chocolate Chip Bacon, Maui, and Bananza. All of these were decadent and delicous, but Jim and I both decided that the Chocolate Chip Bacon was the star of the flight. And with all that sugar, we’re ready for takeoff!!!
If all of this light and healthy food was not enough, Nancy and I had to share their Billion Dollar Bacon ($6) as a side. This was four slices of thick cut hickory smoked bacon, baked with brown sugar and sprinkled with a specialty spice blend. We have never had bacon like this, not too sweet, and there was a little hint of heat in their spices that made this bacon, TOTALLY AWESOME!!! Try it, you’ll like it.
This restaurant had a radically different homemade syrup. They mixed warm maple syrup and buttermilk together to make a mixture that is delicious and had a slight butterscotch taste. It was addicting and we wanted to take it home with us.
Fire up your sweet tooth. This is a must try restaurant for breakfast/brunch. In all fairness, they do offer savory items like their five egg omelettes (seriously?), and they have a lunch menu also. Instead of the hand sanitizer at the door, they should have insulin shots available when walking out because of all the “Syrup”-y sweet goodness.
The total price for our sticky, syrupy adventure was $37.09, satisfying our sweet tooth, priceless…
Jim’s take: A chocolate bacon waffle and candied bacon, I’m in heaven!!!
Nancy’s take: My sugar buzz lasted all day. Although I was almost in a diabetic coma, I wanted to drink that buttermilk syrup to wash down the candied bacon!
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com.
