40 Years and counting…

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.

People use a lot of adjectives to describe Nancy and I, some are even complimentary. The adjective smart is not one of them, let me explain why. We headed out at 5 p.m. one Friday night to review a restaurant. We said to ourselves, it’s pretty early, we don’t need no “stinking reservations.” We proudly walked in and were asked if we had reservations. Since we had none, we were informed that the next open table was at 8:30. Of course this was my fault judging from the explicit phrases coming from the mouth of my loving bride. We returned to our car and started searching our restaurant “hit list” for something nearby. We picked a restaurant and called for a reservation at Al’s Café in Elgin. I told you we were smart.

The building we were looking for was built in 1892, and Al’s Café has occupied it for the last 40 years. Be aware there is only street parking by the restaurant. When you call for reservations, you should specify main floor seating unless you want to walk up a lot of stairs to their second-floor dining area.

Now on to the important stuff . . . FOOD! We started off our evening with the Garlic Roasted Shrimp Appetizer ($11.95). This was eight jumbo shrimp roasted in fresh garlic, white wine, butter, and parsley all served with bruschetta and crostini bread (4). Al’s showed their creativity in this dish. We had to ask our waitress for more crostinis since there was so much bruschetta and shrimp. We finished off every delicious bite.

Jim started channeling his German heritage and said, “I vill have the Zigeuner Schnitzel ($18.95) and like it!” This was breaded pork loin topped with a creamy roasted red pepper sauce served with red cabbage, fresh roasted vegetables, and spaetzle. When his dish arrived, his jaw dropped! This was the biggest schnitzel he has ever seen. It was very thin with a crunchy breading on the outside, which made this an excellent entrée. The red cabbage was very tangy, and the spaetzle was buttery.

Nancy had her taste buds primed for the first restaurant we were going to go to, and this change of plans put her world into an uproar. Since she always suffers in silence, she went back and forth between different entrees until she settled on the Black Angus Steak and Shrimp ($28.95). This was an eight-ounce char-grilled sirloin steak rubbed with a special blend of seasoning, finished with a red wine demi-glaze. It was topped with six garlic roasted shrimp and served with roasted potatoes and veggies. Whenever Nancy orders a steak, I’m sure the chef throws a fit. Her steak has to be well done with no pink on the inside. Kudos to the chef, he butterflied her steak and cooked it perfectly. Nancy thought the garlic roasted shrimp on top should have had more of a punch, but it probably would be fine for normal people.

For our sides we both decided on salads this evening. I chose their homemade ranch dressing which was really flavorful. Jim chose the homemade honey blue cheese dressing. You wouldn’t think that combination would work, but it definitely did.

We really wanted to try their chocolate malt for dessert, but they are made with six scoops of ice cream and no added milk. We are trained professionals, but even if we split it, three scoops of ice cream after that light meal that we had would send the EMT’s running to the rescue. So, no dessert for us tonight.

The chef at Al’s Café, Tony Jamin, was trained in Holland, Germany, and France. He uses his culinary skills to put his own twist on well-known dishes and throws in malts and shakes for laughs. The dishes are huge, and Nancy and I both took home half our dinners in doggie bags. Sometimes not having a reservation works out well in the end…

The price for our last-minute reservation was $71.85, we actually did need “stinking reservations!”

Jim’s take: My entrée was delicious, but I wish the spaetzle was lightly fried. I prefer that more.

Nancy’s take: The demi-glaze on my steak was awesome. At least the moron gets it now, reservations are a must.

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

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