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Birch River Grill Restaurant Review Addendum:Unfortunately, Daniel Sikorski departed BRG sometime in the Spring of 2007, wanting to expand his career and search for ever-greener pastures. Replacing Sikorski is John Ayaleanos. A veteran chef, Ayaleanos brings with him a strong resume, having worked previous stints at a number of fine-dining venues and clubs. The chef is slowly adding his own touches to an already impressive menu, following his passion for freshness and quality of product. Lauren and I decided to taste a few of the Chef's specialties and headed back to BRG in July for just that purpose. Rest assured, the quality is still there, and if you haven't been to Birch river Grill in awhile -- or yet -- perhaps you should give making the trip some serious consideration. Our evening consisted of Boursin-stuffed Mushrooms, Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Yukon mashed potatoes, green beans, rustic cranberry-apple sauce and Campfire Roasted Brook Trout with peppered bacon potato hash and sautéed garlic spinach. A great fall dinner!
A brief conversation with Sikorski will quickly alert one to his passion for his trade and his desire to work hard to create a truly remarkable offering for dinner guests. He truly likes what he does. Says Sikorski: "My food comes from the heart." The hint of a smile that comes to his face when he talks about his creations is evidence of his zeal. But don't just take my word for it. You really need to visit Birch River Grill to see and experience what I am talking about.
The restaurant is part of the newly remodeled Doubletree Hotel in Arlington Heights - a venue that is close at hand no matter from which direction you come. The atmosphere is somehow austere and yet very warm and comfortable at the same time. A huge stone fireplace blazes in the cocktail area just behind the host/hostess station. A large deer head graces the stones above the mantle and a "grove" of birch trees separates the lounge from the dining area. The tables themselves are wood-grained and the seating is extremely comfortable - tables are spaced well and there is no crowded feeling.
The dessert menu - created by Executive Pastry Chef Kate Milashus - is no simple walk in the park either. Inspired originally by her grandmother who made everything from scratch, Ms. Milashus has a passion for pastries and patisserie arts. On her dessert menu at Birch River Grill are the choc-o-holic attractions of Black Bottom Crème Brulée with mini chocolate chunk cookies and Chocolate Soufflé Cake served with fresh mint ice cream to tempt the palate, as well as other fine and delectable sweets. Lauren and I were about to eschew dessert for looser fitting attire, but we decided to split a Rhubarb Tart topped with an exotic ginger ice cream... YUM! Although the rhubarb was a tad on the woody side, overall the dessert was excellent and a fine finish to an excellent meal. I was surprised at the lack of diners
that evening. Birch River Grill - An American Kitchen is one venue
that definitely should not be overlooked. It is not your
ordinary hotel restaurant catering only to hotel guests. You would
certainly do well to put Birch River Grill at the very top of your "places
that we absolutely have to try" list. The prices are very reasonable
and the food is outstanding. The service? Absolutely top notch!
I give Birch River Grill Four-and-a-Half Zins.
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What's in a name? What comes to
mind when you hear the words "Birch River Grill - An American Kitchen"?
Well, what should come to mind is a smallish restaurant with perhaps
the relaxing and comfortable feel of a north woods lodge that serves some of
the most incredibly delicious food this side of the Milky Way. At the
helm? A fairly young executive chef named Daniel Sikorski with a long
list of interesting and impressive credits who, in a quote from his Bio
states: 
Lauren and I arrived for dinner recently
on an evening shortly after Birch River Grill rolled out a new menu - and
what an incredible menu it is. A quick glance through it will start
the salivary glands dancing with joy at such items that some might be
tempted to call comfort food... But if this is comfort food, then
comfort has just been dialed up several notches! For starters, try the
Boursin Stuffed Mushrooms with horseradish dipping sauce, the
Flash Fried Tabasco Calamari with cool ranch sauce and banana pepper
relish or the Sizzlin' Campfire Mussels with charred tomato shallot
citrus butter and grilled garlic bread. Lauren spotted the Hickory
Bacon Wrapped Scallops with kentucky BBQ sauce - scallops are one of her fav's - and I was drawn quickly to the Crispy Great Lakes Smelt (How
many times have you seen that appetizer on a menu?!) with duck fat
fries and wildberry ketchup. Those items represent roughly half of an
amazing starting lineup of Soups and Starters that should contain something
for everyone. By the way, the three huge scallops that graced the
plate literally melted in Lauren's mouth and the BBQ sauce was, although
seemingly unusual, an excellent accompaniment. Smelt is an item not normally
seen on any menu, and I couldn't pass on them... These were lightly
breaded and flash-fried, served falling from a paper cornucopia onto the
plate. The "ketchup" was made from wild blackberries and added a
wonderful flavor to some tasty treats from the Great Lakes.
The entree side of the menu was no less
inviting, featuring typical fall favorites like Smokehouse Baby Back Ribs
with root beer baked beans, applejack cole slaw and skillet roasted
cornbread, as well as Apple Cured Double Cut Pork Chop with white
cheddar hominy grits, watercress salad, baked lady apples and sage jus.
There was also Yankee Pot Roast with braised carrot, celery, onion,
yukon gold potatoes and red wine sauce. Fifteen delightfully described
and mouth-watering entrees... and every one of them seemed to say "come
on... order me!" Lauren Chose the Cedar Planked
Salmon with garlic maple glaze, neuske bacon and wild rice pilaf while I
zeroed in on the Autumn Squash Ravioli with Wild Pheasant served with
fontina cheese, porcini mushrooms, sweet peas, pumpkinseed pesto and sweet
corn broth.
I could go into infinite detail about
the components of each dish. Importantly, the plating was simple but
elegant, the
food hot, and the flavors separate and marvelous. The maple glaze on
the salmon set the seafood apart from any I have tasted; the large piece
rested atop a charred cedar plank, topped by a rosemary stem, the rice just
a step below the plank accompanied by fresh green broccoli crowns. The
wild rice? Well, I don't know if it was the neuske bacon or perhaps
just the way the rice was prepared.. or the combo of those things, but as
far as I know, no one in any restaurant has served rice this good and this
flavorful. My pheasant - it came as a sliced breast - was nestled in the
center of the square plate, check-mated by squash-filled rooks of ravioli
around the border, the plate splashed lovingly with the sweet corn broth.
I savored every tender morsel. 