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302 West Restaurant Review Please Note: This review continues to receive many page views, so I have left it up. As you probably know, 302 West has been sold and is under new ownership. It reopened sometime in May of 2006 under the name Tuscana - Incredibly Italian and is owned by Jim Ginger - the same owner of Rain restaurant in Geneva). Less than a year later, Tuscana has closed its doors as well -- for what reason we may never know. But what a sad addendum to a landmark location...
For some reason, this is a restaurant that will always have a place in my heart…no matter what. And no, that’s not a segue to some bad news about 302 West. I have enjoyed some very special moments and occasions there, and I remember how saddened I was with the passing of Joel Findlay – a chef I considered as one of the greats who could easily stand shoulder to shoulder alongside my mentor, Joseph Insalago. Curious I was, as to the ability of someone else to be able to walk in Joel’s footsteps and maintain the quality and imagination that had brought 302 West such acclaim. I am very happy to report that Chef Jeremy Lycan seems to have taken the reins with strong hands and – at least for the time being – Geneva’s flagship of fine dining has continued to sail proudly on a straight and narrow course. Before I continue, I need to mention that I am certain there would be no way for this good news to exist were it not for Joel’s wife and partner Katherine who, without a doubt, has taken on a Herculean task in maintaining the reputation of 302 West. The untimely loss of a partner and soul mate is one thing. The loss of an innovative and talented chef at the same time is quite another. Katherine has found the strength to continue at 302. She has found someone (perhaps he was training with Joel or was a sous-chef to him) to take care of business in the kitchen while she continues run the business and to write – I assume – the marvelous descriptions for the menu.
While back in town recently, it was my pleasure to drop in for a cocktail and a light snack. I did this in part for no real reason and in part because I was curious to see what changes, if any, had taken place. I certainly had no intention of writing a review. Lauren was with me and we decided to sit in the dining room, which by the way was fairly empty. We ordered a Grey Goose on the rocks while we perused the menu. We then sampled the “Spicy shredded duckling nachos on whipped cilantro-goat cheese with crisp sweet potato and plantain chips for dipping” ($8.50), and the “In-house hickory smoked sturgeon fillet on a tuft of fresh mache atop a lacey potato crisp drizzled with sour cream-chive sauce and fresh chives” ($7.50) appetizers. We also decided to split a Crisp pecan crusted walleye fillet on rich and creamy butternut squash sauce anointed with dried cherry essence ($28.50). This we did only because they were out of the Yellowfin tuna crusted with pepper, seared and roasted, on double cream mashed potatoes with bright green onion butter sauce ($30). Although the entrees at 302 are now close to some of the most expensive in the neighborhood, for some reason I have never objected to them… for several reasons. The most important of these is that the food is always sensational eye candy that is served with an imaginative flair of a presentation. The flavors? Nothing short of fantastic. And not once have I ever been charged a plate-splitting fee. This evening was no different. The Duckling Nachos were superb, the Sturgeon superlative and the Walleye… to die for.
I just went back the other night for a birthday celebration, and was once again delighted by the experience. As has become a habit when dining at 302, my companion and I try to sample as many different things as possible without needing a cart to wheel us out the door after dinner. The menu is incredibly imaginative and the descriptions alone are enough to make you want to order everything. And maybe that’s the general idea. Because in ten years, I’ve tried an incredible range of appetizers and entrees and there was only one thing that I really didn’t care for. But I digress… We started the evening with “Crisp crawfish fritters (try saying that three times in rapid succession after two martinis!) on wild greens with spicy Cajun remoulade.” At $8.00 this was a steal. The spicy sauce really woke up our taste buds without an overpowering heat. We also tried the “Hickory-chipotle barbecued, jumbo Gulf shrimp with grilled avocado and mango on a tangy, fresh ranchero sauce with micro cilantro.” Just reading it was a mouthful, but when it came to the table, I wasn’t sure if I would ever stop salivating long enough to enjoy eating it. Some would be quick to condemn the $9.50 price tag. But I was pampering both my companion and myself and once I read the description there was no holding me back! The sauce here had a bit of a bite also, but again, not too much so. The presentation was gorgeous and the taste was outstanding. We had decided to split an entrée. And by the way, 302 has never balked at splitting plates and they don’t charge extra either. They’ll dress up two plates as if you both ordered dinner. No one, or at least very few, will go to that length for their diners. Anyway, we ordered the “Broiled, sweet Atlantic halibut fillet with creamy wild mushroom-sauced tubetti pasta and white truffle oil.” This was the third least expensive entrée at $25.00; the higher priced items would have been just as easy to order. Again, part of the appeal is in the description, but the menu is always rife with seafood and 302 does such a phenomenal job with it! The flaky white flesh of the halibut was divine and the sauce was ambrosia. I almost scraped the finish off of the plate in getting the last bite… It will most likely be several months before I can afford to return, but if I were to go there more often I would get so spoiled that I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. The ambience is always perfect. The white table-clothed tables always have the freshest of flowers; the service is almost invisible yet at the same time ever-present. If there is a special occasion coming up for you, do yourself a favor and make a reservation at 302 West. It costs a little more but it’s worth a whole lot more. For this writer, 302 will always be a Five Zin experience. Congratulations to head chef Joel and wife Katherine. 302 West is a shining star in the Fox Valley.
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I remember the very first time that I
walked into 302 West… the place was empty.