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Country House Restaurant Review
We had once again chosen a mid-week night. (I'm sure that I have, on numerous occasions, mentioned why I prefer not to go out on weekends. But I'll reiterate: the simple fact is that we are not big fans of crowds, and I would prefer to see a restaurant operate when things are moving at a slower pace.) The Country House has a beautiful building in a great location that is darn near impossible to miss: on the northeast corner of the very busy intersection of Kirk Road and Fabyan Parkway. The turn into the lot is fairly easily accomplished and parking is plentiful. Inside, the bar area features a large fireplace and lots of tables at which to enjoy your favorite beverage. There is even an outside area for dining that overlooks a huge landscaped pond. It was yet too cold to dine outside, so we asked for a table in the non-smoking area of the restaurant (several rooms are available). We were a bit earlier than what we consider to be our normal dinner hour, but we were both a tad hungry and had decided that early tonight was OK. It was a good sign to see that there were already many other diners who had made the same decision go to the Country House. The menu is fairly large in terms of available choices, but the one thing that caught my eye was the phrase at the top of the menu that boasted of a casual dining experience. Upon later checking the History page of The Country House website, I found the following: "In 1996 the Country House moved to the country when a third location was selected in Geneva, Illinois... While featuring the acclaimed Country Burger, the expanded Geneva menu still focuses on casual dining with casual pricing." Perhaps when I first visited The Country House, I had expected something different, although I'm not really sure what. But I do know that expectations can often get in the way of a good time. So this time I simply settled back and decided to enjoy the casual dining.
With so many items from which to choose, a decision was difficult, so we decided to munch on the Spinach & Artichoke Dip: A rich combination of Artichoke Hearts, Spinach, Red Onion, Cream Cheese and Feta Cheese served hot with Pita Chips as we sipped on cocktails and perused the menu. Lauren finally decided on the Country Burger: A full 1/2 pound chopped sirloin, broiled to order and served on light or dark rye bread, or on a bun with homemade cole slaw and your choice of steak house fries or potato salad and grilled or raw onion on request. One of the specials was all-you-can-eat Fish & Chips: perch, dipped in a New England style Pub Batter, deep fried and served with Steakhouse Fries, Cole Slaw and Tartar Sauce. There were numerous items on the menu that caught my attention, like the Steak Sandwich, the Ostrich Burger, Broiled Salmon on Herb Focaccia sandwich; even the Turkey, Brie & Apple Panini sounded good, as did an order of Hickory Smoked Ribs. But when our server told me that the fish was in fact fresh and hand breaded/dipped, I made up my mind to try it. The results of our dinner overall were very positive. The tables were all clean, the service was very good and the ambience matched the menu statement: casual and comfortable. The Spinach and Artichoke Dip was excellent and the accompanying pita chips were crispy and warm -- quite a nice little appetizer. Lauren's burger was huge and cooked exactly as she had ordered it. My fish, although a tad overdone, was hot and tasty and, as advertised, hand dipped -- not the oft-encountered portion-controlled flash-frozen pieces of other places in the area. I was a bit full from the appetizer, or I could have eaten much more. I must say that The Country House has a good thing going and I am glad that things were much more pleasant than on our previous trip. Importantly, the "casual dining at casual pricing" theme is definitely an apt description; our bill, including drinks, was less than $40. Apparently there are still some places left where good food is available at prices that are not insanely high -- The Country House is just such a place. And while I may not be convinced yet that we have found the best burger around, I can definitely say that The Country House gets a solid Three-and-a-half Zins. Stop in on Tuesdays for fifty-cent oysters at the bar at 5:30pm, or any time for lunch, dinner or cocktails with friends.
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A
number of years ago (more than five actually), Lauren and I had our first
experience at the Country House after I saw an ad for the place at a Kane
County Cougars baseball game. My review then was not particularly kind.
After a number of emails that urged me to go back again, I decided that it
was indeed time to see what things were like and if they had changed for the
better. 