Normally, only a single visit to a restaurant is made before I write a review...  I have actually been to Wildwood Restaurant in Geneva several times over the past year or so, but I simply have not generated a full review -- something that I cannot explain... and so I will offer no excuses.  However, it is certainly time to share with you my thoughts on what I believe could be one of the finer destinations in the area for lunch, dinner or even Sunday Brunch.

Occupying a fairly large portion of the Dodson Place shopping area on Third Street -- about a block and a half north of the Metra Station -- the venue actually has two different entrances, each offering a slightly different view of the restaurant and a different feel as well.  There is one entrance from Third Street that takes one through a sort of portico and then into a huge bar and lounge area that is complete with low cocktail tables and plush leather chairs, a large floor-to-ceiling stone-faced gas fireplace and a grand piano.  The bar itself is copper-topped, perhaps 30 feet long and can easily accommodate a dozen or more guests.  The colors are warm, there is a lot of dark wood, and the muted glow from the numerous inverted and hanging yellow fluted lamps adds an ambience that is hard to beat.  Double doors lead from the lounge to the dining room.

Entry from the courtyard area of Dodson place leads to a hostess station and then to the dining room from the side opposite of the entrance from the lounge.  The well-appointed dining room can comfortably seat probably about a hundred or so diners in the fairly comfortable upholstery-seat wooden-backed chairs.  The floor is carpeted, tables are covered with white cloths and topped with white paper, and there are white hors d'oeuvre plates, a bottle of fresh olive oil, white cloth napkins, silver settings and wine glasses.  The walls are adorned with artwork from local artists, dark wood calms the nerves, mirrors along the outside walls add to the feel of openness and the ambience is quite comfortable here too.

My descriptions may be pointless, as the Wildwood website has virtual tours available of both the lounge and the dining room -- something not too many other restaurants can boast.  Likewise, all menus are available on the site as .pdf files, so I won't take time here to mention the vast array of appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts… not to mention the wines and beers.

 What I can share with you is that I have personally sampled:

• Beef Carpaccio (Lean raw beef, drizzled with olive oil, aged balsamic glaze, capers, red onion and parmesan),
• Beer Battered Onion Rings (Thick cut onion rings dipped in rich beer batter and fried until golden),
• Tuna Tartare (Minced fresh yellow fin tuna blended with Tobiko caviar, minced green onion, wasabi and teriyaki sauce, served with crisp wontons),
• Twin Crab Cakes (A blend of lump crabmeat and sweet shrimp served with a Dijon mustard sauce),
• Diver Scallop (Jumbo scallop wrapped in smoked bacon served with crimson lentils and sundried cherries),
• Oak Grilled Steak and Potato Salad (Grilled marinated skirt steak served over crisp field greens, with tomatoes, red onions, grilled portabello mushrooms and crumbled bleu cheese with crispy red skins and honey mustard dressing),
• Horseradish Crusted Grouper (Grouper baked with a tangy crust, served over tomatoes, fennel, orange and sautéed spinach with a citrus butter sauce) and
• Door County Whitefish (Sautéed Great Lakes whitefish served with sundried cherries, leeks, shiitake mushrooms and fresh basil in a white wine butter sauce)...  to name a few.

Except for the onion rings, which I found to be excellent but way too greasy, I am unable to make even a slightly negative comment about any of the food at Wildwood.  Likewise, the wait-staff seem to be fairly well trained.  (On one occasion -- a very slow evening -- I did observe a lot of standing around; this detracted from an otherwise impressive staff.)  They are professionally attired and do a great job.  Congrats to Executive Chef Christopher Corby for an impressive menu, fine plating and presentation.  The drink prices are not objectionable (about $9 for a Grey Goose on the rocks -- usually a healthy pour!).  And even when I have eaten in the bar, a freshly-starched white napkin is placed in front of me to serve as a table cloth accompanied by silverware wrapped in a white napkin, and warm bread is brought out prior to any other food items being served.  There has been some very close attention paid to the details at Wildwood and I for one appreciate that -- especially since these details are "consistently consistent".

I have been fortunate to have been in the area and able to visit Wildwood more than I normally would, as both guest and as one who has invited guests to join me while on business; the results have always been enjoyable.  I will caution you however, that I have not yet eaten a steak at Wildwood -- one of their signature meals, cooked on an oak-fired grill and prepared, as with all meals, from Wildwood's open kitchen.  For me, the prices of meat entrees are just much higher than I can comfortably afford.  It makes me wonder if those prices keep some possible repeat business away.  Keep in mind though that "All entrées are served with a choice of salad; Fish, Poultry, Steaks, Chops & Lobster entrées are also accompanied by your choice of one side dish."  A bit pricy?  Yes.  Worth the price -- especially if it's for a special occasion?  I would say yes.

If I were forced to look for a ding to make, I suspect it would be for the very high prices of wine by the glass at Wildwood, coupled with the fact that there are relatively few wines offered by the glass, especially given the incredible size of the wine list.  As my mentor Joseph Insalago used to say: "wine is meant to be enjoyed with a meal, and if the wine is too expensive, it will never be ordered -- let alone enjoyed."  Other than that, I can easily tell you that Wildwood Restaurant is a very solid Four-and-a-Half Zins experience.  Don't pass on an opportunity to enjoy some very fine dining!  By the way, I didn't even mention their Sunday Brunch -- the Green Eggs and Ham are to die for!

Ralph Pancetta
reviews@ralphpancetta.com