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The Village Squire Restaurant Review
Last night, Lauren and I decided to drive north on Randall Road to see what was happening along the ever-busier thoroughfare. And believe me, it is ever busier than it has ever been! In a large shopping development on the west side of the road in South Elgin is an interesting looking building with the name Village Squire on it. I had heard of it and we decided to stop in for a bite to eat. The decor is on somewhat of a medieval theme with the requisite heavy wooden beams, large hanging chandeliers and a huge stone fireplace at the far end of the dining room. One of the things that I liked was the fact that the bar was somewhat separate from the dining rooms - that is to say that its presence was not immediately obvious to one coming through the door. The place impressed me as a family sort of place, and I am not fond of family restaurants that have readily accessible bars that are "available" to children. Too often parents not only bring their children in to the bar... they place them on the bar. Perhaps it is a remnant from my youth when my father refused to take the family anywhere to eat where the bar was an obvious part of the restaurant - but I digress...
As we were seated, we were given menus and a fresh bowl of popcorn to munch on; we ordered a margarita and a beer (Stella Artois) and took in the ambience. After looking at the menu - the only longer one that I have seen was at a Chinese-Mexican Restaurant and the menu had 37 pages of various items with only beef, chicken pork and rice - we decided on Stuffed Neptune Mushrooms with "French Crabmeat Stuffing" - $7.99 as an appetizer. Lauren ordered the Stuffed Athenian Chicken: "Stuffed with spinach, tomatoes, onion, artichoke and Feta cheese - $12.99 and I chose the Filet Mignon Sandwich: Broiled sliced beef tenderloin, topped with grilled onions and melted Monterey Jack cheese -$10.99. Not that it makes a difference, but there were a large number of Greek dishes on the menu. I first noticed it when a sizzling plate of Saganaki came past our table, followed by a whoosh as the flame ignited and a loud "Opah!" (the Greek exclamation of joy) echoed across the dining room. My only disappointment came when no applause followed the presentation. Were the diners asleep or laminated inside their own little worlds? The wait staff were all in uniform and all seemed to perform in unison - a rather impressive sight, since they all seemed to be busy at a task... at all times. They also appeared to have been well-trained and that is a definite plus. Our dinners were served and looked good on the plates, although the presentation might have been better and the plate could have used a bit more color. The food was served hot and was very good (my filet was tender; Lauren's chicken was a bit dry) but garlic was used with a very heavy hand - on everything - and was a bit distracting. If this is a Greek thing, then the meals were probably perfectly seasoned. Although I am not Greek, I do like garlic - this evening's amount however, was way much for both Lauren and me.
The Village Squire is a family-style place, and as such supplies an obviously different kind of feel from what some might refer to as fine dining. The lights are a bit brighter, the table cloths are replaced by laminated table tops, etc. The overall experience was a pleasurable one and Village Squire certainly is family-friendly, although we did not see many children on that particular evening. My only suggestions would be to take a look at the margaritas. Lauren's was way sweet and more like a lemon-lime soft drink than an adult beverage. Also consider heating the plates prior to serving the dinners. It is not only a nice touch but it is easy to do and keeps meals hot longer. The Village Squire impressed me as a
really nice place to take your sweetheart or your family... or even to go to
for a few appetizers with your friends. And when you hear the sizzle,
the whoosh and the Opah!... how about a little applause for your
hard-working
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