Leave it to Lauren to find those smallish, out-of-the-way places that are easy to get to and turn out to be great places to enjoy a fine dinner...  and that's exactly what she did recently when she mentioned Adelle's in Wheaton.  The amazing part is that on numerous trips to Chicago -- on Metra -- we have gone right past it and never noticed it!  Perhaps that is because the front of the restaurant (along with the sign) faces away from the train.  But there it is... tucked in neatly right next to the train station, complete with a slick little courtyard that I'm sure makes for a great venue during the warm months.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

Lauren had said "let's go out for Valentine's dinner... before Valentine's Day and avoid the crowds."  Like cupid's arrow, the idea hit the target and that's exactly what we did.  Upon entering the restaurant, I was struck by two things: a decided lack of diners and the wonderful warmth of the impressively simple decor.  Muted rust and olive colored walls with few items to obscure them, and stone tile floors.  Gentle orange flames rose quietly from a brick fireplace in the corner and thick, darkened glass windows rose from floor to ceiling on two sides of the restaurant.  Conversations were muted and the professionally-attired waitstaff went quietly about their business.  

As I mentioned earlier, Adelle's is on the intimate side (I actually prefer smallish restaurants) with about twelve-fourteen tables, only five of which were occupied.  We were in no great rush; since there were several tables available, we decided to have a seat at the bar and enjoy a cocktail prior to being seated.  The manager (an owner perhaps?) was gracious and friendly and served as maitre 'd and bartender as well.  Grey Goose on the rocks worked perfectly and the evening was off to a great start.

We were later escorted to a four-top with a great view of the fireplace.  The white table cloth was topped with a sheet of heavy white paper; an oil candle, salt and pepper shaker rested on the table.  I had just removed the silver from it and placed the starched, white cloth napkin in my lap when I noticed the Metra train leaving the College Avenue stop, heading towards Chicago; as close as we were to the massive engine, there was an incredible lack of sound.  Our assumption was that the serenity resulted from solid construction, great noise suppression materials and wonderful acoustics.  The trains were but a faint remainder of the outside world.

Adelle's menu provided ample opportunity for palate pleasures -- in the appetizer portion, entree section, specials and even dessert.  We began the affair however, with the delivery of ice water and thin slices of warm sourdough, hidden neatly in an intricately folded white cloth napkin nestled in a wire basket and accompanied by softened butter, piped and swirled into a ceramic ramekin. 

The Tuna Tartar with its lemongrass-ginger-sesame oil, mint-avocado-cucumber salsa and peapod-carrot salad was chosen as an appetizer; it arrived beautifully plated, the thick, dark red round of tuna perched atop a moist crouton and semi-surrounded by the julienned peapod-carrot salad.  Outstanding in flavor, the difficulty would be to avoid inhaling it... immediately.  But we took our time with the tuna and tried to decide on an entree.

A special for the evening -- Red Snapper, Oscar style with crab and lobster -- was screaming my name, and somehow I talked myself out of it.  Also loudly calling out was the Osso Bucco and Pistachio-Crusted Salmon.  A long explanation I am skipping here (could the morning's acupuncture actually have affected my thought processes?); instead I selected the Herb Crusted Lake Superior Whitefish, with lemon butter sauce and julienne vegetables -- this mostly because I have never ordered it at a restaurant and it sounded good.  Lauren's German heritage spoke up, and the resulting choice was Veal Schnitzel with lemon-caper butter sauce, cheddar & parmesan polenta, applewood-smoked bacon Brussels sprouts.  Lauren also decided that a glass of Malbec would nicely accompany her meal.

The main courses were served on hot plates; the plating itself being very nicely done.  The vegetables were hot and bright in color -- al dente -- and quite tasty.  Lauren's Schnitzel was a generous portion and the cheddar & parmesan polenta was creamy and masterfully cooked; the veal however was just a tad on the chewy side... but not distractingly so.  My Whitefish was cooked to perfection with a light and crispy crust surrounding a large portion of intensely white, flaky and tender fish.  I was however, disappointed by the lack of any herb flavor in the crust, as the description of "herb-crusted" was one of the deciding factors that led me astray from the Red Snapper.  Make no mistake, the meals were top-notch, despite the minor issues I mentioned with both Lauren's Schnitzel  and my fish.

Desserts "Baked Fresh and changed daily"; on this occasion they included a Sorbet Trio (lemon, melon, black cherry), Applesauce Cake with raspberry jam and buttercream icing, and a Chocolate Truffle Brownie Sundae.  Unfortunately, our appetites had been sated and we took a pass on dessert, although I thought I caught Lauren taking a second look at the brownie...

The bottom line on Adelle's is this:  The food is excellent (excellent job, chef John Anderson!), the service is professional and attentive and the venue has a marvelous (there are no distractions) atmosphere in which to enjoy all of this; Adelle's is a solid Four Zins.  I highly recommend it and would go back in a heartbeat.  Make a reservation through Open Table and earn some points for your Dining Cheque!  Until next time...

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Ralph Pancetta
reviews@ralphpancetta.com