Libertyville Restaurants

This was a special appetizer of warm chihuahua cheese with fried potato strips and an excellent tomato-based sauce. Delicious!

Do be aware that Firkin has a predominantly bar-going clientele on weekend evenings. Therefore, if you go here to eat instead of drink, as I do, you are better off going for lunch or early afternoon on weekends, since it can get pretty noisy after 7 PM or so.

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Allan and I had dinner on July 20, 2007 to celebrate my birthday. I had Beef Tenderloin; Allan ordered Rack of Lamb but ended up receiving roast pork! The waiter gave us a free dessert for my birthday.

My friend Mickey Scales had just retired from teaching English, and we decided to have a "girl's day out" to celebrate. We decided to spend the day in downtown historic Libertyville. It had been at least a year since I had taken the time to peruse the town. Much to my surprise, there was a new restaurant called 545 North bar& grill. We looked at the posted lunch menu and decided to give it a try.

What a grand idea that turned out to be! It's a long, narrow building, and the decor is quite "slick" and "hip". I would almost think that I were entering a restaurant in Lincoln Park in Chicago!
We chose to eat outside because it was a picture-perfect afternoon. That, too, was a good choice.

Our waitress was quite accommodating...efficient, friendly, and ever so helpful.

The Lunch Menu includes Small Plates (about $8-9); Huge Salads ($7-13); Sandwiches and Lunch Entrees such as Strip Steak, Barbecue Pork Loin, Hamburgers, Grilled chicken Breast, Homemade Corned Beef, Gyros Plate (to name a few).

The Dinner Menu prices are more expensive and have such Main Courses as:
Grilled Filet of Beef, 16 oz Ribeye, Roasted Rack of Lamb, Rosemary Pork Tenderloin Medallions, Pan Seared Halibut, Pancetta Wrapped Shrimp, Vegetable Linguine

The website says that "Chef Patrick Joyce's dishes are infused with international flavors to create distinctive tastes." From our joint experience, we agree!


Favorite Dish: Mickey and I decided to share our lunch. We chose from the Small Plates. We had Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla that was served with pico de gallo, guacamole & sour cream [$8.00] and a Caesar Salad made with fresh romaine, parmesan & garlic croutons [$7.00].

Mickey was concerned that it would not be enough; however, we could not even finish the salad!

The Chipotle Chicken was seasoned to perfection with "a little kick" but not overpowering.
Mickey and I agreed that it was quite delicious. The Caesar Salad was just excellent....so crisp and with delicious crunchy croutons. The dressing was mild and added to rather than overpowering the salad.

With my good friend, the perfect weather conditions, the beautiful new restaurant, the delicious food choices, and the delightful waitress, we agreed that it was a perfect luncheon for our celebration of her retirement.

After a busy day touring Milwaukee and then stopping by at Deecat and Allan's place for a little get-together, we all headed for the OLIVE GARDEN which was only a few minutes drive and located in the Gurnee Mills Shopping Complex. It was a beautiful and spacious restaurant and for a Tuesday evening, quite full of diners, probably treating themselves after an afternoon of Christmas shopping. Dee had made reservations thank goodness and we were seated, all eight of us in a cozy little nook of the restaurant. Our waiter, Ryan, was pleasant, funny and very efficient. I ordered spaghetti with traditional meat sauce seasoned with garlic and herbs. ( $9.75 ). Hans had lasagna classico, with layers of pasta, meat sauce and mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and romano cheese ($11.95). As is the tradition with Olive Garden, we were served fresh baked breadsticks and generous bowls of salad with Italian dressing.

On a beautiful night in May of 2005, my husband Allan and I, along with our neighbors, Sue and Ben, had dinner at the family-owned and operated Gilardi's Italian Trattoria in Vernon Hills. We had just been to the musical, "Brigadoon" at the Lincolnshire Marriott Theater.

I had seen advertisements for the restaurant with the classic automobile always present, but I had never eaten there. My friend Sue had eaten here for many years, so it was her suggestion for us to go there that night.

Photos: Top, is front view of Gilardi's.
Bottom, Dee in front of Classic Roadster that's part of the ambience of the place.

Our waiter told us that Gilardi's has been in this location for 20 years, and he also told us that all the recipes are family recipes. All the food is made "from scratch".

It's a quaint place with a picturesque wrap-around porch with windows that open out in warm weather.

It's quite obvious from the beginning...from the moment that we walked in...that tradition and family pride play a positive role in the success of this Italian trattoria.

Favorite Dish: Gilard's offers Traditional Pastas, Antipasti, Steaks, Grandma Sophie's Homestyle Pastas, Veal, Chicken, and lots of Fish dishes.

The Extra-virgin Olive Oil they have on the table for dipping the bread is extraordinary. The House Salads were crisp, fresh, and the house dressing was also magnificent.

The other three had Fish dishes, either White Fish with chopped tomatoes, olive oil, spices, and onions or Salmon. They all agreed that their meals were delicious.

I ordered the homemade Cheese Ravioli, and found it just delightful. It had a wonderful Marinara sauce that blended perfectly with the delicate cheeses.

For dessert Allan and I shared a homemade Conoli with coffee.

Both couples had a coupon card that took off ($16.00) of each couple's total bill.

We are so glad that Sue and Ben introduced us to this fantastic Gilardi's Italian Trattoria

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Within two weeks, I enjoyed Opa! Restaurant two times. My first visit was with my husband Allan and the best man at our wedding (43 years ago), Jim Nelson. Jim was visiting us, and the three of us went out to eat there. It was a beautiful August night (75 degrees and sunny) so we ate out on the patio overlooking small Bear Lake.

The second time I went there was on a chilly and wet Monday evening just a week later; this time three of my best friends (Mickey, Jill, and Marcia) were celebrating Jill's birthday.

Both times, the food was outstanding; the service was excellent, and the company was terrific.

I love the "look" of Opa! The main room (non-smoking) is two stories high with large windows all around and a skylight. Thus, it is bright and airy and spacious. Outdoors the patio wraps around with plenty of seating; there are decorative lighting to add to the ambience outside.

There's a great Wine menu so check it out.

The regular menu is quite extensive:
Mezethes (appetizers)
Orektika (Spreads)
Lagana (Flatbreads)
Soupes & Salates (Soups & Salads)
Parelipomena (Side Dishes)
Thalassina (From the Sea)
Vounou & Kambou (From the Land)
Spitiko Fayito (Traditional Greek Comfort Food)
Piateles (Combination Plates)
And, of course, DESSERTS

Favorite Dish: Dishes that I can recommend because I, Allan, or my friends have tried them and loved them:

The Tzatziki Spread of Creamy yogurt, cucumber & garlic)
Saganaki (sizzling flamed Kefalograviera Cheese)
Dolmathes (Grape leaves stuffed with ground meat & rice)
Lagana (one of two Flatbreads; this one was flatbread topped with eggplant, tomatoes, olives, & feta cheese)
Avgolemono Soupe (traditional egg-lemon & rice soup)
Bean Soup (white beans, carrots, and some tomato)
Opa! Salata (Romaine & iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, olives & feta cheese, Greek dressing)
Patates Tiganites (hand-cut Greek fries)
Arni Bouti Fournou (Roast leg of lamb)Gyros Piato (Platter of gyros with tzatziki, tomatoes, onions & warm pita)
Moussaka (Baked eggplant, zucchini, & ground meat, topped with bechamel sauce)

For Jill's birthday, the waiter brought to her (free) a slice of Galaktoboureko with a candle, and we all sang "happy birthday" to her. Both times, we had a special dessert with shredded filo filled with honey and nuts, rolled, and then covered with a homemade chocolate sauce. It was so excellent.

This Greek restaurant has it all: the architecture, the outdoor patio overlooking the lake, the great service, and, best of all, the outstanding food.

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Be warned that at the noon hour, The Picnic Basket is one of the busiest places in all of downtown Libertyville. It's a small place, so if you wish to eat in, get there early. It offers a fantastic variety of homemade salads; four homemade soups; gigantic, original sandwiches, and tantalizing desserts.

The menu is large and divided into:
Regular sandwiches
House Creations (Such as "Rodeo Chive: Roast Beef and Cream Cheese with Chives on White Sourdough).
Wraps
Ready-to-Go Salads
Gourmet Salads
Salad Combo Platter: (one of the gourmet salds and a sandwich)
Soups
Quiches
Drinks
Desserts (cookies, Lemon Bars, Fudge Brownies, Scotcheroos, 7-Layer Bars, Oatmeal Carmelita, Pokie Bars

The sandwiches are made fresh to order per customer's specifications. They also offer a variety of hot daily specials such as pasta dishes. The soups are gourmet and quite good. The salads are crisp and always fresh. There is a wide assortment of breads and add-ons for the sandwiches. Besides soda pop, they have tea and lemonade as well as coffee. But remember to save room for the scrumptious desserts.

Favorite Dish: My favorite sandwich is the freshly baked turkey breast sandwiches. You can always tell when turkey breast is available because of the wonderful aroma that permeates the block!

With the Turkey Breast Sandwich ( I always order a 1/2 sandwich), I usually have *a small, fresh fruit salad, and a diet Dr. Pepper. I USED to eat the potato chips (yes, I know they are potatoes, but they don't taste like potatos!). If I'm not completely stuffed, I will have a homemade cookie too.

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Be sure to click on all photos

On a very special Friday evening, August 11, 2006, Allan and I enjoyed our 43rd wedding anniversary dinner at Portofino Italian Bistro in Vernon Hills, Illinois (just outside of Libertyville, Illinois). What a beautiful evening it was, indeed.

Portofino Italian Bistro is a very popular restaurant among people all over Lake County. Why? It's obvious once you walk into this delightful environment. From the greeter to the bus boy, every employee is efficient, friendly, and helpful. Our waitress, Alana Davidov was especially wonderful with her ready smile, helpful suggestions, and genuine positive attitude. We were quite lucky to have her as our waitress on this important celebration.

We chose to eat indoors because it was a cool, somewhat windy evening. The room where we were seated (in a comfortable, romantic booth) has a beautiful sky mural with white doves on the ceiling, art deco lights on each table, and large windows overlooking a small man-made lake.

Service was outstanding. The "bus boy" was what I term "Johnnie on the spot". He was right there whenever we were finished with a plate; water was always filled; and the table was cleaned efficiently.

The specials for the night were explained well by Alana, and the menu was easy to peruse.

It included: Antipasti, Pizza, Insalata,Zuppe (soup), Pasta, Chicken & Veal, Fish, Beef & Pork, and Side Dishes. In addition, there was a dessert menu.

Favorite Dish: Allan ordered one of the specials for this Friday evening. It was a combination of Grilled Filet, two Grilled Lamb Chops, Grilled Pork Chop, and an Italian Sausage!! In addition, the dish also included roasted potatoes and Spinach sauteed in garlic and extra virgin olive oil. He ordered a glass of House Cabernet Of course, he could not eat all of it. So he took home about half of it because he wanted dessert and coffee.

I ordered Portofino Insalata (Mixed field greens with caramelized walnuts, roasted cranberries, fresh pears), and it was tossed with the house vinaigrette. Also, I had the Quattro Formaggi Brick Oven Pizza. This pizza is made with Parmesan, fontina, gorgonzola, and mozzarella cheeses. I took home 1/2 of the pizza, and could not complete my huge salad.

Continued

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Even though Allan and I were married on August 10, 1963, we celebrated this year on August 11 because Allan had to work on the tenth!

Since Portofino Italian Bistro is one of our favorite restaurants in the area, we chose it for this 43rd anniversary dinner.

As you can tell from the photographs (especially the sunset photo), this is a very special place.

Photo One: We walked outside where people were eating, and I took this photo of the sun just as it was setting over the small lake.

Photo Two: Alana Davidov, our waitress, volunteered to take a photo of the two of us on our anniversary. This is her photograph.

Photo Three: Since the Brick Oven Pizza is so good, I decided to take a picture of it.

Photo Four: I took a photo of my delicious Quattro Formaggi Brick-Oven Pizza.

Photo Five: Here's a photo of our two wonderful desserts BEFORE we dug in. Homemade Tiramisu and three small homemade Conoli

Favorite Dish: For dessert, Allan and I split homemade Teramisu (free with a coupon) and 3 small homemade Conoli I order Cappucinno, and Allan had black coffee. Just as the main meal was outstanding, so, too, was the dessert.

Check out the #5 photo to see these beautiful desserts.

Even though we had to celebrate one day late, it was well worth it because we chose Portofino Italian Bistro as our place to eat.