West Dundee's ambitious bleuroot overflows with fresh farm-to-table offerings
The barely two-month-old bleuroot restaurant witnessed its busiest Saturday night recently despite its shuttered parking lot because of Fox River flooding. Whether the crush was suburban foodies curious about the new kid on the block or return diners happy to give it another whirl, this female owned-and-operated eatery may be the winner among a boatload of restaurants that have come, languished and gone from this historic building in downtown West Dundee.
Open since June 10, the restaurant doesn't have a blue cheese or a French focus, but its roots are bleu as in Spa Bleu in West Dundee and South Barrington. Tammy Coakley owns the spas and restaurant. Her mother, Kathy Dwyer, is a part of the operation in countless ways. And Heather Hazlett is COO of the bleu brand, which will swell again when inspire bleu, a wellness center, opens soon in South Barrington's Arboretum. All three have extensive restaurant and bar experience that they're bringing to an ambitious menu that focuses on locally sourced meat and produce, craft beer and cocktails.
If you've dined at any of the previous incarnations on this site, you'll recognize the historic building, dining room, outdoor patio and welcoming bar. The new robin's egg blue and cream color palette has lightened up the space, and fresh flowers on every table add a cheerful touch. Those black-and-white photos on the walls are scenes from All Grass Farms in Dundee Township, a working farm that supplies goods like 100 percent grass-fed beef, free-range chickens and eggs, turkeys, pasture-raised pork and organic vegetables.
At more than 9,000 square feet and 3½ stories, bleuroot houses a massive bar on the main floor surrounded by booths and tables; a mezzanine dining area that overlooks the seasonal outdoor patio with views of the Fox River; a kitchen on the second floor plus additional seating; and a third floor event room for 50-75 patrons that features its own bar and a private balcony affording scenic views over the river.
This particular Sunday, we spied some couples at the bar, a family of four with young children in a roomy booth and some friends enjoying the new communal table in the main dining area. Even though there were lots of servers buzzing around, the bartender sidled up to our table to get our drink order.
Hazlett says bleuroot aims to elevate service as much as food and beverage, hence the proliferation of waitstaff at attention and others in training.
Although the cocktail menu offers the requisite mule, margarita and old fashioned, the addition of fresh fruits, herbs and handmade mixers is not only intriguing but successful. My Summer Sipper ($8) of vodka, fresh lemon and house-made watermelon syrup was truth in advertising - summery and refreshing. But I would have preferred a heavier hand with the Tito's. If I'm having exactly one cocktail, I want to sense the adult part of the beverage, too.
Among the 12 in bottles and 10 beers on draft, my dining pal ordered Exile Angel from local brewer Scorched Earth. Management plans to double the draft brew options in coming weeks, and you'll find plenty of local beers from Two Brothers, Lagunitas and Half Acre. Wine options travel the globe, costing $7-$10 by the glass and $28-$40 by the bottle.
Chef consultants Maria Terry and Peter Capadona, both graduates of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School and who also run the culinary division at Elgin Community College, present an ambitious farm-to-table menu of starters, sandwiches, soups, salads, entrees and desserts. You'll notice de rigeur restaurant fare (chicken tenders, Caprese flatbread, avocado toast) as well as some slightly more challenging items for spirited palates: bleuroot flatbread ($11) combines sweet and salty, funky and peppery via fig preserve, caramelized onions, blue cheese, arugula and wafers of red grapes. The variety hummus ($11) is a seasonal selection of house-made hummus that employs roasted carrots, edamame and cilantro and is served with flatbread points and vegetables.
We opted to launch with rosemary panko-crusted portobello mushroom fries, and they were spectacular. The $10 shareable serving featured thick slices of buttery mushrooms with a pronounced crunch and a note of rosemary that we anointed with the accompanying chipotle mayo (that could have sung louder with additional chipotle). You can opt for a $15 charcuterie and cheese tray, but next time I would go for a brighter option of ceviche del sol: shrimp and Bay scallops marinated in lime juice and pepper sauces tossed with sweet peppers and ladled on an avocado half.
When my friend said he really had a hankering for a grilled cheese sandwich, I sniffed, “Twelve bucks for grilled cheese? Hah.” He was presented with a beautifully grown-up melted mélange of Gruyere, Asiago and white cheddar on Italian bread pressed panini-style but not before the kitchen brushed it with garlic herb butter and added grilled tomato, arugula and the piece de resistance - Nueske's apple wood smoked bacon. It was substantial, smoky, cheesy and worthy.
Sandwiches include a side of your choice like sweet potato chips, Parmesan-roasted fingerling potatoes, steak frites, or steamed or roasted vegetables. We both liked the mixed seasonal vegetables that were still firm, sweetened by roasting and a nice contrast to the soft gooey sandwich.
Hazlett says the bleuroot signature burger that stars grass-fed beef is proving quite popular. But she also recommends the Bao buns. The steamed pockets are filled with Sriracha bourbon pulled pork, cabbage slaw and spicy mango ($12). Appealing soups showcasing fresh local vegetables and made in-house include chilled sweet spring pea soup; minestrone; and a roasted corn and Poblano chowder that's earning raves among slurpers. Vegetarians, vegans and those with gluten sensitivities will find a bounty of winning choices here, too.
I decided on the rice noodle bowl with poached shrimp. The garlic ginger broth was good but not as deeply flavored as I would have hoped. The sweet peas and basil punctuated the bowl nicely. But the noodles were maddeningly difficult to eat. Served in a shallow bowl, the noodles weren't long enough to twirl on a fork but were too long to stay on a spoon for the short trip from bowl to mouth. My dinner mate couldn't manage either.
I wondered out loud why there was “one random, sad, green bean” in the dish as I chomped into it. I sheepishly realized that I had ingested a whole Thai chili. The waiter helpfully brought a glass of milk to put out the flames. With five shrimp, just a smattering of vegetables and rice noodles in broth, I thought the dish was overpriced at $18.
Hazlett justifies the cost by noting that everything is freshly prepared and made to order. The ginger garlic broth in my dish was made that day, for example.
Other entrees ranging from $18-$29 include grass-fed skirt steak; wild, line-caught salmon; a catch-of-the-day that's currently halibut steamed in parchment (Hazlett says seafood is 48 hours line to table); capellini with fresh peas; and a couple of others for which I might return. NOT your Mom's Mac & Cheese could pleasantly surprise. It's a combination of Fontina, white cheddar and heady Asiago melted with bacon, diced tomato and spinach, and topped with herby bread crumbs. It's also $18.
The colorful elements in the Harvest Grain Couscous Bowl scream healthy and flavor-packed: bourbon maple-glazed sweet potato, avocado, grilled Portobello, snow peas, charred onions, and a choice of poached shrimp or chicken over the Middle Eastern grain.
Portions are perfect - neither minuscule city-style amounts nor steakhouse behemoth-sized.
Dessert was simple and exceptional: candied sugar-topped grilled pineapple slices served with vanilla gelato, whipped creamed and caramel sauce. Other options include flourless chocolate lava cake and espresso panna cotta. If the kitchen gets a hold of impressive fruit, expect specials like a grilled peach dessert or pie made with Michigan cherries.
The menu is set through the end of August, and the team is working on the fall menu now. Expect a bounty of kitchen creativity coming to West Dundee's bleuroot with the autumn harvest.
Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.
bleuroot restaurant
98 W. Main St., West Dundee, (847) 844-0047,
Cuisine: Farm-to-table American, focusing on locally sourced meat and produce
Setting: Refreshed historic building
Prices: Starters: $10-$15; sandwiches: $11-$15; entrees: $18-$29
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday