Libertyville's 545 North much more than a 'bar'

Posted February 24, 2009 10:00 pm

By Deborah Pankey

Exposed brick walls and large windows flank the dining room at 545 North Bar & Grill in Libertyville. Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

When an Internet search of Lake County restaurants turned up 545 North Bar & Grill, I expected a bar - the type of place where you get a beer, watch a little basketball and grab a burger.

What I got when I walked in the door of this Libertyville eatery on a recent Saturday evening was a whole lot more.

Yes, there's a bar at 545 North Bar & Grill, a really nice wooden one, the kind you'd find in a Lincoln Park hot spot. It wraps around by the front windows so you can watch people stroll by as you sip a Sam Adams or a martini.

Yet when it comes to the food, "grill" doesn't begin to do it justice. Chef Patrick Joyce borrows influences from across the globe and melds them into an eclectic menu.

The restaurant, located along Milwaukee Avenue in one of downtown Libertyville's newer buildings, has been open for 21/2 years but looks brand new and exudes the vibe of a hot new place in town. On a snowy night every table was full and every seat at the bar taken, with people waiting for tables and those visiting with neighbors and passing time until the live music started.

The long narrow room with exposed brick walls and large windows evokes a decidedly urban feel, so I really wasn't surprised when I learned later that a couple of the owners also operate Lizzie McNeill's, an Irish pub in Chicago's Streeterville.

I'm not sure what chef Joyce, a graduate of the culinary arts program at Kendall College in Chicago, served when he worked the kitchen at the Irish place, but what he's putting on plates in Libertyville is impressive.

One look at the tuna tartar appetizer and you know you're not in for typical pub fare. Joyce molds finely diced pieces of raw tuna, avocado and a mildly spiced mayonnaise into a cake and serves it atop a bed of cucumber slices and adorns it with a fried lotus chip. The hummus and pita platter was less fussy, though equally delicious. Other tempting starters include pork tostada and skewered beef tenderloin with horseradish and blue cheese.

Joyce gets inventive with the salad menu as well. A trio of dinner-sized plates features a chopped Cobb salad, a grilled tenderloin with grilled portobellos, caramelized onion and blue cheese and grilled tuna with radish sprouts, red onion. The signature salad comes loaded with grilled asparagus, roasted red peppers, olives and feta, but the lemon-pepper vinaigrette doesn't quite cut the bitterness of the mesculin greens.

The mushroom soup was quite a welcome sight on that blustery eve; its earthy notes and creamy texture enveloping the senses and warming me to my toes.

A cup proved the perfect precursor to the hearty short rib, a generous - huge really - portion of beef cooked low and slow until it was nearly melting off the bone. The meat's natural juices provided a well-balanced accompaniment.

Most of the other entrees - the filet, chicken breast and arctic char - come hot off the grill, but Joyce mixes things up with evening specials. The gumbo was a seasonally pleasing and aggressively seasoned pot of this New Orleans favorite brimming over with shrimp.

The menu falls from eclectic to traditional with its desserts: chocolate mousse, crème brûlée, a brownie sundae and sorbet (the only item not made in-house). While not overly exciting, the creamy, decadent mousse filled a chocolate crust and delighted my palate, as did the crème brûlée, which boasted a nicely toasted sugar shell.

I mentioned earlier that 545 North attracts a lively weekend group (it's open til 3 a.m.). Some of the tables in the front room (ours included) seemed packed too close together, almost overflowing into the bar area. As we savored our multiple courses and the bar filled up, we began to feel uncomfortably crowded and were relieved when the couple at the next table left so we could scootch our table toward the window. Those wanting to avoid jostling should request a booth at the back.

A large patio in back doubles capacity in the warm weather and a bar menu is available in the summer months to accommodate late-night diners.

The spicy tuna tartar appetizer, left, and braised short rib at 545 North Bar & Grill are leaps and bounds beyond "bar food." Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

The bar at 545 North Bar & Grill in Libertyville lends to the restaurant's urban feel. Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

545 North Bar & Grille 545 N. Milwaukee Road, Libertyville, (847) 247-8700, <a href="http://www.545north.com" target="new">545north.com</a> Cuisine: Seasonal American Setting: Urban-like brick-walled dining room and bar Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday; 5 p.m. to 10 p,m. Friday and Saturday Price range: Appetizers $9 to $13; soups and salads $4 to $15; entrees $19 to $34; desserts $7 to $8 Accepts: Reservations; major credit cards Also: lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday; bar menu 3 to 5 p.m.; live music Friday, Saturday after 9:30 p.m. til 3 a.m.

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