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I have been harsh on restaurants in our town. To quote me I called Schaumburg, Palatine and Arlington Heights a "franchised food court wasteland" which is the fair description I applied to most eateries in Chicago's Northwest suburbs. But, there is a shining oasis in the desert. Friday, Ginger and I decided to try a restaurant that we had eaten in before and we had enjoyed. I had forgotten how much we had enjoyed it but this last visit was extraordinary. Entourage (on American Lane).... can't forget that part of their name is located on.... well... of course on American Lane in Schaumburg just off Meacham. An interesting location because it has two competitors that flank American Lane on opposite corners. One is Weber Grill and the other is Ted's Montana Grill. Entourage is just on the left after turning onto American Lane. You can't miss it. It has an impressive facade shaped like a Martini shaker three stories high. The front entrance is located under 
the covered driveway and we pass through ornate glass doors into the three story entrance with a huge chandelier over the stairway on the left. Directly in front of us is the host or hostess station and to the right the main bar. Behind the hostess station we could glimpse the main dining area that stretches to the front and to the right. We had arrived thirty minutes early and told the hostess we would have cocktail in the bar and return at 6:30 PM.The bar has a roomy feel yet intimate at the same time. There is plenty of seating yet Ginger and I decide to sit at the bar and we are greeted very pleasantly by the young woman behind the bar who immediately supplies us with a drink menu and wine list. Of course we know what Ginger is having (Chardonnay of course) but she asks the bartender what she would recommend. It's a Two Tone Farm California Chardonnay. I debated over wine or a cocktail and chose the wine option....I'm glad I did because I had a nice Merlot that set the tone for dinner. Unlike the Chardonnay I can't recall the winery.... ( note to self....remember details for your blog ). We talked with the bartender and she told us how much she enjoyed the food at Entourage and we generally had a very nice conversation. We promised we would stop back by after dinner to report on our meal and decided it was time to claim our reservation. More about the bar later.
Presenting ourselves back at the hostess station we were handed over to a very tall young lady who motions for us to follow and she escorted Ginger and me to the very back of the main dining room to a booth backing up to the glassed in partition that houses the grill and kitchen area. It was immaculate and shiny with the brigade equally clean in crisp starched white chef coats, busily preparing for the Friday night assault. She hands us our menus and cheerfully commands us to enjoy our meal. We are greeted immediately by our server David. He is witty, funny and cheerful which puts smiles on our faces as we know we will definitely be entertained. Now I must confess I sometimes....make that all the time.... like to test the sense of humor of servers in restaurants and hope to get back as good as I give. It can make a somewhat average experience better when the waiter or waitress jabs back at me and we can all have a good time. David was more than up to the challenge and he really gave us an opportunity to laugh. The bottom line is we feel welcome and sincerely trust that David will take care of us tonight. We look over the appetizers as David talks us through the selections and describes some of the main courses. We choose the bruschetta and can't wait to compare it against others we have had recently. David tells us "good choice, you won't be sorry" and goes to the kitchen to place our order. Ginger and I crane our necks to look into the kitchen and point out different items of interest to each other and discuss the finer points of the stainless steel counters, plates, utensils and various other implements of food preparation on the line when we hear a voice at our table...."Is something wrong? Can I be of assistance?" Startled we cease spying on the kitchen and turn to meet the owner of the voice. It is another server and she expresses her concern that we are needing something and wondering if she could provide it. We tell her no and explain our fascination for watching the guys at work in the kitchen. Now Ginger sees this all the time as she manages corporate dining facilities in Chicago and the suburbs but this is a new experience for me and I'm fascinated to watch the expediter at the pass intercept the food destined for a diner's table and evaluate it's appearance all the while ensuring the food is to his standard. Releasing the food to the server if it measures up or handing it back for a redo if it doesn't. I'm surprised she is at our table since this isn't her station and equally surprised that she is looking after other servers' customers....aha and here is the secret.... They all do it. They watch each others back and ensure every single person has an outstanding experience. David returns and explains this teamwork concept and how he will do the same for her and others as they all work together every evening to ensure they have delighted customers. I'm impressed.
David has brought our appetizer. This is a new take on bruschetta for me. It is salted ciabatta bread brushed with olive oil, grilled and then a slice of Brie that is slightly melted from the heat, topped with drizzled balsamic reduction. The tomatoes, basil and chopped red onion with olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar accompanies the bread in a separate bowl on the plate with a spoon that allows us to load our own crostini. Ginger and I marvel at the flavors and incredible taste the balsamic reduction and Brie bring to the party. My absolute favorite bruschetta is served at Harry Caray's in Chicago. I tell my wife that they are too different to compare. If there was a competition it would be difficult to choose a winner since they are so different in style yet both are extremely terrific in their own way....okay maybe the world of food is big enough for me to have two favorites and now I have two favorite bruschetta appetizers. David was absolutely right we are not sorry and I know I would order this again and again in the future.
For the main course Ginger ordered the black and white sesame seed encrusted Ahi tuna served with sushi rice and julienne carrots and red bell pepper. I ordered the Manhattan cut New York strip with truffled mashed potatoes and asparagus and portobello, thyme and garlic aioli (custard). We ordered another glass of wine. Ginger and I talk about our day and how nice it is to be out for dinner and how we are enjoying the evening so far. It's not too long and David is back to place in front of us two of the most beautiful plates I have seen in a while. Ginger's tuna is arranged on the plate just so and I can see from where I sit that it is seared perfectly.... just what Ginger is looking for. On my plate I have a perfectly grilled steak and mashed potatoes that look average in term of mashed potatoes. I mean other than whipping them into almost a paste and dispensing them with a cake decorating bag so they look pretty, there isn't too much you can do for the appearance of mashed potatoes. Thankfully there is no gravy on them and I'm sure they will be fine.... Oh boy little did I know how fine they would be. From the very first bite Ginger declares her tuna perfect. I taste it and it is perfect. I cut into my steak and it is perfectly cooked medium rare with a savory sour cherry sauce that heightens and complements the flavor of the beef. Ginger tastes her rice. Perfect. I put a piece of asparagus into my mouth. Perfect. Ginger eats some of her carrot and veggies. Perfect. I dive into my mashed potatoes....Not just perfect. There is no word above perfect is there? Superb, marvelous, delightful, outstanding and truly the best tasting mouthful I have had in a long time. I tell David that the potatoes are wonderful and he agrees and instructs me to mix a bit of the custard into them and taste again. Oh......... my........God!! Better than before. We loved every bite. Of course if we hadn't enjoyed the bruschetta so much we might not need a container for the left overs.... who am I kidding....we wanted to take some home. Ginger loves Saturday morning breakfast with her left over tuna and tomorrow will be no different. We thanked David for the awesome experience and he tells us of the rewards program for frequent diners. Since we have already announced our intention to each other to make this a regular dining stop there is no way we are going to pass that up so we sign up immediately. Other restaurants have similar programs but we have only belonged to one other and that was our beloved defunct Davis Street Fish market.
Before we get our bill, I use the restroom near the front of Entourage and before I return to the table I ask the hostess what might be upstairs. Rather than just telling me she asks me to come with her as she gives me a tour of private dining areas complete with a bar and several rooms equipped to handle parties of various sizes. I'm sure they are used frequently and if they aren't it's a shame because this is a perfect place for a function or meeting. As I return to the table and slide into the booth next to Ginger, David arrives with two deserts on a tray (I get the chocolate cake and Ginger takes the brownie cheesecake) and thanks us for joining the rewards program. He presents us with our paperwork, a business card and a gift card for use on our next visit. Ginger and I generally don't eat desert but we try some and guess what....yup you got it....perfect. We retrieve the wallet containing the bill and Ginger signs the receipt after adding a larger than normal tip. I added a little something to it as well as a special thank you to David for providing us such a fantastic experience. Before we go home we decide on one more glass of wine and keep our promise to the bartender.
Carrying our precious left overs we walk through the open doorway that separates the main dining area from the bar and take a seat at the end of the upside horseshoe bar right in the middle next to what I think is a beer dispenser. I think nothing of it and we are greeted by a different bartender as he is seemingly maintaining the drink requests by himself. It's a little more crowded than it was earlier and everyone is enjoying their night out. Obvious regulars greet each other and servers, bartenders and hostesses greet patrons as friends and are genuinely glad to see them again. Our previous server from our last visit nearly six months before remembered us and made it a point to say hello. Our friend from earlier makes an appearance behind the bar and greets us with "Okay so how was it?" Ginger tells her how good everything was and she reports that she always has the New York strip when she eats here. Other patrons come to bar and off she goes. Ginger notices the "beer" dispenser and remarks that it appears to be covered in ice. I think it's plastics so she reaches over and sure enough....ice. We marvel at that and the other bartender standing nearby tells us that it does that naturally and is intended to keep (not beer as I thought) the vodka at just the right temperature. Ginger and I marvel at it some more and David pops in to again thank us for visiting Entourage and we pledge that he will see us again. We finish our wine and depart happy, full and thankful we have rediscovered Entourage on American Lane.
So there you have it. There is good food in Schaumburg and what's more good food with great service. The dining experience is successful here for two reasons. First, the food is meticulously prepared exactly to a discerning chef's specifications and customer's desires. Second, service and customer care is apparent, instilled and practiced daily by everyone. Congratulations to the staff and management at Entourage for creating something truly memorable in the suburbs.
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