Aurora's Gillerson's Grubbery emphasizes local fare
Their website pledges food that's neither fussy nor fancy, and owners Dan Emerson and Matt Gillie deliver with big burgers and more at Aurora's new Gillerson's Grubbery. Open since early October, Gillerson's will be undergoing some menu changes, but the emphasis will continue to be on locally sourced food and Midwestern craft beer.
Motif: Gillerson's makes good use of its space with about a dozen seats around the bar and tables nearby and in a separate dining room. Brick and bright green walls create a fun feel, and industrial lighting adds to the casual look. The always-evolving beer list is chalked on the wall alongside the bar. A deck will provide outdoor seating over the summer.
Food: Starters include shrimp, stuffed mushrooms and some bar favorites with a twist, including the Ms. May Pearl's Chicken Nuggets — paired with deep fried cornbread, orange and bacon jam and hot sauce. We opted instead for the intriguing Scooby Snacks. These were crisp, tempura-battered shishito peppers served with a wasabi teriyaki dipping sauce. Our waitress warned us to watch for varying degrees of heat from the individual peppers, and she was spot-on. Some packed quite the kick, but we kept going back for more.
For main dishes, the bar offers a few salads, including a tempting-sounding Oodles of Noodles, made with chilled buckwheat soba noodles and chicken and topped with a ginger sambal vinaigrette. Most of the menu, however, is devoted to sandwiches. Burgers are the big sellers, and ours didn't disappoint. It was moist and tasty, topped with flavorful stout-braised mushrooms and roasted sweet peppers. Other burger options included toppings of fried egg, pulled pork, bacon and a number of cheeses.
We also tried the Tacoma, a messy, flavor-packed vegetarian pick filled with roasted sweet peppers, caramelized onions, stout-braised mushrooms and havarti cheese, slathered with a rich roasted garlic aioli. The sandwich will likely be phased out with a coming menu change that will offer another vegetarian option in its place and some entrees.
Liquid consumption: The emphasis is on Midwestern craft beer, with a frequently rotating list of six available on draft and about 35 more by the bottle. Intrigued by the name, I went with one I'd never tried before: Plainfield-based Werk Force Brewing's Steve's Going to Helles, a German style lager I'd order again.
The drink menu also includes a list of cocktails and wine.
Crowd: We found a mix of all ages on the busy Saturday we visited, and the bar packs them in on nights when there are shows at the nearby Paramount Theatre.
Service: We found our server and others who stopped by incredibly friendly. Our waitress clearly knew the menu and offered helpful insights and suggestions.
Parking: There is street parking.
Overall: With good food and great service, Gillerson's is a welcome addition to downtown Aurora.
Gillerson's Grubbery
33 W. New York St., Aurora, (630) 340-3719, <a href="http://www.gillersons.com">www.gillersons.com</a>
<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday except for special events