Fresh and mild

Painstakingly preserved, restored, relocated and replicated, the white frame buildings collected in downtown Long Grove maintain the character of the original, mid-19th-century village.

Inside the quaint structures, however, you'll find a great many things that the predominantly German-immigrant settlers never dreamed of: a shop selling objets d'art from Thailand; a store dealing in Peruvian apparel; a boutique for dogs; a New Age crystal emporium; and, now, a casual Mexican-American restaurant.

Near the rustic covered bridge, Victoria's Mexican Grill adds a new choice to the limited dining options in the historic district. Opened in May by brothers Alex and Pablo Hernandez and named for their mother, Victoria's inhabits an 1870 house originally constructed for the village blacksmith George Umbdenstock.

Most recently, the building sheltered the Peppermint Stick Ice Cream Shop, of which vestiges remain, including some ice-cream-parlor chairs and a miniature carousel horse, now humorously cowboy-hatted and wrapped in a colorful serape. Mexican arts and crafts now adorn the walls of the cheery dining rooms, but you can still get a variety of ice creams.

I don't know much about the dining habits of Long Grove's early inhabitants, but I somehow doubt they ate a lot of spicy fare. To that extent, Victoria's fits right in.

The Hernandez brothers (Alex used to cook at Seasons of Long Grove; Pablo is a former Bob Chinn's supervisor) use a light hand with seasoning. The fare menu boasts "everything is homemade," and it all tastes fresh -- though by and large, flavors tend to be subtle.

For example, the guacamole, served with tortilla chips, offers lots of creamy avocado and a few bits of tomato but very little spice.

For a more flavorful option, try Victoria's kamus. I first encountered this nacho variation some 20 years ago as "kamoosh" (in the late, lamented Rogers Park restaurant La Choza, where it was styled as "Mexican pizza") and have rarely seen it since. Victoria's version consists of crisp tortilla chips layered with guacamole, some beans, melted cheese, a sprinkling of shredded lettuce and chopped tomato, and your choice of chicken or steak as add-ons. The $1 surcharge for steak brought a generous topping of meaty tidbits with a good grilled flavor.

Other appetizers include queso fundido and shrimp cocktail, but since you get a complimentary basket of chips served with Victoria's mild but tangy tomatillo salsa and most dinners come with a choice of tortilla soup or salad, you might not want to load up on starters.

The dinner salad isn't so exciting (mainly iceberg lettuce with a sprinkling of crispy tortilla shreds), so go for the soup, a creamy bisque tasting of corn, also garnished with crunchy tortilla bits.

If you're in a salad mood, you might want to order the signature Victoria's salad, an entree-sized mixture of baby greens, tomatoes, strawberries, pineapple, pecans and mozzarella dressed with house-made maple-berry vinaigrette.

Other greenery includes a Caesar salad, with chicken or steak if you like; a grilled-vegetable salad; and a shrimp salad.

The rest of the menu offers a variety of tacos, burritos, tortas and sandwiches, including several club-sandwich options and a cheddar burger, and fajitas, as well as a number of larger combinations and platillos.

Entrees include a few steaks, a grilled half chicken, a stuffed chicken breast in tomato-basil sauce, a grilled-vegetable platter, a few seafood dishes such as grilled red snapper and garlic shrimp, and Mexican classics such as chile relleno (a poblano pepper stuffed with cheese or sausage) and enchiladas. Most of these come with yellow rice, refried beans and mashed potatoes.

Tacos come by the piece or in a threesome with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, rice and beans. You can have tacos and burritos filled with chicken, steak, vegetables, chiles rellenos or "al pastor," described here as "gyro-style pork." This turned out to be rather characterless strips of meat, inoffensive but lacking the zesty seasoning many taquerias give to al pastor.

The house specialty Victoria's burrito, available with any of these fillings, is a mammoth, deep-fried construction (sometimes called a chimichanga), its crispy wrapper blanketed in melted cheese and tomato sauce.

Enchiladas -- stuffed with your choice of steak, chicken, vegetables or cheese -- come three to an order under your choice of green or red sauce, the latter a smooth, mild mole.

The big disappointment was the bistek borracho. It sounded good: a thick, 10-ounce skirt steak marinated in Corona beer and gaujillo chilies. The grilled steak tasted fine, although the chilies were undetectable, but it had been cooked to a leatheriness that made it hard to choke down. Since the steak pieces that topped our kamus appetizer were much more tender, one hopes this was simply a preparation mistake.

Desserts tend to be more full-flavored than the savory dishes.

The pay de limon, for example, house-made Key lime pie, is deliciously tart and intensely lime flavored. Meanwhile, "Long Grove's famous creme brulee" might well-deserve the hyperbole: Under its perfect, brittle sugar top and fresh-strawberry garnish, the creme offers pure vanilla and egg goodness.

The flan tradicional, a thick, pie-shaped wedge not so creamy as some, could have used more caramel sauce. You can also get ice-cream in a variety of flavors.

Beverages include Mexican beers, Chilean wines, and regular and frozen margaritas, as well as horchata, a sweet, rice-based soft drink, and Jarritos sodas.

While those who look to Mexican restaurants for fiery flavors and strong seasonings probably won't find Victoria's meets their needs, Long Grove shoppers and neighborhood residents with temperate tastes might enjoy this fresh and moderately priced alternative to village dining options.

Victoria's Mexican Grill

410 Robert Parker Coffin Road (Building 42), Long Grove, (847) 634-3772

Cuisine: Mexican-American

Setting: Casual spot in an 1870 building in historic Long Grove

Price range: Appetizers $1.95 to $8.95; entrees $6.50 to $13.95; desserts $3.50 to $3.95

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Accepts: Major credit cards

Also: Limited bar (beer, wine and margaritas); free parking in downtown Long Grove lots; private room available; children's menu