High-class meals meet high-stakes gambling

A new North Aurora restaurant hopes to add a new flavor to the local dining scene, as well as bring back off-track betting.

The Turf Room is putting the finishing touches on its 9,500-square-foot building in the Randall Crossings shopping center at the southwest corner of Orchard and Randall roads. Owner Parker Grabowski said the restaurant will be casual upscale, something the area needs.

"It's long overdue for the area," Grabowski said. "Inside it's really posh, really nice. There's nothing with this great of an atmosphere this close."

He said upscale is something that people usually have to go to Naperville, St. Charles or Chicago to find, but the Turf Room will change that. The restaurant, scheduled to open in mid-October, will feature two bars and four dining rooms. It will seat about 280 people.

The Turf Room's walls will be stocked with horse news, and the building will house a new OTB. Such a business has been out of the village since the OTB on Route 31 closed in 2005.

Village President John Hansen said the old facility generated about $240,000 per year in tax revenue, and he hopes the Turf Room can land about $200,000, which will be used for capital improvements.

"This is exactly what we've been working for, for years," Hansen said, "It's more variety rather than a chain."

Trustees said Monday they anticipate the opening.

"My wife and I have looked forward for many years for another nice place to eat without leaving town," Trustee Mike Herlihy said.

"We've been waiting for a long time for a restaurant that is not a chain," Trustee Mark Gaffino said.

On the menu will be fresh tuna from Hawaii, Kobe beef hamburgers and Colorado lamb that eats like a filet, Grabowski said. Customers will also be able to choose from about 300 different wines.

And although the steak, lamb, burgers and seafood will all be fresh and unique, the prices will be reasonable he said. Most dinners will range from $14 to $24 and most lunches will be around $10.