Zak's: Upscale American cuisine

Hinsdale, while tony, isn't exactly a bastion of fine dining. In fact, apart from a few destination shops, it's a pretty sleepy place.

So, when Zak's Place opened up on Washington Street, people in the 'hood were understandably excited.

It's a regal, cavernous space with wood walls. In front, a small lounge area with bar and table seating offers glimpses of street action through large windows. A shelf filled with carafes and wine glasses separates the bar, giving way to a dining room where art tops walls. Mirrors, which are flanked by deep burgundy curtains, give the illusion the space is larger than it is.

This is a neighborhood kind of a joint, but it also has a team in place that could draw out-of-towners. Both executive chef Marc Stein and general manager and sommelier Yamandu Perez hail from Gabriel's in Highwood.

Culinarily speaking, the restaurant plays it safe. Think "fancy" but not "out there," and you've got the idea. Upscale, contemporary American food is the main thrust of the menu. Serving lunch, dinner and a lighter bar menu that kicks in between meals and is served until close, Zak's wants you to come, hang out and take a load off.

We started with the trio of kebabs: a traditional veggie and beef, shrimp and an Asian-tinged chicken. A substantially hearty way to begin, we imagined they'd be a popular selection in the bar.

More memorable than that, however, was the restaurant's namesake salad. Consisting of three spears of wilted, smoky, grilled romaine topped with a pleasantly spicy, pink chipotle ranch dressing and a sprinkle of vinegary pepper, tomato and corn pico de gallo, it really hit the spot.

Whether you're into making a meal of small plates or want to kick off your dinner with a starter, there are myriad options. Among the most interesting were the seared foie gras with fresh mango and Riesling reduction; Kobe beef carpaccio paired with arugula salad and parmesan; and grilled calamari that's stuffed with spinach, cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. A classic take on oysters Rockefeller; mussels steamed with white wine, leeks and garlic; and seared ahi with wasabi cream continue the theme.

If we were ever to dine here again, it'd be hard to skip that aforementioned salad, but you could in favor of a Caesar; baby spinach salad with lardon, roasted pistachios and a goat cheese medallion; or a tomato and Bermuda onion salad with balsamic vinegar and Roquefort.

Sweet, velvety squash soup was an enjoyable seasonal treat when we dined, but French onion is available anytime.

You'll no doubt be tugged in the numerous directions we were when trying to choose your entree. Maybe you'll try the veal skirt steak with orange-cilantro chimichurri; garam masala lamb T-bones with mint couscous and a grilled vegetable terrine; or roasted Maine lobster with lemongrass crème and a garlicky potato puree.

In our experience, the bone-in rib-eye was a satisfying selection that was done up pink and finished with a deeply flavorful red wine reduction. (We cop to having sopped up the extra sauce with our side of creamy, garlic mashed potatoes.)

A much lighter (but still likable) dish of caramelized, pan-roasted scallops with sweet-tart Key lime, vanilla and coconut-infused sauce offered a good counterpart to the marbled meat.

Grilled swordfish is marinated in citrus, and pan-roasted salmon gets dolled up with a horseradish crust and grainy mustard sauce. A bone-in Kansas City strip wears green peppercorn and Armagnac sauce, and a filet struts its stuff when accompanied by black truffle sauce and, if desired, foie gras.

There are a few Italian-esque dishes that include black pepper gnocchi with pancetta-studded tomato sauce and spinach and ricotta rotolo with vodka sauce, too.

The dessert menu isn't written in stone, so expect that it will be recited out loud. We got cozy with a raisin-dotted bread pudding; it was as homespun as can be. But it was the green apple sorbet that offered a refreshing close to the meal.

At lunch, the appetizers are expanded to include fried artichoke ravioli, Kobe beef sliders and roasted red pepper hummus. Six sandwiches -- two steak, one lobster -- act as main courses midday.

Wine is the name of the game here, and there's no shortage of selections. Look for nearly 20 by the glass ($7 to $27). Pricey bottles are plentiful; most are in the mid-$40s, but those in the hundreds are not uncommon.

Given the level of the cuisine, we would have expected our server to be more personable. Instead, she never visited our table to introduce herself. She simply announced her presence with, "Are you ready to order?" When we inquired about sauces, she shrugged and said she didn't know.

And when we asked whether she preferred dish A or B, she stared at us blankly and said, "I guess … (B)." This is a problem, especially when a place is new and needs to put its best foot forward.

We liked Zak's; we just didn't love it. But when we heard people ordering steaks well-done and discussing why bread -- with all its carbs -- is evil incarnate, we better understood the menu's upscale, paint-by-numbers approach. But none of that explains the brisk service.

Zak's Place

112 S. Washington St., Hinsdale, (630) 323-9257

Cuisine: Contemporary American steak and seafood

Setting: Swanky with wood walls and a tin and exposed-duct ceiling

Price range: Starters $8 to $15; soups and salads $6 to $8; entrees $17 to $39; desserts $8 to $10

Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; dinner 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday (later on Friday and Saturday, depending on demand); bar menu served from 3 p.m. until close

Accepts: Major credit cards