Boulevard Caffe serves up old world charm

In downtown Mount Prospect, amid the beautifully lit trees lining both sides of the train station during the recent holiday season, the new Boulevard Caffe - a European-inspired dining stop - provided a glisten of its own.

Chris Miscierewicz and his daughter, Agnes Wheeler, own and operate the café, preparing dishes whose recipes Chris perfected 20 years ago in his native Poland, where he also owned a restaurant. The kitchen itself is occupied by Stanley Krezolek, who brings more than 25 years of culinary experience.

There are certain things one expects from a European-style café, and Boulevard has them covered: cozy tables, large storefront windows with burgundy curtains, exposed duct and descended lights, a modern wood and glass bar that changes colors, and a few wall paintings.

The last one might not be a prerequisite, but here the depiction of European aristocracy sitting casually and sipping wine while clad in fancy clothes definitely works to the décor's advantage. The café offers about 60 different beers from around the world, including more obvious choices from Poland, Russia and Belgium, and some not-so-predictable ones from Argentina and Kenya.

Wines are mostly Californian, with a few Chilean thrown in the mix. Appetizer options include champagne carved salmon and grilled or fried calamari. We opted for a salad appetizer instead and ordered the blackberry salad, a bed of organic mixed greens weighed down by giant and suspiciously fresh blackberries, interspersed with the can't-go-wrongness of honey goat cheese and a raspberry dressing on the side.

It was simple enough, but the problem with the salad was that it wasn't more than the sum of its parts, and it could have easily used some walnuts and a subtler dressing to play up its texture and freshness. Although not on the dinner menu (but rather on the lunch), we felt the pierogi plate mix was in order, and it ended up being a true treat.

A counterpart to potstickers, it consisted of eight doughy creations, each holding a surprise inside (meat, potato or sauerkraut with mushrooms) and it came with a generous dollop of sour cream on the side. My trusted Polish companion, brought to vouch for authenticity, did so insistently.

Aside from choosing one of the weekly night specials (the night of our visit had the Polish sausage as the main attraction), you can go several ways with the main course: chicken, pork or seafood. We were slightly let down with the salmon Florentine pasta (grilled fillets of salmon tossed with spinach, mushrooms and onions on linguini) because, like the salad, we found it did not posses imagination above the fundamental quality of its stand-alone ingredients.

Too much garlic also buried any hopes of subtlety or a goodnight kiss. When we went more traditional, however, we found that the cuisine expertly hit the mark. Such was the case with the grilled pork tenderloin, a whole marinated tenderloin with mushrooms, assorted peppers and mashed potatoes, and topped with a rich teriyaki, whipped cream and Brandy sauce. The dish was hearty and a perfect winter feast. Deserts included ice cream, a tiramisu and a fruit pierogi plate (a sweet version of the savory dish), and, as in any self-respecting café, the gourmet coffee was on hand as well.

The service had an authentic European touch as well. The server was at once hostess, bartender and waitress, and refreshingly had none of that exaggerated or overbearing niceness one is often forced to deal with on a night out. So if you're nostalgic for the old continent, head down to Mount Prospect and indulge in some pierogi. You won't regret it.

•  Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. Our aim is to describe the overall dining experience while guiding the reader toward the menu's strengths. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.

Boulevard Caffe

Facts: 143 W. Prospect Ave., Mount Prospect; (847) 222-0667; boulevardcaffe.com

Cuisine: Traditional Polish with European accents

Setting: Modern European design with deep reds and soft lights

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday

Price range: Appetizers $5.55 to $8.95; entrees $17.95 to $21.95; desserts $3 to $6