New eatery's menu offers up Chicago cuisine
When Robin Gray was planning the menu for her new restaurant, Chi-Town Grill along Randall Road in Geneva, she tried to appeal to everyone.
For those craving a true Chicago eating experience, she wanted to offer juicy Italian beef sandwiches complete with peppers, true Chicago-style hot dogs and irresistible charbroiled ⅓-pound burgers with everything on them.
"We've got the die-hard favorites - the hot dogs, the beefs, the skin-on fries," Gray said.
But she didn't want to make it just any other hot dog joint. Chi-Town Grill also has a more upscale, adventurous menu, too
For those looking for a little healthier option, but still wanting a taste of Chicago, Gray decided to serve up turkey hot dogs on whole wheat buns, as well as salads and wraps.
Gray opened the Chi-Town grill about two months ago in the former Roly Poly sandwich location. She ran that restaurant for about a year. Before it closed, she started surveying her customers, trying to find out what kind of a restaurant they were looking for in the area.
Combining that input with market research, she decided to open Chi-Town Grill, which not only serves up favorites in the restaurant, but also does catering and lunch deliveries.
The steel gray interior features posters and artwork of famous Chicago landmarks.
The menu also has items named after Chicago comedic favorites, such as the Belushi Burger and the Bernie Mac, and healthier options like the O'Leary Chicken salad.
"We came up with the name and menu because we wanted something that spoke of the pride of Chicagoans, and this really encompasses their unique spirit and their pride in their food, culture and history," Gray said. "We try to pride ourselves on the freshness of the product. We use good quality products, fresh Turano bread, good quality deli meat and Angus burgers.
"It's a concept I created based on what I believe was missing in the marketplace," she said.
In addition to Chicago-themed favorites, Chi-Town Grill also offers a Geneva hot dog, with specialty cream cheese sauce, sauteed onion, dill pickle relish and yellow mustard.
It is located next to the Starbucks in Geneva Commons.
Bet on It: At the new Barley House along Randall Road in Algonquin Commons, you have a chance to get a discount on your meal every Monday night this month. The restaurant is letting you flip for your food, which could give you 50 percent off your entree.
For information call Barley House at (847) 658-5520.
Food drive: This month, the folks at Chase Card Services along Randall Road in Elgin are holding a food drive. Their goal is to collect more than 4,000 food items. The drive started Feb. 9 and runs through the end of the month, and benefits several Elgin-area agencies.
• Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from Batavia to Crystal Lake. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036.