St. Charles' Copper Fox does a lot, and does it well

Attention to detail, and the quality of those details, are the marks of a top-shelf restaurant. The Copper Fox Café in St. Charles fulfills that description.

It's not too often that I've gone through an entire restaurant meal without experiencing at least one small negative. Yet, I would be hard-pressed to find anything that disappointed me about the Copper Fox. From a wonderful and affordable menu to the food itself to the service and setting, I thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant.

One of the newest additions to the changing culinary community in the Tri-Cities, the Copper Fox, opened in August 2009, is located on the west side of the Fox River in a 100-year-old brick building that formerly housed the short-lived Hunters' Steak House. The layout offers ample and comfortable white table-clothed seating in a high-ceiling room. The exposed brick of the original building's exterior walls and wooden floors give the area a touch of a rustic look. A full wall of windows allows natural light in during the day.

It's owned and operated by chef Dimitri Lolis, former owner and operator of Dimitri's Restaurant on the east side of St. Charles, former co-owner of Tribeca in Batavia; and former manager and chef of the Trophy Room at the Hotel Baker. Lolis' impressive resume plays out in the Copper Fox's Mediterranean-inspired menu which features hearty, filling and flavorful food from a range of influences. You'll find American classics (grilled Rueben sandwich, old-fashioned meatloaf, eggs Benedict), Greek specialties (Greek chicken, stuffed grape leaves, galatoboureka), Italian favorites (penne rigate, liver Milanese, frittatas) and even some central European dishes (stuffed cabbage, pork schnitzel).

The Copper Fox also offers daily dinner specials (available after 3 p.m.) including a stuffed pork chop on Wednesdays, Swiss steak on Thursdays and Icelandic cod on Fridays. Lolis will soon be adding some of his most popular dishes from his former restaurant menus, including his famous lamb shanks, several veal dishes and more seafood items.

Seeing the hearty variety of the entrees, we decided to keep the appetizer on the light side and ordered the assortment of olives and cheese and triangles of pita bread. Simple, yet extremely tasty and satisfying.

Breakfast highlights include five different Benedict dishes, stuffed crepes, daily skillet, frittata and omelet specials and even a Greek take on a Southern classic - grits - with spinach.

Luckily, you can order several of the breakfast specialties later in the day, so I selected the frittata of the day. An ample plate came with perfectly cooked eggs that were combined with gyro meat and feta cheese. A heap of golden-brown cottage potatoes was included, as well as a green salad with a wonderfully balanced oil and vinegar dressing. Every part of this dish - every detail - was top-notch.

My dining companion decided on the pork schnitzel and was not disappointed. A large, thick and tender piece of pork loin came with a crisp yet light coating of batter. Again, the highlight of this dish was the attention to the details, in this case, the side - flavorful and perfectly cooked fresh green beans and carrots that wonderfully enhanced the entree.

A very nice selection of fresh-made desserts (all Lolis' recipes) is available, and we selected the house specialty of galatoboureka - the classic Greek dish of dense and tasty semolina custard wrapped in phyllo with a brushing of honey. A delicious ending to a wonderful meal.