Burgers get star treatment at Tom & Eddie's
Nestled on the outskirts of Yorktown Center, a Lombard burger joint from two retired McDonald's executives has taken a different tact. Tom & Eddie's emphasizes all-natural ingredients while filling a much-needed local niche for high-end burgers. Plus, they did it by working with College of DuPage chefs and students.
Upon entering the small, sun-flooded storefront adorned with bold, oversized pendant lights and a mixture of modern booths and tables head straight for the counter to place your order. Burgers are the main thrust of the menu, though there are salads and chicken sandwiches deserving of attention, too.
The hand-formed Angus patties prepared medium-well are admittedly on the small side, especially for the near $10 price tag, but sometimes it's worth paying for a good thing. Such is the case with the Love me 'Dew, a lightly charred, rich, beefy burger topped with sweet-spicy Peppadew peppers and gooey pepper jack cheese on a plush, spicy mayo-slathered roll. Every bit as tempting is the Blue Chip, a number topped with avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles and crisp potato chips, its mixture of textures and flavors an absolute win-win.
Quality toppings extend to the namesake Ampersand burger, crowned with Nueske's applewood-smoked bacon, Wisconsin Gouda, barbecue sauce, onion straws and a fried egg, as well as the Bushel & a Peck, which wears slices of Granny Smith apple, house-made walnut butter and melted Brie with caramelized onions.
On the chicken end of the spectrum, expect a BLT version, a chicken strip sandwich topped with Puckered Pickles and the Capri, finished with fire-roasted tomatoes, basil pesto and mozzarella on a ciabatta roll. There's also an ahi sandwich topped with fried wontons and wasabi peas as well as an edamame burger with goat cheese on a multigrain roll.
When in the mood for a nontraditional hot dog, on the other hand, consider the Windy City Jamaican, finished with red onions, tomatoes, a Jamaican-inspired relish and Wisconsin-made, sweet-spicy Mustard Girl mustard.
In each case, burgers, chicken, turkey, fish and veggie sandwiches can be custom-designed from a countless list of condiments, so feel free to break form.
A choice of sides comes with each selection. The crunchy sweet potato fries are solid try them dipped in Jamaican-style sauce plucked from the wall next to the soda machine. The tangle of thin haystack onion strings, though messy to eat, are even better. House-made chips or traditional cut sea-salted fries are options as well.
Salads, meant to be a meal, are substantial enough. For example, the sunrise chicken Caesar combines romaine with house-made croutons, shaved Parmesan, a fried egg and grilled or breaded chicken with Caesar dressing. Meanwhile, soup comes with a breadstick.
This is one place where the sweet side of things should not be ignored. Boylan's sodas are on tap, and you can build-your-own float using the selection. Go for the black cherry, like us it's a just-sweet-enough complement to a chilly scoop of ice scream. There's also a hot fudge sundae, trio of ice cream sandwiches and thick, whip cream-topped shakes (we enjoyed the luxuriously creamy chocolate in particular).
Our only gripe about the place, really, is the peculiar ordering system, which requires patrons to follow a sequence of events in which a “key” indicates when and where food will be delivered. The service is so down-home-friendly, though, that it's hard to stay irked for long.
With just four months of operation under their belts, Tom Dentice and Ed Rensi will open a second spot later this month. Tom & Eddie's opens Dec. 14 at the Shops at Geneva Commons, 1042 Commons Drive. For grand opening specials and events check out tomandeddies.com.
<P><B>Tom & Eddie's</B></P>
<P>348 Yorktown Center, Lombard, (630) 705-9850, tomandeddies.com</P>
<P><B>Cuisine:</B> All-American burgers and shakes</P>
<P><B>Setting: </B>Contemporary and casual, with counter service</P>
<P><B>Hours:</B> 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily</P>
<P><B>Entrees:</B> $8.49 to $9.99</P>