Palm Court sticks to what it does best
With no flashing signs or neon posters hawking signature martinis, with no viral video or Twitter following, Palm Court still manages to pack the house.
A stalwart of the Arlington Heights restaurant scene for more than 30 (yes, 30) years, Palm Court relies on its expertly executed cuisine and sophisticated but not stuffy space to keep diners coming back.
Instead of hopping on trends like mini-burgers and foamy garnishes, the kitchen, under the command of Michael Aguirre, who has been with the restaurant since the beginning, concentrates on classic fine dining fare including oysters Rockefeller, veal Oscar and Dover sole deboned table-side.
The menu hasn't changed much since I first ate there with my parents during my high school days, shortly after brothers John and Angelo Sellis opened the doors. When a kitchen staff has been working with the same recipes for that many years, you don't expect mistakes, and you don't get any.
On a recent Friday evening, we started our meal with the crab-stuffed artichoke bottoms, which to our surprise, were served cold. The flaky, lightly seasoned crab meat atop two tender artichoke planks made a pleasant combo that could just as successfully be served warm, maybe with a bit of Parmesan sprinkled on top.
I ordered the signature Palm Court salad, a plate of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado and hearts of palm. That salad marked the first time I've enjoyed hearts of palm. The fibrous vegetable, actually the core of a bud on a palm tree, had none of the tinny taste I've associated with this usually canned vegetable in the past. The homemade dressing, a delightful Dijon-infused vinaigrette, no doubt heightened my enjoyment.
The chopped salad, even the small one, proved to be almost a meal in itself with its generous blend of lettuce, turkey, avocado, Swiss cheese, tomato and red onion dressed in a mildly tangy ranch dressing. Small salads can be added to dinner orders for $4 each.
Dinner progressed to a filet mignon that was nearly fork-tender and oozing with flavor despite being cooked to the more medium side of the requested medium-rare. The mix of sauteed snow peas and red peppers that accompanied the meat, however, was a let down next to the fluffy mound of mashed potatoes.
I passed over the popular veal Oscar (served with crabmeat, asparagus and Bearnaise) for the veal scaloppini and opted for a side of asparagus swimming in a decadently rich hollandaise sauce that almost overpowered the veal's velvety Marsala sauce.
Crisp duckling, sauteed calf's liver and baby rack of lamb are among the classic, supper club caliber entrees you can't get just anywhere.
Dessert offered familiar options like chocolate cake and custard. The creme brulee we split was a bit gritty yet still full of vanilla flavor.
While boutique wines and heirloom grapes have become a selling point at some fine restaurants, that hasn't become the case here. Palm Court offers a fair number of wines by the glass with nothing too expensive or off the beaten path. Yet while it doesn't have a strong wine program, I still expect the waitstaff to be educated on the wine list and not respond with a “you'd know better than me” when asked about the selection.
The clientele has aged with the restaurant and you'll certainly notice many of the tables filled with seasoned diners who have made Palm Court part of their weekly routines. The piano lounge, which fills with live music Monday to Saturday, attracts slightly younger patrons, and at lunch the dining rooms buzz with business talk.
<b>Palm Court</b>
1912 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, (847) 870-7770, <a href="http://www.palmcourt.net" target="_blank">palmcourt.net</a>
<b>Cuisine: </b>Classic American supper club
<b>Setting: </b>Well-appointed rooms with adjoining piano lounge
<b>Entrees: </b>$13 to $29
<b>Hours: </b>Noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday, 5 p.m. to midnight Saturday