Staff rolls out welcome mat at CityGate Grille
We might be just a month into the new year, but I'm going to make a prediction: CityGate Grille will land a spot on the Best New Restaurants of 2010 list.
In my mind it's a no-brainer. With the inventive and well-executed Mediterranean-influenced fare, the ultra-friendly staff and the casual, comfortable environs, CityGate Grille on Naperville's western edge has what it takes to make a mark on the suburban dining scene this year.
CityGate Grille sits on the ground floor of the tall Calamos building at CityGate Centre. It's at Route 59 and the Reagan Tollway in the space formerly occupied by Riva seafood restaurant. A few maritime touches remain, but the bar and dining room interior has been updated with earth-toned fabrics and modern lighting. The lounge consists of a few low-back couches, high-topped tables and a bar with taps for craft beers (like Cane and Ebel from Two Bros. Brewery in neighboring Winfield) and shelves of top-shelf spirits for cocktails.
While waiting for my friend, I sampled the lime-infused Hendrick's gin martini and quickly realized I'd need an appetizer, now, before I slipped off the bar stool.
A couple of regulars at the bar promised me I couldn't go wrong with anything on the menu, raving about the shrimp cake (a blend of saffron-infused risotto and shrimp served alongside fennel slaw), mussels steamed with capers and white wine and the unique flatbreads (roasted squash and pork belly!). I struck gold with the duck confit, a succulent tiny leg resting on a mound of parsnip purée. Sweet roasted apple slices tied the whole plate together. (I couldn't let that squash flatbread pass me by, so I ordered one to heat at home the next evening. Biting into the crisp crust I marveled at the genius partnering of the squash, manchego cheese and fig jam.)
When my friend arrived, we moved from the bar to a table in the dining room for the rest of the meal. Anything on the menu (and even some things off the menu) can be ordered at the bar, but I really didn't want the guy next to me trying to snatch a fork full of my arugula and grilled veggie salad while I glanced up at the flat-screen TV to catch the score. Sure, there was plenty to share; it's probably the most generous, as well as one of the most delicious, side salads I've had ... and for just six bucks! The citrus vinaigrette brightened the greens, adding the right amount of tang to the smoky vegetables. Toss some grilled chicken strips or scallops on top, and they could charge twice as much (or more) for it.
The tomato basil soup was another winner with a hint of cream swirled on top and a crisp slice of brioche for dipping.
Our entrees were equally pleasing. The skirt steak, a special that evening, was perfectly cooked; it had a nice seared crust on the outside and was beautifully rosy inside. Mashed potatoes drizzled with white truffle oil drove home the point that this was no average steak house.
As I cut into my steak, my friend swirled her pastitsio on her fork. That's right. Chef David Sapp deconstructs this classic Greek dish (a nod to the Calamos owners) by tossing the traditional cinnamon-infused meat sauce and eggy bechamel with pasta noddles as opposed to layering the dish lasagna style. The menu said the dish comes with macaroni; her plate came with thick spaghetti and was delicious just the same.
Besides the great entrees we had, Sapp's menu contains sandwiches (pulled pork on pretzel bread and an Angus burger), a nice array of seafood (plank-roasted red snapper, seared scallops and grilled salmon) as well as lamb shanks, dry-aged rib-eye and Moroccan chicken.
Diners wanting a glass of wine with dinner have plenty of options; more than a dozen whites and reds are available by the glass with bottles from France, Spain, Italy and Greece dominating the list.
The Mediterranean theme doesn't really carry into the dessert menu unless you count gelato (and I'm not saying that gelato doesn't count, it so does). You'll find more typical fare like bread pudding, apple cobbler and chocolate tart get kicked up with bananas and chocolate, Honeycrisp apples and walnut, and smooth meringue and fresh raspberry jam, respectively. The pastry kitchen also turns out a nice pumpkin and Nutella cheesecake and an almond and plum custardy torte.
As I glanced at the quartet that started playing jazz and R&B tunes later into our meal, I couldn't help but notice that the dining room was sparsely populated. Granted January is a notoriously slow month for restaurants and, yes, CityGate Grille has been open just a few months, but Chef Sapp and his crew in the kitchen as well as the folks at the front of the house have things running smoothly and I predict there won't be empty tables on a Saturday night much longer.