Kinfork pleases with barbecue-inspired menu
One of the things that, even as a teen, I liked about Woodfield was its lack of a food court. Malls with the typical row of counters serving up baked potatoes, fried rice and tacos were so, well, typical. Woodfield was different. Sure it had a McDonald's and a place to grab a soft pretzel, but it also had restaurants like John's Garage, O'Connell's and Vie de France. Those restaurants themselves were a reason to head to the mall - shopping was secondary (gasp).
Woodfield continues to boast reason-to-visit restaurants, the latest in the lineup being Kinfork. This modern Americana eatery moved into the cavernous spot on the center's west side where sushi once reigned. The decor went from urban Asian to camp-inspired with wood paneling, lantern-style lighting and blanket-and-leather-clad booths. The space has been carved up into a handful of dining areas and private rooms that could easily accommodate a rehearsal dinner, a family reunion or a company holiday party.
A sibling to The Rack House in Arlington Heights, the menu is similar, but not a copy cat, with an emphasis on American barbecue. Since opening last fall, the menu has evolved with barbecue recently taking a prevalent role on the menu. Just this week owner Luke Johnson excitedly debuted a mobile smoker outside the restaurant.
Mall restrictions prevent a smoker inside the kitchen, he said, but since barbecue items quickly became Kinfork's top-seller, “I had to figure out a way to do more barbecue there.” So he had a “smoker made. It's a giant smoker on a huge trailer that we will put right in front of the restaurant. ... (The smell of) barbecue will permeate the lot.” Look for burnt ends and garlicky Texas links smoked over hickory and oak to be added to the menu. When it's not in the Woodfield lot, the mobile smoker will be down the road at Rack House or at local businesses that want to cater a barbecue for employees or clients.
On a recent visit to Kinfork, we started out with selections from the craft cocktail menu. The Front Porch Punch was an enjoyable light quaff with Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine and floral-forward St. Germaine served in, what else, a Mason jar. My husband's Old, Old Fashioned was anything but light - a heavy pour of Old Forester Bourbon and bitters with a swath of lemon peel. Kinfork also offers a moderate selection of craft beers as well as wines by the glass or bottle.
Waiting for our cocktails gave us more than enough time to study the menu. The cheddar-topped hormone-free burger and the brisket-topped flatbread piqued my interest, as did a handful of traditional dinner-sized items. I say we had more than enough time because the restaurant was pretty quiet the holiday weekend we visited, yet the service was slow and uneven. Flatbreads, by the way, are now off the menu to make way for the additional barbecue items.
We opted for the cheddar and jalapeño hush puppies to start - a customer favorite that made the cut on the new menu - passing over the pot roast nachos (now the kf nachos topped with pulled pork). Oddly, the appetizer came to the table with our main dishes, not leaving us time to fully enjoy the chunky, fried dough bites and accompanying creamy peach-tinged dipping sauce.
The slow-cooked beef brisket sandwich made my night. The meat gets rubbed with a mix of 10 spices and slow-cooked for four-plus hours, resulting in brisket that was tender and smokey good. The ciabatta roll was the perfect bread because it didn't fall apart under the sauce or jalapeno-spiked coleslaw. The sauce was on the thin and tangy side rather than thick and tomato-y. A bit extra in a container would have been appreciated. If the new menu items can mimic this, Johnson has made the right decision to bump up the barbecue offerings.
My husband perused the salad side of the menu. He opted for the signature Kinfork salad, which consisted of a ubiquitous mix of greens tossed with dried cranberries, Maytag blue cheese (a big selling point), walnuts, tomato and a basily-vinaigrette. Thin planks of crisp corn-bread-crusted chicken crowned the bowl. The pesto dressing screamed summer. And while it didn't seem to mesh seasonally with the rest of the ingredients, my husband left not a leaf on the plate.
Side dish options include Brussels sprouts, honey cornbread and a fully loaded baked potato. The mac and cheese was decently creamy, but the shells needed a bit of pizazz (a bit of salt, some red pepper flakes, maybe?) to push them into must-order territory. The pork and beans, on the other hand, were phenomenal, finding just the right balance between sweet and meh; and mushy and tough. My campfire beans have never come close.
One item intrigued us on the dessert menu - peach and blackberry crumble topped with Homer's vanilla ice cream - so we jumped at it. As both fruits are in season, we were hoping for a farm-fresh treat. Not so much. The peaches came from a can (which given the camp-type cuisine really is more fitting), yet disappointingly there was not a single blackberry in sight. And the crumble topping had no oaty heft; just a granular brown-sugar and cinnamony layer blanketed the warm, gloopy fruit. When quizzed by the manager about the meal on our way out, we pointed to that blackberry void and were offered a free dessert on our next visit as we had already settled up.
While our experience was a bit of a mixed bag, I couldn't help overhear a gentleman at the table next to us gush about the food to out-of-town visitors and recount a handful of pleasant meals to the manager as he made his round of the room.
Given Rack House's solid track record and menu evolution, I hope Kinfork can work through these missteps and become a true destination for Woodfield-bound shoppers, I mean diners.
<i>Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.</i>
Kinfork
5 Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, (847) 610-3958,
Cuisine: Barbecue-leaning American
Setting: Comfortable lodge without the kitsch
Entrees: $11-$29
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday