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Flavorful fine dining a hallmark at Lincolnshire's new Three Embers

Patrons of the Marriott Theatre have a new fine-dining option to enjoy before a heading to a show: Three Embers, located inside the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort. The restaurant has a loft-style feel with an open-kitchen concept, a patio next to the pool, and its own apiary and gardens on the resort property.

The menu, helmed by executive chef Yo Chang, changes seasonally in an effort to showcase Midwestern steaks and seafood in a traditional way with a modern spin. Currently, Three Embers is serving the summer menu, with dishes that highlight garden produce like a vegetable quartet appetizer and a kale-corn soup, as well as meat and fish from local producers like beef back ribs and rainbow trout. The fall menu starts on Oct. 2. Even the wood used to heat the grill is locally sourced, and right next to the grill on display in the kitchen.

Service in the restaurant was good if not a little slow. We sat for a while ready to order before our waitress came back to write down what we wanted. She also seemed slightly confused about the menu, both food and beverage, and we had to point to a few things on the list for her. But the food all came out beautifully, and we could see someone checking the plates for perfection before they even left the kitchen, so that made up for the slight lag.

The glazed beef back ribs come with a soba noodle salad, chili soy glaze and toasted pine nuts at Lincolnshire's Three Embers. Courtesy of Lincolnshire Marriott Resort

The bar menu is extensive with wine, cocktails, and craft beer on draft and tap. We started our meal with the Rosada cocktail, a blend of Two Brothers vodka with strawberry, basil and lime. The drink was crisp and fresh, and barely tasted of vodka, which was something I enjoyed since I don't normally like the taste of the spirit.

For appetizers, we had the lamb croquettes and the summer melon salad. The lamb croquettes came served with mint pesto, goat cheese mousse and Black Mission figs. The meat itself was tender and juicy with light seasoning, like a good meatball, and the figs, which were almost candied, combined with the goat cheese to really pull the whole dish together.

The burrata appetizer artfully combines heirloom tomato, balsamic, basil and extra-virgin olive oil. Courtesy of Lincolnshire Marriott Resort

The summer melon salad was a mix of watermelon, cantaloupe and blueberries served with yogurt, pistachios, local prosciutto and mint. I tried a bit with every ingredient together and it was a bit overwhelming. So my advice is to eat the parts of this salad separate. I was disappointed to find the cantaloupe was underripe, but the juiciness of the watermelon and kick from the mint saved the salad.

For dinner, we ordered the pan-seared sea scallops, the wood-grilled veal tenderloin and a side of the green bean almondine. The scallops, which were woefully overcooked, came served with an earthy quinoa salad mixed with arugula, broccoli and carrots, plus grilled peach slices and a pickled peach vinaigrette. One plus was the scallops were seasoned wonderfully. The grilled peach was my favorite part of the dish, tart and sweet at the same time and mingling with the seasoning from the scallops added an extra layer of flavor.

The star of the meal was the veal tenderloin. The menu said it would come with snap peas, but ours came with a salad of green beans, carrots and radishes with ricotta dumplings and bacon-onion jam alongside the meat. The flavors in this dish all worked well together, with the dumplings acting as a sort of palate cleanser so each bite was just as delicious as the last. The tender veal was seasoned just enough to let the character of the meat shine through, and the bacon-onion jam added an acidic punch that accentuated every part of the dish. I thought the green bean almondine could have been a bit crisper, and it definitely needed less pepper, but the side was a fresh and welcome addition to the meal.

Three Embers' chocolate pave is a rich brick of chocolate ganache served with strawberries, blueberries, a chocolate cookie crumble, strawberry-passionfruit sorbet and a basil gel. Courtesy of Lincolnshire Marriott Resort

My dessert was the chocolate pave, basically a thick and rich brick of chocolate ganache served with strawberries, blueberries, a chocolate cookie crumble, extra tart strawberry-passionfruit sorbet and a basil gel that tamed everything down a bit from the riotous combination of flavors.

Overall, Three Embers is a great stop for a meal before a show at the theater. You'll leave happy, full and ready to have a great time at your evening event.

Three Embers

10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 634-0100, threeembersrestaurant.com/

<b>Cuisine:</b> American

<b>Setting:</b> Upscale casual

<b>Entrees:</b> $22-$38

<b>Hours:</b> 6:30 to 11 a.m. Monday; 6:30 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday; 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday

<i> Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.</i>

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