Problems at Topaz in Burr Ridge

My mother and I attempted to dine at a restaurant called "Topaz" at the Burr Ridge Village Center, an hour after she successfully made a reservation there for 7pm on Tuesday evening. When we arrived to the retail/residential plaza, we noticed that there were no closeby handicapped parking spaces even near to the restaurant, although it is the fault of the development, not the restaurant. Anyways, the management informed us that the table was not ready for us to be seated just yet, due to previous diners still seated there, so we waited patiently for ten minutes, as the wait was not a major issue. Once we were seated, I inquired to the server about whether the restaurant served non-carbonated lemonade. She promptly informed me that they serve fresh-made non-carbonated lemonade. After waiting for a few minutes, the server returned to the table to inform me that they just "ran out" of lemonade. For a classy restaurant such as this, it is a shame that the restaurant would "run out" of lemonade. Anyways, I went to the restroom in order to wash my hands, which upon exiting the restroom, I was almost hit by the very powerful swinging bathroom door, as a man opened it and apologized to me for almost hitting me with the door, but then he suggested that the restaurant ought to fix the door from being so fast in it's opening/closing speed. Anyways, I returned to the table, noticing that a group of staff were trying to decide what glasses and silverware that they were going to take away from the table, which caused my mother to feel the need to scoot over in the booth, in order to give the staff enough room to collect the items from the table. This caused my mother to accidently kick the tablestand which prompted the table to swiftly shift over, hitting my leg, causing my leg to be in pain for most of the evening. The table was too lightweight on the slippery wooden floor and was not grounded. This in order to allow the staff to easily move the tables from the booths and to clean the floors. We informed the management about this, whom they didn't seem to care that I was hurt at the expense of the ease of cleaning for the staff. At that point, since we didn't place our food orders, we decided that there was just too much risk at Topaz, so we decided not to stay there any longer.

Was the wallpaper okay?

This sounds like when the "Yalies" used to punk Ann Landers.

BP-

You have the honor of being the first poster I've ever read to be so thorough in your description and observation of the construction and functional operation of the fixtures of a restaurant. Usually people go to eat, and don't even notice the swinging speed of a restaurant door. Bravo!

But how were the portions (assuming you noticed the food in between everything else)?

They sound fun.

aschie30 wrote:BP-

You have the honor of being the first poster I've ever read to be so thorough in your description and observation of the construction and functional operation of the fixtures of a restaurant. Usually people go to eat, and don't even notice the swinging speed of a restaurant door. Bravo!

But how were the portions (assuming you noticed the food in between everything else)?

Aschie had you read more closely you would know that they left without eating a thing...

BP wrote: At that point, since we didn't place our food orders, we decided that there was just too much risk at Topaz, so we decided not to stay there any longer.

mhill95149 wrote:Aschie had you read more closely you would know that they left without eating a thing...

I think Aschie meant did BP observe the portions on other tables during the relatively short stay in the restaurant.

Me, I'm interested in where they went after they left Topaz.

G Wiv wrote:Me, I'm interested in where they went after they left Topaz.

Home Depot!

Isn't all lemonade non-carbonated? If it's carbonated, wouldn't it be lemon-flavored soda pop?

G Wiv wrote:

mhill95149 wrote:Aschie had you read more closely you would know that they left without eating a thing...

I think Aschie meant did BP observe the portions on other tables during the relatively short stay in the restaurant.

Gary-

You are correct. It was a lame attempt to insert the perennial LTH joke.

I wish I could be sympathetic but this is just darn funny. This "classy" restaurant sounds like a converted Dennys.
My advice to these people is to buy more life insurance.

This is funny because we just found out that we know the management at Topaz (or, at least, the GM) and I'd love to hear about the actual food. When we talk to the GM we'll have to ask about the faulty doors and tables though.

PortPkPaul wrote:Isn't all lemonade non-carbonated? If it's carbonated, wouldn't it be lemon-flavored soda pop?

You sometimes will get lemonade that is carbonated, and I've heard staff at some restaurants refer to it as 'bar lemonade'. I don't drink soda myself so time to time I'll ask for lemonade and get it carbonated. Generally most places have been good about swapping it out or just removing it from the bill if I ask.

That's a bummer about the lemonade because all you need to make it is lemon juice, sugar and water. You could have asked them for some lemon wedges and made it yourself at the table. Just dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice before you add the water. Use 1 part lemon juice for every 4 parts of water (by volume), sweeten to taste.

=R=

since I work only a mile or so from here, its too bad there are no comments that are actually about food.

aschie30 wrote:
You are correct. It was a lame attempt to insert the perennial LTH joke.

My apologies..

jimswside wrote:since I work only a mile or so from here, its too bad there are no comments that are actually about food.

Well, since the OP never got to eat there, you can hardly blame him; and since nobody else who's posted has eaten there either, you can hardly blame them.

This just in...

(from"Dish", the weekly email from Chicago Mag.)

Nice Surprise


Pollack had an unexpectedly good meal at the brand-new Topaz Cafe (780 Village Center Dr., Burr Ridge; 630-654-1616)—the place with Giuseppe Scurato (formerly of Boka) in the kitchen. It’s a pretty dramatic restaurant: high ceilings, a circle motif, beautiful wood pillars, glassed-in open kitchen. The menu and wine list are decidedly American, and the retro cocktail list is pure fun. She adored the juicy, inch-and-a-half-thick pork chop topped with masterfully breaded crispy shallots and blue cheese potato gratin, not to mention the strawberry shortcake with Cognac strawberries. Topaz just opened two weeks ago, so service is still a little raw, but very endearing. All told, it’s a real find, and well worth floundering your way through the prefab-looking shopping-center community that surrounds it.

PortPkPaul wrote:Isn't all lemonade non-carbonated? If it's carbonated, wouldn't it be lemon-flavored soda pop?

Great stuff.

mhill95149 wrote:This just in...

(from"Dish", the weekly email from Chicago Mag.)

Nice Surprise


Pollack had an unexpectedly good meal at the brand-new Topaz Cafe (780 Village Center Dr., Burr Ridge; 630-654-1616)—the place with Giuseppe Scurato (formerly of Boka) in the kitchen. It’s a pretty dramatic restaurant: high ceilings, a circle motif, beautiful wood pillars, glassed-in open kitchen. The menu and wine list are decidedly American, and the retro cocktail list is pure fun. She adored the juicy, inch-and-a-half-thick pork chop topped with masterfully breaded crispy shallots and blue cheese potato gratin, not to mention the strawberry shortcake with Cognac strawberries. Topaz just opened two weeks ago, so service is still a little raw, but very endearing. All told, it’s a real find, and well worth floundering your way through the prefab-looking shopping-center community that surrounds it.

So I think it's safe to say that Pollack of Chicago Magazine and BP are not the same person...

...or are they?

chgoeditor wrote:

mhill95149 wrote:This just in...

(from"Dish", the weekly email from Chicago Mag.)

Nice Surprise


Pollack had an unexpectedly good meal at the brand-new Topaz Cafe (780 Village Center Dr., Burr Ridge; 630-654-1616)—the place with Giuseppe Scurato (formerly of Boka) in the kitchen. It’s a pretty dramatic restaurant: high ceilings, a circle motif, beautiful wood pillars, glassed-in open kitchen. The menu and wine list are decidedly American, and the retro cocktail list is pure fun. She adored the juicy, inch-and-a-half-thick pork chop topped with masterfully breaded crispy shallots and blue cheese potato gratin, not to mention the strawberry shortcake with Cognac strawberries. Topaz just opened two weeks ago, so service is still a little raw, but very endearing. All told, it’s a real find, and well worth floundering your way through the prefab-looking shopping-center community that surrounds it.

So I think it's safe to say that Pollack of Chicago Magazine and BP are not the same person...

...or are they?

I'd bet that you would know for sure....

mhill95149 wrote:

chgoeditor wrote:

mhill95149 wrote:This just in...

(from"Dish", the weekly email from Chicago Mag.)

Nice Surprise


Pollack had an unexpectedly good meal at the brand-new Topaz Cafe (780 Village Center Dr., Burr Ridge; 630-654-1616)—the place with Giuseppe Scurato (formerly of Boka) in the kitchen. It’s a pretty dramatic restaurant: high ceilings, a circle motif, beautiful wood pillars, glassed-in open kitchen. The menu and wine list are decidedly American, and the retro cocktail list is pure fun. She adored the juicy, inch-and-a-half-thick pork chop topped with masterfully breaded crispy shallots and blue cheese potato gratin, not to mention the strawberry shortcake with Cognac strawberries. Topaz just opened two weeks ago, so service is still a little raw, but very endearing. All told, it’s a real find, and well worth floundering your way through the prefab-looking shopping-center community that surrounds it.

So I think it's safe to say that Pollack of Chicago Magazine and BP are not the same person...

...or are they?

I'd bet that you would know for sure....

Good idea, but no. My screen name doesn't refer to a particular publication, just the city in which I live!

First of all, full disclosure: My dad is a partner in Topaz, which is run by the same folks that own Amber in Westmont.

Second, I've been there several times, twice for food. I'll start a different thread to write about the food, because my report will be buried on this thread with an original post that can't possibly be serious.

There is a valet out front for those that are handicapped or prefer curbside service. I believe that there are some handicapped spaces nearby, since the government usually requires these.

Third, I've never known the bathroom door to have any problems, nor have I experienced being attacked by a table, nor have I seen or heard about this. Is your mother Jan Stenerud?

No, I haven't tried the lemonade, although most classy establishments are known for their lemonade. I'll definitely have to do that. What is the best year for lemonade?

I don't find the dining at Topaz to be any more treacherous than dining anywhere else. It's as safe as any restaurant that I know of, they have no safety violations, and I know of no one that's been injured on the premises. That table must have really flown across the room in order to inflict such pain upon one's leg.

I've had one really outstanding meal there, and a night of appetizers with a few hits and misses, although this was is in the 1st week. I know that they are still playing with the menu to get it right.

with an original post that can't possibly be serious...Is your mother Jan Stenerud?

Hey now. I can tell you that BP is quite serious, and sensitized to these particular issues living with a disability, as he's openly discussed here before. If the moderators thought his original post was inappropriate or totally without merit, it would have been removed hours ago. We can certainly have some fun here, but let's stay away from comments on the writer, and instead work on the content, which does have some natural humor in its frustration, but perhaps also a serious suggestion that restaurants need to deliver - individually, and consistently - on their promise (and municipal duty) of accommodation to all diners.

Fine. But the restaurant is in a mall type setting, and they have no control over parking spaces, but they do have a valet.

And I'll check out the bathroom door and tables, but I don't know them to be any different than any other restaurants.

The reason I asked about the lemonade, is because sometimes classier restaurants serve carbonated "sparkling" lemonade, which I don't like. Also, my mother and I left Topaz after the table had crashed into my leg. Typically, restaurants have weighted tables that move easily, though not easily enough to slide into someone because some one else put their foot down on the table flooring. The issue regarding disability accomodation is very important to me. While Topaz itself was not unaccomodating (the shoppng plaza was lacking in closeby accessible parking), Topaz did have some architectural/constructural issues which ought to be remedied.

Anyways, after we left Topaz, we went to dine at Vie in Western Springs, which was quite good, although expensive, though I figured that it would be considering that Gordon Ramsay was there after the Cafe 36 redo on Kitchen Nightmares. Also to note, Vie was very accomodating.

BP wrote:Anyways, after we left Topaz, we went to dine at Vie in Western Springs

BP

It appears you went from silly to sublime. Love to hear about your dinner at Vie.

Enjoy,
Gary

How was your Orange Juice?