Holy Mackerel - Lombard

I went to Holy Mackerel in the Lombard Westin Hotel last night for a dinner with one of our suppliers. Originally scheduled for Capital Grille, it was switched last minute to Holy Mackerel.

I arrived early and had a few rocks glasses of tequila(cazadores, and tres generaciones), and a couple of beers. I chatted up the bartender, and was advised you can order off either Harry Caray's, or Holy Mackerel menu at either restaurant. I wish I would have asked about this on my visit to Harry Carays a few weeks ago. The Holy Mackerel menu in my opinion is more to my tastes(I really dont care for "Italian" food & pasta dishes that much & the Harry Caray menu foucuses on these items besides the steaks). A prime example a "surf and turf" @ Harry Carays paired a 9 oz. filet with a 14 oz lobster tail for about $90. At Holy Mackerel a 9 oz. fillet paired with a steamed 1-1/2 lb lobster was $59... I know which I think is a better deal.

For appetizers the table had fried calamari, and a scallop dish, both were what they were. decent representations of each dish, nothing mind blowing. I ordered a mixed salad with creamy garlic dressing off the Harry Caray's menu, and my entree was the 1-1/2 lb steamed lobster, but I paired it with a 20 oz. KC Strip to be cooked rare, off the Holy Mackerel menu(they are really willing to substitute items,different steak, Crab legs, etc., if you are willing to pay). Lobster was perfectly cooked, and easily 1-1/2 lbs. The steak was closer to medium rare, but I didn't want to send it back and I ate it. A decent steak, not the best or worst I have had, but not anywhere near the best( Saloon, & Joe's). I finished with banana cream pie for dessert. I also had a few more beers with dinner.

Overall a good experience, and I would choose Holy Mackerel over Harry Caray's if in the neighborhood again, especially if I wasn't paying. Total tab for 7 people before tip was $750.

Holy Mackerel! American Fish House
70 Yorktown Center
Lombard, IL 60148
630-953-3444
http://holymackerelseafood.com/

jimswside wrote:...dinner with one of our suppliers....

I arrived early and had a few rocks glasses of tequila(cazadores, and tres generaciones), and a couple of beers.

That's my kind of business dinner!

Kennyz wrote:

jimswside wrote:...dinner with one of our suppliers....

I arrived early and had a few rocks glasses of tequila(cazadores, and tres generaciones), and a couple of beers.

That's my kind of business dinner!

I purchased those rounds for myself, and closed out my tab before the others arrived, then switched to beer.

Luckily very little business was discussed, just our yearly thank-you dinner this time for selling more brick than we did last year.

I have dined at Holy Mackerel quite a bit as a client of mine always used to stay at the Westin by Yorktown mall. It was always very good, but alas this client has retired so I hadn't been for a couple years.

Last night, the Mrs & I were going to have dinner with a good friend's father, we had intended to go to La France Café & Crepes but the restaurant was closed for painting. (shame on me for not checking to see that all was ok, but oh well).

Pulled a last minute audible and suggested Holy Mackerel which is where we ended up.

At hostess stand, turns out the exec chef was speaking with the hostess, through a brief exchange he suggested a new scallop dish on the menu which tonight was the first night.

To start we split the warm crab & brie dip w/garlic crostini. Rich & decadent, a terrific starter.

Our guest had the chicken vesuvio from the Harry Caray menu. The menu from Harry Caray was given to each of us as we sat down along with the Holy Mackerel menu, I thought a bit odd and not how it used to be as both restaurants were run fully separate awhile ago. Anyways, the chicken vesuvio it looked good, didn't get a chance to taste it.

Wife had the seafood chopped salad, was very pleased w/her choice.

Per the chef's suggestion, I had the scallops. Dry pack scallops w/a potato bacon hash over sweet corn puree and chive oil. I inhaled the dish, I was very pleased with the perfect doneness of the scallops, the mixture of sweet potato & white potato hash with big rough cut chunks of bacon, followed by the sweet corn puree/chive oil. Delicious.

Wait staff was not near as professional as I remember, two big mistakes: 1) there was a fish on the menu that was marinated in Kasu, I asked what Kasu was, response was that it was a sauce the fish is marinated in, then cooked in. Gee thanks. 2) our guest had coffee to close dinner, isn't coffee service always served w/sweetners & cream? cream was missing and had to be asked for a number of times. At the price point that Holy Mackerel asks, these types of incidents shouldn't happen and never used to if memory serves me correctly.

While my wallet missed the total cost I would have been out of pocket at La France due to it's BYOB policy, us diners last night were VERY pleased with Holy Mackerel.

Seeing as they nailed the warm crab & brie dip, I'm assuming this dish would be good as well: NEW ORLEANS STYLE STUFFED LIVE MAINE LOBSTER
Rock Shrimp, Crawfish, Andouille Sausage, Maque Choux, Cottage Fries, Cajun Cream Sauce