Birch River Grill

Food and Arts magazine mentioned a new place in Arlington Heights called Birch River Grill (75 W. Algonquin). Has anyone tried this?

Just saw in Northshore magazine that they won best Chili - anyone try the Chili or this restaurant yet?

I've eaten there, and the food is pretty good and fairly imaginative, though not always perfectly executed. The menu is largely Americana, but generally good quality, seasonal Americana. When I was there last fall, we shared a tasty crab cake appetizer with rock shrimp, roasted sweet corn relish, and chipotle mayonnaise, and hickory bacon-wrapped scallops with Kentucky bourbon barbecue sauce.

The house salad was iceberg lettuce with tomato, cucumber, red onion, crumbled bacon, and Amish blue cheese dressing. Not innovative, but well composed and comfortably familiar.

For mains, we shared autumn squash ravioli with wild pheasant in pumpkinseed pesto (nice, but the least spectacular entree), cedar-planked Norwegian salmon with garlic maple glaze (one of the house specialties, the menu said), and the crispy Maple Leaf Farm duck breast, served with mission fig polenta and sun-dried cherry port sauce (these last two were both quite good).

Not a destination restaurant, but if you live or work nearby, it's a nice place (or was when I was there). Attractive bar area and nice cocktails, too.

Cynthia's description is spot on. It's certainly much better than its location in a suburban hotel might lead one to think.

Birch River Grill-An American Kitchen
DoubleTree Arlington Heights Hotel
75 W. Algonquin Road
Arlington Heights
847/427-4242

Had the bison chili - pretty good. Bistro Chicken - overall good with crispy skin. The Ribeye cooked medium was a little overdone since the steak was thin and a little gristley and came with soggy greasy thin onion strings. Cynthia is right - not a destination but if you're in the area and want Americana food, not bad.