Chef's Corner - Naperville

First posting for a newbie. Love the site.

Had a suggestion from a co-worker for Chef's Corner in Naperville. He said the meatloaf sandwich was great. I walked in the place and it was tiny. The chef asked what we wanted. I asked for a suggestion. He pulled out a piece of steak that looked amazing. Pictures of food on the wall which helped me decide to try the salmon with on a bed of greens / decent salad. It was being marinated in garlic, ginger, olive oil, soy sauce, red pepper. While it cooked, the chef offered taste cups of potato & garlic soup (highly recommended), beef barley (this is a close second to the garlic soup) and homemade blue cheese dressing.

The fish was cooked rare as requested. Nice and juicy. Flavor bursting with each bite. Lots of large cuts of red and yellow peppers, cucumber and mixed greens. Not just iceberg lettuce. Overall, I thought a very good meal for $10.00

The drawback is the small size of the dining room. I went out to the picnic tables outside and got demolished by the mosquitoes. Would I be back? YES!!!! I will update as I have more data.

Chef's Corner
821 E Chicago
Naperville, IL 60540

I think I've been there. They have very good frozen custard. I haven't tried their other food yet, but I've heard good things about their burgers from friends of mine.


Tim

I just noticed this place yesterday. It used to be just a frozen custard store, right? Do you know when the new owners took it over?

dicksond - you are correct.

It used to be only a custard shop. The chef said he had been open over 1 year. I forgot to mention that the chef said that he had worked at Smith and Wollensky for 8 years. I am assuming that has a bit of pull with this board?

Try the soup.....

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

I just went there today for lunch as I work less than a mile away.

I was contemplating what to order as when I walked in I saw grilled zuchini's, peppers, and squash on the griddle... two huge hamburger paties and rolls being toasted. This place is small... about the size of Al's with less custoemr space and this super tall Chef... who as it appears from the newspaper clippings and pictures worked at the United Center with Chef Hans and then followed him to Smith and Wo.

Anyway as I stood there he took a break from the griddle and asked if I like steak... I said yes but I was a little weary as I didn't know what kind of turnover he would have in this place for a $10.45 steak sandwich... He pulled out a cryvac 8oz. PRIME yes PRIME ribeye seak. I said yes I would love THAT steak in a sandwich or on a napkin or just in my hand. Suffice to say... super buttery super well cooked... rare+... awesome. Best sandwich or steak I have had in downtown Naperville and yes I have been to all of the usual suspects.

Now I just got back from picking up dinner there for my wife and myself. I ordered the Wednesday special Meatloaf(knowing it would make leftovers), I ordered the Beef Barley and the Black Bean, and I ordered the hamburger, the black angus hand formed patty that was a perfect pink white that he showed on my earlier visit and of course another steak sandwich.

The meatloaf was very moist... you get a Huge, a pound at least, of meatloaf. my wife took a bite smiled, she said "it tastes liek meatloaf made with steak" had a little bit of gravy that was good but unnecessary. potatoes and the peppers, zuchini, squash medley. the Beef Barley soup was homemade, the chef used to be the sous chef at Smith and Wo and the Beef Barley was very complex and layered and definitely had some red wine and the black bean soup although typically not my favorite was the best my wife had ever eaten and she loves black bean soup. The burger was buttery and the chef recommended the homemade blue cheese dressing that was very homemade, I typicall do not order blue cheese on my burgers as it can easily overpower, but after he gave me a sample with some of the garden tomatoes he had on the counter I was convinced... This was awesome. The blue cheese dressing made me feel like I was at a super premium steakhouse and it complemented the beef patty that was cooked perfectly rare+.


Now I will say that I never knew about this place until trythisout put up his post, I didn't even know it was open. But I do have a very selfish vested interest in this place, because I want it there for a long long time, at least as long as I am still working and living that close.

P.S. Next month is Ghoulash... I can hardly wait.



I tried to shoot some pictures of the food, but I needed to replace my battery pack...

But there will be a next time

NaperMan wrote:P.S. Next month is Ghoulash...

Must be their Halloween special.

My curiosity piqued, I went to Chef's Corner for lunch today. I was amazed that I had missed it for almost a year, given that the Chef clearly understands marketing and running a business. He proudly displayed big articles from both the Daily Herald and Naperville Sun as well as a wall of photos of his life and celebrity encounters, and informed me that his Friday Fish Fry is already sold out tonight.

I was met with this counter:



There are so many things right about this that I will not even go into them all. Chef Vrselj then came up to talk to us and help us through the menu. When asked he recommended the chicken salad, which we both ordered. This quickly, with one look, answered the question of whether the focus on organic tomatoes was pure marketing, or just the facts.



He told me the tomatoes are from his garden, but he buys the greens. I did not ask, but I am pretty sure the dressing is made there, too. Chicken salad was very good, savory, chunky, nicely seasoned, and I usually do not like chicken salad. My companion ahd the fruit salad, which was also a step up, including real, ripe fruit apparently really chopped up in the store as well as some more expensive fruits, like Kiwis.

He also makes his own Cevapi (Bosnian beef sausage), which I will try next visit - and that should be soon. As noted in the posts above he makes a bunch of different sandwiches, cold and grilled, including subs, burgers (large and mini), steak sammy, beef and chicken kabobs, and lots more. On Wednesday there is the dinner special meatloaf, grilled chicken and veggies on Thursday and fish fry on Friday. Call ahead if you want some of a dinner special.

Finished with a sample of the day's frozen custard special - black forest cheesecake. Chock full of cherries, chocolate bits and cheesy delight. The whole meal was very satisfying, and the general excellence of the ingredients make me very optimistic about most everything on the menu. No Sysco cheaping it up for this place.

Thanks for the tip. Will report back as I explore the place further. I was really surprised and impressed by the quality of ingredients, but I guess I said that already.

Might have to give this place a shot for lunch sometime.

Great intelligence gathering. I'm almost embarassed to admit that I hadn't previously noticed this place either. I'm assuming it's in the building near Chicago and Julian, which has been many failed businesses over the years -- including, I believe, an Irish deli. If so, I drive past it nearly every day.

Dicksond... I believe I saw you there I was in the suit walking out. When you ordered the chicken salad, I knew you would like it from the small sample that i was offered... I believe there is some truffle oil in it
Bottom line after enjoying three lunches, a dinner, and leftover meatloaf for dinner and for breakfast all within the last three days I will let this guy cook anything for me.
What an absolute treat to find this palce in an area that is being overrun with chains.

This is great information. The place is about a quarter mile from my house and I pass it constantly. I've always assumed it was still the "sandwich and frozen custard" place that was there previously. I'll give it a try.

I have to mention, as someone who's lived in Naperville for over 30 years now, that I recall fondly the days when this space was a great butcher shop. IIRC, the original butcher shop owners got tagged for being hit men on the side (I kid you not). The guy who took over for them, nicknamed Scottie, was a great guy with excellent meat. When Scotty went back to Scotland, his assistant (Bud, I think) bought the place and ran it for a number of years before the landlord ran him out (Bud's story). He would dry age beef for 3 weeks. Fabulous stuff. Anyway, thanks for indulging my digression.

All the best,
John

This is the board at its best. A brand new guy heard about LTHForum on Nick Digilio's radio show. I bookmarked it and wondered when I would be able to make a decent contribution. Found this spot and loved it. Knew this place would be perfect for LTH. I am going to have to go back soon. I am getting hungry just reading the other posts.

A brand new guy heard about LTHForum on Nick Digilio's radio show. I bookmarked it and wondered when I would be able to make a decent contribution. Found this spot and loved it. Knew this place would be perfect for LTH.

And so the cycle is complete....

Just for my own directional information, is this the place that's just east of North Central College? If so, that building is the kind of place that could change a half dozen times and you'd never notice. Very low profile. Glad someone's doing something with it that's not another Chipotle or Noodles & Co.

whiskeybent wrote:Just for my own directional information, is this the place that's just east of North Central College?

Yes, it's just east of the center of town on Chicago Avenue. It's across from the fire house and assisted living complex.

John Danza wrote:This is great information. The place is about a quarter mile from my house and I pass it constantly. I've always assumed it was still the "sandwich and frozen custard" place that was there previously. I'll give it a try.

I have to mention, as someone who's lived in Naperville for over 30 years now, that I recall fondly the days when this space was a great butcher shop. IIRC, the original butcher shop owners got tagged for being hit men on the side (I kid you not). The guy who took over for them, nicknamed Scottie, was a great guy with excellent meat. When Scotty went back to Scotland, his assistant (Bud, I think) bought the place and ran it for a number of years before the landlord ran him out (Bud's story). He would dry age beef for 3 weeks. Fabulous stuff. Anyway, thanks for indulging my digression.

All the best,
John

I remember this place and Scottie, I went to this Butcher Shop often for ribs when I lived in the area from 1986-94. Now I understand what y'all mean by small, this place was like a postage stamp. During the summers a guy (not part of the shop) would set up a smoker in the parking lot and sell Ribs Chicken etc. on the weekends. Very good Q as I remember

Marshall K wrote: During the summers a guy (not part of the shop) would set up a smoker in the parking lot and sell Ribs Chicken etc. on the weekends. Very good Q as I remember

Oh yeah, I remember that guy. The food was excellent. He bought the meat from the shop, which is why they were allowed to set up there. Nothing against Chef's Corner, but I really wish that butcher shop was still there.

After reading these comments I must say LTHF is becoming my choice for discovery of new and/or "hidden" places to eat. Thanks for the tip! I'll try it the very next time I get out to Naperville.

I thought this was still the old sandwich shop, but today I finally walked across the street and ordered dinner; three grilled chicken breast sandwiches and beef barley soup. The sandwiches were on buttered and toasted french bread. The chicken was cooked to perfection -- very moist! It is served with mayo, fresh tomatoes and lettuce. It was the best chicken sandwich I have ever had.

The soup was quite good too!

Dessert was black raspberry frozen custard.

The word is out that Chef's Kitchen has excellent food cooked from scratch. The prices are very competitive with the chain places in downtown Naperville.

TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT!

I can't believe how many times I've driven past this place and never gave it a thought. Stopped in last night after work and told the chef that I just wanted a menu and see what he had to offer. He promptly started giving me samples of everything. He is clearly very proud of his food and his talent. I bought some of the chicken salad and I think I'll take my husband there for a hamburger this weekend. It's great to see this kind of place in Naperville. I just wish I'd discovered it sooner. Thanks to everyone here for spreading the word.

My wife and I finally got to this place for lunch on Saturday. Not that far a drive, since it's about a quarter mile from the house. There was a steady stream of customers, so it looks like they're doing ok.

I ordered the steak sandwich and my wife ordered the ham and cheese panini. Both were served on very nicely toasted french bread. However, I'm sorry to say that I expected to like the food better based on the comments here.

The steak sandwich was very difficult to eat because the cheese was sticking to the paper it was wrapped in. Since it's also in a styrofoam container, the paper could be eliminated to save the hassle. The steak itself had chunks of fat surrounding it, which is great for flavor when it's on a plate but not too appetizing when eating it out of a sandwich. I also needed to salt the sandwich, never a good sign.

My wife's sandwich was loaded with meat, which is great. It too was wrapped and stuck to the irritating paper, so surgery was needed to extract it before eating. There were some various veggies on the sandwich, which was very nice. Overall, it was good but nothing to write home about.

We'll try the place once more and order two different items to see if our experience is any different. At this point however, my comment would be that if you live nearby give it a shot, but if you make this a destination that you want to try you'll be disappointed.

John

My husband did try the hamburger there a week or so ago and he liked it but I didn't taste so I can't comment. I guess I'll also give it another try (maybe the meat loaf on Wednesday night) and see what I think of that. I'm always really hopeful that we'll get some better places in Naperville. Too bad your experience wasn't better.

Ron A and I met there for lunch a week ago. Ron had the burger and shared a taste. Seemed good to me. I had the Civapi, a profusion of sausages on a grilled pita with some onions, tomatoes and some sour cream on the side.

The burger came with "hand cut french fries." Maybe so, but the hand cutting must have occurred at the Sysco plant before they were frozen and bagged.

The sausages were pleasantly spicy, Ron likening them to gyros sausages and I think that fits. Afterwards Ron left and I went back in to get some frozen custard and the Chef and I briefly discussed the sausage.

Me: "the civapi were good, nicely spicy. I expected them to be a little plainer, more like the Serbian sausage cevapcici."

Chef (with a less than happy look on his face - I fear I crossed some unfortunate Balkan line here without knowing better): "They are the same as cevapcici. I put a little black pepper on them just before serving, but otherwise there is no difference."

Me (now sheepish): "Oh, well they were quite good, thank you." Then I scurried out.

Good sandwiches, good salads, very mediocre fries. John, do you know what cut the steak was? It is not a cheap sandwich as I recall, maybe $11 (most other dishes are around $7), and I think it may have actually been a strip of some sort based on what I saw on the grill. Maybe it really is meant to be taken home and eaten as an open-faced sandwich. Anyway, aside from the issue with cheese sticking to the paper and the fat, it sounds like it tasted okay, if a bit under-salted, which was not a problem we had with the burger or civapi.

The chef of Chef's Corner seems to be doing a great job marketing his place, and it is doing a pretty good business. So far, in two visits, I can say the food is generally good, but he does cut some corners (watch your starch - the pita was nothing much, and the fries were industrial, if of at least medium quality).

It was a pleasure to meet and eat with Ron.

dicksond wrote:John, do you know what cut the steak was? It is not a cheap sandwich as I recall, maybe $11 (most other dishes are around $7), and I think it may have actually been a strip of some sort based on what I saw on the grill.

Hi Dick,

It was hard to tell because the steak was in pieces by the time I got it on the sandwich. Based on texture, I would agree that it was a strip. And you're right, it's not a cheap sandwich. Between the two of us, it was almost $22 for two sandwiches, some chips, and a couple of drinks.

All the best,
John

^ Thanks for the kind words, Dickson. We picked a great day to enjoy a meal in Chef's Corner's outdoor seating area, and I enjoyed the food, as well as the company. It was nice to shoot the breeze about the local restaurant scene with a knowledgeable fellow like Dickson.

At any rate, my burger was good -- so good, in fact, that I'll probably make a return trip specifically to get another one. The civapi (sausage) also was good. As Dickson indicated, the fries weren't anything to write home about.

It seems as though the place is doing a good business, which is great. I like the fact that it's only a few minutes from my house, and definitely plan to return for another burger as well as to check out some other menu items. That said, I view Chef's Corner as a convenient place for people in the area to get a decent home-cooked meal, but not necessarily as a destination spot.

As an aside, we didn't encounter any of the irritating "cheese sticking to paper" problems that John did, although I can understand how this sort of thing could be irritating. Also, I believe that a ribeye is used for the steak sandwich (as noted in Naper Man's post, above).

Ron A. wrote:^ As an aside, we didn't encounter any of the irritating "cheese sticking to paper" problems that John did, although I can understand how this sort of thing could be irritating. Also, I believe that a ribeye is used for the steak sandwich (as noted in Naper Man's post, above).

I am very sorry to hear about the negative experience with the steak sandwich... I order mine with only tomatoes and onions, no cheese... I can see how that could be annoying though. It is a ribeye, the spinalis dorsis (the super flavorful and tender meat) is intact and seprated from the ribeye with a layer of fat, I also agree that the fries are not great at all and definitely not homemade. We've had a couple of missteps with a missing roll or a missing salad dressing.

That said... over the last few weeks this has been a "go-to" spot for many people at the office, they have been dying for a non-chain lunch, great food at a fair price. Most of the people that I know have been getting hooked in with the soup and burgers, then the chicken sandwiches, salads (very good Blue Cheese and Greek Dressings), and chicken salad.

By the way, the frozen custard that they sell there is from Leon's in Milwaukee.

Has anyone been in there recently? I have tried a couple of times post work and they have been closed.

I drove by last week and thought they looked open...

I drive by pretty frequently (and my wife stops in every once in a while). As far as I know, they are open and quite busy (especially at lunch). I believe that he closes around 7pm during the week, and, IIRC, they are closed on Mondays.

You know, I too was wondering if Chef's Corner was open or closed. So I drove out from Chicago to Naperville, and from the angle I was able to get from my car at 25 miles an hour (it was busy traffic that day) I could not really tell. So I drove out again the next day, and while I did get a better angle, somehow it looked both open and closed simultaneously. I perused the internet for an answer on the next day, but there was nothing convincing either way. Then I started wondering what was going on, so I posted some signs around town asking people to call me if they knew whether Chef's Corner was open or called. No one called except a few pranksters, so I had to find a better way. Eventually it occurred to me: I can call the place to ask. So I did, and I found out that they're open.