Eyrie, Oak Park

Eyrie, Oak Park

It’s kind of a big deal when a restaurant opens in Oak Park, The-Town-That-Seems-Like-It-Should-Have-More-Good-Restaurants-Than-It-Actually-Does.

Sitting by the window at student-run Eyrie, I marveled that every single civilian who walked by had to stop (or at least slow down) and peer into the newly opened storefront restaurant.



Eyrie, the student-run restaurant of Robert Morris University, is now open and ready for business – and they are really, really ready. There were definitely more student chefs in the house than there were customers, and although this gave Eyrie the feel of a resort-town-in-the-off-season, the students are almost painfully sincere and truly committed. And the idea of a “lab” where culinary students can see what it’s like to work in a restaurant is a helpful corrective to the troublesome trend of students walking out of culinary school and expecting to get their own Food Network series. (Jeff “Sandwich King” Mauro, congrats on your Food Network Star win, but you’re not helping this situation).

Last week, I was talking with Scott Walton, Executive Chef at Markethouse in Chicago, and he mentioned that “Young chefs think that working in a kitchen is magical, because of what they’ve seen on television.” No doubt, Top Chef has inspired young ones to seek culinary degrees as surely as CSI has inspired degrees in criminology and forensic science. Eyrie has the advantage of being freestanding, unlike similar operations at Kendall College and Le Cordon Bleu. It is, according to Oak Parker and chef/instructor Cheryl Corrado, “more like a real restaurant experience” and thus more of a valuable learning experience for students. “It doesn’t have that school buffer,” Corrado pointed out, “and so students don’t actually feel like they’re in class, in school. Here, students can be a no-show and call me about making up a class. This is a job, a responsibility that they have not only to fellow students but to me and to people who are walking through the door. Because we’re a freestanding restaurant, this is a job that students go to, and not just a class. And the students are very pumped to be here.”



The Whitefish Sandwich was lightly fried and the lemon remoulade provide good acidic counterpoint to the crisp batter. Though not indicated on the menu, this sandwich comes with a small salad and fingerling potatoes, so for $10, that’s pretty much all you’d need for lunch.



Gratuities are not accepted, though the menu tells us we can make a donation to the Robert Morris University Scholarship Fund…but you have to go home and get on your computer and go to their website to do that. I think this is an admirable but problematic approach. I doubt many will take the initiative to go to the site to donate 15-20% of their check total to the RMU. In addition, it seems that student servers should acquire an understanding of how tipping works, an education they won’t receive under this system. Still, it’s a nice idea.

So was the experience at Eyrie flawless? No, but it was opening day, and I’m not going to nit-pick a restaurant that was open less than an hour when I stopped in. It's a good place to eat, and we can always use more of that kind of place in of in Oak Park.

Eyrie
128 N. Oak Park
Tuesday-Saturday, 11AM-2PM
http://www.robertmorris.edu/eyrie/

Really looking forward to this - unfortunately because of the hours Saturday is the only day I have a shot at making it but I'm hoping to drop in within the next week or two.
Thanks for the info David.

David Hammond wrote:Eyrie, Oak Park
And the idea of a “lab” where culinary students can see what it’s like to work in a restaurant is a helpful corrective to the troublesome trend of students walking out of culinary school and expecting to get their own Food Network series. (Jeff “Sandwich King” Mauro, congrats on your Food Network Star win, but you’re not helping this situation).

Thanks David

FWIW, I did not waltz out of culinary school straight to television. I spent 5 years before CS working in the food business (deli, catering, private parties) as well as last 5 years before Food Star. All the while, I was actively performing and hustling within the entertainment world. I worked my face off trying achieve my goal of melding my two passions. I suggest to any one trying the same, be prepared to make A LOT of personal sacrifices. Anyone on Food Star who did not have fundamentals and vast experience was DOA.

Regardless, can't wait to try Eyrie! The whitefish sandwich looks great, are those pickles under the fish? if so, they make them in house?

Jeff

Hey cheffjeff, I should have inserted a laughing/smiling emoticon -- we're all proud of our (pretty close to) hometown hero, and I hope my tongue-in-cheek comment to you didn't come off as actual criticism of your current gig.

Yes, on the sandwich, those are pickles (indicated on the menu as "pickled vegetables" -- I actually had something a little different in mind when I read that). My guess is that they're made in house, though I'm not 100% certain of that.

Be good to get your take on some of the sandwiches.

I ate lunch at Eyrie today and I thought it was outstanding!

I started with their caramelized onion soup, which is a cream-based pureed soup, and it was fantastic.

For a main, I had the shrimp Cobb salad, and it was very good, with plenty of plump tender shrimp. Not an unusual dish, but well executed.

For dessert, I had their citrus pot de creme with rosemary lemon cake and fresh strawberries, and this was fantastic too. It was presented as three items plated together, and each was so delicious, I spent half the time eating each one separately, and the other half combining them in spoonfuls. This was the best dessert I've had in quite a while!

Two notes/tips. In addition to their Tuesday-Saturday lunch, they are now open for dinner the first and third Saturdays of the month. You can BYOB at dinner, but not at lunch (apparently something having to do with a town ordinance or their licensing).

anyone been recently? Experience?

I was there about a year ago. It's not bad for the price. Check if still BYOB. I would definitely return, I just haven't for some reason.

I ate their a year and a half ago and had such a bad meal, that I haven't gone back. I live a block from the restaurant. I don't remember all the specifics. I do remember having bread that tasted like they used baking soda instead of salt. I left thinking that these must have been brand new students with no one supervising them.