Retro is all the rage this year, which might help explain the resurrection of The Claim Company. A North Shore institution, the last one closed in 1997. But it’s back, and bigger than ever–or at least so I’m told since I missed the restaurant in its heyday—with old favorites and new menu additions.
The Salad Saloon is alive and kickin’ again. It’s an impressive array of crisp lettuces, veggies and various toppings with many dressings for your masterpiece. There’s also an assortment of prepared salads (pasta, couscous, etc.).
And the Motherlode Gourmet Burger? Resurrected. Big and undeniably juicy, you get your choice of a 10-ounce prime beef, turkey or veggie burger, or opt for a chicken breast or tuna steak. Choose your bread (multigrain bun, egg bun, onion roll, pretzel roll, ciabatta), toppings, cheeses and sauces. It’s all the same price ($8.50 to $9.99) whether it’s bare or amply dressed. We loved it with bleu cheese and sauteed onions, cooked perfectly medium-rare. If the bun had been toasted, we would have reached burger nirvana.
With all these stalwarts making appearances on the menu, you might think this was your mother’s Claim Company. But it’s more. A few new dishes have joined the menu, most notably the Blackened Ahi Tuna appetizer (a bargain at $8.99). Thin, rosy slices of fresh tuna are served over chilled soba noodles tossed in a Thai peanut sauce. A sassy soy wasabi dipping sauce is on the side. It came in handy when we weren’t wowed by the “lemmonaise” that accompanied the Steamed Whole Artichoke ($7.29). Not sure how this dish is a “Claim Company creation”– I’m pretty sure that I grew up eating it in my home in suburban Detroit.
Not up for a burger? There’s plenty of Southwestern fare (the fajitas were satisfying), sandwiches (we shared a pedestrian California Turkey Panini for $8.29), and specialty entrees, such as the BBQ Skirt Steak ($12.99) or the Bruschetta Tilapia ($15.99).
