Glenview’s popular Valley Lodge Tavern has opened an outpost in downtown Wilmette in the space abandoned by Big Black Dog Tavern, and it seems to be agreeing with the locals.
Families thronged the place on both weekday visits.
They’ve made some agreeable changes in décor, including opening up the space from a series of smaller rooms and putting an attractive, stone-accented bar in the middle to anchor the room.
The Stavrou family has created a menu with many options, but the strongest performers are those with a Greek influence. Start your meal with the Saganaki ($8), the sizzling Greek cheese. They flame it in the kitchen (no “Opa!” here) and it arrives all golden and melty on a metal plate, ready to spread on your bread, or eat plain. Cheese, especially when dressed with a little brandy and lemon, never goes to waste.
The Spinach Puffs ($8) were another crowd pleaser. The spanakopita, little filo triangles stuffed with feta and greens, are served with a container of tzatziki (a garlicky yogurt sauce) for dipping. Pair that with the Greek Salad ($8/half; $10/full), filled with a generous amount of feta, shaved red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, Kalamata olives and anchovies, and dressed with a light vinaigrette. These three starters are the makings for a solid meal.
Less successful were the Minestrone ($4), which needed seasoning and was generally uninspired, and the Pretzel Bites ($10), strange little soft pretzel nuggets with a watery “homemade fondue cheese sauce.”
From the sandwich section of the menu, the thick and meaty Cheeseburger ($11) was a fine addition to the local burger scene, but a Patty Melt ($12) ordered with a turkey burger substitute was less so. At fault was the turkey burger, which tasted more like meatloaf. I could taste the breadcrumbs added to the meat and I was not a fan. A Chicken Caesar Wrap ($11) was chock-full of tender chicken, but could’ve used a little more of the salad aspect to impart additional flavor.
The Broiled Half Chicken ($15), served Greek or barbecue style, was fine, but not in the same league as the classic version served at Cross Rhodes in Evanston, or my other favorite at Charcoal Oven in Skokie. The French Fries were reasonably tasty, but the Homemade Mashed Potatoes are the play here—just the right amount of lumpy, well-seasoned and comforting.
Dijon Salmon ($23), topped with breadcrumbs and Dijon mustard, was moist, perfectly cooked, and not at all dry.
Portions here are generous and the prices quite reasonable; service is well intentioned, but on both visits we had to wait interminably for the check; a to-go order also took forever.
Valley Lodge Tavern will be open for lunch and dinner daily. Wilmette families seem to have embraced it with open arms; I’d go back for some of the Greek specialties, but this is not a destination restaurant in my opinion.
2.5 out of 5 stars (B-)
Valley Lodge Tavern
1141 Central Ave.
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-920-5675
