Bites Nearby

Bites Nearby: Gratto Italian Tapas Bar One of Geneva's Hottest Dining Spots

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:

Gratto Italian Tapas Bar opened its doors to downtown Geneva in 2008 serving Italian inspired tapas, pizza and panini. The menu and wine changes monthly in order to offer customers the freshest ingredients possible. Decor Rustic and comfortable are the two words to best describe Gratto’s atmosphere. Wine bottles are as much a part of the decor as they are a part of the menu, and it gives diners the feeling of being in a true Italian trattoria. There is a cozy outdoor seating area for fresh air dining during the spring and summer, and the downtown location makes it a perfect spot to enjoy a bite and a glass of wine while people watching. The Drinks Wine is the name of the game here, and there’s an ever-changing wine list to fit their …

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Bites Nearby

Gen-Hoe's Great Food Makes It a Geneva Favorite

Everything about Gen Hoe in Geneva takes you back to the era of vintage Chinese-American Chop Suey palaces.

Gen-Hoe has been serving Chinese-American fare to Geneva since 1969. Everything from the restaurant's dining room style to the tropical-themed cocktails is part of the quality that has made this family-style Chinese restaurant a Geneva favorite. One thing is for sure: After a dining experience at Gen-Hoe, you'll never leave feeling hungry.  Decor The styling of Gen-Hoe's dining room carries a classic Asian theme throughout the space. Tufted draperies cover the round windows and gold tinged Asian art fills the walls. The white table cloths give an extra emphasis on simple elegance, and there's enough room for larger parties to enjoy ample elbow room. Appetizers All the usual suspects appear on the appetizer menu, but the Egg Rolls ($4) are …

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Rick Nagel

12:17 pm on Friday, May 6, 2011

Gen-Hoe's egg rolls are the best. I'm also partial to the beef Cantonese Chow Mein with the pan-fried noodles and I used to love the BBQ pork with bean sprouts until they changed it to BBQ pork with Chinese greens. My mom always orders shrimp with lobster sauce. (The shrimp are big and generous.) Gen-Hoe Delight is excellent.   more ›

Atwater’s Chef Collaborates with Galena Garlic Company

It's good when local businesses work together. It's especially good when the business involves food and garlic.

Chef Jason Tsoris of Atwater's was trying to decide how to spice up his spring menu with some local flavor when he thought of his neighbor up the street. “I had been to Lazlo’s shop once before, and it really provoked my creativity. I began to think that we could work together on a project that combined his spice rubs with one of my favorite recipes,” he said. Lazlo loved the idea of working with one of his fine dining culinary neighbors. “Chef Jason came to me looking to invent something very special for Atwater’s spring menu, and he ended up creating his very own signature rub. We will offer Chef Jason’s Rub among our line of popular spices and rubs at The Galena Garlic Company.” “My signature citrus-ginger rub offers flavor to the …

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Bites Nearby

Bites Nearby: Michaelangelo's Deli is Not to Be Missed

Creating family style meals since 1960, Michaelangelo's is an Italian sandwich shop and deli that's not to be missed in Geneva.

With family recipe's behind the success of Michaelangelo's deli counter and catering business, the domestic and imported meats and cheeses showcased in the coolers at the front of the restaurant are half of what makes the Italian deli sandwich so coveted; their delicious freshly baked bread covers the other half. Most everything in the deli case is available by the pound to take home, but Michaelangelo's flair for stacking a great sandwich makes it hard not to enjoy it in their house.  This is a no-fuss deli when it comes to the ambiance. Wooden floors and Tuscan-colored walls are seen throughout the space. There are a few low- and high-top tables for seating. Orders are taken via counter and paid for at the other end of the line. (And …

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Sandy Kaczmarski

8:55 pm on Saturday, April 16, 2011

This place is the best. I love their hot giardiniare. And fresh sandwiches. Always great customer service.   more ›

Patch Picks

Patch Picks: 5 Places to Enjoy Easter Brunch

Patch found five Geneva restaurants worth checking out for a delicious Sunday brunch with family and friends.

For some reason or another, there are fewer combinations of words in the English language that have as pleasing effect as these: Sunday brunch. And with Easter fast approaching, you're going to want to get your reservations in NOW for these excellent Geneva restaurants, each of whom puts out such delightful spreads. We're actually hunger just thinking about it. 1. From 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Atwater's Restaurant will be hosting an Easter Brunch Buffet. Adults are $38, children over 12 will be $16, under three is free. Reservations are required. 2. Wildwood Restaurant is offering diners an upscale Easter Brunch menu with buffet meat carving, omelet, and pasta stations. There are also many breakfast and lunch specials to enjoy. The cost is…

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10 Under $10: Eating on the Cheap in Geneva

No. 2: Graham's Fine Chocolates' Pretzel Twist and a Cup 'O Joe

No. 2 of 10: OK, so this is our "alternative" meal. It's a stretch, but it's delicious and decadent and under $5.

Here's the premise: 10 places where you can eat in Geneva for under $10. Are these the best? That's really for you to decide. We'll call this list a conversation starter. The first on our list was Egg Harbor Cafe's Geneva Rosti for $8.95. And second on our list is ... No. 2: Graham's Fine Chocolates Maybe you aren't looking to eat a huge meal this early. Or maybe you have a sweet tooth. Or maybe this is where you go after the breakfast. Whatever the case, Graham's has plenty of affordable, sweet and tasty options. Cheap Eat: An ... "alternative" ... breakfast of a bag of Pretzel Twists $2.98 + Hot Coffee for $2. Have a seat on the patio and enjoy the java, pretzels and wifi, all for under $5. About this series Anytime is a great time to …

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My Dinner With Sandy

Tia Maria’s Brings a Little South of the Border to the East Side

Serving Genevans for more than 25 years, Tia Maria’s was the first to serve those “ugly beans.”

Tia Maria’s has been serving up authentic Mexican food since 1983 and offers up a somewhat different Mexican menu. Located in a strip mall on the East Side of Geneva, this place really gives you the feeling of a colorful little café south of the border. Owner Lissette Rubio said her brother Ricardo first started the business and introduced some family recipes and dishes common to her hometown of Mexico City. That included black beans. “We were one of the first ones to put black beans on the menu,” she said. “People would say, ‘what is this?’ They look ugly, but they’re very good—give them a try.” Try we did. The black bean soup is full-bodied and served with Chihuahua cheese, chopped onions and sour cream. Our group sampled the Potato and …

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Ale House Rocks

I had a terrific lunch with my dining partner at Ale House in Geneva. Great service, terrific food—and beers to match any item on the menu.

It was one of those snowy days almost two weeks ago, and my boss suggested we get outside and shoot pictures of people doing things in the snow—making snowmen, sledding, trudging, maybe shoveling or making a snow angel. Only thing is, Paula had a doctor's appointment, which got pushed back, and with the weather what it was, she decided it wouldn't be worthwhile to go all the way in to the city for work. So we went to lunch. And that, as they say, was the inspiration for this column. And as much fun as it would have been shooting photos of folks frolicking at Fabyan's, it was that much more fun having a terrific lunch with my wife. We pointed the car in one direction, but the first restaurant wasn't open, so we tried the Ale House. We're …

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My Dinner With Sandy

From Niche to Nosh, Here’s A Homemade Brunch Menu With A Little Panache

For an early morning or mid-day meal, Nosh boasts homemade dishes that are a little bit different, but with enough variety to please most anyone.

Since many of the establishments in town serve up some nice lunches and dinners, I thought it was time to look at some of the other offerings in Geneva. I’ve noticed the bright red awning with the “N” on the way to the library and thought I would check it out for this week’s review.  Nosh is tucked away at 211 James St., a bit back from the street facing south, but the awning is easy to see. Open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the week and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the weekends, Nosh is the place to go if you enjoy a brunch menu with a little extra. The breakfast menu goes way beyond just bacon and eggs. You can stop in for a Belushi wake-up of burrito and beer (Nosh has a full bar and serves wine and beer) by trying the Brunch Burrito of …

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For These Restaurants, You Can Order the Pheasant; Hold the Sliders

How do you know you're not in Kansas anymore but at a fine restaurant? Look for a menu of hard-to-find ingredients and, of course, check the prices.

There's eating out and there's fine dining. Eating out might be a thick-crust pizza with sausage, mushrooms and peppers. Fine dining might include a bite of tempura-dipped pheasant served on a branch of burning oak leaves that summons up memories of autumn. Fine dining is like obscenity, hard to define, but you know it when you see it. There is plenty of both in Geneva—fine dining and good, solid, wonderful eating out. Just check out the restaurants guide on Geneva Patch. Sandy Kaczmarski has a great weekly column editor Rick Nagel decided to call "My Dinner with Sandy," only because it was the best he could come up with on short notice. It has a nice combination of those restaurants that include standard fare—pizza and pubs—and the…

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Sandy Kaczmarski

3:57 pm on Monday, January 3, 2011

Love Bohemian Garden on Ogden in Lisle. We're sticking with places in Geneva, but I haven't found a place with dumplings, gravy and sauerkraut yet in these parts! Real stick to your ribs food. Don't forget the kolackys!   more ›