My family and I ate at the kitchen table at Jill's on Galena a couple of weeks ago. It was a celebration for my birthday. I had never been to Jill's but my family enjoys high-end eating and especially chef's tables. Here is my review of the experience:
Ambiance: I had no idea how large Jill's really was and the kitchen reflects the restaurant's size. Clearly, this is a kitchen set up for large banquet preparations. The chef's table was very nicely situated to see Jill and another chef to work on our meals. However, the remainder of the kitchen was not visible from the table. This took part of the fun out of the chef's table because we couldn't see everything that was going on. In addition, Jill's kitchen was
considerably calmer than other professional kitchens I have seen. I suppose this is good, but it was not terribly entertaining.
The staff were all very professional and curteous. The service was very good, despite the fact that my brother rudely bossed everyone around regarding the wine. In explanation, I would like to say that he is a chef and the owner of a boutique wine shop (in another state). At Jill's, he asked to see at least eight different bottles of wine that he didn't purchase - he just wanted to look at the bottles. I apologize to any staff who thought he was irritating. I thought he was irritating, but I'm used to it. He eventually settled on four bottles of wine and one bottle of champagne, which were all wonderful. Of course, five bottles for four drinkers (one designated driver,
i.e., my pregnant sister-in-law), was a little excessive.
Food: (The words in bold are the chef's descriptions of the course.)
First course - billed as an
amuse bouche, it was
Crab Salad, Orange Slice, Pistachio Dusting, Balsamic Vinegar Reduction. Although this tasted fairly good, it was not an
amuse bouche, technically. An amuse is intended to be one bite of something to "wet" your appetite. This was at least four bites. I would have skipped the title and just called it first course, which it really was. The flavor of the crab meat was good but the orange slice was a mistake. It was too big to put the whole thing in your mouth but very difficult to cut with a knife. It was also a regular orange that had gone a little mealy. My suggestion - use a section of a mandarin orange (fresh, not canned), blood orange, or tangelo. This would achieve the balance of acid and sweet in the dish without the awkward toughness of the orange sections.
Second course -
Pistachio Crusted Scallop, Bruschetta on Olive Baguette, Lemon-Parmesan Sauce. The scallop was wonderful - cooked to absolute perfection with a slightly caramelized crust. It was one of the best scallops I have ever had. I liked the pistachio crust, but was slightly put off by the fact that two dishes in a row had pistachios. I wondered whether every dish would have pistachios - if this was a "theme" restaurant. The bruschetta was OK, but I did not like the fact it was made from the same bread as was placed on the table as part of the bread basket. I thought the bruschetta was most likely made from stale table bread.
Third course -
Pan-Seared Foie Gras, Strawberry Mousse, White Chocolate. It is because of this course (and the next one) that I will return to Jill's frequently. This is the most inspired combination of sweet and savory I have ever tasted. The foie gras was perfection and left simple on the plate to stand on its own, which foie gras is entirely able to do. It's richness was paired with a chunk of pure white chocolate (and I mean a CHUNK) and the heaviest strawberry mousse I have ever tasted. The mousse had the consistency of cold brie but the flavor combination was outstanding. I made a little "napoleon" of fois gras, white chocolate, and strawberry mousse. Wonderful.
Fourth course -
Jill's "BLT" Pancetta Disc, Fried Tomato, Butter Poached Lobster, Chive Oil. This dish was fan-
freaking-tastic!! I almost asked for seconds, but I thought it would have been gauche. The "B" was the pancetta - shaped into a disc and balanced on top. The "L" was actually lobster (although there were also greens on the plate) and it was so smooth and buttery, I thought I had gone to lobster-heaven. The "T" was actually a tomato, but a very sweet-tart heirloom tomato slice that had been lightly breaded and fried. I have seriously thought about this dish every day since I ate it. Wow.
Fifth course -
Macadamia Nut Crusted Pan-Seared Halibut, Garlic Oil Bow-Tie pasta, Bruschetta. After the last two dishes, this dish was not quite as memorable or unique. It was good, although my mother said her halibut was overcooked. I suggested that the fish was purposefully a little dry because the garlic oil on the pasta balanced the dry fish. I could have done without the bruschetta, for the reasons mentioned above. I do not think bruschetta should be served twice on the same tasting menu.
Sixth course -
Bacon-Wrapped New York Strip, Portabella Fries, Port Reduction. By this time, I was getting pretty full, but I was waiting with anticipation for the meat course. The meat course on any tasting menu usually is the grand finale of the menu and usually a place for the chef to show off. Unfortunately, I was bitterly disappointed by the meat course. First, the dish looked completely uninspired. The only things on the plate were the steak, bacon, and mushrooms. No greens, no starch, no garnish, no sauce (I don't remember the port reduction even being there). The dish did not make a statement, aside from the chef saying, "I am tired and I want you to leave now." Second, the meat was not good. It was a horrible cut of beef - tough and stiff. But worse, it was overcooked. It would have been a stretch to call it "medium." In my opinion, it was well-done. The center was barely pink. (This was true for all five of us, not just me.)
I was taught early in life that it was extremely bad taste to order steak anything higher than "medium-rare." My father said that, if we didn't like rare beef, we should order chicken. That in mind, I have never been to a higher end restaurant and been served anything more than medium-rare steak. (The Kobe beef at the French Laundry was practically still alive, it was so rare.) This is particularly true in a tasting-menu situation where the chef does not ask the diners how they would like their meat. It is assumed that if you are knowledgeable enough about food to request the tasting-menu, you are sophisticated enough to eat rare beef. It was incredibly shocking to encounter poorly executed beef in such a good restaurant, particularly a restaurant in the Midwest.
Seventh course -
Plum Cake, Pomegranate Syrup. This dessert was the stuff of dreams - it looked like a dream and it tasted like a dream. The description does not come close to describing the near orgasmic nature of this dish. It was like pineapple-upside-down cake but made with half a plum rather than pineapple. It was a little tart but mostly caramelly sweet. Even though I was stuffed by this point, I ate the whole thing. If there had been an extra cake sitting around the kitchen, I would have shoved it in my purse.
In conclusion, I don't have a star rating. I think stars are silly. My review criteria is, simply, "Would I eat at this restaurant again . . . yes or no." As far as Jill's on Galena, the answer is absolutely yes. Although I probably will not be ordering steak, I am more than happy to have fois gras and lobster. Who wouldn't be?
Looks perfectly cute and harmless, doesn't he? But this cute little puppy, 
