A place to meet and eat in Lincolnshire (The Half Day Brewing Company)

[rating=5] If you are looking for a micro brew pub with a menu that will please the entire family, the new Half Day Brewing Company located in Lincolnshire is the perfect spot. Many people are unfamiliar with the town of Half Day, which abuts Lincolnshire, a far better known name along the Des Plaines River. Rumor has always been that the name “Half Day” was given to this rural space because it was supposedly a half day ride from Chicago on the way to Milwaukee, a perfect spot to rest the horses and the weary travelers. The name however is from a different source. Chief Aptakisic ( there is a road named for him in the area as well) was also named “Halfa” and  Daniel Wright, a General and his people  wrote his name as HALFDAY, which stuck. You can find more history on the website for this new dining spot- www.halfdaybrewing.com.

Tonight, Jane and I dined at Half Day Brewing along with our friends Patrick and Randy ,who live in the area as well. We were greeted by a friendly staff as we entered the large, yet cozy building located at 200 Village Green ( this is the plaza just East of Milwaukee Avenue at Route 45. There is a large bar area with smaller sub spaces for meetings and parties and the main dining room where one can watch the wood fired pizzas being prepared. We were seated at a nice sized booth and were made to feel very comfortable. Our server, Michael, came by quickly with menus and suggestions while he took our drink orders. Michael explained that the actual brewing was still a month or so away but they had plenty of great choices on their extensive menu and some special brews from Wisconsin. Jane and Patrick opted to taste the apple cider that turned out to be the best one Jane had ever tasted. I enjoyed a well poured Martini. It is always nice to get a real drink instead of a watered down beverage. The bar tender served a great drink-for sure!

To begin our Half Day adventure/experience we enjoyed their Truffle Deviled Eggs, a pan-seared crab meat cake with roasted red peppers and corn served with beer mustard and an apple fennel salad. I am a crab cake guy and this one was “to die for”. The steamed mussels were prepared to perfection and the wood-fired meatballs (pork and veal) were divine. The portions were more than enough to satisfy the hunger for the  four of us. We skipped the salads ( of which there are six choices) as well as the soup. We did partake of the wings ( Patrick is the wing expert) which are prepared in a buttermilk brine, then dry rubbed and smoked for four hours using hickory chips. They are served with a choice of sauces and with celery and carrots. Patrick said WOW!

For our entrée’s  we chose some sandwiches: The Half Day Signature burger- dry aged certified Angus Beef topped with blue cheese crumbles and shiitake mushrooms. A special taste ( and I never like cheese or mushrooms on my burger- I loved the savory flavor of this burger), and the classic Reuben: beer braised corned beef, swiss cheese, Russian dressing, sauerkraut served on toasted marble rye ( well done) and then the grilled Ahi Tuna with kale, roasted red peppers, roasted garlic vinaigrette, tamponade, lemon rosemary aioli served on ciabatta. We also added two main plates: first the “braise of the day” which today was one of my favorite meats- brisket, served with seasonal potatoes and focaccia bread- divine! and a roasted half-chicken served with German potato salad. We also had several types of potatoes from chips to garlic/cheesy mashed and delicious Sweet Potato Fries (best I have had in years).

This is a very extensive menu that has items for the meat eaters (pork chops and steaks), fish dishes, and a great deal of Gluten Free menu items. They has specials and are open every day for lunch and dinner as well as late night with a special Late Night Menu. Since they are very close to Marriott Theatre, this might be a great spot after the show to have a nightcap and a snack. While we were very filled, we could not resist trying at least two of the deserts they offer. We shared the Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae. A skillet cookie topped with both chocolate and vanilla ice creams, stout whipped cream, chopped nuts and a berry compote. The other choice was similar as it was served in a skillet, but was a berry cobbler, a very tasty crust filled with several choices of berries. They also offer cupcakes and what appears to be a hum-dinger Sweet ‘N Salty Fudge Brownie (they had one at the next table- maybe next time).

All in all, I would have to say the dining experience at the Half Day Brewing Company was one that we will remember with fondness. A delightful experience from the minute we walked in til we got in our car to head home. The friendly staff made the evening very special. We were never rushed and everything was explained to us. Our table was always clean as all of the staff, when walking by ,offered to take any of the used plates away. Since we did a lot of sharing, we did have extra plates, and although the tables are nice-sized, we did find times where we needed to move things off. The staff always made sure, we did not have a problem with this.

For those of you who are into sports, this is a great place as well. There are large screens everywhere, so any sporting event you want to view will be easy to find. As I said earlier, this is a place to meet and eat. They are open

Mon-Thurs 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

Fridays and Saturday 11 a.m.- 2 a.m.

Sundays 10 a.m.- 1 a.m.

Sunday brunch from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.

Live music on Saturdays

To make reservations call 847-821-6933 or visit www.halfdaybrewing.com