“The Flavors of Europe in Glenview”!

[rating=5]If you have friends who are travelers, and they have explored Europe, then you have heard about the wonderful food they have enjoyed on their journeys. Everyone cannot make this trip, but they can enjoy and savor the flavors in Glenview ( you might think Northbrook, but truly Glenview) in a center at Willow and Pfingsten Roads. The name of the restaurant is  Social Inn. When you enter the space, you will see that it was designed to bring the people together, They decided to open this space during the Covid era with the thought of helping the populace come out of being sheltered at home to getting out for fun and great dining, while others were doing the same.

The shopping center where they are located is a busy one and we frequented other shops in it without even knowing they were there. I guess that is part of what happens in the “burbs”. We get used to certain spots and don’t look for new ones. Well, we did the looking! We found this treasure of the North Shore, where you can dine in style, have delicious food and wonderful drinks and all at prices that are comfortable.  We were joined by Alan and Vickie, who join us on many food adventures. They were also in awe over the items that we enjoyed. The menu is large, so in order for us to taste the entire menu, we will have to make several trips. That is fine with me as based on what we enjoyed tonight, I am anticipating many additional surprises. By the way, every dish on the menu has been tried before adding it to the menu, and each item we ate was wonderful.

Of course, we started off the evening with a cocktail. While I am a vodka drinker, they have a signature cocktail that intrigued me, I have had “old fashioned” before, but theirs is a chili fig old fashioned- bourbon, of course, chili fig syrup, orange bitters with an orange twist and some figs- wow, was it tasty. Our server, Bryan made sure that I enjoyed the drink stirred by placing it on a small turntable and giving it a spin. The drink was as good as it gets. The ladies had the Social Margarita ( tequila, fresh lime, grand marinier, and a black salt rim. Alan, our wine drinker, a glass of Chardonnay. They have wines from Italy, France, Bulgaria, Argentina, Greece, Spain, and a whole long list of countries. I guess this sets the tone for their meals that also represent all of Europe and the United States.

For a starter, Bryan suggested we partake of one of their signature “shareables” called “across the board”, a long board that is filled with an assortment of cheeses and meats ( they do their own cold cuts) with some toast and olives that will make you smile. We also tried their “beet Mezze” stuffed beets with whipped goat cheese, pomegranate arils and crispy pumpkin seeds as well as some micrograins.This is one of their many gluten free dishes. Jane , who is not a beet lover, devoured this tasty treat. For our salad (they call the salad section “to toss around”, making the menu cute) they brought us their Shopska- a traditional Bulgarian style salad with ripened vine tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, red onion, roasted red peppers, fresh parsley and imported Greek Feta cheese . A true treat.

The main menu items were amzing. We truly enjoyed the Rigatoni with sausage- large tubular pasta with homemade sausage and peas in a very light tomato sauce. The peas and sausage make all the difference. The Duck Breast Fillet is served with multi colored carrots, scallion fried rosemary carrots, mashed potatoes served with an orange zest sauce. I for one am not big on duck, but this meat was so tender and juicy that I had seconds.

The third item was the Tomahawk Pork Chop- a 30 ounce tomahawk grilled to perfection, served with the best rosemary roasted potatoes I have ever had, chimichurri and garnished with fresh blueberries and raspberries ( fyi- this takes 20 minutes to prepare, but is well worth the wait). I wish I had taken a picture of the serving plate after Alan ate all the meat on the bone. He was in heaven.

The menu is filled with great looking items and as a food watcher, I watched every tray that was brought to other diners. On a Tuesday evening there were a lot of people out for a great meal. They have steaks, chicken, fish, kabobs and they have some kid friendly items. We also saw their hamburger and their “vurger” (meatless) from the “to hold” section of the menu.

To finish our meal the Napoleon Cake and their chocolate cake. Both moist and tasty. They also have gelatos, sorbet, and of course Crème Brulee and a vegan cupcake ( maybe next time).

This is a place where you can try dishes that you may not find in one location. Everyone in your party can pick the country and select the menu items that fits. If one is unsure, the staff will work with you to make sure that your dining experience is one that you will always remember, but I am betting that once you have found Social Inn of Glenview, you will be going back. I know we are!

Social Inn is located at  2733 Pfingsten Road in Glenview. This is the shopping center on the North side of Willow at Pfingsten ( the Jewel Store is the anchor) and is open as follows:

Monday-thru Thursday 4:30- 9:30 p.m.

Friday/Saturday  4:30- 10:30 p.m.

Sunday 3 p.m.- 9:30 p.m.

LUNCH HOURS- Monday-Saturday 11:30 a.m. til 2 p.m.   they have a different lunch menu which you can find on their website www.socialinnrestaurant.com

their phone number is 224-282-8103

Their slogan is “Real food made by real people” and guess what? It is true. I loved my journey through Europe!