“Wildwood Tavern” a new spot with “old memories”.

[rating=4] Several weeks ago, I went to a Chamber of Commerce function in Niles. It was an “After Hours” with several local chambers held at a fairly new restaurant, Wildwood Tavern, located at Caldwell and Touhy Avenues in Niles. As I looked around and tasted some of the treats that they were serving I thought some of the flavors were familiar. Yet, I had never been here before. I grabbed a menu for a peek and then realized why the flavors were memorable. This restaurant is owned by the children of one of the partner’s in a Chicago landmark, Myron & Phil’s that had its home on Devon just west of Lincoln Avenue. “The nose knows” and the taste buds, taste. Great memories started to come back as to the many family dinners and company lunches in the historic M & P ( as my boss would refer to it). Those of us regulars remember the great chopped chicken liver at the table along with the pickles. Wildwood doesn’t have them at every table, BUT they do have them on the menu every week end ( with the chopped onion, chopped egg, green tomatoes and of course Matzoh. Oh, well, a reason to return on the week-end!

Jane and I arrived with eating buddies Alan and Vickie tonight. The restaurant has a look that is more Chalet than fits the typical tavern, but the warmth of the people and the dining room worked well. They have outside seating and two private rooms for parties and meetings available. The “bar” also has seating and for you gamblers, some of the slots that seem to be everywhere. Our waiter, John, a very knowledgable man -made sure that we each had answers to all our questions and also made sure that our ” adult beverages” were up to par. They were!

The starter menu ( perfect for sharing) is huge and we opted to do a few, since we wanted to do a true taste. We decided on the fried pickles served with a spicy ranch that truly made the pickle a special part of the evening. We also had the Brisket Mac Eggrolls- brisket  one of their truly specialty items( as they do their own meats),  an eggroll filled with mac ‘n cheese and brisket. WONDERFUL!, and for a third taste, the Street Corn Elotes- roasted corn kernels in a spicy mayo mixed with cilantro-lime juice and Parmigianino. There are many more items to choose from as this is a huge menu.

We shared one of their burgers. They always say “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”, so we figured, why not do the Wildwood Burger-fried egg, crispy bacon and melted pepper jack cheese piled high with burnt onions and onion strings and then dazzled with their secret sauce- to die for! They have several other selections on the burger page and while we did not order a salad, they have a great looking selection.

Pizza and BBQ are what is in today. Since theirs could be called a “Sports Bar” as well as a supper club ( separate areas have unique personalities in this building) the pizza menu is solid with their “build your own” and they do a GLUTEN FREE for those on that mission. They also do flatbreads. Since BBQ is what I remembered from the days at Myron & Phil’s, we did several items on that menu- The Myron & Phil skirt steak did bring back some  memories. Ours was done medium rare and one of the problems with steak is that many of us prefer it in different ways making it hard for four people to agree on. I enjoyed every bite of the steak and the corn bread that is served with many is not your typical corn bread. It is almost like a “bread pudding “consistency. At first taste, Jane felt it was not to her liking, but after 3 bites she was “all in” and as each entrée came with more corn bread, first to share with others. I did notice her half was larger than mine!

The BBQ Ribs are perfect for those who enjoy the “fall off the bone” style of preparation. For those of you who enjoy battle with your dinner, you will be disappointed. No fight here. However, tasty meat that is easy to eat and savory to the taste buds. We also enjoyed the brisket platter ( I think next trip, I will have to do the pulled pork- it looked real good at someone else’s table). We did not do all their “sides” but can tell you their creamy coleslaw is the type I love, the roasted garlic mashed potatoes were perfect and sweet potato tots were big winners at our table. There is always room for one more tot, in particular, sweet potato. The pizza was delicious with a crust that is not that thin and not that thick, but just right!

Despite having filled our tummies with all these great vittles, we opted to enjoy some of the signature desserts in their “sugar corner”. Let me tell you about the “Sugar Corner”. They have the following items: apple pie-in-a-jar a la mode, original cheesecake, nutella’s s’more pizza ( next time , for sure), bread pudding, root beer float and ice cream and then….the two that we selected to taste. The brownie a-la-mode ( but we opted out on the ice-cream) which was delish and the homemade cannoli. I defy you not to enjoy either of these special desserts.

Wildwood Tavern has an extensive, yet simple menu that everyone will enjoy. If you can’t find something on their menu, you are probably not hungry. They also had a dinner special menu that looked terrific, but since we were reporting on the restaurant, felt we needed to talk about items that are available six days a week! (closed on Mondays), They are open from 11 a.m. during the week for lunch. The dining room hours and the bar hours are different each day so visit www.wildwoodtavern.net for exact times.

On weekends, they are also open for breakfast/brunch at 8 a.m. where they serve pancakes ( gluten -free is available), French toast, omelettes, breakfast burgers, country hash ( with all types of meats) and one of my favorites “biscuits and gravy” a true down south way to start your day! I am sure that dining here will stir up memories of Myron & Phil’s. It did for me. I will be coming by over the weekend to complete the picture with my  Myron & Phil’s “Supper Club Platter”.

To make reservations call 847-677-6663. Wildwood Tavern is located at 6480 West Touhy in Niles ( at Caldwell) just West of the Leaning Tower YMCA. You can view their menu at www.wildwoodtavern.net and can order online for pick-up or delivery by GrubHub. Plenty of free parking and easy to get to. Your hosts, the Freedman Family will make your experience a lasting memory. ENJOY! I know we did, and we will be back!