Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
We all have to agree this has been a very hot and humid summer. Now that the temperatures are starting to cool, we jumped right past Halloween and started to think about repairing our Christmas decorations. This entails days and days of removing strands of old lights on our wire frame decorations and adding new ones with the help of zip ties and a hot glue gun. Rosie is still spitting out chewed up zip ties. We were tired and hangry and decided to go to an old restaurant that has been around for over 100 years. This is Art and Alma’s Century Inn in Burlington.
Art & Alma’s Century Inn
125 Main Street
Burlington 60109
(815)749-9186
artandalmas.com
Estimated Travel Time: 18 minutes
Directions: Take 47 to Plank and make a right. Take Plank to Main St. in Burlington and make a left.
This beautiful landmark building was built in 1908 and served as Rulhausen’s Tavern. Upon entering there stands a 35-foot-long handmade oak bar dating back to 1910. We were escorted to the dining room where the ornate tin ceiling, school house type lighting and century old photos on the wall transported us to a simpler time in small town mid-America. Each of the 18 tables have laminated place mats containing pages from local newspapers from days gone by.
When we were being seated, Nancy’s eyes lit up when she saw a salad bar and said, “no appetizer for you.” There were nine items on the salad bar such as coleslaw, pasta salad, and potato salad to name a few. They also had a pot of French onion soup. Nancy was disappointed that there wasn’t a bigger selection and thought the salad bar and soup were just average.
Jim was scouring the menu and noticed the Berkshire 10-ounce Bone-In Pork Chop ($36). This was prepared with apples, caramelized onions, and demi-glace. He was expecting the typical pork chop with a huge bone to account for the weight. His jaw dropped when the waiter presented his meal. It was a giant pork chop (at least one-and-one half inches thick) with a very slender bone. The pork chop was surrounded by apples and onions all swimming in a pool of demi-glace. OMG, the pork chop had a tiny ring of fat around the outside which was charred and crispy while the pork chop melted in your mouth. This was the first pork chop he has ordered in a restaurant and he was glad he did. He had his choice of potato and he chose a baked potato.
Nancy went with the Six Ounce Aged Filet ($40). This was served with garlic mashed potatoes and for an additional side to share she ordered the Brussel Sprouts ($7). They were prepared with slab bacon, caramelized onions, and Beurre Blanc. To the chagrin of most chef’s, she orders her steak well done. She was amazed when a steak as thick as my pork chop arrived perfectly cooked. This is the only restaurant she has ever been to that did not have to butterfly it. The steak was juicy, tender, and melted in her mouth. The garlic mashed potatoes were creamy and awesome. Now for those nasty little cabbages. They were to die for!!! The Beurre Blanc sauce sealed the deal.
Since Jim didn’t get an appetizer, he demanded dessert. He wanted the Crème Brulee Donuts ($10). These were three full sized custard filled iced donuts topped with crème brulee sugar and torched to a crunchy golden treat. I don’t like crème brulee, so all three donuts were Jim’s. He said these are definitely evil and two came home along with half of our meals.
FYI: This restaurant is not handicap accessible.
We must give kudos to the chef. Our meals and Jim’s dessert were on par with some of the finest downtown Chicago steak and chop houses. In our humble opinion, he’s the best chef in this area. We can’t say enough about his culinary skills.
The cost to satisfy our hangry mood was $105.93, and worth every penny…
Jim’s take: Everything in my dish worked together perfectly. Don’t get me started on those evil donuts.
Nancy’s take: I was disappointed in the salad bar, but my meal was A+++. They charge $20 for access to the salad bar without an entrée. That is outrageous!!!
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