Topaz Cafe, a new restaurant in Burr Ridge, turned out to be a nice surprise. The stark gray facade belies the subtle elegance of the rather upscale interior. And its location at the far end of the Burr Ridge Village Center (basically a shopping mall) isn't exactly a prime spot. But once you set foot in the door, it's like being in another world.
This is a casual cafe in substance, but there is definitely a touch of luxe going on here. (A sister restaurant called Amber is in Westmont, so it seems the owners have a thing for gemstones.) And with prices that scale up into the fine-dining category, with entrees averaging $26 (the range is from $18 for goat cheese ravioli to $34 for New York strip steak), you are not likely to get out of here without dropping a few bucks.
The cuisine is straightforward contemporary American, but there are just enough surprises -- frog legs, grilled calves' liver, potato gnocchi with rabbit confit, smoked sable carpaccio -- to whet the appetite and sharpen a deeper interest. And some thought went into the flavor profiles. For example, the potato gnocchi. These properly chewy nubbins were in the fine company of tatters of rabbit (the confit part), a light tangle of caramelized shallots, pencil-thin asparagus and pine nuts. The essence of sage was enhanced with a light butter sauce. All of that might sound overwrought, but it ate light and was most enjoyable.
Similarly, the crab cake appetizer had all the right moves. One chunky all-crabmeat crab cake was spiced up just enough to deepen the flavor (the menu reads "Spanish spiced crab cake"). A little more fire came into play with the piquillo pepper coulis (piquillos are just slightly hot) and slender chips of garlic. A taste-tempering fluff of microgreens added a touch of texture and lightness.
I usually don't get into salads in my reviews, because for the most part, greens are greens. But when a salad boasts young leaves of arugula, shaved fennel, endive, goat cheese and Meyer lemon preserve vinaigrette, I sit up and take notice. This salad was a winner. All of the ingredients made sense and worked in harmony.
Entrees had as much going for them as the appetizers. My favorite main course was the roasted chicken. The breast (airline cut) was meaty and moist, and mighty flavorful. Four rounds of tender and delicious roasted potatoes flanked the chicken, as well as a bite or two of wilted spinach, crumbles of feta cheese, and oven-roasted tomatoes, all of which gave the dish a distinctive Mediterranean flair.
Two additional entrees tried -- veal tenderloin and halibut -- fared equally well. The veal tenderloin, a plentiful cut, though cooked medium (medium-rare had been asked for), was tender and flavorful (a brandy and green peppercorn sauce gave the veal a proper boost). But it was the elegant creme fraiche mashed potatoes, the baby carrots and the haricots verte that gave the veal the great company.
The halibut was as good as halibut can get. The pristine, snow-white fillet had been cooked just right, so the goodness hook had been set. It was served with a sauce that was listed as "New England clam chowder," the whole of which was gussied up with chanterelle mushrooms, lardons of bacon, and celery leaves. Delicious.
Come dessert time, we were eyeing the "chocolate cake and shake" and the blueberry pie and the "crazy crepes" as possibilities. But then our waiter pitched the carrot cake with gusto. OK, bring it on. And let's try the strawberry-rhubarb crisp, as well. The carrot cake was quite good, though not as "fantastic" as the waiter suggested. Two layers of moist and flavorful cake sporting veins of cream cheese and a toupee of carrot strings. The strawberry-rhubarb crisp was served warm, and I watched as the knob of vanilla ice cream slowly sank into its depths. Despite a need for a bit more crisp, there was deep-down goodness in every bite. I am practically salivating as I write the description.
Pat Bruno is a free-lance writer, author and critic. E-mail brunoeats@aol.com.
