Grace G.
12/05/2006


Yelp - Real People Real Reviews!


Hello all!!  Sorry I've been away for so long, but you know how it is with personal obligations and such.  It's also killed whatever creative streak I've had.  But yesterday, the Hub and I lunched at this little eatery...ok, not so little...it's actually a huge log cabin located in St. John, IN which totally has my tummy in a tumble and my emotions in a jealous state, and I was inspired to write this review.  The Northwoods Saloon is supposedly a franchise with locations in IL and IN, but this particular location is said to be NOT a part of the actual franchise and is privately owned.  So I can only speak of this particular Northwoods location.  We were told that many of the menu items are similar to the Northwoods' other location in Crete, IL, but there were many items that were not the same.  What they are, I don't know and I don't care...all I can tell you is that this place is THE place for comfort food.  I tell ya, I was in comfort heaven.  This is the type of restaurant the Chicagoland area needs for the upcoming winter.

My recommendations...while all the following are fried foods, you just have to trust that the taste is well worth it.  Isn't that what comfort food is all about anyway?  Try the Chicken Logs, Boat Cushions and Corn Nuggets.  There are many variations of the Chicken Logs in other restaurants, and this one is fairly similar.  But the flavor of this dish stands out.  The Boat Cushions are a variation of fried raviolis, but the jalapeno kick makes this dish more unique.  What you really have to try are the corn nuggets.  We were expecting something similar to corn fritters.  I can't explain the texture exactly, but it was like a corn bread pudding that was fried.  It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.  But it's really the flavor that outdoes normal corn fritters.  It's awesome...so awesome, I ordered some to take home.  And that was just appetizers.

I ordered the Pot Roast Noodle Soup and it was delicious.  Full of flavor and each bite as savory as the next, I could easily replace chicken noodle with this soup.  There was this huge chunk of pot roast which I expected to tough to chew, but it was so tender, it almost melted in my mouth.  Yum!!

For the entree, I got the Chicken and Dumplings and the Hub got the Big Fish Story, a variety of deep fried fish in assorted coatings.  Comfort food, people, think comfort food.  While I never grew up having Chicken and Dumplings, this is what I would expect Chicken and Dumplings to taste like.  Just the right amount of seasoning and the right balance of chicken to dumplings.  The amazing part of this is that they used chicken breast, which in most stewlike dishes, gets really dry or tough to chew.  In other words, not my favorite part of the chicken.  But the chicken in this dish was surprisingly very tender and as a result, very tasty.  Now I've had many a dumpling, from very dense to so fluffy they fall apart in the broth.  But these dumplings were just perfect.  Dense enough to withstand the sauce but light and fluffy and flavorful.  With the bacon & onion green beens, this plate of comfort can fill most appetites.

The Hub's dish was really exciting too!  Walleye, perch and white fish make up this combination in beer-flavored, tater crust and Tabasco-flavored batters.  Each were crunchy to bite but tender and not overcooked.  Just delicious!!  With the option to select two sides, the Hub chose carrots and bread pudding.  The carrots were slightly overcooked, but the cinnamon flavor was really unique.  The bread pudding...oh my God!!  This was delicious, almost dessert-like.  It wasn't too mushy and the taste was delectable...not too sweet, not too bready.  

And while the desserts are NOT homemade, it did not take away from the delightful lunch that we had.  A simple apple pie ala mode and a pumpkin pie with whipped cream topped off a perfectly wonderful meal.

Add the fabulous atmosphere (any hunter's dream) and the wonderful service, this would really make the trip worthwhile.  So this is where the jealousy streak arises.  From our house, the ride to Northwoods is about an hour.  As much as I LOVE this place, I don't know that I would drive an hour just to go eat there.  That's why I'm so jealous of all those St. John/Schererville residents.  For anyone in the general vicinity, GO CHECK THIS PLACE OUT!!  As for me, I await the next excuse to head in that general direction to check out the rest of the menu.  My next choice...the perfect pot roast!!!  YUM!!