Picking a restaurant for a party of 7 when not everyone knows each other (but they all know the guest of honor) is not easy. Tapas usually works, offering something for the vegetarians, the heavy carnivores, and the picky eaters. A 30th birthday dinner for a friend-of-a-friend at Naperville's Meson Sabika was my best domestic tapas experience yet.
First, we arrived at the time for which we had made a reservation, and they seated us promptly. The restaurant is in an old mansion, and stunning. The ladies room was especially nice, too. We stuck to sangria by the pitcher (red and white) at our table, but the bar looked like it could have served every taste.
We let everyone pick two dishes to pass around the table, and nearly every dish was delicious. The tuna rolls (not at all sushi-like) were a good cold starter, followed by warmed cheese and spinach-stuffed red peppers, perfectly done steak bites, stuffed mushrooms, a few random meat dishes, and the always popular goat cheese coverd with tomato sauce.
One guest from central Illinois liked the chorizo dish, which means it was mild enough for every taste, but not at all dry. The shrimp tasted a little too fishy for me, but that happens in the Midwest. It being a birthday, we ordered profiteroles for dessert - cream puff-like pastery stuffed with ice cream and chocolate sauce - and could have licked the plate.
http://www.mesonsabika.com/naperville/index.php
It's part of the Emilio's family of restaurants.
Meson Sabika
1025 Aurora Avenue
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 983-3000
The one thing we learned when we went to Meson Sabika last month was things get hectic when they happen to have two weddings going on at one time. Our waitress would disappear for ages. But they seemed to handle it well.
The food was great though, especially their special Montaditos de Solomillo Y Tocino. It was beef tenderloin tips wrapped in baking served over a red wine poached pear. My girlfriend enjoyed the beef while me, being a vegetarian, tore into that poached pear. Truly delicious.
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