Enjoyed a business dinner here. Upscale but not overly fancy. Food was on point!…read more I enjoyed their OLD FASHIONED cocktail. I had asked for a smoked old fashioned, which they thought they could do, but apparently no longer had their smoker accessible. I ordered a STEAK with side of mashed potatoes and sauteed onions. I had a brown gravy to pour on steak whichade the dish phenominal, exploding in umami flavors. We were a large party and service was great.

We came back a second time for the shrimp Dijon and the oysters since they were out the last time…read more Service was spot on ambiance was chill. The dip o feel instead o pita should have like crispy litto breads it's truly missing a crunch factor . The salad was quite delish and fresh

Such an amazing experience…read more Starting off with the restaurant itself, such a beautifully curated spot that is unlike anything rockford has to offer. Every detail a work of art. We really enjoy the bar area and its ambiance but hope to also experience the dining room as well. We started off with the Dip of the day which was a Miso Ranch dip served with fresh made tortilla chips. This was phenomenal and my only complaint is there wasn't more! We also both ordered a drink off of their happy hour menu. I ordered the old Fashioned and my wife ordered their margarita. Both were excellent. I also ordered the VIEUX CARRÉ based on our Server's recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed that. Such knowledgeable staff makes a big difference. For our main course, I got their Mushroom Pot Pie and my wife ordered the Ora King Salmon. Both dishes blew us away. Neither of us expected to be so full after our meals, their serving sizes were very generous! I wanted to highlight the mushroom pot pie, as a vegetarian, Fine dining usually does not cater to vegetarians. So having options at a place this nice was such a welcomed surprise. The greens included with the Pot Pie really stole the show, The most perfectly cooked and seasoned greens I have ever had. Chef Nick Risseeuw came over and checked on how we were doing and after hearing me rave about his pot pie offered two of his desserts on the house. We got a pistachio orange dessert and a Malt ball ice cream that was his interpretation of whopper candy as an ice cream. Both were DIVINE! Thank you again Nick for your generosity, it was a perfect way to end a perfect meal. I also wanted to highlight the staff as they played an essential role in our unbelievable experience. Everyone was so friendly, attentive, and prompt. We will definitely return soon and cannot wait to see what is in store for their upcoming menu

OMG we loved this place! It was our 1st visit to Salt Rockford and they SHINEDMy husband and I had…read morethe most lovely and delicious dinner!!! And thee cocktails are so good too we are going to attempt to recreate them at home. It ambience is clean and classy with a comfortable atmosphere. My favorite kind of dining experience! We will be back!

Wowza - come here... Award winning bar menu... food was on-point…read more I started with Peach Whisky Sour - shaken properly with egg whites. I thought this might be a tad on the sweet side, but it was not... it was wonderful and very refreshing. I went with the Szechuan Ginger Beef Dip, which came with these great fries. The sandwich itself was decadent. I was literally the 1st person through the door on a Monday night. I sat at the bar and was able to chat with the owner who recently won a couple of big industry cocktail awards. The bartender was super friendly and provided great service. One doesn't necessarily think of Rockford as a culinary destination, but this is a local joint run by a born in raised young woman... Crave is a worthy destination dining spot. But if you're driving by on the interstate it's also worth the stop. The hours are great. The dining room and bar are well appointed and there are even some outside tables. When you're on the road, seek out those local joints. I'm really glad I did.

I'm stingy with my 5 stars but Crave really deserves it…read more I made reservations at 7pm and we were seated shortly there after. The booth was very comfortable for two. The vibe was fun and energetic. It was upscale without being pretentious. Our server Alyssa was so very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu which I really appreciated. She recommended the sourdough focaccia and ahi poke for appetizers and they did not disappoint! For our entrees we ordered the filet. We ordered it medium but it came out medium rare but I didn't mind. Butter soft. The Thai cod was very flavorful; the heat was perfect, not overbearing. The cocktails were some of the best we have tasted. We ordered the bourbon drink and the psyche. Wow! No wonder the bartender won a prestigious award. The cost for two starters, 4 cocktails and 2 entrees was rather hefty but worth the money IMHO... our celebration was perfect... so thanks, Crave!

Went for the first time the other day and me and my friend loved it! Everything was farm to table…read moreand they even show the farms they buy from on the back of the menu. First off, my drink. They had a tequila drink (my fav) with a pandan foam?! So delicious. I couldn't stop drinking it. We got a plethora of food and the standouts were for sure the yakitori, scallop curry, and the warm chocolate cake with ice cream. Also get the rolls! The rolls were fantastic. But I think you'd be happy with anything you order. Can't wait to try it again.

I went here for a business dinner. The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the live music…read more Really great musicians, but also made it not ideal for conversation I tried the following: - Goat Cheese Spring Rolls: Good. They actually sounded terrible, but I didn't order them. I had one bite and admittedly liked them more than I had thought I would. - Duck Nachos: Good. These are served as very large chips with toppings - so more like eating a street taco. They were good. - Ravioli Daily Feature: Good - Mushroom Yakitori: Ok. Use of the word yakitori seemed unnecessary. Not bad, but least important dish of the night. - Chicken Crepe: Good - NY Strip: Very good. Nice sauce. Service was good and attentive. As a business dinner, I wasn't quite as discerning about the food as I normally am, but I generally had a good impression of everything. If I was back in town, I would definitely consider coming back.

My husband and I met my cousin and his wife here on a beautiful sunny day which made the gardens…read morelook fantastic. Two of us had the Fresco burgers. The buns were toasted which made mine dry. The sandwich itself was dry throughout. It had some kind of sauce sparingly on both sides of the burger. It wasn't served with ketchup, which is fine, if there is something to make it moist enough. Maybe if the sandwich had had more than one tomato. I asked for fruit instead of the fries and the fruit was wonderful - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pineapple. Another person had a lovely salad, which I didn't catch the name of, but I'm sure the unique part of it was that it had beets on top. The final person had the Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich. He felt the sandwich was left in the fryer a little too long. Jamie H was our waiter and he was very attentive. He came and filled our drinks before they were even empty. Made sure we were happy with everything. Big problem!!! All they had left for dessert, at lunchtime, was 3 different sorbets. Very disappointing!!!

When visiting the Andersen Japanese Garden we started our visit with lunch at Fresco at the…read moreGardens. The dining room is stunning with a full wall of windows that make the inside feel like you're in the garden. They also have two outdoor seating areas and we sat in one. The patio is structured so you feel like you are seating in the trees. The menu was average. I couldn't find anything on the lunch menu that interested me so I ordered the breakfast sandwich. The bagel was huge and it came with a nice portion of scrambled eggs and sausage that seemed made in house. It was served with a bowl of fruit which was topped with delicious granola. The waiter was friendly and attentive. If we return to the garden we definitely get lunch there again.

We went here early on a Friday evening after our friend's daughter played in a baseball tournament…read more Not a lot of people but there was a steady stream after about six. The Gouda dip was very tasty with plenty of perfectly toasted bread. I ordered the skate with orange sauce and it was so delicious. I was so happy the side was Brussels sprouts that the chef cooked exactly how I do! My daughter ordered the chicken katsu sandwich (huge!) with amazing house fried potatoes (so crispy!). The chocolate cake dessert was epic! Next time in Rockford, we will be back! Great job Chef and also the wait staff!

Awesome place for dinner & drinks. Comfort food at it's finest! Great beer, wine & drink…read moreselections. Awesome service!

Stopped here during our weekend trip in from Chicago with my husband and two boys (1 and 4) and…read morecouldn't have been more impressed! I've never been to a more kid friendly place - toys for the kids to play with, a treasure chest, stepstool in the bathroom, incredible service and the food was delicious! Highly recommend!

The food does not photograph well but it tastes so good!!! Best breakfast we had in Rockford by…read morefar. The burrito was so good, since I got it with no cheese I asked for verde salsa on the side which was the right move - highly recommend the mod. Lots of bees outside, recommend sitting inside -which is our only regret.

This was a carry out order from their lunch menu for my family. I ordered a couple of appetizers,…read moreone of which were Southwest Egg Rolls, and they were very tasty. I think the lid of the side dressing was loose, so the dressing got all over the egg rolls, which was unfortunate. Everyone loved their food, though. I had a bbq pulled pork sandwich and it was very good. Nicely toasted buns and onion straws on the top were nice and crunchy. Pulled pork was tender and flavorful, and it had just the right amount of bbq sauce. I took one star off because of the aforementioned ranch dressing incident and also there were some spillage inside one of the three bags from the containers placed in the bag sideways. Also, I saw a bag of blue cheese, I think, left out on the bar counter unattended the entire time I was there (about 10 min). Overall, though, it's a great place for hearty and reasonably priced meals. The server who took my order on the phone and also brought my order at the restaurant, Stefan, was super nice, even though he was busy, so kudos to him!

A lot has changed since the last time we visited a few years ago…read more We were looking to break out of what I call our "DeKalb" funk since we have been eating a lot in DeKalb when we do eat out. I thought of Hoffman House, which is co-located inside a hotel. We'd eaten there years ago, and their prime rib was very good. While driving north, my wife looked it up. They changed from a white table cloth restaurant to more of a sports bar theme. Their entree list was rather anemic and just not worth the trip, except they did offer Prime Rib on Saturday. We made the trip. For starters, when you walk in there is no hostess station. The bartender told us "Sit where ever you want." so we found a booth that was clean and sat down. The seating was, well worn as in worn out. The seat covers were chipping on the chairs, and the booth seating was just dead. Our server arrived and we placed our order. My wife ordered tea, and I had a Guiness draft which was properly poured. The server brought out 4 honey buns, which are light and fluffy, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and served with a honey butter blend. They are best when they arrive - HOT. (Eat them as they arrive) It wasn't very long before the main course came out. No salad was offered. My Prime Rib was ordered and served medium rare, and the baked potato was cooked properly. I was expecting some horseradish sauce with the Prime Rib - nope. My wife did enjoy her shaved Prime Rib sandwich - the roll it was on was nice, and she opted for the premium onion strings, which were tasty. Why just okay? This was a place to go for a nice dinner with your family. It has transformed into a tired sports bar. Lots of screens, but it's kind of half-hearted with regards to the sports bar theme. Servers aren't in sports uniforms, there isn't a lot of stuff on the walls. The seating is worn out and should be either refinished or replaced. It feel like they ran out of money or concepts during the conversion, and just stopped. There is nothing compelling here to bring us back.

Food was very good. My buddies loved the turkey sandwiches, turkey, sliced, very thin and piled…read morehigh! I had a BLT, which is not on the dinner menu, but BRAD had them make one for me anyway. And by the way, BRAD provided awesome service! Fried bacon appetizer is an absolute must!! comes with chocolate sauce! Everybody loved the sidewinder fries!!! Nice family restaurant atmosphere, wasn't too loud, we could all hear each other speak.

A group of neighbors (6 people) had dinner at Tavern on Clark, and we were fortunate to have Julia…read moreas our server. She exceeded our expectations in every way. She was warm, attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was perfect throughout the evening. She handled our group with ease, anticipated our needs, and made us all feel welcome. Outstanding service like Julia's is what turns a good meal into a great experience. Thank you, Julia--we'll definitely be back! The food was every bit as impressive as the service. Everything our group ordered was prepared well and served hot. The burgers were cooked exactly as requested and were absolutely delicious. I chose the grilled chicken with vegetables instead of fries--a healthier option--and it was tender, flavorful, and satisfying. One person in our party ordered the sturgeon special and couldn't stop talking about how delicious it was. Then came the dessert tray...wow! There were so many tempting choices that it was hard to decide. I had the berry layered cake, which was moist, flavorful, and the perfect finish to the meal. Another person chose the cheesecake, and the generous slice was rich, creamy, and full of flavor. Great food, generous portions, outstanding desserts, and exceptional service from Julia made this a great evening. We look forward to coming back!

Amazing food, great drinks, excellent service, and the vibes are vibing. Definitely one of my…read morefavorite spots!!!!

Let's get social!…read more Vibey space teetering the line of eclectic hipster hangout spot and elevated modern dining with grace. The service is warm, welcoming. The lights are moody. And the food is cranked all the way up to 11. I do not know much about rockford, but I can only assume this is one of the best cocktail programs in the City. A good balance of familiar favorites riffed, and creative concoctions adorn the menu. The food? Absolutely absurd. The chicken is jumping with flavor. Pork tacos are some of the best. A lovely charcuterie board should be mandatory for all guests. This place is full of fun, flavor, and love!