My cousin and I chose Sixty Four for our birthday celebration lunch. We sat outside along the river…read moresince it was a beautiful day. Chris was our server and provided great service and went above and beyond. My cousin and I decided to share the grilled oysters and the charcuterie. Chris noted my reservation said no nuts and seeds and he said that the charcuterie came with seeded lavish. He went through the lavish and only chose the ones without the seeds. Now that's service! The grilled oysters were amazing! Only four came on the plate and I wanted to eat all of them and not share. I will definitely get those again - and all to myself. The charcuterie was your typical charcuterie. You can choose your own cheeses and meats on the board which is nice. The only disappointing thing is no complimentary dessert for our birthdays. Lots of restaurants do that, but I guess not at this one. Get those grilled oysters, you won't be sorry.

THE MALBECKONING…read more SixtyFour Wine Bar is a winning concept in downtown Naperville. Much like what Tapville Social does for beer, SixtyFour follows the concept of guests having the freedom to pour their own drinks. This place is on Water St in Naperville, near Vasili's and Blue Sushi Sake. Street parking isn't plentiful so the garage is your best bet, especially in the evening. You can build your own charcuterie, but use caution: everything is a la carte and without much effort that cute cheese platter can swell upwards of $40. This happened to us on our 1st visit, I thought "yeah sure, add a $4 honeycomb and seasonal jams, why not" to go with the $9 prosciutto, $7 manchego, and $5 cornichons. More recently, I got the restaurant week pre-fixe ($49) which included a starter, entrée, dessert, and glass of champagne. Each course separately would've added up to $55 (not counting the bubbly), so this option saved a few bucks. Both my wife and I got a pour-your-own wine card, that set us back about $20pp. The wifey got a mix of a dozen west coast & east coast oysters ($36) that came with cocktail sauce and a zippy pomegranate mignonette. The goat cheese bruschetta ($13) was incredible: goat cheese spread on several large pieces of grilled sourdough with roasted tomato and balsamic. We loved this and would get it again in a heartbeat. 5/5 The dates ($13) were a different story, however, as they came with cranberry goat cheese, orange honey, and crushed walnuts. I've been so used to savory dates (wrapped in bacon with a tomato sauce) that this much sweeter iteration caught me off guard. They weren't objectively bad, I just wouldn't order them again. 3/5 For my main course, I chose the short rib ($31) as I've done several times now: tender beef with mashed potatoes, braised carrots, crispy onions, and a red wine jus. This is a delicious entrée that I find myself steering towards every time I'm here, as it pairs perfectly with a Malbec or red blend. 5/5 The gnocchi ($33) were fairly pricey which I attribute to big chunks of lobster in a white sauce. But what SixtyFour did felt like a "bastardization" of gnocchi (my wife's words, not mine) by turning it into a homemade mac 'n' cheese of sorts, cooking it in a mini cast iron skillet topped with toasted breadcrumbs. Say what?! "Breadcrumbs" and "gnocchi" should never be used in the same sentence, unless it's "hey honey I did that grocery shopping, and I got beer, eggs, wine, gnocchi, ice cream, laundry detergent, kitty litter, AAA batteries and a box of breadcrumbs". It tasted fine, but there was absolutely no need to innovate here. 1.5/5 We reached a split decision on the dirty chai crème brûlée ($11). My wife thought it was different but lovely, whereas I found it strayed too far from vanilla custard and the flavor was overpowering, as if I just snorted tea leaves. It was REALLY strong, y'all! 3/5 Bread = 3.5 Circuses = 4.5 Our server Melissa was attentive and let us know about the wine tasting inside near the hostess' stand. We had a couple small pours (1-2oz) which equated to a free half glass, no complaints there. Restrooms were clean and the outside patio has a relaxing ambiance. The vibes are classy, romantic even. * TL;DR * It's fun sampling bold reds, sweet whites, and even rosé in 1oz, 3oz, and 6oz pours. I pity the fool who grabs a glass, sticks it underneath the first tap they see up front and presses 'POUR' without realizing they just selected a 2014 Chateau Haut-Brion ...... which retails for $500 a bottle! A half glass is nearly $75! I'll stick with a $7 Shiraz, thanks. As for the food, it's been mostly great with only a few exceptions. The gnocchi was whack, and the chai crème brûlée was polarizing. Due to the presence of delicate wine glasses literally everywhere, I would keep kids away from here. Leave the little ones at home and come here for date night. SixtyFour lists themselves as a wine bar first and kitchen second, which I agree with. If what you're seeking is a kitchen *and* wine bar, hit up a Coopers Hawk. Both places have solid wine selections, but being able to enjoy wine on-demand is a big plus. I'd happily recommend SixtyFour to friends and family.

I came here for a business dinner on a Monday night. Great food, the server and host were very…read morehelpful and friendly, and the ambiance was awesome. The fire pit in the middle of the restaurant and the fireplace in the porch-like portion are a vibe. I had the hummus trio, which had some really innovative and delicious flavors (a black bean option, a chipotle option, and some sort of balsamic thing I can't remember the name of but was my favorite). The pita bread they served it with was tasty. Everything else in our group looked delicious, too. They had been here several time and they love it. I'm not out this way very often (or ever), but if I were I would definitely come back.

I went here recently with some girlfriends and we opted to sit in the enclosed porch area, it had…read moregreat ambiance and protection from the cool breeze. Our waitress was so wonderful to start, she was attentive and offered some suggestions. We were taking some time to catch up, but we did order a few appetizers. This is when things took a strange turn... Our entrees started coming out, but the guys running the food didn't make any effort to clear our table or get boxes for our appetizer leftovers. So we had no choice but to put our empty plates on the table next to us - there truly wasn't any room and one guy giggled when I asked if he would take our appetizer plates. Our waitress came by shortly after and I said we asked for boxes and our plates to be cleared so we had room. She said she'd take care of it, which she did. After that, she was much less attentive. Finally, when it came to dessert... I asked for a recommendation, but unfortunately I was the only one who wanted a dessert at my table. I asked about taking it home, she told me the mason jar dessert couldn't be taken home and the others wouldn't last. I said okay forget it then. So no dessert was had and we were all VERY confused why our dinner went from stellar service to straight down the toilet. At least the food was good... I might stick to Hardware. It's a much more pleasant experience there.

Very good food (I had the steak salad and my husband had the salmon sandwich), nice atmosphere, and…read morevery friendly employees. It was my first time in Geneva and lunch on the patio at The Alchemist was a great start to the day.

I've been to The Alchemist multiple times because my boyfriend loves it, even though I've always…read morethought it was just alright. We usually sit inside, but I wanted to sit on their patio. We came about an hour before their kitchen closed. For some reason the service was just bad this time. Our waitress took a long time to come and check on us, forgot to bring us our drinks, forgot to bring our food to us (the waiter serving the table next to us brought it... he was doing a great job and kinda wish we had him instead lol), and took forever to come pick up our check. Just overall felt like we were questioning where she was the entire time. We got the focaccia bread with side of vodka sauce, togarashi fries, tenderloin skewers, and oysters (forgot to get a photo). The food was good and the cocktails were refreshing. My favorite was the focaccia with the vodka sauce. The fries were also crispy and flavorful.

Owner was nice. Talkative and gave good information. Explained how he created his wine. Would go…read morehere again. Thanks!!!

The "owner's wife" presented a very negative attitude...she certainly made it clear that she did…read morenot want to be there. And she was rude to the performer in front of customers. We enjoyed the entertainment and he filled the place with the number of people he brought in. Our table spent $200 alone! Come to find out the winery didn't even pay the entertainer or at least offer him a beverage! Shameful. We won't be back.

Awesome winery located in downtown Geneva! We absolutely loved it here! It definitely has a cabin…read morefeel to it, which we really enjoy. The inside is relaxing and the outside area is super cute with plenty of seating. There was live music when we were there so we sat outside and enjoyed our wine flights while listening to the music. Can't get better than that! Service was great- the girls working were amazing. I liked talking to Lisa. She was really nice! The wine is incredible! We are sweet wine lovers and that's most of their wine menu. They have so many unique sweet wines. I particularly enjoyed the raspberry dragonfruit, black cherry, and orange sangria. I love how they set up the flights. The first wine you list on your sheet is at the top of the flight and then it tapers down to 2nd, 3rd and 4th. I've attached photos. They also offer wine slushies, which we thought was really cool! We will definitely be back when it's warmer out to enjoy those!

This place has such a lovely atmosphere. I especially noticed the beautiful outdoor seating area,…read morealong with comfortable indoor seating both at the bar and throughout the space. The menu is simple and straightforward, which made ordering easy. I truly enjoyed everything the ambiance, the customer service, and especially the wine. My favorite was the mango strawberry flavor. It went down incredibly smooth and tasted fresh and natural, without any artificial flavoring.

Each time we come to Le Cochen we love it. This time we came for happy hour (1/2 price glasses of…read morewine and discounted appetizers). We sat on the patio, they have shaded or sun and lots of tables. I had the Chardonnay and it was really good! We had the smoked salmon appetizer and the potato skewers. I'm not a fan of salmon, but with the sauce they provide, it was doable. The potatoes were so good, crispy on the outside, but they explode into creaminess when you bite them. We didn't have them this time, but the calamari appetizer is my favorite! We were having such a good time, we decided to stay for dinner. I had the Coq au vin and loved it. I usually get the Beef bourguignon because that is also really good. My husband had that and it did not disappoint. Service was great, as always! One of the best restaurants in Geneva.

Time was (in the not-too-distant past) you had to go downtown to have an upscale or…read moreoff-the-beaten-path dinner. You know, when parking was less than a car payment? It took a number of years but enterprising restauranteurs laid claim to appropriate buildings and neighborhoods opening places where you could actually get something interesting to eat. Hell, even BERWYN has a fine-dining joint (or 2)! The "3rd Street" corridor in Batavia is prima facie evidence this crusade is thriving, as there are a BUNCH of great places on that Rue to stuff your face in style, (and drink accordingly.) We've been working our way down the street; as I have been in the mood for French, Le Cochon was high on the list. It was late afternoon when I and a foodie pal of mine visited. The rooms were at once light, open and airy, yet personal. The bar was adjacent and it looked heroically stocked. The waiter was personable and pleasant. The menu shouted "Bistro", and actually was sort of irritating, 'cos even after poring over it online before, everything looked so good I couldn't make up my mind! But rules are rules, and I have mine. When I go into a place for the first time, I always try to get the specialty of the house. As this is a "bistro" I finally swung with the Escargot and Steak Frites. Cliche'd, I know, but c'est le cuisine. My pal bucked tradition and went with a Burger. I should say here the house is known for a Pork Belly dish, but Belly of Pork (unless it's cured into Bacon) is a protein I will not eat. There's not much I won't stuff down my gullet, but Pork Belly is one. I just don't like that much fat. The good news? More for YOU! But I digress... The 'Scargots were classic in prep and top-notch in quality. As expected there was a lagniappe course in sopping pieces of the excellent baguette provided from the bread service in the garlicky butter remaining after munching the snails. It was a Hanger Steak wot arrived on my plate replete with an herb-y compound butter. I ordered the steak "Rare-Bleu", and it was the perfect temp, even with serious char marking. The steak was chunk-cut when served. I blessed the chef for seasoning the steak deftly. The Frites came with ketchup and aioli, they were great. There was nothing out of the ordinary about my pals burger, but he IS a knowledgeable foodie and reported it was delicious. Burgers are pretty easy to do, but to get one of championship quality takes skill. Notable were the two rashers of excellent, thick Bacon hanging over the sides of the sandwich. The chef here hit the mark! The Predominantly French WineList is dizzying expensive for bottles. My pal is an experienced oenophile and says the list shows care, but Oy! the prices! He's a very successful businessman, and even HE thought the prices were high. In contrast, the "per glass" prices were normal. LeCochon IS in a posh neighborhood, after all. I had a glass of Rhône blend which was hand-in-glove with my steak. Flavors outasite! Fine coffee and a classic Crème Brûlée for afters. I know somewhere behind the bar they prolly had a Calvados, which would have topped the meal off with a gold ribbon, but I was driving, and there are many miles between LeCochon and Stately Breakwind Manor. A wonderful feed, and a surprisingly good value considering the high quality. I'll bet that "light and airy" vibe turns quite romantic after dark; but know the tables are actually quite cozy together. There are a few booths available-try to snarf one of those if you're on a date. Throwing 5 for this super boîte. Eat here soon!

Recently my sister and I hosted an 80th birthday party for our mother at Vai's (her absolute…read morefavorite restaurant). From the initial planning session with Tara to selecting the menu and then finalizing the details prior to the event, everything was absolutely perfect. The menu that we chose included many crowd favorites and was absolutely delicious. We enjoyed lunch and mingling on the enclosed patio. Our servers, Morgann and Brianna were so attentive and kept an eye on everything including the timing, any refills and all of our guests needs. We all had a wonderful time and our mother can't stop smiling from such a wonderful event. Thank you Vai's!

This place was fantastic. Everything our group ordered was so good. I recommend the zucchini frites…read moreas an appetizer! The spicy chicken tortellacci was really good. The sauce had so much flavor and I loved the noodles. I would absolutely order that again. Pizza looked good too, and the chicken Marsala was also a hit with the person who ordered that. My water glass was never empty and the server was polite and friendly. Make a reservation! It's a big place but it gets busy.

I came in a day where a wedding was being hosted but they were kind enough to still seat me for two…read morecocktails. I arrived around 5:30 pm with an opening time of 5 pm. There was plenty of seating for myself but if are coming with 4 or more people, make a reservation. The servers were very nice and accommodating. The bar was playing Generation C music--not too loud nor soft. I love this bar! I would definitely come here again. I spent about $35 for two cocktails but I order a stronger reserve cocktail. They do have good but it is more of snacks than a meal so come full! 5/5

Amazing! Staff is fantastic and it is beautiful in there. The drinks are fantastic, so so so good…read more We had a great time.