Some links in this post may or may not be affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link I will earn a commission which supports this site.
If you are looking for one of the best restaurants in the Chicago north suburbs, you don’t need to look any further than the Palm Court in Arlington Heights.
Palm Court is a fine dining and spirit restaurant that I have driven by many times but never made a point to visit. For no reason other than I thought it was a little too old school for my husband and me, but I was soo wrong. I was invited to a complimentary dinner to try out a tasting menu and was given a gift card for a return visit. All opinions that follow are my own.
Snap a screenshot of this post and receive a complimentary dessert at Palm Court until 6/10/19!
A Hidden Gem in the Chicago North Suburbs
Palm Court has been in Arlington Heights, IL for the past 39 years. This year they are under new management with a goal of sticking to the amazing mid-century retro vibe while bringing in some new items that compliment the already stellar menu.
Appetizers
We started out our meal with some classic appetizers – like jumbo cocktail shrimp.
I was surprised to see that they also had baked goat cheese on our menu. Not many restaurants offer that and it was totally delicious!
My favorite was the Oysters Rockafeller. I LOVE East Coast oysters and I honestly haven’t had a decent one since I moved from Rhode Island 12 years ago. Don’t tell anyone, but they were so good I MAY have had 3.
Also on the menu was Escargot en Champignon. I don’t eat snails but my friends that do say they were amazing. It definitely screamed fine dining to me!
Snap a screenshot of this post and receive a complimentary dessert at Palm Court until 6/10/19!
Salads
Moving on to our salads – the Walnut Poached Pear Salad (mixed greens, poached pears, walnuts, blue cheese crumbles, raspberry vinaigrette) and the Chopped were a perfect palate cleanser as we moved onto our entrees.
Entrees
When the entrees came out I knew my search for the best restaurant in Chicago North Suburbs was over. The appetizers and the salads were amazing, but the entrees sealed the deal.
We were treated to the Butcher’s Block, Berkshire Pork Chops, New Zealand Rack of Lamb as well as a variety of delicious seafood treats!
All of their steaks are USDA Prime grade, wet aged for 21- 28 days, and hand-trimmed in-house (they even have our own bone saw!)
The African Lobster tail is served with a drawn butter kept warm by a candle while you enjoy. This can be a main course consisting of two tails or you can add a single tail to any entree to create your own surf and turf!
More From The Sea Choices
- Fried Gulf Shrimp – our gulf shrimp prepared butterflied, breaded, and
deep fried to a golden brown. Crunchy and sweet served with cocktail
sauce on the side - Alaskan Halibut – wild-caught Alaskan halibut, coated in crushed macadamia nuts, served with meuniere sauce
- Dover Sole – The sole is deboned tableside and served amandine!
We also had Chicken Piccata but I didn’t get a picture, I ate it too fast! I think overall it was my favorite. The salty capers made the dish.
Palm Court’s Chicken Piccata is made with Amish, free range, organic chicken breast with a yummy, savory, citrus caper sauce and angel hair pasta.
Each Entree Comes With So Many Sides!
All of your entrees start with your choice of a house salad or cup of soup (either the soup of the day or our French onion soup) and are also served with a vegetable medley and choice of starch. (Rice pilaf, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, baked potato, or hand-cut French fries).
I think the sweet potatoes were my absolute favorite.
Don’t Forget to Save LOTS of Room for the Dessert!
I am not normally a dessert person but I made an exception for the Palm Court’s desserts. They were so pretty I couldn’t help myself.
Right now during the month of April, they are serving Lia’s Key Lime Pie – donations from this creamy, delicious pie going to the Autism Hero Project!
I was super impressed with their Apple Cinnamon Crisp. It’s hard to impress me when it comes to apple crips. I am SUPER picky but it definitely passed the test. If you are just looking for a classic dessert they also have classic cheesecake on the menu!
I Found a New Favorite Wine
I can’t forget to mention the awesome pairings of wine that we were offered with each course.
With our main course, we had a few wines that we could choose from and I chose The Arsonist Blend by Matchbook Wines. Not only did it have an amazing name, but the flavor also blew me away.
Don’t Pass the Palm Court By, Stop In!
If you are looking for a restaurant for a date night or a family dinner I highly recommend the Palm Court. I can’t believe that I have been passing this hidden gem by all these years. I can’t wait to take my husband out for surf and turf at the Palm Court. He’s been dying for great seafood ever since we moved from the East Coast as much as I have!
Make sure you show them a screenshot of this post and you can get one of those fantastic desserts above free until 6/10/19!!!!!
