Skokie Club Comes Up Short

Venerated in its time, the Skokie Club was known as a "special night" kind of dinner place, and the menu and vibe were characteristic of the era; steaks and seafood, cocktails and pianists, all served up with a few Greek twists as a nod to the Laris brother heritage. After a 40 year-run, the duo closed shop on a restaurant concept that saw its time come and go.

The red velvet draped room with gleaming candelabra and porcelain dolls is an engaging curiosity. Unfortunately, if the pair had updated the menu and food style with as much care as was put into the decor, it would have been a grand venture.

This soup-salad-entree eatery, located at 4741 Main St., was intentionally resurrected in mid-June after closing shop in 2006.  Brothers Nick and George Laris began their tenure at the former location, which was located near Dempster and Skokie Boulevard in 1966.

Responding to what they say was "popular demand," the Larises reopened the Skokie Club in a beautiful new space.

I wanted to be charmed by the Skokie Club, and in many ways, I was. The Laris brothers themselves are full of wit and smooth, friendly charm.

Unfortunately, for the Skokie Club, I was there to eat. I wasn't there to drink either, sadly, as the effort put into the beer list didn't go further than the CVS on the corner, featuring only four bottled domestics.

Nevertheless, one doesn't have to indulge in spirts to enjoy the food.

I was disappointed in the meals I ate at Skokie Club, especially given the price.  At one sitting, I had the grilled rib eye steak for $18.  I asked for medium rare, but the steak came cooked gray throughout and tasting more boiled than grilled.  The vegetables that accompanied my steak were overdone as well, my broccoli tasteless and limp.  The New England clam chowder that preceded the meal was decent enough, and the salad (iceberg lettuce, slices of tomato, and radish) was uninspired and boring.

I also tried the scallops and linguine for $20.  There was something interesting about the white wine sauce the pasta was served in, but the noodles themselves were overcooked to the point of near inedibility. Soggy vegetables fell apart as I pushed my fork around the dish.  The few scallops in the dish gained nothing from merely having been steamed, and thus added nothing either.

One bright spot on the menu was one of their specials.  The Greek style half chicken was done in the traditional style, baked in just the perfect amount of garlic, and drenched, though not to the point of being overly oily, with lemon butter and a mix of thyme, rosemary and oregano.  Served on a bed of pilaf alongside fresh cucumbers, the dish was nearly perfect, save for the lack of a good chunk of feta cheese.

Among the 'house favorites' section of the menu, there are a few other standouts.  The baby back ribs are full and meaty, and well smoked for a restaurant that doesn't specialize in barbecue, though at $20, one would be much better served indulging in the tasty pork treat at a legitimate barbecue joint.  The bone in lamb chops are an extraordinarily hearty dish, served four to an order, and the chef has an affinity for them; they come out of the kitchen the perfect shade of pinkish gray, avoiding the dryness that can so often ruin an otherwise perfect chop.

I appreciate the history and the legend of the Skokie Club.  I also admire the Laris brothers' effort to come out of retirement and give their business another go, but it would help the Laris brothers immensely if they could add some new voices to those cheers by adding fresh new ideas to the menu and letting inspiration find it's way into the kitchen.