I had met one of my dealers in the western suburbs of Chicago for lunch at a place called Barrel + Rye in downtown Geneva, IL late last year. I thought it was a pretty good meal and when my wife and I went into Chicago recently to have a long weekend, we ended up out in Geneva in the middle part of the afternoon. We had a late breakfast and it was finally getting to the point where my wife needed something else before we drove back home. I suggested Barrel + Rye since I'd been there previously and she was up for that.
Buddies Jack Waters and Nicholas Roberge opened the doors to Barrel + Rye in November of 2014 offering over 200 whiskeys to choose from, as well as a nice selection of craft beers. It's an American-style bistro where the food is eclectic with offerings such as a braised lamb/grilled cheese sandwich, mushroom risotto, tuna poke, and an herb-crusted grilled salmon salad. Waters and Roberge have also developed another restaurant in Geneva - The Burger Local - and they also have a restaurant in west suburban Glen Ellyn - Maize + Mash (similar to Barrel + Rye) - and The Burger Social in Waters' and Roberge's hometown of Wheaton.
Barrel + Rye is located at the corner of S. 3rd St. and South St. in Geneva. (see map) We found a parking spot on South Street just around the corner from the front door.
Barrel + Rye is not a large place, it features an L-Shaped bar with tables along the wall. It seats - maybe - 50 people tops. The decor was a mixture of contemporary and somewhat rustic with an array of interesting Edison lamps hanging from the tin ceiling. They had a large number of bourbon, rye and Scotch whiskies to choose from at Barrel + Rye.
We took a seat at a table opposite the bar, given menus and were greeted by our server, Stacie. They also had a good sized menu of craft beers and I ordered up a Stone Brewing Co. Delicious IPA while my wife ordered a Lagunitas IPA.
I would have to say that because of the brevity of food items on the menu, that Barrel + Rye is more whisky-centric than an emphasis on food. I don't want to say that food is an afterthought at the bistro, but the menu is pretty limited. But that doesn't mean that what they have isn't pretty interesting. They had a braised lamb grilled three-cheese sandwich, they had a five pepper-seasoned chicken sandwich topped with smoked gouda, a fried egg and maple syrup, and they had a rolled seasoned pork belly sandwich, as well.
They had a number of sharable appetizers that could have been basically entrees, too. They had a ginger-marinated ahi tuna poke mixed with avocado, cilantro, macadamia nuts, cucumbers, snap peas and a samba aioli. There was a mushroom and saffron risotto for an appetizer, as well as shrimp and grits. They also had soups, salads, and a charcuterie board available, as well.
But because the menu was limited, I didn't want to get the same thing that I had got before - the Local burger. But that's what my wife ended up getting. It was a half-pound locally-raised black angus beef patty that came with cheese for $12 bucks. My wife didn't want cheese on her burger, but she did ask for grilled onions instead. It was served on a toasted bun with red onions and lettuce on the side. Along with the burger, she got a small B+R salad that consisted of mixed greens with chopped roasted red peppers, grilled corn, avocado, tortilla chips and topped with feta cheese and a cilantro vinaigrette. She ended up eating much of the burger without the bun and she thought it was a very tasty burger. But she really enjoyed the B+R salad, probably even more than the burger.
When I was in before, I had seen that they had brisket chili on the menu and I thought I'd try some of that. I ordered a cup of the chili and Stacie brought out what I would call a bowl of the stuff. (Turns out they only had one size offered.) The chili consisted of large chunks of lean brisket with beans and topped with cheese, green onions and tortilla strips. The chili was wonderful. It had a great chili taste with hints of cumin and possibly oregano. It was thick and rich. I should have just stopped with the chili because it filled me up quick.
But no, if the chili wasn't enough, I also got a plate of the duck confit poutine. It was a classic poutine dish with French fries topped with pulled duck breast, cheese curds and a housemade gravy. It was put under the broiler to melt the cheese curds and mix all the toppings together. When Stacie brought it out, I noticed that there was a dearth of gravy to my liking. She was kind enough to bring me a small bowl of gravy to add to the poutine.
As much as the brisket chili was rich and flavorful, well, this had that beat in terms of taste sensations. The duck confit was tender and had a great flavor. The fries were crispy and the cheese was melted perfectly to allow everything to coagulate into one big gooey wonderful mess. I could only eat about half the poutine - if that - concentrating fully on the pulled duck breast making sure that I got every last morsel of the succulent taste. I was so full after the chili and the duck confit poutine that I didn't even think about having dinner that evening.
Barrel + Rye is a nice little place that emphasizes the drink over the food with a large selection of whiskey to choose from, and a limited menu that is heavy on sharable appetizers over individual foods. They also have a nice array of craft beers, and while the menu is small, the food is definitely unique and interesting. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the Local burger - as did I on my first visit to the place. And on this visit, I was more than happy with my rich and zesty chili, then topped that with the excellent and sinful pulled duck breast poutine. It's a quiet, cozy little place with a great bar and good service. If you're shopping in Geneva and would like to get a drink with some appetizers - or a sandwich - I think Barrel + Rye is a great little place to stop by and try.
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