Bonefish in Skokie: We Lucked Into a Good One (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 60)

We went to the Barnes and Noble in Old Orchard to see our favorite author, John Sandford (he of Lucas Davenport/Prey novel fame -- though Lisa likes the Kidd novels, too) read and sign his new novel, Phantom Prey. If we were rating authors, Sandford always gets 10 of 10 Steak Knives. After the signing was complete, we realized we were quite hungry, as it was almost 9:00 p.m. Since Lisa was not in the mood for red meat, we didn't really know of any other logical choices in the Skokie area. However, Steve remembered there was a fish restaurant slightly south of the Barnes and Noble, but when we got there, we realized that right across the street was a place called Bonefish that Steve had heard favorable things about. So we decided to go there and we're glad we did.

We started with wine by the glass -- a Pinot Noir for Lisa, which she thought was okay, and a St. Michelle Riesling for Steve, which he found too dry. For an appetizer, we shared the ahi tuna. Lisa didn't like the breading all that much, but thought the tuna was pretty good. Steve thought this dish was excellent.

Because it was late, we skipped salads, and Lisa only had the crab cake appetizer as an entree. It was a bit spicy for her, but she still enjoyed it. Steve had the salmon, which was presented in a plain fashion that accentuated the taste, which Steve really liked. For dessert, we shared the specialty, an amazing strawberry shortcake recommended by our waiter, who provided good and friendly service without being intrusive. Instead of cake, the dish was anchored by an excellent sourdough biscuit. The strawberries tasted fresh, and the vanilla cream tasted like ice cream. The whipped cream was also very good.

The decor was very peaceful and relaxing and the tables were well spaced.

We had different experiences with the bathrooms. The Men's Room was very clean and had nice foamy soap and warm water from the tap, so Steve was very impressed. In the Women's bathroom, however, the patrons seemed to have forgotten to flush, and only one stall was marginally useable in Lisa's view. There was paper on the floor, and she really would not like to return there.

The total bill for dinner for two, with wine by the glass and no salads, was $83, which we think is a tremendous bargain. (One of our friends has accused us of only rating prohibitively expensive restaurants, so we trust he will appreciate this review.)

Our ratings for Bonefish, 9310 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, Illinois:

7.5 of 10 Fish Hooks; 1.5 of 3 Bathroom Brushes (Steve defers to Lisa's bathroom sensibilities on this one)