John & Tony's embraces small plates and big appetites

John & Tony's in West Chicago is upscale yet a "joint," contemporary yet classic, classy yet neighborhood friendly.

It's also a wonderful addition to the suburban dining scene - an American steakhouse with a Mediterranean flair, welcoming feel and friendly service.

Opened by the father-and-son team of John and Tony Badway in March of this year, the new restaurant already has the ambience of a long-standing, familiar neighborhood spot - and it sort of is.

"We were the building owners when this was Brian's Charhouse," said Tony Badway. "Before that, it was the Cock & Bull restaurant. So area people are familiar with coming to this location."

The remodeled restaurant features a large dining area on one side with an expansive bar area on the other. The dining area provides comfortable seating at tables and booths, with a casual contemporary design. The lounge offers booth, bar and high-top table seating with a band area. John & Tony's also has an outdoor dining area.

The restaurant books entertainment on weekends and some weeknights. Look for the owners among the acts. "Both my dad and myself are musicians, as well," Tony says, "and we play here in a blues band once a month; dad's on keyboards and I play drums and bass."

The menu is the creation of Master Chef Alejandro Arellano, previously with the suburban culinary favorite Emilio's Tapas in Naperville. While staying with great Italian-American steakhouse classics, Arellano has added wonderful Spanish-inspired dishes that kick up the menu's flavor profile.

The Spanish/Mediterranean influence is well represented in the appetizer selections. We started with orders of the chicken croquettes and the crab-stuffed mushrooms. The croquettes were wonderfully deep-fried balls of chicken, ham and vegetables served with a flavorful tomato sauce. The mushrooms, meanwhile, contained a perfectly balanced mix of crab and spinach smothered in melted mozzarella cheese and garlic aioli. Both dishes were outstanding in both taste and texture.

Other appetizers on the menu include dates wrapped in bacon, baked goat cheese, Spanish olives with cheeses, saganaki, escargot, pumpkin-stuffed gnocchi and calamari.

We went a little more traditional with our entrees. My dining companion opted for the parmesan-crusted pork chops - two sizable chops grilled and finished with a layer of melted cheese. The pork was pleasantly moist and flavorful. A side of sweet potato purée was tasty, but could have used a touch more creaminess.

I chose a patron favorite at John & Tony's, the roasted prime rib of beef, which is offered in three cut sizes. The juicy, tender, moist and savory 16-ounce cut was more than enough to sate my appetite. My side of light and fluffy garlic mashed potatoes delightfully complemented the beef.

Other options include filets, a rack of lamb, roasted chicken, baby back ribs, grilled salmon and scallops with bacon.

The dessert menu changes weekly (and most are made in-house), but features a dozen high-quality sweets. We selected one of my favorites, the carrot cake. Light, moist cake was liberally covered with a creamy frosting and served with slices of fresh strawberries and some raspberry sauce. The large slice easily could satisfy three diners.

<p class="factboxheadblack">John & Tony's</p>

<p class="News">27W371 North Ave. (Route 64, west of County Farm Road), West Chicago, (630) 520-0593, <a href="http://www.johnandtonys.com" target="new">www.johnandtonys.com</a></p>

<p class="News"><b>Cuisine:</b> Mediterranean-inspired steak house</p>

<p class="News"><b>Setting: </b>Modern, welcoming and comfortable spot; large bar/lounge area offers live entertainment on weekends</p>

<p class="News"><b>Entrees: </b>$15.95 to $30.95</p>

<p class="News"><b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Lounge closes one hour later than dining room.</p>