When TW said she wanted to go to the Valley Lodge in Glenview for her birthday dinner, I was a little confused.
It’s just down the street from us and it looks like a bar/steakhouse combo. It’s often crowded, from the looks of the parking lot, and it just didn’t seem like her thing.
Apparently it was her thing primarily because it is celebrating it’s 40th birthday this year, too.
So, TW and the kids and I went to the Valley Lodge shortly before 7pm on the 29th. When we arrived we discovered it is not wheelchair accessible (good thing TW’s mom decided not to go with us) and that it was jam packed with people. And also loud. The children would also say that it was full of old people, which is relatively true.
The server said 20 minute wait, so we stood on the stairs and waited. And waited. And waited. And even when a table for five opened, still we waited because maybe that one was reserved? Or something. We waited for more than a half hour, closer to 40 minutes. By the time we were seated, we were starving and also a little grouchy.
The bread they brought to the table was fabulous, which went a long way toward making us not grouchy. (The dark bread in particular I highly recommend.)
We ordered two flaming cheeses and those also went a long way toward making us not grouchy.
The real food arrived just as we had finished the flaming cheeses and I believe we all agreed that the food was pretty darn good. Everything from Liz’s mac & cheese to my sloppy joe to RJ’s gyro sub. Excellent.
It was a pricey meal but we were stuffed and happy by the time we left. All in all, excellent birthday choice – except for that whole 40 minute wait thing.
Well, the 40 minute wait sort of went with the whole 40 theme.