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O’Neil’s in Winnetka a delicious throwback
O’NEIL’S
Where: 1003 Green Bay Road, Winnetka
Hours: Lunch — 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday. Dinner — 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 5-8:30 p.m. Sunday
Phone: (847) 446-7100
Web: oneilsinwinnetka.net
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Updated: May 16, 2012 1:18PM
A throwback to decades past, when soup or salad came with an entree and the Cobb reigned supreme, is the O’Neil’s in Winnetka claim to fame for the past 20 years. Its owners, Mary and Patrick O’Neil, pride themselves on consistency, a mainstay of any good restaurant, and eschew any thoughts of being outmoded. And, after all, they can afford to; if they want some other kind of cuisine, they simply open a new restaurant. Some years back, the O’Neils found themselves beating traffic into the city once too often to satisfy Patrick’s yen for ribs. “There was a niche and need for an alternative to driving downtown, which over the years has become much more of a project,” said Mary O’Neil explaining the genesis of the couple’s Little Ricky’s Rib Joint just down the street. And only three weeks ago the duo’s third baby, small-plate Trifecta Grill, was added to the mix. “Each restaurant represents a different customer and every time we opened (a restaurant) in Winnetka it’s because we live in the area and decided there was a niche, something missing that needed to be put into place,” said Mary O’Neil. Back at O’Neil’s, manager and chef Erez Ron says that after 20 years they still use their daily specials as a platform to try both new and retro dishes. That means that on any given day one can find both quiche Lorraine and international imports such as zesty, cold red gaz “From time to time, some things really hit,” Ron said, insisting that customers treat the O’Neil’s kitchen as their own, changing existing dishes at their leisure. Why not? With repeat customers coming two to four times each week, year after year, O’Neil’s does all the cooking for them anyway. “And cleaning,” Ron added. Member of the Duck Club, anyone? You are if you have had one of 6,000 famous foul that O’Neil’s sells each year. Roasted for several hours and served with orange sauce, the crisp half-duck comes with orzo and fresh vegetables — and soup or salad, of course ($25). Another staple is the grilled fresh salmon filet. Decently undercooked with a buttery feel, it is served with a lemon-butter-caper sauce to further heighten the flavors ($24). The Cioppino has a fan club, as well. The lighter Italian version of the French bouillabaisse hearty fish stew has just a hint of spice and is filled to capacity wit
