By Rikki Lee Travolta
Stepping into the FoxFire steakhouse in Geneva in the Western suburbs of Chicago is an experience that is both exciting and calming. The rustic architecture and décor convey a rural ambiance, almost like a barn that has been rehabbed and turned into a fine dining establishment. And in terms of the quality of the food and the service, it can definitely be classified as dining of the finest order.
Yet, despite featuring some of Chicagoland’s best food, there is no sense of pretense in the air. These are good, hard-working people who love quality food and the culinary industry, and want to share the fruits of those loves with everyone walking through the door.
The dining area is spacious and populated by tables and the type of big, leather-upholstered booths one associates with classic steakhouses. At the front of the establishment, live musicians and bands are sometimes featured. At the rear of the restaurant, a quaint fireplace spreads warmth and cheer throughout.
FoxFire Restaurant is presided over by Chef K.C. Gulbro and his father Curt. Of the two, K.C. is the restaurant’s Master Chef, aided by a brilliant kitchen staff. Curt is a fixture of the front-of-house crew, pressing the flesh with patrons and even sitting in to sing Johnny Cash songs with some of the bands they bring in to entertain diners.
The eatery has an overall warm and welcoming ambiance, which is important. The busy workers are all friendly, with beaming smiles and helpful demeanors as they busy themselves giving patrons a world-class dining experience. Yet, it is not hoity-toity.
Although FoxFire is an award-winning fine eater, It’s the kind of fine dining venue where you don’t have to wear a suit to be served or respected. However, if you want to get spiffy, you won’t feel out of place.
I’ll put it this way. On the night I visited, there were people from all demographics wearing everything from denim to business attire – and they were all treated with respect and seemed thrilled with the food and service.
That kind of inherent goodness flows as if from an endless chalice throughout the restaurant. It starts at the top and it is apparent throughout. Many of the employees have been with the establishment for years and praise the ownership and supportive work environment as reasons why they have no interest in moving on – or if so, only to pursue business dreams of their own.
The restaurant is first and foremost known for its steaks. FoxFire was named the “Steakhouse of the Year” in 2023 by Angus Beef® and has received similar awards and honors from the Daily Herald, On the Fox, Kane County Chronicle, West Suburban Living, and Big City Travel Magazine.
Clearly Chef Gulbro and his father know how to please meat lovers. In addition to featuring the trinity of classic steak cuts (filet mignon, ribeye, and NY strip), the kitchen also offers to-die-for pork chops, choice seafood, indulgent chicken dishes, delectable pasta options, and spice-rubbed baby back ribs.
While FoxFire is a haven for meat enthusiasts, with steaks and chops cooked to perfection, we live in an era where sometimes your dinner date might favor vegetarian fare. To that end, Chef K.C. has come up with a cauliflower steak that will have non-carnivores writing love letters to the magical kitchen personnel.
Our seafood-loving friends won’t feel left out when they visit FoxFire either. There’s a Cajun-crusted sashimi Ahi tuna titled Foxfire Tuna and a Scottish salmon filet with panko-horseradish crust accented with a Dijon-tarragon mustard sauce you’ll find under Horseradish Salmon. Lobster, Mahi Mahi, and Scallops are also offered with a signature FireFox manner of preparation.
No matter what the dish, FoxFire has its own signature way of doing things. That can range from cooking style to seasonings to ingredients and pairings. K.C. and his team are always experimenting and looking for new ways to enhance the dining experience for their visitors. The numerous culinary awards FoxFire has won is a testament to how good everything is on the menu.
Appetizers are creative, with some that might have come from divine inspiration. The pre-entrée menu options include such delights as bacon-wrapped stuffed dates, baked goat cheese, calamari, bang bang cauliflower, lump crab cakes, prime rib egg rolls, and sesame-infused sashimi grade ahi tuna.
Prior to the main course, soups and salads are offered. Soups include baked French onion and a daily soup du jour. Salads range from traditional chopped and Caesar varieties to beet salad; southwest cobb; Mediterranean with salmon; and a tomato, avocado, and mozzarella Caprese.
I happen to be a picky eater. I wish I wasn’t. I wish exotic foods tasted as divine to me as they often do to others. For whatever reason, though, my taste buds are limited in what they enjoy. But what flavors they do favor, they do so with gusto.
There are certain advantages to a restaurant review from the vantage of one who is hard to please. You know if I say the food is great, like that at FoxFire, then you know it really must be absolutely heavenly.
However, to give a well-rounded review of the luscious lunch and dinner options, I recruited an extremely adventurous eater to accompany me and sample some of the more daring menu options. Together, the two viewpoints (picky and adventurous) should give a good indication of what type of diners might find ultimate enjoyment from the menu.
While I may be picky in what I like, what I do like I like a lot. One of the things I simply adore is a good ribeye steak – so for my entrée I opted for a blue cheese encrusted ribeye, grilled rare and accessorized with a loaded baked potato doused in butter, cheese, and sour cream.
My adventurous co-conspirator chose to do with one of the house specials, the Surf and Curt (named for the senior member of the Gulbro ownership team) featuring a 6 oz certified Angus Beef filet mignon served with sashimi-grade tuna. The dish is delivered to the table with sliced avocado, Asian-style Brussels sprouts, and drizzled with teriyaki and wasabi yogurt.
The entire staff at FoxFire is knowledgeable and not just personable, but downright friendly. Prior to journeying through the stars with the melt-in-your-mouth flavors of our main courses, we asked our waiter John Collin for his recommendations on appetizers.
Without hesitation, John proclaimed that we had to try the bacon-wrapped stuffed dates. With an endorsement with that level of enthusiasm, we had to honor the suggestion – and boy am I glad we did. They are simply amazing. The dates are stuffed with a beautiful herb-infused goat cheese and the applewood smoked bacon gives it just the right zest.
Complimenting that appetizer, we also added an order of crab cakes. My food preferences don’t include many seafood options, but my partner in crime swears that the FoxFire crab cakes are downright scrumptious. The kitchen does not skimp on the crab meat. I am told that this simple test of how much crab is used in a restaurant’s crab cakes is often a prime indicator of the overall quality of the kitchen. FoxFire passed the test with flying colors and happy tastebuds aplenty.
While my fellow diner was sampling the yummy crab cakes, after stealing more than my share of the bacon-wrapped dates, I also sampled FoxFire’s Ceasar salad. It featured a lovely, zesty dressing and fresh grated parmesan cheese on top. It perfectly amped up my appetite to properly enjoy my steak.
Presiding over the kitchen so that K.C. could spend some time with us discussing the menu and the background of the restaurant was Sous-Chef Miguel “Nino” Gomez. Nino has been with the restaurant 18 years. He started as a busboy and worked his way up, eventually being personally trained by K.C. to be his first officer. That training was not in vain, Nino served up some of the most delicious steaks offered in the Chicagoland area. It is clear why FoxFire won the 2023 Steakhouse of the Year honors from Angus Beef ® brand and all its other awards.
My foodie companion reported the filet featured in the Surf and Curt special is just as tantalizingly delicious, while the seared tuna got super high marks as well. In short, both or our entrées show that Chef K.C., Sous-Chef Nino, and the rest of the cooks in the kitchen are going to always provide a meal that pleases.
Our delightful meal was capped off with a few samplings from FoxFire’s exquisitely delectable dessert menu. I could not pass up a dish called Death by Chocolate which involves a chocolate mousse cake layered with dark chocolate ganache. Of my lord, if good taste is a sin, then I am on my way to somewhere very hot, because the taste of this chocolate experience is beyond divine. My fellow diner chose the crème Brulée, which I managed to sneak a taste of and all I can say is “Wow.” If these two selections are an indication, the entire dessert menu is one crowd-pleaser after another.
What makes FoxFire work so well as a restaurant is the people it employs. As I mentioned, Sous-Chef Miguel Gomez has been with the company for 18 years. Many of the staff have such long-term affiliations with the eatery.
Jess Heinrich is a staff member who also makes amazing cheesecakes and other fanciful desserts that are offered on the menu, playfully called Jess Desserts. There are plans being talked of to possibly create a pastry outlet for Jess’ creations. K.C. and Curt obviously care about their employees.
Our waiter John has been with FoxFire for over three years. He holds a culinary degree and is working towards one day opening his own Italian restaurant. He raves about how open K.C. and Curt are in teaching all the members of the staff all the areas of running a restaurant that they want to learn. Based on John’s expert knowledge and winning personality, I expect his restaurant to become a reality and be a success.
Jennifer Luna is another wonderful server we interacted with at FoxFire. Even the bussers Margarito (Mark) and Nick are ideal ambassadors of the facility. They are polite, fun, engaging, and good at their jobs. In addition to enjoying an outstanding meal at FoxFire, I had a hoot of a great conversation about fashion with Mark. (I qualify anytime someone compliments me on my unique fashion style as the foundation for a “great conversation”.)
One thing to stress is that there is something for everyone at FoxFire. Whether you are a picky eater, an adventurous foodie, or favor meals from the garden, there are options you’ll be excited about.
As a member of the Picky Eater Hall of Fame, I can attest that there was no shortage of menu options to tempt my selective tastebuds. And yes, there is a Kids’ Menu with options ranging from youngster-size portions of ribs or certified Angus filet, to mac and cheese, chicken strips, and the quintessential favorite of all kids with sensitive palates – buttered noodles.
But trust me – steaks are a can’t miss at FoxFire. If you want to go to culinary heaven just order one of FoxFire’s steaks and prepare for a spiritual experience.
FoxFire Restaurant is located in Geneva, IL along the Fox River. If you are based in the Western suburbs of Chicago, FoxFire should immediately be added to your list of restaurants to try. If you’re from more than a few miles away, we can assure you the dining experience is worth traveling for.
As an advocate of “Dinner and a Show” dates, I suggest you pair your dinner reservations at FoxFire with a night at the theatre. Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles offers great professional theatre at affordable prices; Playhouse 38 is a park district-run community theatre right in the heart of Geneva; and Paramount Theatre, Copley Theatre, and Riverfront Playhouse are all just up the road in Aurora.
Whether you are looking for a space to enjoy a meal with family and friends, date night with someone special, or a business outing with important clients, FoxFire Restaurant is a place that will please both you and your companions. As my fellow diner and I established, you can be a picky eater or a total foodie, and either way, you’ll find ample thrills on Chef K.C.’s menu.
The proprietors also run the nearby Copper Fox, an events space that features the same great cooking with a slightly pared-down menu. It’s perfect for business functions, birthdays, wedding receptions, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, baby showers, and other events that need a touch of style and an out-of-this-world menu. Visit www.copper-fox.com.
FoxFire Restaurant is located at 17 W. State Street in Geneva and is highly recommended – by eaters of all levels of adventure. There is ample parking in a lot behind the restaurant and I can’t say enough about the wonderful, knowledgeable, and engaging staff. For reservations and more information visit www.FoxFireGeneva.com or call (630) 475-4187.
