Restaurants in Buffalo Grove

Gauzy curtains usher a sea of sunlight into Caspian Cafe, where Mediterranean cuisine and seafood are sandwiched between crisp, white tablecloths and circular hanging lamps. The signature nachos take on a breezy vibe with tangy feta, cucumber, tomato, and hummus topping pita wedges. Lamb shank, blackened catfish, and hummus complement patron-toted potables in the BYOB dining room, and free parking allows guests to have a nice meal without worrying about bringing enough hot dogs to feed the parking meters.

CJ's features a delicious menu of classic American cuisine. There's a heavy dose of hearty Southern regional dishes like biscuits and gravy and the Sausage Breakfast Casserole. There are even a few Southwestern items like the Southwestern Breakfast Burrito:  eggs, chorizo, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and queso blanco, wrapped in a flour tortilla and topped with fresh salsa. But the unifying force behind CJ's menu is that it's downright satisfying comfort food. Check out the menu. Weekend brunch is CJ's specialty, but their dinner menus is also tops - especially the local favorite barbeque meatloaf tower, which the Chicago Tribune claims "at least one guy at every table orders." CJ's is only open on Saturday's & Sundays. The weekends-only thing just makes people want it even more, just like those weekends-only hospitals that have lines around the block Saturday morning.

After dining at Restaurant Michael, Chicago Reader writer David Hammond described a savory spread of pate and gherkin pickles as “surpassingly pleasing,” and noted that his dessert (a warm blueberry-almond financier pastry with a ginger-almond ice-cream sandwich) was still haunting his dreams. At his eponymous Winnetka restaurant, chef Michael Lachowicz crafts traditional French cuisine inspired by his training at the Culinary Institute of America and years spent sharing spatulas with world-renowned chefs. Like Tchaikovsky's musical interpretations of the calendar year, Michael's menus change with the season to showcase the freshest ingredients and flavors. Whole-roasted squab or sautéed fillets of flounder drizzled in champagne sauce showcase his creative ambition as well as his classical training. Desserts include indulgences such as housemade gelato or artisanal cheese served from a cart. Restaurant Michael's elegant dining room is wrapped in warm earth tones and awash in the glow of hanging lamps and domesticated moonbeams. White cloths mark intimate tables that support glass stemware and the occasional roving wine decanters.

Chefs at Bait Cafe marinate and grill entrées such as chicken shawarma and New Zealand lamb chops to create light, fresh Mediterranean meals. They also blend fresh bowls of hummus to pair with soft pita bread, and stack chicken kebabs on plates with falafel and couscous. On the red walls of the dining area, golden scrollwork unfurls in swirling shapes that mimic the steam rising from cups of strong Turkish coffee and the honey-coated flowers that sprout when you plant pieces of baklava in your garden.

Stuffed deer antlers, a large canoe suspended from the ceiling, and carvings of bears surround diners at Bill's Pizza & Pub. The northwoods seeps indoors at the venerable pizza place, which exhibits the idiosyncratic decor of a lodge. The wood-grained eatery first established its novel dining room more than 50 years ago, when its founder and namesake converted a garage into a roadside pizza joint. There, Bill and his wife, Pat, devised the double-decker pizza that still emerges piping hot from the kitchens at two locations. Both locales exhibit the same relaxed setting, in which families can scarf double-decker slices and freely toss peanut shells to the floor or out windows at mounted policemen.

Forks twirl through build-your-own pastas in a wide array of sauces and toppings, which lead Pastabilities' menu of Italian fare. Portobello mushrooms, eggplant, chicken, and beef steep in warm lakes of marinara, regaling nostrils with tales of sun-soaked tomato fields and scarecrows' first steps. A full line of retail sauces and pastas crafted in-house for shipment to doorsteps begs to fill steaming pots in home kitchens, and catering trays parade pasta and panini for up to six people or three sets of Hall & Oates impersonators.