Hunger, unlike ambulance sirens, meningitis, and restraining orders, is not something you can safely ignore. Answer the mighty call of a bellowing belly with today's Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of fine American dinner cuisine at The Bank Restaurant in Wheaton.
Named for its historic location inside Gilded Age home of the former Gary Wheaton Bank, The Bank Restaurant packs plates with scrumptious meals culled from a menu of timeless American entrees. The bourbon-sauced pork tenderloin cavorts through bounties of apples and sweet potatoes ($19), and a Regal Springs tilapia fillet bathes in a brothy pond of tender baby clams, ribbon-y rice-noodle ribbons, and schools of shiitakes ($19). Grilled steak selections, ranging from 6-ounce petite filets ($28) to 10-ounce tenderloin filets ($31), fill diners with the brawny protein needed to build muscle or reenact the street fight scene from Mary Poppins.
Draft beers, including the light, food-pairable Bail Out ale ($5) spawned by brewmasters at local Two Brothers Brewery in Warrenville, ferry food to appetite lairs, and desserts such as vanilla crème brûlée ($6) sweetly cap epic repasts. The Bank Restaurant’s solid historic architecture contributes a vast bounty to the classy feel of the décor, which includes wood paneling, handsome lighting fixtures, and a glossy bar. Diners bask in the building’s historicity, joining the ranks of former visitors including Red Grange, Colonel Robert McCormick, and Donkey Kong. Prices are subject to change.
The Bank Restaurant
The Bank Restaurant, which was founded in 2007, draws ingredients from local farms including Elliot and Sons Bison, Catalpa Grove Lamb, and Piper City's T&J Free Range Poultry. The new menu is filled with specialties ranging from center-cut pork chops to thick burgers bracketed by soft brioche buns. Steaks arrive unadorned or tenderly rubbed with the restaurant's precise blend of spices, and seafood including Hawaiian style arctic char and "as seen on TV" seared scallops play well with their respective glazes and dipping sauces.
While the kitchen fills with culinary innovation that earned the restaurant the 2012 and 2013 Gamon Award for Restaurant of the Year, the dining room and surroundings exude vibes of timeless history. Built in 1875 to house the Gary Wheaton Bank, the building counts among its roster of notable visitors people such as football great Red Grange, journalism tycoon Colonel Robert R. McCormick, and the pink hippo from Hungry, Hungry Hippos.