Exploring a new destination is certainly a ton of fun, but can also work up quite an appetite. Fortunately, we found a medley of meals during our stay in St. Charles, Illinois. This Midwestern city has a broad selection of eateries, which provide about every cuisine option under the sun. You’ll find opportunities for a delectable breakfast along the Fox River, like the one we had at Kava Diem. Relaxing on their riverside patio, in the morning sunshine, made this visit extra special. Let’s take a look at some of the other tasty stops we found during our visit.
We want to thank the St. Charles Business Alliance for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own.
Variety is the Spice of Life
When it comes to breakfast, we tend to look for meals packed with protein. This supplies us with some staying power to sustain us through a busy morning. That doesn’t mean we don’t mix in some sweeter bites. In fact, during a morning meal at Eat At Syrup, we had a chance to sample their Mini Waffle Flight. This picture-perfect plate of goodness seemed to disappear as quickly as it had materialized at our table. Each sweet bite seemed to be even better than the last. Tossing in an enormous five-egg omelet helped provide plenty of protein to hold us over until lunch.
Irish Comfort Food
After a delectable breakfast, we enjoyed a morning of exploring the urban art scene found throughout St. Charles. We combined some shopping at local boutiques, which worked wonders at burning off our morning feast. Soon we were feeling the twinge of hunger building, which signaled it was time for us to continue our medley of meals. Located right along the main drag through St. Charles is McNally’s Irish Pub. Popping inside, we found the space packed with locals. Wading into the fray, we found a tabletop for two. While Crystal munched on a Chicken Cobb Sandwich, I went straight for the Fish and Chips. I’m sure her sammie was delightful, but I was focused on the flaky cod hidden beneath their beer batter. Once again, we departed filled to the gills. Time for some more walking.
Everything but the Kitchen Sink
When we develop our itinerary for a new destination, it’s important for us to include plenty of historic stops. While these are often museums or founding family’s homes, sometimes it happens to be a restaurant. St. Charles provided us an opportunity to include a couple of historic settings to enjoy a medley of meals. Colonial Café has had a presence in the Fox River Valley since 1901. That’s a whole bunch of history. When we see an eatery with this much background, we know it is a local favorite. The Colonial Café has retained its ice cream beginnings but has also added plenty of great comfort food dishes. Heaping plates of enticing vittles include plates like Braised Beef Pot Roast. After chowing down on these tender chunks of beef, I found I had forgotten to leave room for any of their ice creams. Oh well, now we have an excuse for a return visit.
Hidden Pleasure
Preserving historic sites sometimes means modernizing. Club Arcada has been a St. Charles landmark since the 1930s. Changing times have seen the space utilized under other names. In 2017, Ron Onesti brought this majestic structure back to life under its original name. To top it off, he took part of the interior on a trip back in time. While the theater space has retained its original beauty, the uppermost floor has been transformed into a 1920s-style speakeasy. This type of food and fun was too much for us to pass up. It’s hard to say whether it was the delectable dishes or the amazing décor that most impressed us. This was another meal that left us fat and happy.
Medley of Meals
After looking back on the medley of meals we enjoyed in St. Charles, you can see why we seek out walkable destinations. It takes plenty of steps to burn the delicious calories we discover along our journeys. As with most cities, we found far too many eateries for us to sample them all. Our goal is to showcase a good cross-section and let you select the ones that pique your interest. St. Charles provided us with plenty of choices and we were extremely pleased with each one we savored. Which of these tasty treasures most intrigues you?
That’s my hometown and it is a great place to live and visit. Lots of great options for fun.
We would have to completely agree. We loved our visit and hope to make it back in the future.
Thanks for visiting our part of the country. It looks like you had a delicious visit.
It was an amazingly delectable trip. I’m sure there will be a return visit in the future.
We will have to swing through St. Charles on our next Chicago trip.
Sounds like a plan. Travel safely!