New Gem in Geneva

By Naperville Magazine
August 2023 View more Table for Two

By Phil Vettel

The James serves up a thoughtful menu in an historic setting

When is a steakhouse not a steakhouse? When it’s the James, a two-month-old Geneva newcomer with several steaks on offer but plenty of other options.

The James is owned by Todd McWethy and Gretchen Hupke, who also own Mistwood Golf Course in Romeoville, McWethy’s Tavern (part of that course), and McWethy’s Sports Bar in Bolingbrook. The James is partly named for their late father, Jim McWethy, and partly for James Herrington, Geneva’s first settler. “We were looking to a steakhouse concept,” says Jimmy Koklas, the group’s food and beverage director, “but we didn’t want to come right out and put our name next to that. We do have a lot of beef and chops on the menu, because there isn’t much of that in Geneva, but our chef has free rein to do what he wants with the rest of the menu.”

The chef, Steven Blackburn, impresses with a thoughtful menu that’s filled with unexpected touches. Blackburn previously headed up a sushi bar in West Hollywood, and that influence crops up from time to time.

For instance, there’s grilled swordfish, a dish typically accented with lemon and herbs, or capers. Blackburn bathes the fish in a lemongrass-unagi sauce, along with pickled radish, chèvre, and aïoli, a sort of East-West composition.

His salmon sashimi is even more surprising, seasoned with togarashi spice and smoked shoyu (Japanese soy) and torched on just one side; it arrives cooked-side up, looking overdone at first, but no—it’s perfect.

Shrimp cocktail gets a novel presentation; the half-dozen shrimp arrive skewered, spanning a wide ribbon of cocktail sauce. A sprinkle of smoked salt adds depth of flavor. I didn’t get to try the shrimp shakshuka, a classic Middle Eastern dish of tomato and poached eggs (the shrimp is a protein bonus here), but it’s on the list for my next visit.

The meaty side of the menu includes a classic chicken Vesuvio, pork schnitzel, and a 16-ounce pork chop. The steaks, all sourced from Allen Brothers in Chicago, range in size from the eight-ounce bavette and filet mignon to a massive 24-ounce porterhouse. I split the difference with the 18-ounce bone-in rib eye, which was absolutely delicious. (Our server, anticipating that I might share the steak with my companion, offered to deliver it sliced. Smart.) Compound butters are complimentary; béarnaise, mushroom, and other sauces are a nominal upcharge.

The dish that belongs on every table is Blackburn’s focaccia deep dish, a housemade focaccia that looks for all the world like a Chicago deep-dish pizza. (And not just any deep dish, but one with charred edges, the way many deep-dish aficionados order it.) Rich with concentrated tomato flavor and sprinkled with mozzarella cheese, this is a wonderful bit of culinary sleight of hand. “I literally thought it was crazy,” Koklas says about the focaccia, “but it’s been super-popular. A week after opening, we were selling 16 a night, and three nights later it was double.”

The James occupies an historic building on Third Street (which abounds in historic buildings), though this somewhat limited what the owners could do with the structure. “We couldn’t really touch the building, except for some cosmetic remodeling,” Koklas says.

Thus, the interior remains a labyrinthine collection of interconnected rooms, though all are decorated differently, with distinct character. (In the beginning, the James took reservations for specific rooms, but this proved to be unwieldy.)

Given a choice, I’d opt for the sun-drenched garden room, whose floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlook the 140-seat outdoor patio, a very pretty space with greenery and striped umbrellas. And in nice weather, the patio is ideal, augmented from time to time by live music (Fridays and Saturdays as a rule, but occasional Thursdays and Sundays).

Consider arriving extra early for your table in order to enjoy a cocktail at the James’s low-lit bar, decorated like a vintage library (the books on display are real), only with marble-topped café tables and a pressed-tin ceiling. The 10-page Bar Journal is full of craft cocktails (some zero-proof), modestly priced wines, beer (local and national brands), and more.

Photos: The James