09/29/2011 - QC Foodie - DJ's Steakhouse

My fiance, Ricardo, and I decided to check out DJ's Steakhouse at Jumer's Casino in Rock Island.  The décor was contemporary and slightly whimsical.  I loved the colorful calla lily chandeliers above the tables and I expressed to Ricardo how I would like to buy one for our house (hint).  The bar has clean, symmetrical patterns and a chic, urban appeal, save for the checkered tile floor.  We were seated at a large booth with comfortable plush seats and incredibly high backs, evoking a feeling of being Alice having fallen for the "Drink Me" label.  We ordered a bottle of Beaujolais-Villages, which is extremely fun to pronounce (Bo-zho-lay vill-AHJ) as well as to drink.  For some wine-nerd trivia, the terrior, located south of Beaujolais, in the Rhone area close to Lyon, is composed of granite.  The wine had a slight spice to it and paired well with our subsequent meal choices. 

Our server was attentive and amiable.  The restaurant didn't seem extremely crowded but our orders, including the wine, took quite a while to arrive.  Meanwhile, we munched on the splendid array of bread placed in a wire basket before us while I summarized the book Eat Pray Love up to the midpoint, the point to which I have read so far.  We enjoyed scrumptious raisin bread, wheat bread and tiny cinnamon rolls along with the three dollops of flavored butter.  One was plain, the second was nutmeg and the third was garlic.  This bread ranks among my top three favorite restaurants for their bread.

Ricardo ordered Lobster Bisque with Sherry.  He thought it was good.  I tasted it, it had a creamy texture and was satisfactory.  He ordered a Filet Mignon.  As you can see by the picture, it was a tall, generous portion.  He said it was cooked perfectly and was tender and flavorful.  He also ordered buttermilk scallion and mashed potatoes, which were a bit cool but tasty.

I really had a difficult time deciding on what to order since I felt like a kid in a candy store staring at all of the intreguing menu choices http://www.jumerscri.com/Jumers/files/17/17bf41a8-5b50-4002-800b-d57cc6b45565.pdf.  I ordered Double Berry Chicken Pasta.  I had to take a deep breath before I recited the components of this dish out loud: "Two five-ounce boneless chicken breasts, lightly floured, sauteed, bedded over ravioli filled with ratatouille, a blend of squash, sweet peppers, tomato and onion, a combination of goat, ricotta and parmesan cheeses, laced with a sweet savory thyme infused blackberry raspberry sauce, finished with scallions".  It was complex and flavorful.  I'm not a finicky eater but I've been known to ditch sweet peppers on the side of my plate, rudeness notwithstanding.  However, these were blended with all of the other ingredients to create one great taste.  I had to box half of the meal since it was rather large for me.  Again, we were too full to give dessert a go but they looked appealing. http://www.jumerscri.com/Dining/DJ-s-Steakhouse/Photos.aspx

Overall, we enjoyed our fine dining experience at DJ's and I bet we'll try our luck again and sample some of the other creative dishes on a return visit.