OWNER / OPERATOR OF THE SIGNATURE ROOM AT THE 95TH OPENS NEW UPSCALE AMERICAN GRILLE IN WOODRIDGE

The Signature Room Entertainment Group, owner/operator of the privately held Signature Room at the 95th, opened in suburban Woodridge on September 18, 2003 a new upscale American grille concept – The Signature Room Grille – located at 6401 Purchase Drive, at the entrance to Seven Bridges on Route 53. The dinner-only establishment, specializing in steaks, chops, rack of lamb and fresh seafood items ($16-$28), also will offer an extensive wine selection and live jazz nightly.

With a setting reminiscent of a 1930s dinner club, the 181-seat Signature Room Grille is located in a 7,800-square-foot free-standing facility renovated under the direction of architectural firm Aumiller Youngquist. Showcasing the casual elegance of the Art Deco period, the restaurant is appointed with cozy booths, elegant draperies, overstuffed chairs and linen-topped tables. Key design elements include a separate bar area, a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, a glass-enclosed wine cellar in the heart of the restaurant and a retro mural by Chicago artist Gregory Gove.

The bar, with a Steinway grand piano, will be the nightly scene of live jazz which will reverberate as relaxing background music for guests in the adjoining conversation-friendly dining room.

Under the direction of executive chef Alfonso Fonseca, formerly of Carlucci’s, The Signature Room Grille will serve an impressive selection of entrees, among them: grilled pork porterhouse with braised Napa cabbage and sun-dried cherry sauce; roasted rack of lamb with herb mustard crust and ragout of lentils; and grilled file of beef with charred tomatoes and Maytag blue cheese.

Desserts will be prepared by pastry chef Regina Kaysen whose specialties include pistachio cream cake and white and dark chocolate mousse cake.

Guest also may choose from an extensive list of more than 160 wines. The world’s finest wineries are presented and there will be a number of selections at more affordable price points. For sampling, there will be more than 30 wine flights which will highlight specific regions.

“The Signature Room Grille menu in many ways parallels the favorably-reviewed American cuisine we serve at the downtown Signature Room,” said Rick Roman, chairman and CEO of The Signature Room Entertainment Group and former chairman of the Illinois Restaurant Association. “However, there are a few twists, what we have started calling ‘happy food,’ flavors that jump off your tongue and have a unique blend of herbs and spices.” Overall, Roman says guest at the new Signature Room Grille can count on top-flight food and service in a setting as stylish as any downtown restaurant, but also relaxed and unpretentious. The restaurant also will house a gourmet shop that it plans to stock with its own sauces and marinades. Smoking and non-smoking sections are available; the bar is cigar friendly.

Dining room hours are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) and 5 p.m. to 11p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The bar is open 4 p.m. to midnight (Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The establishment is closed on Mondays. Reservations are accepted: 630/598-9777.

The Signature Room Entertainment Group plans to open a new Signature Room Grille location in Tampa in February 2004 at the Channelside Shopping Center at 615 Channelside Drive – which will be the second in a planned rollout of five Signature Room Grilles in the Chicago area and selected markets nationwide prior to 2007 – according to Roman. The Signature Room Entertainment Group opened downtown Chicago’s Signature Room in 1993 and a private dining facility at Seven Bridges in Woodridge in 2000.