Shiraz on the Water
Hilton Indian Lakes Resort
Bloomingdale, Illinois

Shiraz on the Water features a host of menu favorites—with a special twist. As the new restaurant in the Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, Illinois, community-friendly Shiraz on the Water serves as the rebranding of the property’s signature Sedona restaurant which had become dated.

Shiraz, which opened in June of 2008, is styled as a contemporary American restaurant with an emphasis on classic steaks. The restaurant, which also sports a 1,000-plus-bottle wine list, is an important part of the property’s overall rebranding efforts since it was taken over by Hilton last year. Designed in the Prairie style by a protégée of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the 260-acre Hilton property features a number of amenities, including a 27-hole championship golf course and complete conference facilities. Shiraz restaurant is intended to appeal not only as a destination for the local market, but also as inducement to keep conference and resort guests onsite for dinner.

The goal for the restaurant was an approachable but interesting concept at prices that were moderate for the area.

An ambitious task, to be sure, but the menu is fun, interactive, and interesting enough to warrant repeat visits—as well as easy for the kitchen staff to execute consistently. This has meant treating classic menu favorites to signature upgrades. Steaks are served with a choice of sauces and accompaniments that range from classic Bordelaise to a more contemporary blue cheese crust, and the signature filet mignon features grass-fed beef from the Tallgrass® Beef Company.

Some of the appetizers are designed for sampling and sharing, such as the Grilled Flatbread Quattro Stagione (“four seasons,” referring to the four different separate toppings) and the signature Lobster Corn Dog (a skewered lobster tail corn-batter-fried and served with a grainy mustard crème fraiche).

Little upgrades and sophisticated presentation distinguish many of the menu specialties. Shitake Crab Cakes feature jumbo lump crabmeat mixed with fresh shitake mushrooms and an organic citrus aioli, while the top-selling Shrimp Shiraz is a cocktail variation plating of poached jumbo shrimp with ripe avocado and two different sauces: spicy Tiger Sauce and a tamarind balsamic glaze.

Another menu signature is the Rotisserie Duck, roasted, lacquered with a distinctive hoisin barbecue sauce and boned out before serving. The meat is also used in a distinctive Chopped Duck Salad that also includes flame-roasted corn, peppers, onions, tomato, smoked cheddar, pickled cactus and chipotle lime dressing with fresh greens. It makes for a special version of a chopped salad, a dish that’s popular in the Chicago area.

One strategy is to use a variety of Custom Culinary® Gold Label Ready-to-Use Sauces as a hedge against poor quality and inconsistency in the kitchen. The Gold Label Mediterranean-Style Ragout appears in several pasta dishes and on the Grilled Flatbread. The kitchen also uses both Gold Label Hollandaise and Gold Label Beurre Blanc as a basic sauce, both as-is and turned into specialties like Béarnaise for the steaks.

Custom Culinary® Gold Label Demi-Glace is another favorite product from the Shiraz kitchen, used in the classic Bordelaise and in many other brown-sauce-based applications, particularly on the banquet menu. They allow the staff to execute both classic and signature sauces perfectly every time.

For additional information on "Reinventing the Classics", click here.