From our Romantic Dining For Valentine’s Day Special Section In
The February 2022 Issue of Fox Valley Magazine
The Anvil Club has been a Fox Valley treasure since 1956. Though once a private dining club, we are now open to the public. It’s still our goal to give every guest an extraordinary experience. That has never changed.
We hope this Valentine’s Day you fall in love with us too!
The words “extraordinary experience” from our February Fox Valley Magazine ad have a bit of backstory. They are drawn from a quote about our Executive Chef, Tino Almaraz. In the April 2016 edition of Food Industry News there is an article that states that Chef Tino makes “every experience extraordinary.” We believe this is what makes Chef such a great match with The Anvil Club!
It was love at first sight! Or should we say, at first bite?!
Though a veteran chef at renowned Chicago area restaurants like Wheeling’s famed Le Francais and Rosewood Restaurant and Banquets in Rosemont, Chef Tino felt something special from the moment he stepped into The Anvil Club.
“When I saw the restaurant for the first time, I fell in love with it. I think it is very unique. And even though we used to be a private club—now that is open to the public—I think we are going to bring a lot more customers in. I want them to always have the best experience. I want The Anvil Club to be their number one destination all the time.”
For those interested in such things as business models and paradigm shifts, The Anvil Club was forced to pivot in a big way due to COVID-19. The members-only model that served the Club for 65-years has shifted to a “Club for everyone” model, as General manager, Joe Robinson often says.
When asked how The Anvil Club has changed, Robinson is quick to point out that it hasn’t changed one bit from his perspective. “I still greet every table and treat every patron as if they have been long-time members of The Anvil Club.”
Both Robinson and Executive Chef Almaraz are leading The Anvil Club into a new era of excellence. The reviews since the Club have opened to the public, despite all the challenges of the pandemic, have been extraordinarily positive and deeply encouraging to The Anvil Club team.
They can see that many more patrons of fine dining have gotten to know and have fallen in love with The Anvil Club. More than just a locally owned, Fox Valley, classic, The Anvil Club is what it has always been—a place whose understated, even secretive some say, exterior warmly opens up to anyone longing for superb service, top-shelf libations, USDA Prime steaks, and fresh seafood.
Supper Clubs have been known for their speak-easy pasts, and Robinson’s willingness to give tours, as time allows, does speak to the Club’s history and mystery. His tours also reveal how much there is to love about The Anvil Club!
Around every corner, there is a wonderful new place to dine. From the private Wine Cellar to the formal Board Room, or perhaps the Saddle Room that celebrates the building’s past as a blacksmith shop—romance abounds. And come summer, al fresco dining on the Club’s private Veranda feels like stepping into a secret garden of culinary delights.
Your relationship with the Club might begin with an exquisite Valentine’s date night; but for many Anvil Club regulars, occasional romantic dinners have become annual family traditions! Family-friendly holiday brunches for Easter, Mother’s Day, and the Club’s beloved Brunch with Santa are often sold-out affairs. Our Banquet Director, Harmony Feldbusch, is also eager to make your weddings, baby showers, baptisms, and bar-mitzvahs memorable. The same can be said of community fundraisers and corporate parties. The Anvil Club loves designing fabulous events and your guests will love that you chose the Club to play host to them.
Above and beyond is what The Anvil Club strives to be about. Chef Almaraz often goes above and beyond The Anvil Club’s outstanding regular menu to offer special dining events. Over the warmer evenings, it could be a Bourbon and Cigar dinner on the Veranda. Colder months can feature special nights like The Club’s Retro-Supper Club Sunday Dinner, replete with supper club nostalgia: relish trays, prime rib, fish fry, and – of course – Old Fashioneds and Manhattans.
- Monday – The Anvil Club is usually closed, but if there’s a special event dinner like Chef’s Irish Theme Dinner on March 14, 2022, it opens its doors just for that.
- Tuesday – From 5:00 pm to close, Chef is rolling out a seafood Raw Bar with fresh oysters, shrimp, octopus, and more. The Anvil Club’s epic bar will also be pouring $3 domestic beers.
- On Wednesdays only you can enjoy table-side service. Currently, Chef’s team is rolling the cart up to prepare a $45 per person Steak au Poivre. This entertaining meal includes Chef’s roasted garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables
- Thursdays are all about craft cocktails and small plates from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Enjoy $10 Maker’s Mark Old Fashioneds and Mixologist Jay’s specialty Martinis. The Anvil Club’s delightful array of appetizers will be served on small plates so you can mix a few flavors as well!
- Thursdays also are the night The Anvil Club’s weekend of live, local, entertainment begins. From Piano Lounge Standards to Jazz to Acoustic Pop, a variety of genres are enjoyed each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
- Friday celebrates our Fish Fry. The Anvil Club’s crispy, wild-caught, Canadian Walleye is paired with Chef Tino’s special coleslaw and crispy fries. But for seafood lovers, The Anvil Club’s regular offerings are as wide as the ocean.
- Friday and Saturday also feature The Anvil Club’s melt-in-your-mouth Prime Rib. But from bourbon-glazed Berkshire Pork, to Australian Lamb Chops, to a delightful Chicken Francese, you can trot the globe at the Club and never leave your table. What’s not to love about that!
- Sundays have always had a family flavor at The Anvil Club. Children age-8 and under eat for free and the Club opens early for Sunday Dinner at 3:00 pm. The Anvil Club does have policies for dress code and decorum, so please visit our website for more details about how to make your time at the Club a truly special occasion
The Anvil Club is extraordinary every day. But this February we want to be your Valentine’s destination. Beyond that, we would love to become your first choice for fine dining in the Fox Valley and a beloved tradition for your entire family!
“Phenomenal,” “intimate,” “amazing,” “friendly,” “attentive,” are all words drawn from the Club’s reviews on Open Table. This drumbeat of affection is heartfelt and motivating. The Anvil Club loves being what it uniquely is and doing what it uniquely does in the arena of fine dining. The Anvil Club truly loves to provide “extraordinary experiences” for everyone who comes through our doors.
The Anvil Club truly hopes that this Valentine’s Day, you fall in love with us too!
309 Meier Street
East Dundee IL 60118
www.theanvilclub.net
1-847-426-7710
