Restaurant Review - Geneva Chop House, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Chop to It!

Savoring grilled steak while overlooking the rolling hills of a green fairway are the main draws of the Geneva Chop House.

Less than an hour from Milwaukee (and 90 minutes from Chicago), The Geneva Chop House is located inside the Grand Geneva Resort, the newest incarnation of the old Playboy Resort, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Ambient lighting and understated urban décor welcome the diner into the bistro, which boasts both seated tables and booths.

Arriving in the restaurant, we were barely seated when a young man presented us with rolls and three spreads: a bleu-cheese blend, a sun-dried tomato relish, and traditional butter. All were quite tasty, although we favored the originality of the savory tomato choice.

All items are offered a la carte. Appetizers include raw-bar selections, Jumbo Lump Crab Cake (with poblano remoulade and red pepper coulis), Grilled Portobello and Shiitake Mushrooms (served with balsamic vinegar), and soup. An Appetizer Sampler Platter (portioned for four to six people) includes shrimp cocktail, oysters on the half-shell, miniature crab cakes, snow crab legs, and lump crab.

A fairly respectable assortment of international and domestic wines tantalized us as well.

We decided to skip the appetizer course and head right for the salads. Portions are extremely generous for the $7 to $10 salads. The Caesar Salad included fresh greens with Garlic Caesar Dressing and a single giant sourdrough crouton, which was really more like a toasty slice of Italian bread. The signature offering, the GCH Chopped Salad, was a molded mound of chopped lettuces, bleu cheese, diced tomatoes, chopped eggs, crusty lean bacon, and cucumber. This substantial dish could easily have served as a main course.

Sturdy side dishes are served in open casseroles and are enough to feed several diners. We ordered the Twice-Baked Four-Cheese Potato, which basically resembled cheesy mashed potatoes in a dish. It was tasty, though not aesthetically original. The Sauteed Spinach was soggy and stemmy and soaked in garlic butter, which we could have done without.

Menu highlights include Allen Brothers steaks, fresh seafood, chops, and more. At $67, the Filet Mignon with Lobster Tail was a mixed blessing. Bearnaise sauce and melted butter arrived in ceramic pitchers. The steak was juicy and delicious, although the lobster was a bit too chewy. The Salmon Filet seemed a bit overcooked and dried, although it was swimming in Cilantro-Lime Beurre Blanc.

(Lesson learned: When dining at a steak restaurant, it's always a good idea to order beef.)

The dessert cart tempted us with Bananas Foster Bread Pudding, a Chocolate Espresso Martini, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Vanilla Crème Brulee. Premium ice cream was proudly displayed in a blue fluted glass bowl and topped with fresh berries. We opted for ice cream, which arrived in a traditional parlor glass instead, although it did include tasty fresh berries.

Overall, the service was impressive. Our server didn't skip a beat, and the backup staff was efficient but unobtrusive.

After dinner, we strolled into the hotel concourse to watch prime rib roasting on rotisseries through a plate-glass window. Perhaps we will order roast beef next time!

The Geneva Chop House also offers a Champaign Sunday Brunch. Reservations are recommended for brunch or dinner. The restaurant and resort are owned and operated by the Marcus Corporation. Grand Geneva Resort is one of only three AAA-rated four-star resorts in Wisconsin, with two championship golf courses, a full-service spa, a ski hill, tennis, and even an indoor water park.

Online dining reservations for the Geneva Chop House are available. Be sure to bring a credit card or a bankroll. Dinner for a party of four can easily cost more than $200.