Well-balanced meal

Debbie Williams has come a long way from Pepe's hot-dog stand in Hillside. Williams, who along with her husband, Todd, opened Adelle's restaurant in Wheaton a little over a year ago, got her first job slinging dogs at 15 and hasn't spent much time away from the restaurant industry since.

"I always say the restaurant business gets in people's blood and never gets out," Williams said.

Before opening Adelle's, Williams worked at Bistro Banlieue in Lombard for more than 12 years, the last eight as general manager. When the former Cochon Sauvage restaurant went up for sale, she and Todd loved the building so much, nestled in the neighborhoods near Wheaton College, that they couldn't pass it up.

The menu they and chef John Anderson have created at the American bistro is what Debbie Williams calls "21st-century comfort food." The surroundings go a long way to ensure that comfort, as well. Adelle's has two dining rooms, each with a fireplace and chandeliers. When the weather warms up, diners can enjoy Adelle's ivy-rich outdoor patio, which seats about 40.

Adelle's is on its third menu since opening a year ago, and there are plans to update it regularly in the future, according to Debbie. They have been careful to retain customer favorites, however, such as the herb-crusted Lake Superior whitefish and the Adelle's meat loaf.

In addition to a soup of the day, Adelle's also offers a risotto of the day. The daily specials usually include at least one meat and one fish dish. Chef Anderson, formerly the executive chef at Chicago's P.J. Clarke's, infuses traditional American dishes with French and Asian twists and almost any other influence you can think of. The appetizers include won ton barbecue shrimp, crispy oysters and baked phyllo, which is stuffed with spinach, shiitake mushrooms, goat cheese and chili-garlic sour cream. Entrees include braised beef short ribs, turkey-vegetable fricassee and the ever-popular grilled Atlantic salmon, which is served in lemon butter and capers and with a warm sauteed spinach-crispy potato salad.

"It's a very well-balanced menu," said Todd Williams, who helps run the restaurant in addition to working as a chiropractor. "The meat-and-potato eaters will be very happy and the people who are into something a little nicer will be happy, as well."

Wine connoisseurs will be particularly happy. Adelle's has more than 70 wines available, up to 20 by the glass. They come from Oregon to Australia, with plenty of French and the occasional South African vintage thrown in. Bottles range from $20 to in excess of $100. Diners are also welcome to bring their own bottle of wine, although a $15 corkage fee applies. Adelle's also has half-price bottles of wine on Wednesday nights, which includes most of the offerings from the wine list.

Each month Adelle's hosts an evening for enophiles — those who enjoy and appreciate wine. In addition to a four-course meal, Adelle's hosts a wine industry representative who brings along four or five wines, each of which Anderson builds a course around. The special wine evenings are between $55 and $70 per person.

Adelle's private and semiprivate rooms are available for groups of up to 65, and the entire restaurant is available for groups of up to 100.

Reservations are requested during the week and recommended on weekends. Make reservations and sign up for last-minute e-mail announcements and specials at www.adelles.com. ·

Entree range: $12 to $26

Noise level: Conversation-friendly

Hours: 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 4:30 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 4 to 8 p.m. Sundays

A sampling of items available at Adelle's:

Appetizer

Potato gnocchi: Applewood-smoked bacon, shallots, wild mushrooms, merlot reduction, $7

Entree

Seared duck breast: Cherry reduction sauce, polenta cake, applewood-smoked bacon, braised greens, $17

Dessert

Coconut-milk arborio rice pudding, $5

03/10/05

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