Mystery Diner in Algonquin: Black Bear Bistro serves delicious, sometimes decadent, offerings

The space inside The Black Bear Bistro in Algonquin is simple. Just a few tables covered in white table cloths. Nothing flashy on the walls or with the table settings.

But the food – the food is a wow.

Located in downtown Algonquin on the river side of Main Street just south of Algonquin Road, The Black Bear Bistro is a wonderful choice for a special occasion or date night. The space is intimate, and the food, with its remarkable presentation, makes you really feel like you’re getting something special.

Head chef and owner Santiago Suarez told the Northwest Herald when his restaurant opened back in November 2018 that he is inspired by the black bear, an animal that fends for itself in the wild and eats natural foods. He opened the restaurant after spending the previous 25 years as executive chef at a fine-dining restaurant in Crystal Lake.

He co-owns the Algonquin eatery with Estela Suarez, according to the restaurant’s website.

We didn’t get to enjoy the space since we took our order to go, but fans of fine dining will be happy to know the food more than held up during the trip home.

My order was the roasted Texas quail ($21), served with a mix of vegetables and a garlic risotto. The star of the dish was the sauce. Absolutely incredible, it lingered on the tongue, and made you incredibly grateful for the risotto to sop it all up.

My fellow diner ordered the cedar plank salmon ($24), accompanied by hearts of palm, artichoke, feta cheese and bell peppers, a bright salad to accompany the well-prepared salmon.

The dish was one of three salmon choices on the menu, so a bear really would have loved it!

The Black Bear Bistro also offers menus tied to specific holidays. It recently offered special menus for Mother’s Day and Cinco de Mayo.

On the regular menu, other entrees include crab cakes Michoacán with an oyster mushroom risotto ($24), bistro jambalaya with andouille sausage, shrimp, chicken, peppers and a red wine Cajun tomato sauce ($25), and fry-pan pork belly with apple chutney and sweet potatoes ($20).

The Black Bear Bistro creates a number of personal pizzas. The Oaxaca ($12.50), for example, comes with black fig, cremini mushrooms, artichoke and basil.

Both of our plates felt well balanced, and while we don’t regret ordering sides, they’re not a must to feel full.

Our picks for sides were coco malanga fries ($5), and the mac and cheese ($6).

The fries were a nice alternative to traditional potato-based fries. Like the potato, malanga coco is also a root vegetable, but it grows in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Like all of Black Bear Bistro’s offerings, the mac and cheese was not run of the mill. It was made with a lighter cheese and had a crispy topping. I was nicely full from my entree, and so just had a taste, but my fellow diner gobbled it up.

Other sides include grilled baked potatoes ($4.50), hand-cut regular potato and sweet potato fries (each $4.50), honey potato pancake ($6), and onion rings ($6.50).

I think when we go back, though, I want to try some starters instead. So many caught my eye.

There were fried pickles and avocados ($13), popcorn shrimp ($14.50), crab cakes Michoacán ($15), yellowfin tuna tartare ($17), grilled steak tacos (two for $12) and calamari (grilled or fried for $16).

Dessert options include key lime pie, bread pudding and flourless chocolate cake (all $7.50).

To round out our meal, we ordered the Jack Daniel’s pie, which came with a caramel sauce on the side. It was decadent.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at the Northwest Herald. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The Black Bear Bistro

WHERE: 107 S. Main St., Algonquin

WHEN: 4 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 4 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

INFORMATION: 224-678-9449, theblackbearbistro.com