January 20, 2025
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Geneva’s Niche Restaurant to host candlelight dinner, holiday dinner events

By Aimee Barrows
The dining room and bar area at Niche, 14 S. Third St., Geneva.

The dining room and bar area at Niche, 14 S. Third St., Geneva. (Allyson Keen–Leave Her in the Woods Photography)

Niche, a new American fine-dining destination restaurant in downtown Geneva, is gearing up for the holiday season with exciting events in December.

These multi-course meals and wine tastings provide a taste of elegance to celebrate this most festive of months.

Geneva’s Niche has been name “One of the Nicest Restaurants in America Hiding in Small-Town Illinois” by the website onlyinyourstate.com.

Geneva’s Niche has been name “One of the Nicest Restaurants in America Hiding in Small-Town Illinois” by the website onlyinyourstate.com. (Geneva Chamber of Commerce )

Candlelight Dinner – Dec. 11

Enjoy a four-course meal and optional wine pairings as you dine by candlelight. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. Course One features Duck Confit Zeppole – parmesan and black truffle, truffle caramel, charred radicchio and lemon candy paired with Ogier, Cotes Du Rhone, France 2023 wine.

Course Two is Smoked Fjord Trout Rillettes, paired with a 2022 Walla Walla Valley Washington Chardonnay.

Course Three is Veal Osso Buco paired with Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France 2019.

Course Four is dessert and features a Chestnut Opera Torte, with dark chocolate, coffee-soaked cake, roasted chestnut ganache and toasted marshmallow buttercream, spiced rye crumb and plum sherbet.

The cost is $125 per person, additional $50 per person for the optional wine pairing.

Christmas Eve Dinner – Dec. 24

Celebrate the holiday with an early three-course dinner at 5 p.m. The meal begins with Sherried Crab Chowder and optional wine pairing of Bourgogne Chardonnay. The second course is smoked beef tenderloin, paired with Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon. The meal concludes with a dessert of Toasted Pavlova, paired with Laurent-Perrier Champagne. The cost is $95 per person, an additional $45 for the wine pairings.

New Year’s Eve Dinner – Dec. 31

Choose from two seatings to ring in 2025. The four-course meal is at 5:30 p.m. and the six-course dinner begins at 7:30 p.m.

The first seating begins with grilled octopus, potato, oregano pickled cauliflower, “pozole” jus, sourdough crouton, fried cranberry beans, cilantro yogurt, followed by the second course of crispy Brussels sprout salad. The third course is seared & glazed Duck breast, followed by a dessert of strawberry shortcake.

In addition to the same menu as the earlier seating, the 7:30 p.m. dinner also features courses of roasted lamb chops and parmesan flan, foie gras torchon, strawberries in rose syrup, pistachio crumble and fried chicken crackle.

Each course comes with a suggested wine pairing.

The cost for the 5:30 p.m. seating is $125 per person and $70 per person for the optional wine pairing. The cost of the second seating is $175 per person and $125 per person for the optional wine pairing.

Reservations for all three events must be made by phone at 630-262-1000. For more information, visit nichegeneva.com.

FoodRestaurantThe SceneDiningGeneva
Aimee Barrows

Aimee Barrows

Aimee Barrows is the editor of The Scene, Shaw Local News Network's entertainment section. The Scene is your go-to destination for all things fun in Northern Illinois. Prior to The Scene, Aimee was the editor of the Kane County Chronicle for five years, and a freelance reporter for Shaw Media for four years.