When you order food from 1776 Restaurant in Crystal Lake, you know you're ordering the best and freshest ingredients.
They take farm to table seriously, to the point that when you pick up the menu, you'll know where everything came from originally.
Like the fricassee feature ($21) we ordered.
The special was truffle chicken fricassee with wild mushrooms and Yukon Gold potatoes. The ingredients came from Nichols Farm, River Valley Ranch and Slagel Family Farm. In fact, Nichols Farm in Marengo has a hand in most of the specials on the menu.
We waited until nearly 5 p.m. on a recent Wednesday and called in our order. When you arrive, there are marked spots in the parking lot, and the friendly staff brings the food out to you.
One of the things about 1776 is that you can try out such a wide variety of food, including the regular carryout burger ($12), a half-pound, ground-beef burger with lettuce, tomato and onion along with steak fries.
Or you can order a vegetarian item such as the eclectic protein bowl ($19), a dish that included roasted sweet potatoes and beets, gigante and black rice beans, and apple quinoa topped with roasted cabbage and drizzled with cranberry orange vinegar.
Both were good options, made with the best fresh ingredients, but they also fit very different tastes.
Like the charcuterie ($20), which had several meat and cheese options with olives, cornichon, walnuts, apples, dried cherries, peppadews and fig spread with toast points.
I'm not the type of expert who can identify specific cured spicy sausages, but I do believe there was also prosciutto along with two different types of sausages.
With a good charcuterie board, you're looking for a ton of different distinct tastes, and this was exactly that, from the mini pickles to the brie to the sweetness of the fig spread on the toast points to the spicy meats. I could have eaten more than my share, for sure. And while I'm not always an olive person, I definitely ate them this time.
We also ordered a few appetizers, or nosh, to share. In theory.
In reality, I had the short ribs ($12) with horseradish polenta and baked apples to myself, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. The tender meat cut easily with my fork, and the different tastes fit together so well.
That meant my fellow diner had the coconut shrimp ($13) with edamame noodles and spicy peanut dipping sauce to herself. I will trust her that it was good, because I wasn't able to steal a single bite before it was gone.
Ordering at 1776 is always a treat, and we savored this meal.
• The Mystery Diner is an employee at the Northwest Herald. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff when ordering or picking up the food. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: 1776 Restaurant
WHERE: 397 W. Virginia St. (Route 14), Crystal Lake
WHEN: 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday
INFO: 815-356-1776, 1776restaurant.com