The Tidbit

Many moons ago in a land called Blue Island there stood a Cajun/Creole restaurant called Maple Tree Inn. Operating out of what once was a hotel, the restaurant’s historic feel told my then-young self this is likely what New Orleans’ haunts look like.

I would come to find some 10-plus years later that the resemblance and vibe was fairly spot on. But that trip is a story for another day.

Maple Tree Inn resided in Blue Island for a number of years and welcomed dinners with cornbread muffins and the options of Hurricanes and crawfish. An unfortunate conflagration would end its run on Chicago’s south side and eventually the restaurant would open in a brand-new building in Homewood, Illinois.

On an oddly warm evening in November 2020, the restaurant was offering outdoor seating (due to pandemic restrictions) and had heaters across the patio. I suggested this as a date night to then-boyfriend Keegan who had never gotten to try Maple Tree in Blue Island.

We sat outside and watched on one of our phones as Joe Biden gave his acceptance speech for president of the United States. Keegan ate shrimp Étouffée, I had gumbo and a crab cake.

Enamored with the food and the drinks, we knew we had to come back. And we did…again and again and again. We went on one or two date nights just us before dining with our sisters and their husbands (and our then-1-month-old niece). Little did I know during this dinner that it was the night before Keegan would ask me to marry him.

We’ve since been back on several date nights — including the night after our wedding and our first anniversary — and have brought friends with us to experience the deliciousness. We’ve also talked it up so much that other friends have gone based on word-of-mouth. When this happens, we always request photos so we can live vicariously.

At the Blue Island spot, I almost always got the Chicken, Sausage and Seafood Creole Jambalaya (which is dynamite). Now that I no longer eat red meat, I’ve since gotten seafood-only options. Keegan’s explored the seafood, fried chicken, burnt ends and pork chop (which is dinosauric in size).

While not currently on the menu, we’ve enjoyed several servings of the blue crab beignets which are out of this world. One of Keegan’s favorite things to do is dip the beer-boiled fries into the jalapeño cheddar grits. We went recently with friends and I had the pecan crusted crab cake (amazing) and the Bayou roll with perfectly-seasoned crawfish.

I don’t think we’ll ever tire of going to Maple Tree Inn, whether for a celebration or a night out with friends. If you haven’t been, this is your sign. The restaurant is at 18849 Dixie Highway, Homewood. Go to mapletreeinnrestaurant.com for more information.

The last two times we’ve gone to Maple Tree Inn with another couple, we’ve included a second stop on our night out. Just over three miles away in Thornton, Illinois, is Thornton Distilling, which offers spirits and dining options. The historic building offers local and regional artifacts, as well as some historical tidbits of Al Capone.

According to its website, the colorful history of Thornton Distilling Company, located in the oldest standing brewery in Illinois, can be traced back to 1857, when immigrant brewer John Bielfeldt erected a brewery with a ten barrel kettle on the west bank of Thorn Creek in the small limestone-mining village of Thornton, Illinois. The artesian well already was on the property where a log cabin saloon and brewery had opened in 1836.

Now situated at 400 E Margaret St, Thornton, the large space is perfect for dinner, drinks or even a wedding.

“We believe in crafting unique spirits by hand,” Head Distiller Ari Klafter and 

Founder Andrew Howell write on the website. “Starting with limestone-filtered water drawn from the building’s original artesian well, our spirits are created with painstaking attention to detail, each with as much a story to tell as the building itself.”

The rustic space offers games of eras gone by, like the Love Tester and Fortune Teller. Art of area celebrities — past and present — decorate the walls. 

Their homemade gin is delish, as is their pecan whiskey. I would recommend the Old Fashioned flight to get a taste of whiskeys (both pecan and house) and bourbon. They’ve also got colorful and tasty cocktails for all palates.

For more information, go to thorntondistilling.com.