A totally disappointing meal that started out on a high note with a nicely done flatbread with fig jam. And then it fell flat. The sushi roll was totally flavorless. The fish was way overcooked. read more

Inovasi has gone down hill since it opened. It tried to be upscale with prices to match. Now, the food is subpar. The waitstaff is untrained and the decor feels like your in a basement. The price of their wine is outrageous. Please save your time and money. read more

ive been to inovasi twice and both times Lucia has been the greatest server to our large group!

I came here a few months ago on a date. We were just ordering drinks and a snack, so we sat in the bar (I do like the redesign - they did a good job separating the bar area from the "bistro" side). I ordered french fries. What I received were more like little burnt sticks. I mean, the color was so clearly indicative that the fries were burnt I couldn't comprehend how the kitchen had decided to send them out in the first place. We sent them back. The next batch, although slightly improved were STILL BURNT. I mean, like inedible. You'd think the waitress would have noticed they were also hardly touched, but no. I've had other things at this restaurant in the past that might have garnered more stars (the umami burger is pretty good), but to me, when you mess up FRENCH FRIES - TWICE, that's just inexcusable. Especially given that this restaurant is fairly pricey. I don't know the history of Chef John des Rosiers, but he's doing a disservice to a family name of french origin. Certainly, overseas, they serve infinitely better pomme frites (I'm aware fries were invented in Belgium, but I've had better in both countries). As an aside, it appears that some of the better reviews about this restaurant aren't real. There are some that mention items I've never seen on Inovasi's menu, and I'm a local, so I walk by this place all the time. I wonder if they paid people to make 5 star reviews to offset the negative ones... just a word of warning. Honestly, there are so many great local options (see Highwood, Bluefish in Vernon Hills, etc.), I'd advise against spending your money here unless you want a burger or glass of wine in the bar. read more

Inovasi is a good escape to a Chicago-like venue in the 'burbs, but is hurt by management that's out-of-touch with the adorable neighborhood (Lake Bluff) in which it sits. My wife and I tried to stop in with our newborn for lunch recently, and they refused to seat us indoors or outdoors (the patio was apparently closed despite beautiful weather). We had arrived well before "peak" lunch hour, and would have been the only people in the restaurant had they sat us. They didn't, so we walked over to eat at Maevery. PEOPLE: There are a ton of young families with kids in your neighborhood - maybe find a way to allow them in your restaurant and you'll MaKe All tHe DolLars$$$. Also - breakfast? read more

Returned for a casual dinner, last visit was in 2018 so it had been quite a while. The interior has since been rebranded and now exhibits more of a rustic farmhouse vibe. It was nice and quiet when we came in, only 2 other groups were seated in the dining room. I was excited to try the filet mignon that the waiter recommended; unfortunately he came back a few minutes later to tell me that the kitchen did not have any more cuts left. This was rather disappointing and surprising. I opted instead for the duck lasagna. It was a very unique take on lasagna that was both rich and sweet. If you're expecting your typical italian lasagna with lots of pasta sauce and cheese, I would avoid unless you're open to something unique (you likely won't be disappointed). I would have preferred the filet mignon but I was satisfied by the alternative. The bread and butter, as simple as it sounds, was very good. The flavor added to the butter made it irresistible so we ordered an extra round. I also tried the indonesian coconut soup which was absolutely amazing. The bread was excellent when dipped in the soup (part of the reason we needed a second bread order). At the end, I had pumpkin cheesecake for desert. I was already full but still managed to put it away. I normally love pumpkin dishes; It wasn't highlight of the meal and would probably try something else next time. Overall I enjoyed the meal, the calm ambience, and the kind and attentive service. read more

I had tried there steak and... just no I'm sorry like have options weather you want it to taste like crap or crap I'm telling the truth I had to go home right after that the decor was nice but in my opinion don't go and especially don't bring kids under 14 there food is to... much... and from when I asked people said the bar was good read more

We love Prairie! Amazing flavors and tasty local healthy treats may be found to enhance the coffee experience. The atmosphere and friendly service invite us to gather especially in the spring, summer, and fall when you may also find festivals, local live bands perform, and during the Friday farmers market. Prairie is a great place to grab a quick coffee located nearby the Metra Lake Bluff station. Tucked away, it's a gem the locals prefer! read more

I have reviewed Inovasi when they first opened and I now after 10 years I still give them a 5 star. Out of the hundreds of meals I have had here only a small small handful did not live up to the 5 star,. My current favorite this week is the Avocado Soup. Awesome! read more

Sitting at our table, we couldn't help but overhear someone seated next to us ask his friend, "isn't this place supposed to be modern?" We thought so too. The dining room looks like it was indeed very modern, at some point in the early 90's. Fuzzy panels of various geometric shapes and colors are mounted all over the ceiling, the floor is covered in dated carpet, and there's some giant script advertising the name of the restaurant above the kitchen. Gaudy chandeliers and dated wood panels complete the "contemporary" look of the place. There has been some speculation recently that Chef John des Rosiers is making some big changes to the service at Inovasi to try and obtain a Michelin star. A few pieces of paper are taped to the wall under the restrooms sign next to the kitchen, advertising this undertaking. Nice touch! The service wasn't very good-- we complained when they tried to decant our wine into a dirty carafe. They switched it for a clean one, but not before claiming that it was "just stained from red wine." Right, since wine glasses look permanently dirty once you've had too many glasses of red in them. There were several service issues throughout the meal-- we didn't get any explanation of the food as it was presented to us, there was a massive delay between our soup and the next course, and one course was served to the table when one person was in the restroom. The food was okay, but very inconsistent. The watermelon and corn soups were average, slightly bland but not bad. Our butter poached walleye was very good, and they split the portion for two, which was a nice touch. The crispy spring rolls under the fish were a great contrast in flavor and texture. Then we shared the squab and bison-- the squab itself was delicious but the accompanying rice tasted like an entire bottle of soy sauce had been emptied into it. It's worth noting that the squab is a complete scam at $22 for a tiny portion. The bison was under-seasoned and its vegetables soggy. It didn't make much sense as a composed dish-- the vegetables seemed to be added as an afterthought. If there were truffles in the dish (as the menu stated), we couldn't find them. The double rich vanilla custard for dessert was surprisingly great, and was probably the best thing we ate all night. Inovasi is an okay restaurant, but certainly nowhere near the caliber of even mid-level restaurants in the city. I wouldn't be as critical if the chef didn't claim greatness so publicly, but he is definitely inviting the comparison to downtown establishments. If they are indeed seeking a Michelin star, they have a lot of work to do before getting there. It's not just the service. read more

My wife and I were here a couple weeks ago, and we were famished. Hunger is the best sauce, etc. When we walked in at about 5:15 we were greeted by three separate host types and asked to be seated for dinner. We couldn't see anyone in the front room, and there were a few families seated in the back room. They asked us if we had a reservation, and when we said "no", they told us they were fully booked. We looked around the room. "Really" we said, "we can't sit here?". "Oh," they said, "Yeah, you can sit at the bar if you want". So, I get that there's a separate "dining room", but the "bar" area has a bar, and then a walk way with a divider, and on the other side of the divider were at least eight tables, all of which were empty. We were seated, and immediately a bubbly wait person came and told us about the concept of the restaurant. Ingredients from local farms, rooftop garden: you know the drill. She asked if we were ready to order: we had just sat down, and asked for two minutes. We perused the cocktail list, which looked like it had some cool drinks on it, but she was gone for 15+ minutes. When she came back, I ordered a "Meehan Cola": Koval Oat Whiskey, Cocchi Americano, Nonino Amaro, Tiki Elemeleke bitters, froth, amarena cherry. We also both ordered the "standard burger", rare. There were several other things on the menu that looked kind of tasty, and I wonder about them in retrospect. The waiter took pains to explain the "concept" of the menu. She did not explain why "handcrafted cheese" appeared in the vegetable section. It took another 15+ minutes for her to bring out the cocktail, and it was waaaaaay heavy on the Amaro. The best I can say for it, is that at least it was strong. Also the cherry was pretty good. With the drink we were brought a basket of not so good bread, and a "bean and pesto spread" made with ingredients from the rooftop garden. It looked delightful, and tasted foul. My wife spit hers out. I gamely had another bite, but then had to stop. The bean part was the worst. The pesto seemed to only be pureed basil. No salt, little oil, little flavor. Finally the burgers came out with fries. The fries were coated in a layer of abrasive salt, so heavily that later my mouth felt irritated. The burgers were cooked well-done. The meat was obviously good quality, but they did everything in their power to ruin it. They each had about three leaves of wilted arugula on top. There were no condiments given or offered. I had to stand up and ask for ketchup, mustard, etc. She asked if we wanted yellow mustard or their homemade mustard, and I asked for both. We were brought two little servings of mustard, one mustard, and one they made. My wife made a move to slather the house mustard-- a more traditional coarse-ground concoction, but I suggested, based on the bean-smear that she try it first. Her face when she did was pretty hilarious. Then I tried the "house" mustard. It's hard for me to convey just how bad it was. It was just bitter. Not even the vaguest hint of the heat of the mustard seed. We kept dipping our pinky in, and tasting a little more, because it was astonishingly awful. I've made mustard before. You take your seeds and soak 'em in beer, in vinegar, in wine, and for the most heat, in water. You need the liquid to activate the mustard oil, and it takes some time; it's an enzymatic thing. You grind them, and maybe add some ingredients. I prefer something sweet, to counter the heat, like some honey, or a bit of fruit. Then some salt, and a maybe a bit of mustard powder. My best guess is that they just took the seeds, and ground them up into a paste with water. No soaking, no additional ingredients. There's no way they could have tasted it first: it was utterly inedible. That's some bush-league shit, and totally unacceptable. The absolute best part of the meal, was the brioche my burger came on. My wife's been known to send food back on occasion. We were tempted, but we were so hungry when we got there, that by the time the food arrived we were famished, and we had no faith that sending it back would produce a better result. We moved to the Chicago-area just a few months ago, and this is the *only* bad meal I've had. Too bad, because it's close to where we live, and we liked the concept. read more

Inovasi isn't bad, but it's not "great" either. Located in the center of the small downtown area of the 6,000 resident villiage of Lake Bluff, which reminds me of Mayberry from the old Andy Griffith show, Inovasi may have more appropriately been named something nostalgic (like "Trusdell's", the first village president), instead of the contemporary name it currently holds. The attempt of a contemporary name is matched by the attempt at a contemporary experience and menu. All in all not bad, but Inovasi always seems to be trying to be something it's not. I've been for there for dinner and/or drinks over 10 times, and each time something is average, something is good, and occasionally something is excellent. Nothing has ever disappointed, but nothing has ever been memorable other than town in which it is located. Outdoor seating is fantastic in the summer, and the bar is a nice touch for light fare or a quick dinner. Maybe that's the point - you can sit down for a nice dinner, or just pop in for some good food. Close, but no cigar. At least not yet. Maybe with some tweaks and consistency, Inovasi will become better with age. Don't avoid it, but don't expect something incredibly special either. Inovasi is like a good blank canvas - good service, good food - but the colors/memories will come from the friends who you dine with. Hope that makes sense. :) read more

No matter how good your food is, your experience can be ruined by very poor service; and that was the case at this restaurant. Food was decent, but not enough to compensate for our rude waitress with absurd attitude. I went to this restaurant to celebrate my friend's birthday, and yes a group table can be overwhelming, but it seemed like the waitress knew she was gonna get 20% tip no matter what and put no effort in enriching our dining experience. When we asked about what was in the dip, she was very short with us. "It's grounded lentil" 'is that bacon?' "no" '... sooo what is it?' "olive" GREAT START When it was time to order, we asked about the special or what's good at this restaurant. She stood at the one end of the table and mumbled, so when we asked her to repeat when she came down to our section, with TON of attitude she said, "what? you guys didn't pay attention?" and then it went downhill from there. They were out of buffalo meat and they were soon out of bread...I ordered my steak medium rare and it came well done. Dear waitress, YES we didn't hear you because you can't enunciate or address a group of customers. You spilled water all over me when you REACHED over me to refill my water without warning. You are the Worst waitress. Needless to say, as you can see from my rare review/essay, I along with everyone who was with me at my table will not return and would not recommend this to anyone. Perhaps, I am spoiled to California dining experience, but I cannot imagine how this restaurant is rated anything above 3 stars at best. read more

Great place to relax and enjoy wine and foods. Menu is strangely diverse but this helps everyone to choose what one likes.

I went to Inovasi to try the 6-course tasting menu and wine pairings. Our waitress started off explaining the first rose to us, and proceeded to give me and my dining partner a very healthy pour. She opened a brand new bottle and poured half of it into two glasses. So of course I was pretty excited about the prospect of such healthy pours for six pairings, but the excitement quickly turned into panic when I: a) began to realize that the first four courses would be a cuke soup, two pieces of grilled shrimp, a three-bite arugula salad, then a tiny mushroom custard; and b) between each course (which I consumed in about 2 bites or three slurps) we waited about 20-30 minutes for the next course to arrive. By the fifth course (and 2.5 hours into the meal), I was praying that we were going to get something more substantial, which was about 3-4 oz. (two to three bites) of duck breast and a potato cake. By the last course, I had been sitting there close to three hours and the entire dining room had cleared. Our waitress by that time just (heavily) poured us more of the same wine she served for the fifth course for our last course without any explanation. She also did not explain our last course, which was an extremely tough and stringy short rib dish (which is unheard of to me, given its inherent fatty content and the fact short ribs are often prepared braised). It was definitely one of those moments that she could tell we were getting angry and gave up explaining anything to us and never apologized for the delay or shoddy finish. While we were served our last course, we asked for the check (apparently there was also a dessert coming, but we asked to have it wrapped). The fact we were totally veering on being toasted did not help our mood, unfortunately! So while we spent 100 bux per person, I would say the proportion was more akin to 80 dollars worth of wine and 20 dollars worth of food that could have been served over a 2 hour period of time. The actual dishes were mediocre, mostly oversalted. My dining partner was also convinced our waitress could have also been slightly tipsy, which may have explained the crazy pours. I'd been to many tastings and will gladly sit at a restaurant for over three hours if I'm enjoying the experience and the food. But this was basically sitting for over 2.5 hours for a square of custard, salad, soup and two pcs of grilled shrimp served with a bottle of wine per person before any substantial starch or protein was served...just one bizarre scenario after the next. The tasting menu itself cost $62 and the pairings an additional $24. In the future, I would recommend that the chef announce what is to be on the tasting menu in advance, and if you get a waitress that reminds you slightly of Meredith from The Office, beware. Also the below comments about the restaurant's aesthetic being somewhere stuck in the mid-90's are accurate. read more

Wow. The service was terrible. We sat outside for 30 minutes waiting for a waiter after being sat by the hostess. The bus boy even seemed apalled. A hostess came out to apologize and I forced her to take our order. They offered us free drinks and those took 15 more minutes to arrive. Meanwhile we were still relying on the bread the busboy brought 45 minutes before. The "snacks" finally arrived. Grilled cheese and Papas bravas. Both were good, although the potatos in the Papas bravas were not overly crispy as advertised. The grilled cheese was well done and welcomed to see as a snack. It was served with an excellent dipping mustard as well. Main course and an appetizer arrived. The handmade pasta was really more like spaetzle. Dense and chewy. Not bad mind you just not what might be expected by the person ordering it. The sauce was a bit too mild but I appreciated the effort to do something different. The dry-aged New York strip was OK. Not worth the large price tag though. In fact the broccoli that came with it was my favorite part of the meal. Well-cooked and crunchy with an Asian-style glaze. During the course of our meal we were visited by the manager. All staff apologized profusely. They comped our drinks and "snacks," which we appreciated (still a $60 bill though). As my wife said "That's how you save a Yelp review!" I thought about that when the waiter dropped off our receipt booklet and had forgotten to include the actual receipts for me to sign. After going back inside to find him and get the receipts to sign I decided that no, they did not save their Yelp review. read more

We were disappointed that there were no healthy options anywhere on the menu. We thought maybe the wild mushrooms would be light, but they were in a heavy sauce. A poached salmon or crudites would be such a great addition. Lower calorie vegetarian options would be welcome. We were not pleased with the meal, but hope to share our feelings with the chef when we go for lunch to give them one more chance before crossing them off our list of restaurants to frequent. read more

I came here for dinner on a Wednesday with some friends and I really don't know what to think of this place yet... First of all, we asked the waiter to recommend a pinot noir that had a clean finish that wasn't fruity (I was with 2 boys). He asked us what our price point was and we said around $60....so he brings us a sample glass of a wine that ended up to be $130. uh. seriously? The boys ended up not liking it because it was really fruity so the waiter said he was going to ask the chef what he would recommend that had a cleaner finish. Ten minutes later a different server comes with a bottle of wine and is about to open it without even asking us if that was the one we wanted! Before she opened it we asked if it was less sweet then the one we tried and she said "I think so? It should be." By that point we didn't want to bother spending even more time on the beverage choice so we said we would take it. Lucky for them it was delicious. After talking for a while we realized the waiter never came to take our order. We finally flagged him down and put in our orders. We shared the kobe beef hot dogs in a blanket and the baked mussels for the apps. I should have known that "kobe beef" and "hot dog" is not something to order...it tasted like your average kielbasa. The mussel was pretty good..kind of sad because there was too much breading that masked the flavor of the seafood. For my entree I ordered the sirloin which was decent. It read that it was treated for 6 weeks so I just assumed it would be super juicy and tender. While the flavor was good and the apple that it came with went really well with it, the protein just wasn't as tender as I hoped it would be, perhaps its because they sliced the meat as soon as they took it off the pan/oven/grill so that the juices flowed out. I guess the prices are reasonable for the amount of food they give but I would be willing to pay more for the overall experience to be a little better. read more

In order to be fair, I need to break down this review into a couple of subjects. The atmosphere: I liked it because you could sit at the table and hold a conversation with your party. Our table was spaced nicely so that we weren't hitting up against another table. The lighting was not too bright, not too dim. The setting allows you to relax, visit and enjoy your meal. The food: pretty good. The quinoa arancini was cooked to perfection - crisp on the outside, moist and flavorful. Chicken taco was well seasoned and tender. The burger was delicious. The meat was tender and cooked exactly as order. I wish they would have lightly buttered and toasted the bun. Delicious hand cut french fries and light crispy onion rings. The signature cocktails were very good and well-balanced in flavors, but a little pricey. Their selection of bourbons is to be appreciated by bourbon lovers. The desserts were sized appropriately to allow for table sharing. Try the browned nut cake which had a nutty and toasty flavor second to none. The gelato are very good. But pass on the fruit crumble it is just not good-no flavor and unappetizing texture. The service: I was very happy our amazingly sweet bartender who took her time with us while we toiled over the drink menu. Our server was laid back, friendly and efficient. The pretentious attitude is the one major turnoff to this place. This is a major annoyance for me because it is a restaurant not the summit place to broker world peace. So, I try to chuckle at their self absorbed attitude. That being said, they screwed up my burger order and didn't even know it. Just goes to show you, at some level, it's smoke and mirrors. read more

Good food with a provocative portion size-centric menu. A common theme - nearly all of our selections cried out for a dash of acid and more seasoning. Cases in point: the house salad and salmon (over-cooked) were entirely too bland and flat. Service muddled. Unusual amount of confusion about roles and responsibilities between servers, "wine guy" (yep - that's what he called himself), and bus boys. Who's on first? One of the above dropped off what appeared to be a smear of baby food (nope - not hummus) without a word. Perplexed, we asked each other - "What *is* this stuff?" The "wine guy" (perhaps he was unable to pronounce sommelier) took our order, though he said our "real" waiter would be by any minute (he was not). He ended up pinch hitting. Still befuddled. Back to the food...Though I enjoyed the homemade sausage for it's deep rustic earthiness, my wife wrinkled her nose at what she said was its "funky" taste. Suffice to say, no sharing sought for that dish. The dessert cheese plate was terrific. Unique and forthright flavors challenged our pallets and made for good debate. Seated in proximity to the bar, however, required us to raise our voices to be heard over the local musical "talent." Quotations marks intended, if you know what I mean. read more

Go into this place with an open mind. Expect to spend $100. If you do those two things, Inovasi will deliver. Been there twice lunch and dinner. Had a very, very good burger for lunch. Grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms; expertly prepared burger. Had a glass of Gruner which was priced lower than I think it should be. Gruner Veltliner should be served young and I believe I had an Austrian 2012 vintage. Dinner. What a blast. Had the calamari and the local mushrooms. Excellent! For the main course I had the Sockeye salmon. Again, superb. They have an excellent coffee menu and very well-done desserts. Overall, this has to be one of the better restaurants in Lake county. Check out their bar too, they pour a solid drink. read more

The emphasis on local, ethical and sustainable sources is obviously a plus. I was recently over having coffee at Wisma, talking to the gentleman behind the counter, and he explained to me how the owner will physically go to the farms if he doesn't have enough information before he contracts with them. Love that. Chicken liver pâté was excellent. It had a nice mustardy toppling with pumpkin seeds. Unexpected but really great. The bread that accompanied it was a little tough, but overall very good. Good wine and beer selection. A decent amount of local beers. Ordered the char grilled walleye with goat cheese mousse, fennel salad, snow peas and sunflower seeds. I would never have expected this combination of ingredients before, but it was excellent. Also, I've eaten walleye my whole life and have never eaten it with the skin on. That was also a pleasant surprise. My waiter was a tad young and inexperienced, but he was eager and very attentive. Sometimes attitude makes all the difference! This place is actually a 4.5 with the potential for a 5, maybe. Their standards for high-quality ingredients, combined with their creativity in dishes really sets them ahead of the pack. But they still lack the polish that goes with a truly outstanding restaurant. If they keep honing the ideas that they have, I can see this place truly becoming great. The ideas are there. Now perfect them! read more

Ok so we come in for the FREE beer sample & appetizers they advertise but the beer line is way long, so we order a couple drinks from the bar. Out come appetizers (that were advertised FREE) and everyone rushes. We wait & help ourselves. Order more drinks & then ask for the bill. Find out each of us was charged $12 bucks for appetizers that were picked over or were gone. Really? I'm a local & this place blew it for me. After spending $50 for 4 martinis they charge us for the "free" advertised food? B*llsh^t. Not coming back. Eva. read more

Excellent cocktails and meal. The service at the bar and in the dinning room was very good. The menu was very interesting with many unique options. The food was excellent! read more

My wife and I have now been to Inovasi a number of times in the last 2 months alone and each time we have been accompanied by a different group of friends. The consensus have been overwhelmingly in favor of this restaurant on all counts. On each and every visit we had excellent and very personable service and outstanding food! Take our last visit on Friday, July 23, 2010. 4 of us had a reservation for 8:00 and we were seated within minutes of arriving. In reviewing the menu we noticed that there were some changes from our last visit 2 weeks before. And the additions were great. The four of us had 2 appetizers, 2 salads and 5 entrees. Yes, the portions are on the small side - this is no Maggiano's. But the prices reflect the smaller portions and enable you to order more items which is a very good thing. My friend and I split the Kennebec Potato & Local Organic Leek soup - outstanding. My wife ordered this last time and we were looking forward to this encore performance and the quality was the same as on our last visit. We also split the Ishikura Onion & Romesco Sauce. Again, wonderful flavors and plating and a large portion. For entrees 2 of us ordered their new item - Pinn Oak Farms lamb ribs - outstanding. We later learned that the lamb is produced within an hour from the restaurant in keeping with the chef's decision to use as many locally produced products as possible to maintain the freshest possible ingredients as he can find. The ribs and the sauce were amazing! We also split a portion of the Cherry Coke Pork served with Anson Mills polenta. One of my friends ordered this 2 weeks ago and was floored by how wonderful this dish was prepared. And we were duly impressed on this visit. We also split a third entree - Sustainable Ocean Raised Sweet Shrimp - a cross of Thai and Vietnamese ingredients with excellent spiciness. A real winner for us. The Crisp Tortilla Pizza was also a hit along with the Local ORgani Baby Swiss Chard salad and the Freedom Organix Local Field Greens Salad. And for dessert the chocolate bombe with sour cherry sauce was outstanding. And if the excellence of the food and the beautiful and simple interior and the graciousness of the staff were not enough, the corkage policy is exceptionally reasonable so I have been able to bring in my own wine to further enhance the dining experience. Their wine list is excellent but I have been collecting wine for over 40 years and really need to start moving wine out so I am very popular with my friends who love to have me bring older wines to restaurants. When available their tomato soup is beyond exceptional. In fact, we have never had a morsel that was not exciting, delicious and wonderful. As for cost, last night's dinner for 4 with our own wine was $133.00 plus tip. The 2 previous visits cost us $55.00 and $70.00 per couple. While we still love Boka, Michael's in Winnetka and many other fine restaurants, to spend less that $100 per couple for this quality, Inovasi is hard to beat! read more

5 stars for the food. 1 star for service. I have lived in Lake Bluff for over 30 years and was excited when Inovasi opened its doors. My first visit was this past Wednesday, 8/12. We walked in at 5:45 PM and were immediately asked if we had a reservation. I told the hostess we didn't and she gave us the option of sitting in the dining room or bar. We decided to sit in the bar area. A female employee walked up to our table and dropped off menus. She didn't say anything. She then came back and asked us if we wanted a drink. She did not greet us or ask us if this was our first visit. She brought our drinks and we ordered. She did not tell us about the menu and was not able to answer our questions. It was very strange. She needs to be trained in serving customers. The food was great but we did not feel welcomed at all. I hope my next experience is better because I plan on dining at Inovasi often. Kudos to the cook and kitchen crew! read more

I feel like Inovasi fell short for me. Nice outdoor seating. Tried the mexican gnocchi and roasted cauliflower. The mexican gnocchi lacked flavor. The roasted cauliflower was good but not great- could have used more "roasting". I had the spearfish with quinoa and mushrooms. Dish was too salty and i didn't care for it. Blueberry crumble for dessert was all mush. Lacked crumble. It was like soup. Service was nice but a little unattentive. Missing silverware to start. For the price, it was def not worth it. read more

If you haven't been here and especially if you live near Lake Bluff, you have to try it out. If you like a chef owner like John who is innovative, passionate about exciting your palate, and will do everything to make your meal an experience, you will love his creations. He often surprises me with the combination of ingredients. One issue I have is deciding what to order. Couple hints: There is a daily Straight Out of the Sea menu selection if you like to be surprised with a seafood dish. All you get is the seafood ingredient, but not the preparation. Kind of makes me feel like experiencing an Iron Chef preparation. His menu also does change periodically so be sure to check the website. Sometimes I like just ordering from his Beginning Plates section and making it a tapas style night. read more

Looking for an adventure? Go to Lake Bluff and enjoy one of the best restaurants around. The chef is great, so passionate about food and wine and it shows. The menu changes quite often with whatevers freshest at the market. Last week I had the Becker Lane Pork Shoulder! This is a 4 day process of marinating, grilling, confit, smoking, and finally sautee, with Anson Mills polenta, watermelon radish, and Hum spiced liqueur reduction. Well worth the effort that goes into this dish. I have been to Inovasi several times now and some of my favorite things have been: Tuscan Tomato Soup (One of the best soups I've had in my life!) Montchevre Goat Cheese Tempura (warm goat cheese? Need I say more?) Free Range Veal Strip Loin with Anson Mills Farro, Rougie Foie Gras (with sour cherry, pasilla chile, bitter cherry chocolate) Beef Tartare-Carpaccio (just order it!) Day Caught Walleye Pike Sashimi! Everything this guy does is from scratch even the pastas. This place is a hidden gem in the Northern Sub burbs. If you haven't been, go today. Lunch is fantastic as well try: Pork Shoulder and Wagyu Brisket Sandwich or the Handmade pasta with clams and mussels. Inovasi always has something special going on as well. In the bar on Monday they had a Comfort food and Healthy menu. Featuring 5 different items for both. From Mac and Cheese to Chicken Lettuce Wraps. The wine list is also out of this world. Be sure to flip through the bottle list and read the descriptions. They are fun and spot on. The list concentrates on small production wines from all over the world. Some wines I've only read about. The prices for food and wine are unbeatable. Not your typical 3 time mark up on wine if you know what I mean. The only complaint I have is I wish this place was closer to me. Although I will travel anytime with anyone for this place, just say the word. read more

Thoroughly underwhelming. If you're looking for high cuisine, look elsewhere. I went here with my family and the reaction was mixed. Appetizers were fairly uninspiring and bland. The sausage was bland and plated poorly - red sausage with red sauce isn't particularly appealing to the eye. On the whole, the appetizers were plated as a jumble. Kudos to whomever managed to arrange the quinoa balls in a straight line. They were otherwise burnt and dull. The salt roasted beets were good and saved an otherwise lackluster set of appetizers. The burger was dry, undercooked, and bland. I regular eat grass fed beef, so I'm aware that it can be a bit drier than corn fed beef, but most chefs are aware that it's a good idea to pair leaner beef with additional fats and flavors to highlight and accent. The bun was a bland plain white bun that had been buttered and charred slightly in what I'm guessing was an attempt to hide its WonderBread heritage. The Chanterelle Mushroom Perlau was a one note dish as well. My final complaint is that if you run a restaurant with seasonal and locally sourced food, it's a good idea to have a typical menu online. The menu currently available on the Inovasi website is far more exciting and interesting than what I found when we arrived. read more

Ive been here several times. the food has always been good. but tonight it was really really good. Roasted almonds, Fried Green tomato,beets, duck leg and the q7 Burger was all excellent. the menu has a lot to choose from. they also have a great beer list and also a good wine list. a definite must try if you haven't been here read more

Great local eatery in Lake Bluff...but expect the local crowds. That being said, the environment here is classy and laid back. Came here on a Friday night and it was pretty much packed....usually a sign of good things to come! The unfortunate side of it being packed was that it was SUPER LOUD. You see the size of the place, can't be more than 50-60 people seated in the room and you can't have a conversation without partially lipreading? It's unreal the decibels! One of the servers mentioned to me later they were installing sound barriers sometime soon. Good thing. We had the tomato soup and homemade pasta as appetizers. What should have we ordered with the tomato soup...it's obvious...it's IN the menu! The soup was good, but we should have paired it up with the grilled cheese. On it's own, the soup is flavorful and tangy in all the right places...but you know that cheesy goodness would have been a better pair. The homemade pasta was really good, simple and peppery. For our entrees, we ordered the beef tartare and pork shoulder. I can't fully explain what bothered me about these dishes...they were still good, I enjoyed every morsel, but...it's kinda like those movies where there are five different scenarios, fifteen different characters, a cameo surprise and in the end it's a sloppy tie together of a theme? That's how I would explain the main dishes. There were just a few too many ingredients, where none of them were able to shine and somehow it was trying to say...good pork shoulder! The ingredients were great tasting on their own and of quality...this little ingredient of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...so let it shine... So for example: The pork shoulder dish: the grits and corn became friends and tasted the same, macadamia butter disappeared from the taste radar, the truffles and chocolate sauce vied for attention and really..the pork shoulder was fine on it's own. The beef tartare had too many sodium based items in it, and it ended up being a beef salt lick with truffle creme fraiche, anchovy and soy sauce...whew. Again, great main ingredient...lost. Our dessert was a cup o house espresso with goat milk froth and blood orange gelato. The coffee was quite bitter, but the goat milk was am interesting touch. The blood orange gelato was just ok. Service here was very polite and quick to please. Would come again if I can track down those home made doritos? read more

I was very impressed with Inovasi. The restaurant is located on what seems to be the busy intersection of Lake Bluff's quaint downtown. We walked over to the restaurant for lunch and were disappointed to find that they basically only serve dinner. When we returned later in the evening, we were surprised to find the restaurant teeming with people. Luckily, we were seated quickly as I imagine larger groups would have a substantial wait on peak nights. The beverage list was stocked with great craft beer, from New Holland and Unibroue to Stone and Founders. Pleasantly surprised by their beer selection, I settled on Clown Shoes' Clementine, which I had yet to try. The menu initially confused me a little because I have a small brain. Its very minimal and simplistic: the front is essentially all appetizers which are partitioned into vegetarian, fish and meat options. While the back of the menu have entrees, which are arranged in the same fashion. The waitress warned us that the portions were on the small side, and we found that two menu items should satiate pretty much anyone. I ordered the Tempura Sustainable Shrimp which was pretty good. And the Honest Japanese Beef Teriyaki, which was absolutely delicious. Wifey had the Local Brussel Sprouts and the Organic Potato-Onion Soup which were also very tasty. All-in-all, it was a great dining experience. The restaurant is nicely decorated and the staff, particularly the busboys, was attentive and friendly. It has a great location and is obviously extremely popular. I will be moving into the area and I definitely plan to take visiting friends here for dinner. read more

Two words to start this review - class act. In a world of living in excuses and business that have the audacity to blame their customers Innovasi is a shinning example of a business who cares about their customers and maintaining a relationship with them Their food is excellent, the menu changes on a regular basis - but that is table stakes. What sets this business over the top is the quality of their management and always understanding that serving their customers is the number one priority of their businesses. Cheers Innovasi... read more

My family recently met up in Lake Bluff and decided to try out Inovasi. We picked fairly blind, but it was a stroke of good luck. We tried several different dishes, all of which were a delight. The worst thing we tried was the pork and grits, but even that was pretty tasty. My main course was a hamburger..not very exciting I know, but it sounded good. I was more the delighted when I tried it. The brioche bun was awesome, the meat was flavorful and perfectly cooked and the greens were excellent. Everyone at the table agreed that even the fries were something special. As a group we shared the custard with curry caramel sauce. In the future, I want all of my caramel to be curreid. It was amazing! The staff was also excellent. Attentive, but not intrusive. My water glass was never empty and dirty plates never stayed long. read more

My pork shoulder was tasty but a tad dry. But my companion's risotto was STELLAR, it had shrimp big enough to scare your cat and the rice had a sexy, smoky flavor. BAM! Portions are moderate -- the size we American's should be eating, not the usual HOLY COW slab of way too much. I was a first time visitor at lunch today. Creative food, nice friendly atmosphere. Our waiter was chatty and knowledgeable. Wine by the glass was interesting, not just the usual suspects. I shall return. read more

Another great meal at Inovasi! Their cocktails contain rare spirits and mixed well, and with perfect consistency time after time! 4 of us dined here, and our server, Adam, always makes us feel at home. The meal was paced perfectly and we excitedly received each course. I was really impressed by the sushi! The Salmon & Salmon roll was outstanding. The smoked and sous vide brisket was also amazing. When you're here, make sure to leave room for dessert! When the dessert menu comes out, its difficult not to order every one of them! Something to note, is that almost every single dish on the menu is gluten free. This makes it very easy if you have a gluten-free customer as they don't need a special menu! read more

We went for an early dinner, planning to sit at the bar and catch a game on TV. They let families with young kids sit at tables in the bar area, resulting in loud shrieks from the kids. We opted for a table far from the kids table and couldn't wait to leave when finished due to the noise. Food is good, but if you want to eat/drink in the bar area, wait until the little imps go home or bring ear plugs.... read more

Went with my wife on Saturday a little before 6. The place was hoping even that early. What a gem, we did the tasting menu and were both throughly impressed. What a great meal at really affordable prices. It wasn't cheap but we both felt it was a bargain for what we got. Innovative and playful, we will diffidently be back. Well worth the 45 minute drive. read more

What an adventure. Just off of one of the most amazing little parks I've seen around the city is Inovasi. It is nestled on a nice little main street across from the park. and occupies a preeminent corner. There is a little open air cafe area just off of the restaurant. On entering, there is a hostess desk staffed by friendly staff. There are tables in the area of the bar (front of restaurant) and wow, nice atmosphere. These guys do not cut corners on the presentation. We only had coffee but will be back soon for more tasty items. I would recommend the experience to anyone! read more