Taste Fall Flavors at Galena’s Goldmoor Inn

A savory selection of entrees await eager diners at the Goldmoor Inn this fall. Discover what’s on the menu.

Pictured in front of herbs that he grew himself, The Goldmoor Inn’s head chef, Joshua Roberts, has created a fall menu full of savory comfort foods, and everything is prepared in house. (Blake Nunes photo)

At the upscale, yet cozy restaurant within the Goldmoor Inn, 9001 W. Sand Hill Road, Galena, a new fall menu provides a nice transition between the light, fruity flavors of summer and the heavy, hibernation-inducing meals of winter. 

“We’re getting into a little bit heavier, more-savory comfort food,” says Joshua Roberts, the Goldmoor’s head chef. “The portions are a bit larger, with high-quality products that people are familiar enough with to want to try, but difficult for them to find just anywhere.”

Indeed, the Goldmoor’s menu is complex, yet approachable. Beef Wellington is always a staple item, no matter the season. This fall, diners can also find a lamb shank osso buco that’s braised in house, and a seafood cioppino – an Italian stew – that’s loaded up with hearty proteins such as octopus, shrimp, crab, mussels and clams. 

One of the most triumphant feats of the fall menu is the ribeye steak, which is butter-aged in house for up to 60 days. 

“It’s kind of a dry-aging process,” explains Roberts. “We encase the steak inside of butter and let it go through the aging process, almost sealing it like wax on a cheese. When you take the steak out of that butter casing, it looks like it just came off the shelf at a butcher shop. It’s bright red, vibrant and gorgeous.”

Since nothing is prefabricated, not even the desserts, Roberts purposefully keeps the menu small. There are five to six appetizers, a handful of salads, and a few options for main entrees. 

“That way, we can give each ingredient its own process – its own respect in the development,” he says. “We bring in the chicken whole, clean it ourselves, and then we save those carcasses to make chicken stock, as opposed to using premade chicken bases or beef bases. We roast veal bones and make our own sauces out of them. We buy our fish whole and dress and clean them ourselves. It’s really an Old World style of development – you can really taste that additional care in the product.”

Adding to the overall dining experience is an unparalleled view of the Mississippi River. Bright-orange sunsets visible against the tree line consistently provide diners with a stunning conversation piece.

“We’re at an advantage with our location, since nobody can copy what we have in terms of Mother Nature’s presentation,” says Slobo Radin, co-owner of the Goldmoor with his wife, Birgit. “When the sunset goes on, then you’ve got that red rim going all the way alongside the valley. Even if it rains, it looks fantastic. It’s really mystic. It gives you a feeling of being part of nature, and people come out just to experience that.”

Radin makes it a priority to touch base with diners to make sure everything is exceptional, from the wine to the food to the atmosphere. If there’s anything that customers want that’s not on the menu, he’s more than willing to accommodate them, as long as the ingredients are in stock.

“You know, when you come here, it’s like you come into my home,” Radin says. “That’s the effort and level of service that people expect, and that’s what we bring.”

The Goldmoor Inn’s restaurant is open daily from 5-10 p.m., with the kitchen closing at 9 p.m. Reservations are encouraged by calling (815) 777-3925.