Abreo

andosp — 5/5 stars

“Oh my god, this food was so good. I'm visiting IL with a buddy and wanted to find a local hidden gem/fine dining spot in Rockford - I stumbled upon Abreo on a Reddit post and then saw a few other good reviews and decided to book a reservation for the same day. We showed up around 9pm and stayed a little past their closing time of 10pm, and Elliott (our server, bartender, and creator of Abreo's inspired and varied cocktail menu) was so delightful and very helpful the entire time we were there. He got us started with a White Mango cocktail and a Stella for my buddy. The White Mango cocktail was a clear cocktail with an initial refreshing yuzu-mango first impression and a comforting white chocolate-lavender aftertaste. The whole thing had a vaguely lemony air about it, and it went down as smooth as water. The water, by the way, was great too - Elliott offered us sparkling water, fresh water, and mineral water (if I remember correctly) and I love a sparkling water option. The food was also absolutely ridiculously good - my buddy started with the duck nachos which were bold and flavorful, with a tangy juicy duck breast spotted with jalapenos and absolutely oozing with melty cheese. I had the apple salad; it was crunchy and the vinaigrette was tart and flavorful. The arugula was fresh and delicious and not overwhelmingly peppery, especially layered with the apples and dressing, and lovely crunchy pine nuts. Our second courses consisted of the pistachio salmon dinner and the brussels sprouts - I had the salmon, it was cooked perfectly, soft and moist with a beautiful pistachio crust and a pour over of warmed seasoned carrot juice. The carrot juice broth was salty, flavorful, and the warm nuttiness of the pistachio crust and the sweet basil garnish brought it to a whole other level. It took everything I had not to pick the plate up and finish the rest. The brussels were cooked perfectly, caramelized and not mushy, and the sauce had appetizing clusters of what I suspect were mustard seed - the crispy outer leaves and dense, cabbagy centers of brussels sprouts always make for a memorable dish when they're cooked as nicely as these were. Our penultimate courses were the duck and steak plates. My friend had the steak (not the 69 dollar one) - I had a bite and it was cooked to a perfect medium rare and the meat was well seasoned. The puree beneath it was tart and light, the potatoes were cooked perfectly. I didn't get to try everything on the plate but it looked amazing! The duck breast was absolutely perfect - the meat was tender and juicy and the braised cabbage was the perfect bed. It was also accompanied by warm peaches and almost french toast style croutons with the sweet and jammy sauce. We shared the creme brulee for dessert - it was delicious. The custard was rich and creamy, the caramelized sugar cracked perfectly satisfyingly, and it was garnished with toasted sliced almonds and blueberries. It was all perfect - the sliced almonds were the perfect crunchy accompaniment to the sticky and crunchy sugar, the blueberries cut through the richness of the custard without taking you out of the creme brulee experience. My second drink was the crimson, and it was a BEAUTIFUL cinnamonny cocktail, made refreshing and light with prosecco. All this to say, the food here is AMAZING. Everything I ate and drank felt intentional and well-thought out, and the combinations of food feel and taste good. With a farm-to-table menu, it's amazing to see so many beautiful and delicious local products put to such good use. I can't wait to go again and try more of these great plates!!”

D D — 5/5 stars

“Adam provided excellent service. The curry scallop dish was the best scallop I've ever eaten. The warm chocolate cake was perfect. We enjoyed all of our dishes and will go back as the menu changes. I also love that the back of the house gets 5% of the tip.”