Wisma

WISMA in Libertyville is closed. Sorry to see it go.

So this is a long overdue review… I started writing it, but then never finished… So pretend we are back in October of 2012:
Over the weekend I ended up at this great little place in Libertyville. I will be honest the sign on the street that said ‘$ 2 craft beers’ is what made me enter this place.
The place has a shabby sheek design that was very eclectic but homey at the same time.
There was two full display fridges to choose from, one with the $ 2 craft beers and one from the $ 3 craft beers. I chose a ‘breakfast stout’, a $ 3 beer (pop that collar you big spender). If I didn’t have to drive, I would have definitely worked my way through the entire case.
After the beer, it was time to move onto lunch. I had a pretty good sandwich and some soup. It was pre-​made and in a plastic case so I was a little hesitant. But it tasted fresh and really hit the spot.
If I’m in Libertyville’s downtown in the future, I will most likely be stopping here.

Wonderful food and excellent service! I had been so curious to try this place after reading excellent reviews on Unilocal.I purchased a Living Social coupon for $ 30 worth of food. My boyfriend and I stopped in one Saturday afternoon to pick up some dinners. I love the concept of the place, which is restaurant quality food to take home.
We tried:
— Mushroom Pâté: there were large chucks of mushrooms in this pâté and it was mixed with some pork and chicken. It is really good to put on crackers, but is somewhat hard to spread. But, it is a good way to start the meal.
— Chicken Chowder Soup: I love me some chowda and this one did not disappoint. There were large shredded pieces of chicken in the soup along with some vegetables. The soup’s consistency was perfect — not too creamy, but not too watery either. My only gripe would be that it was a bit salty.
— Ocean Raised Salmon with quinoa, asparagus and lemon-​oregano vinaigrette: I really loved this dish and definitely see myself going back there to get it. I really liked the vinaigrette, which provided a citrus punch to the meal. The pieces of salmon were generous and those tasted great as well — they were cooked to a medium, which you can cook more if you don’t want to eat it that way.
— Chicken Jambalaya with smoked ham, vegetables and spices: this dish was nice as well. It had a nice kick to it. I particularly enjoyed the ham, which was cubed. Celery and onion added a nice crunch to the dish as well.
— Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream: if you’re into sweets, you’ve got to try this. So delicious with lots of hazelnuts. I found it to be a little rich so I ate a little at a time.
— Pink Lemonade Sorbet: I could bathe myself in this sorbet since it is that delicious. Who doesn’t like pink lemonade? I thought it was a perfect palette cleanser and a nice way to end the meal.
The meals can be warmed up in the microwave or you can throw them over your stove if you want.
The woman working at the shop was super friendly and helpful with suggestions. They also deliver. And, they have a points system that you can sign up for if you give them your name, e-​mail address and phone number.

Amazing gem! Super friendly staff and customer service. Free coffee and wifi. Big collection of wine and you can taste everything. Dessert is amazing-​i love the cheesecake mouse they have. Food is delicious and organic as well. Great place to hang out

we placed a catering order for a post-​wedding brunch for about 60 people. the store managers worked with us to put together a perfect order — something for everyone including some gluten-​free options and lactose-​free options. they were very quick to respond to any questions or special requests and everything was handled wonderfully — delivered as promised, when promised. the prices were comparable to other catering options in the area that we’d used before and the quality was far better.
we loved the chicken salad, chicken and shrimp perlau (similar to a paella) and various salads — everyone raved about wisma’s food.
the best part — everything is thoughtfully sourced to be as sustainable and local as possible. we would definitely use them again and are so happy to have such a wonderful option in the area!

Loved the Libertyville location when it first started, not a fan now. After they ran a Groupon the meat portions went so small it was unbelievable. It used to be a great deal now it is more of a rip off which is sad because the concept and the sourcing is great!
They do called La Colombe coffee though, which is awesome, and I go there for hpthat but I don’t buy their prepared foods anymore… such a bummer for something I was so ready tomcommit to loving.

I’m such a fan of Wisma! It is the best thing to eat when you want a home cooked meal but you don’t want to cook!
The staff is friendly and helpful and the décor is precious.
I even love how there are always ballerinas eating salads :-)

On a whim, I called Wisma to find out what I could carry out for dinner later that evening. I ended up buying the slow-​roasted chicken lasagna. It was absolutely UN-​BE-​lievable! The portion was enormous (I had been warned), and served two for dinner, plus two lunch portions in following days. I also picked up an outstanding arugula, olive, roasted tomato and feta salad and a wonderful craft beer (an IPA I can’t recall the name of). The price was about the same as what I would pay for dinner at Panera, but the food was phenomenal, plentiful and hey, I got a beer to boot. It’s great to be able to pick up something tasty, fresh, nutritious and environmentally responsible — even at the last minute. Try it!

I’m glad I discovered this place at a Unilocal Event. I probably wouldn’t have known to stop here otherwise. I loved the food so much, that I actually bought a few goodies before leaving.
This small little shop is stocked full of to-​go restaurant dishes, specialty wines, craft beers, charcuterie, cheeses, desserts, and so much more. They actually have wine samples you can try of all the wines they sell. If craft beers are your thing, they sell by the bottle so you can do mix-​n-​match six-​packs.
They sell tasty baguettes, baked daily, and they sell pates, duck rillete, and various other spreads (that are all really good). I really like the Salmon spread and aged bleu cheese, but my favorite is the Purple Haze goat cheese.
Their meals don’t disappoint at all. They have awesome Meatballs and their Chicken Polenta is delicious. I love polenta and this definitely satisfied. Their Lamb Stew is also really good.
It’s a shame this place is so far for me.

I really really enjoyed Inovasi, so I I was excited when I found out Chef John was opening a Wisma so much closer to home, in Libertyville.
And for the most part, I have NOT been disappointed. The food is great, I love the sin-​filled potatoes, the mixed green salad with cranberries, onions and grilled chicken is very good, and the penne with vodka sauce is awesome.
I really enjoy having the option to get a good dinner when I don’t feel like cooking at home, and not having to worry about what I’m eating.
The one disappointment I’ve come across is how incredibly salty the soups are. We’ve tried the mushroom bisque multiple times as well as the bean soup, and each time they’ve been so salty that we literally could not take more than a sip each. I was disappointed, because Chef John had made the mushroom bisque during a cooking demo down the street at Someone’s in the Kitchen, and it was the most amazing soup I’d ever had. What’s in the store is not what he made for us.
Aside from the soups, I have nothing but good things to say. The food certainly isn’t cheap, but then keep in mind that you’re getting GREAT food for that price.

Wisma is fast becoming my favorite place to eat. The food is amazing, the dips are delightful, the cheese is to die for, the sausage is perfection and the craft beer is $ 2 hard to beat that price for beer. Plus if you take the train you can get the beer to go:) The wine is priced nicely also for those who are not beer drinkers. Love Love Love this place:)

Since Inovasi got rid of lunch service, this is the only cool place to go besides the sandwich place. Fresh, creative, organic, and local food. This is the place for the foodies.

OK – I reviewed Wisma for a Unilocal event but I was in Libertyville on business the other night so I stopped in for dinner. Craft beer for 2 bucks!!! I couldn’t believe it. You can’t get a cheap domestic beer around here for two bucks. They also have a 3 or 4 buck glass of wine special. I had a pasta dish that was delish but I really wanted to try the chicken confit lasagna. I would’ve except the portion was HUGE and didn’t want to juggle more than what I was already carrying on the train.
Tried a new IPA that the girls recommended (Once again the staff was fan-​freakin-​tastic.) Sat and read and ate dinner: the beer was nice and hoppy. It was the perfect way to unwind and relax.
Folks were having great intimate dinners all around me. A couple across from me was sharing the lamb stew and a nice artisan cheese. (That lamb stew is so awesome!)
WISMA’s just a great idea: totally healthy and organic, totally delectable and totally affordable.

Amazing food, amazing prices. The chicken lasagna was so fantastic. Dinner for two for under $ 15? I’m sold for life.

great fresh food! We love the atmosphere and seriously love eating here several times a week!

Wisma means «home.» Really. In Indonesian. That’s kinda the point here. This food is the kind of food most of us would cook ourselves if we had the time and the inclination… but here it is… ready to go home with us. While I was there, half a dozen moms, kids in tow, picked up ready-​to-​go good food for their families — with the kids shouting their favorites!
Honestly, this is a review I’ve been itching to write ever since I went all gooey over the place at the Unilocal Elite event here. But rules are rules, and I couldn’t get by here to get my own lunch for a few weeks.
*sigh* It’s amazing what $ 5 will get here. After agonizing over penne arrabiata, a luscious looking mac-​n-​cheese and a few other $ 4 and $ 5 lunch specials — I finally chose a stalwart chicken and potato dish with cheddar cheese. If you eat here, a microwave is available, and the foods are the kind that reheat beautifully — by design!
Yukon gold potatoes, mashed, sprinkled with melted white cheddar (of course it’s white… the yellow stuff is colored that way) and a few medallions of organic chicken breast. Admittedly, I could really give a rip whether my food is organic… but if it’s billed as being special… it should taste special. And it did. «Tastes like chicken» is a phrase we use without thinking, meaning non-​differentiated … meat. This chicken had the richness and firmness of… like a really good pork chop. I don’t know how else to describe it. I’ll just have to keep trying it until I figure out the right word. But gourmet comfort food, without a doubt.
I tried the mushroom bisque; I have to say it caught me off guard. When I think of mushroom cream soups, particularly a bisque, I think rich, creamy flavor where the dairy base supports the mellow, earthy flavors of the mushrooms. So when I tasted this soup and the tartness hit my palate, I was surprised. The taste was light, and I couldn’t make out whether it was a citrus acid or basalmic acid that was responsible. I used to have a favorite morel dish that used a basalmic cream reduction; this flavor wistfully reminded me of that dish.
And — just for the record — the store interior is done in «urban chic.» Take the train downtown to Broadway or Clark and you’ll find this look all over. It’s very, very hip. Also, due to the shortage of cork trees and long-​term failure rates of natural corks, for years now some very respectable wine companies have turned to screw caps as a way to safeguard both their high-​quality wines and a ravaged natural resource.
The downtown Chicago area gets high-​concept restaurants like this all the time; I’m beginning to think Libertyville is an up-​and-​coming gastro-​destination. The Libertyville downtown area has much to offer foodies and the dining cognoscenti. And now… it offers that gastronomic experience to your own kitchen. How awesome is that?

Now that the Unilocal event is in the past, I have to write up just how impressed I am at the entrees I purchased at Wisma. I bought free range chicken with polenta, nuts and goat cheese and penne pasta with chicken in vodka sauce. Both were outstanding. The portions were more than enough for two adults. It was like having a restaurant-​quality meal at home. The instructions were clear, easy for the culinary challenged. The containers were nice quality, they will be re-​used.
I love the concept of a seasonal menu based on sustainability and affordability.

Hearing that there was to be a Unilocal shindig here the following week, I wondered about this place and checked out their website. A few terms that would grab the attention of any foodie; local, sustainable, organic and made from scratch. I should also add that they mention not using preservatives. Wisma’s value is that they want to offer you an option for those nights when you feel lazy and don’t feel like cooking. Aren’t there many? You’re unsure what you want to eat when dining out because in the end, that also comes with a cost assessment right? Per the website this is where they can offer the perfect solution. Eat right and for a cost which won’t break your bank. Right away you realize this is not a restaurant, but a service which a chef prepares delectable meals available to go. Good for you stuff at a grossly low cost. The only mention I could not find was about portion sizes. Many entrees sized for the single adult, go for prices under $ 9 dollars. Kid’s meals priced from $ 3 — $ 5 dollars. Which is not bad when you consider the average happy meal goes for about $ 3.49 to $ 5 easy. Of course there are larger portions available for you and extra people.
Fast forward to the Unilocal event. After having a good time at the Unilocal event and participating in a sampling of their meals, I decided to spend money. It was later in the evening and many of the meals I had, had eyes on were now gone. So, I took a look at the available soups and «schmears». Picked up a mushroom bisque made with Crimini mushrooms and a spicy Chile schmear. The bisque is enough for two servings and the total cost with schmear was $ 8 dollars before tax. The bisque had a label with its contents and a suggested date of expiration. Both tasty items, except my grandiose expectations for the schmear came unfulfilled when the taste comes off to me as over salted. Or creamy nacho cheese like with a kick. I would’ve liked to try the grilled chicken quesadillas or kid’s meal of grilled free range chicken. Maybe next time.
Wisma is cute and kitschy like Kathy W. mentions. Other than their entrée and meal offerings, they also carry craft beers, home made ice creams and desserts. Oh the desserts! See for yourselves. Assorted foo foo cheeses in affordable sizes and assorted upscale candies and crackers. I for one am an admirer of the finer crackers and wafers because I will often offer them (for hosting) with a tasty dip I’ve recently purchased or learned to make.
For me, the website looks professional, so I expected a fancy shop. Walking up to the storefront I was greeted with a silly display in their window. I hear people are paid to create these. With that in mind, perhaps these people could take a few ideas from the website and then gear it around the chef or main entrees they might prepare. A few final notes, I look forward to what sounds like a changing menu of offerings by season, they say they would only try to offer foodstuffs per what they were able to acquire from their surroundings. Living up to their word of being locally grown, organic or sustainable. I could go on and on about shit like how awesome it is that they use recyclable goods and yadda yadda. I mean, that is an über cool feature they’ve taken under and I’m sure it isn’t any less expensive for them. Being that I don’t commute through here any longer I cannot say that I would be their regular customer. However it’s something to mention to my friends that live locally and I know eat out often. When I’m in the hood for happy hour the next time, I know where I’ll be picking up my takeout.
– Update on that schmear I purchased, while I wasn’t too thrilled with it. I had a few peeps over the other night and laid it out with assorted foo foo wafers. It was a hit.