Watch: A Tour of The George with Co-Owner Dave Miller in Downtown Naperville

In this Living in Naperville episode, host Dan Firks tours The George, a new upscale American tavern in the heart of downtown Naperville, with co-owner Dave Miller. Dave walks through the different seating zones, from the Pontiac Lounge to the patio, the signature George Dip and Badge 13 Burger, and the local history behind the restaurant’s name.

Read the full guide to The George in Naperville →

Video Transcript

Dan Firks: Hello and welcome to this episode of Living in Naperville. Today I have the pleasure of meeting with Dave Miller, the owner of The George, a brand new upscale restaurant here in the heart of downtown Naperville. Let’s go inside, check it out, and see what it’s all about. So, what makes The George stand out more than any other restaurant here in Naperville?

Dave Miller: I think our atmosphere for sure, and the different seating options. What I really like about the restaurant is you come in whatever mood you’re in. You have soft seating back here in the Pontiac Lounge, a nice intimate dining room by the fireplace, some really cool VIP cozy booths, and then the bar that’s a little more action packed, a little louder, where the music’s a little more vivid. And then, obviously, when we have good weather here in the Chicago area…

Dan Firks: Sporadic.

Dave Miller: Yeah. You have the patio, so you can be outside in the sunshine, out in the commotion, watching what’s going on in downtown Naperville. So I like all the seating options, and I like that everything’s cozy and comfy.

Dan Firks: So how did you come up with the name the Pontiac Lounge for this amazing room?

Dave Miller: So the Pontiac Lounge pays a little homage to Naperville history. When the Burgess family had this way back in the late 50s, this back room wasn’t here, but the front room was a gas station. In the old photos, you could see cars for sale, because they would park a couple up front on Washington. In one of the original photos that I first saw, a photo that Bev Patterson had given Will Cullen, the other owner, there was a 1967 GTO Pontiac parked in front. Will and I looked at that and we were like, wow, the Pontiac Lounge would be a really cool name for back there. And I’m a big Pontiac fan. So the Pontiac Lounge it was.

Dan Firks: I love that. That’s very good, very cool. And I love Bev, she’s amazing. Dave, tell me about any of The George’s signature dishes. What’s your favorite?

Dave Miller: Well, the best seller since we’ve opened, nearly every day, is the George Dip. It’s a classic French dip, very prime ingredients. We use rare prime rib, flat-top griddled, New York aged white cheddar cheese, the best French bread ever, and a really cool herbed au jus. It’s absolutely fantastic. And I’m not saying this because I’m on camera, but my dad and I used to eat prime rib French dip sandwiches, and that’s the thing I always remember my father for, his French dips. They were absolutely my favorite. I can boldly say it’s probably the best sandwich in town. Our homage to Mayor George is the Badge 13 Burger. That’s a prime, dry-aged double patty. We put it on a brioche potato bun, and then we stamp it with a cast-iron stamp of George Pradel’s original badge from when he was the 13th police officer in Naperville.

Dan Firks: Do you showcase that when it comes to the table?

Dave Miller: Yes, it’s on the bun, all etched in there.

Dan Firks: Well done.

Dave Miller: So the Badge 13 Burger has an onion bacon jam with a little bourbon and brown sugar in it. Insane. Our Thai curry mussels are very unusual, and they kind of show that London-esque feel the restaurant has.

Dan Firks: I saw a salmon dish come out when we were getting ready for the interview. That looked delicious. Tell me a little bit about that.

Dave Miller: We hand-cut our own salmon, usually every morning or every other morning, fresh Atlantic salmon. We do a bourbon maple glaze over the top, not too profound, just a nice glaze. The salmon goes in the oven for about six minutes, and we serve it with French green beans and the classic mashed potato that everybody loves.

Dan Firks: Absolutely. Sounds like I’m going to be making a couple of stops over here. So, Dave, when customers come in, what do they expect on their arrival?

Dave Miller: Well, obviously we’re the new place in town, so they’re going to expect to be wowed. I think what captivates them right off the bat is the warm, cozy feeling. In the wintertime and the fall when it’s cold out, we have the fireplace, soft lighting, and very comfortable furniture. We made it a point for our chairs, bar stools, and couches to be really cozy. In the summertime, people are going to be flying to the patio. They know there’s going to be some music out there. We have the new pergola with the roof, so you can’t get rained on, and if the sun’s out we can block the sun. So it’s the atmosphere, and then we mix a good drink. We’re not trying to blow anyone’s mind, but we make good classic drinks. We have a phenomenal wine list, priced very well for the market down here. We’re trying to be a family restaurant, so bring the stroller in, or the teenagers, or whatever. Drinks are very reasonably priced. The food is a small menu, we’re not trying to overdo it, but there’s something for everyone. And our ticket times, we’re getting food out fast. Ten to 12 minutes is kind of the max wait time I’m looking for during the summer months.

Dan Firks: Because you guys do have the best patio in town.

Dave Miller: Yeah, I do like the patio.

Dan Firks: Dave, tell me, The George, powerful name. What made you come up with The George?

Dave Miller: Well, I’d have to say that Will and I’s wives helped out a little bit with it. We were on a ski trip in Big Sky, Montana, in a place that looked very similar to this, and our whole group kept saying, wow, this is really beautiful. We loved the touch points, the dark colors, the lighting, the fireplace. Wouldn’t it be cool if we kind of mimicked this American rustic, eclectic tavern environment? So we had a really good idea of what we wanted to do decor-wise. Will’s wife is literally the best designer for restaurants. And we started talking about names. The George, as it turns out, is a very prominent name in Naperville history, for the Georges that accomplished certain things in Naperville.

Dan Firks: Historical background.

Dave Miller: We started with Mayor George Pradel, who obviously was our 20-year mayor. George Pradel was an amazing man, and everybody loved him. That’s why we have the George Pradel Badge 13 Burger. So we love that George. And as we dug deeper with the Naperville Historical Society, we found out that George Knoch, who Knoch Park is named after, was very prominent in the Naperville political scene. Then there was George Martin, who had the Martin-Mitchell Mansion.

Dan Firks: Is it across the street?

Dave Miller: Yep. That mansion at Naper Settlement was George Martin’s mansion, and they made their fortune digging limestone out of the Naperville area to build after the Chicago fire. So, very cool. George Martin. And then George Laird was the fourth George.

Dan Firks: Were there more than that?

Dave Miller: You know, I suppose we have a few more in town. We actually considered having an annual George Day where you bring in your favorite George and we’ll buy him a beer or something. So George Laird was the one who, back in the day, built the Pre-Emption House. Naperville had its first brewery, the Stenger Brewery, and when you have a brewery, you need a tavern, and if you have a tavern, you need a hotel. So George Laird built the Pre-Emption House so travelers coming from east of the Mississippi could stop, have a beer, have a room, and have a meal on the way to Chicago. I believe the Pre-Emption House was Naperville’s very first piece of hospitality. Will and I and the wives really loved hearing more of that story, and it matched our decor. We looked at everybody at the table that night and said, The George.

Dan Firks: Well done. Well done. Thank you for sharing the story, and thank you for your time today.

Dave Miller: Yes. Thank you.

Dan Firks: Thank you for watching this episode of Living in Naperville. I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to have a drink on me, direct message me, and we’ll see you around town.

Read the full guide to The George in downtown Naperville →