Well, if it’s variety you’re after, you’ve certainly come to the right restaurant. Pull up a chair and indulge in some long-term reading, for breakfast, the other two squares, and numerous meal-betweens, are all here for your dining pleasure. With its five (count ‘em) huge pages of menu items, not to mention numerous inserts, White Fox Den could well be a contender in the annals of Guinness. World’s Largest Menu.
You can span the globe from Italy to Mexico to Greece with one visit to this Burlington restaurant. A generous portion of Spaghetti or Veal Parmesan represents Italy, while White Fox’s famous Gyros take top billing in the Greek section. (Try Gyros. There are those who claim it’s the world’s best! And I won’t argue with that.) The Greeks also lay claim to the most unusual salad on the Fox’s menu. The Grecian salad gives light eaters their daily dose of taste with Greek Olives, Feta Cheese and Anchovies. Aw, go on. You’ll love Anchovies once you’ve tried them.
Mexican dishes abound, and here at White Fox they win the popularity contest, beginning with Nachos heaped high and smothered in cheese, sour cream and a bonus of beans and beef, if you like. Not to be outdone, of course, the rest of this menu’s Mexican members line up in scrumptious single file: Tostadas, Burritos, Tacos, Chimichangas and Fajitas multiply their appeal – usually by three -- providing a choice of fillings like Chicken, Beef or Bean. Oh go ahead! You didn’t expect to leave hungry, did you? For your lighter Mexican mood, choose a Taco Salad, complete with White Fox’s homemade sauce.
Ah, so you’re a sandwich fan, huh? Well, take your time, because there’s a list a mile long in this department. . .even Dagwood showed up, piled high with two burger patties, cheese, onion and mayo. . . Who thought of adding olives? Yum. Don’t stop there, though. Other celebrities can be spotted in the crowd: count the Monte Christo, boasting Ham, Turkey and Swiss on French toast (Viva la France) and the Reuben is here, too for the love of kraut. Italy has a Beef on French bread and there’s a Bomber in the crowd, too. (Don’t forget the hot peppers. What’s a Bomber without a little spice in its life? It’s worth an extra dose of antacid, don’t you think?)
Well, now that we’ve traveled the length and breadth of Europe, let’s take a look at the lay of the land here in the States. New Orleans jazzes up the White Fox menu with its salad of Seafood, Egg, Fruit, Tomato, the whole gang served in a tortilla shell. There are few things as patriotic to our beloved States, as the grilled cheese – American cheese, of course – unless it’s the hot dog. Yep, there’s Apple Pie, too. But we’ll save that for later. California sends its Super Burger, one of White Fox Den’s specialties. This one’s topped with Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, a slice of raw onion and the California’s staple, Mayo. But, here’s the twist: green olives. Who thought of the olives?
Every day at White Fox Den brings a dozen or so specials. These dinners are prepared from scratch by Chef Pedro Rebollar (Maybe he’s the one who keeps thinking of the olives.) You’ll find selections of Roast Chicken with Dressing and Gravy, Roast Duck, Baked Ham, Broiled New York Strip, Barbecue Ribs and a host of other innovative platefuls of hearty fare. There are a couple of soups cooked up homemade each day, too. Did I mention variety?
Sweeeet! Walk in the front door of the White Fox and your biggest dilemma is whether to skip dinner altogether and launch right into one of those dreamy pies and cakes displayed gorgeously front and center. Ooh. Life is short, after all. Is it illegal to have dessert first? Or is that just your low carb conscience working overtime?
If you’re talking fame, White Fox Den’s claim to that is their Anytime Breakfast. Twenty four hours a day, you can order up the area’s most delicious stack of Blueberry or Strawberry Pancakes. Or make that French Toast, if you’re sweet on breakfast. Waffles warm and golden brown. . . Eggs and omelets stack up pretty well, too. Or try France’s contribution to breakfast, the mouthwatering, delicately-folded crepe. Pancakes? Naah. I’ll take crepes any day and twice on Sunday.
These, though, are obvious choices for breaking fast, morning or night. The Fox’s real difference is in their innovative pairings. Gyros and Eggs, for instance, marries the spicy Greek lamb/beef combo with the incredible edible egg. And, this is a marriage made in heaven. The Athenian – even the name sounds exotic – takes the lowly chicken breast out of the bun and onto the plate where it joins the breakfast crowd with aplomb.
For the past couple of years, the White Fox Den has been owned and managed by Rick Pompa, Pedro Rebollar and Adolfo Aguirre. They joined me for a brief conversation, taking a break during their busy day to discuss their various roles in the bustling business of running a restaurant. All three have worked most of their lives in the restaurant field and it shows in the quality of the food they prepare for their Burlington patrons. With three kids each, the trio balances time at the White Fox Den with their family lives. But, it’s apparent that they love what they do.
You’ll find the White Fox Den on the north end of Burlington on Hwy. 36/Milwaukee Ave. For those of us who love to eat, the variety of White Fox Den’s vast menu holds a world of great taste.
