But even more unique than just love is the fact that the successful restaurant is run by a husband and wife team who have been together for 27 years, married for 20,and are still joyously happy together. Oh, and did I mention that they are only in their early forties?

With the restaurant business facing a growing number of corporate buy-outs, it's refreshing to still find independent restaurateurs working so hard to preserve originality. Perhaps the reason that Zinfandel excels is because this husband/wife team work together on all levels, personally and professionally, to give diners their best and most delicious effort every day.

Our couple met during their Junior year in high school. They started going together, graduated and entered college. He majored in art history and she in anthropology. After graduation both attended the New York Restaurant School in Manhattan, eventually opened a 50-seat gourmet carry out eatery back in their home town of Indianapolis, and eventually initiated two highly successful restaurants there named 'Something Different' and 'Snax.' The allure of opening a restaurant in a larger market like Chicago compelled this nomadic couple to once again hit the road and move to the Windy City. Today, Susan and Drew Goss are the proud owners of Zinfandel, the only restaurant in Chicago to feature ethnic American cooking.

'I'm the organized one,' says Chef Susan, 'while Drew tends to push himself right up to the deadline. We were both the same even back in college.'

How does this couple with such varied interests and backgrounds manage such a successful operation? 'One word -- Trust,' says Susan, who manages the kitchen while Drew is in charge of the restaurant and the wine selection.

Although both are trained chefs, Drew prefers to let Susan's talents shine, confessing that she is the better cook. Susan confides that Drew is a great person in the dining room. 'He is way too charming to keep in the kitchen. I can argue and yell at my sous chef, and I don't have to go home and sleep with him at night,' she adds with a mischievous grin.

Drew and Susan also have a strong common bond in the cause to end hunger. Susan works with Share Our Strength's Operation Frontline and Kids-Up-Front. This is a group of chefs who do nutrition classes for people at risk of hunger and teach them how to cook and shop on a food-stamp budget. They also have participated in the Meals on Wheels Benefit, the Taste of the Nation Benefit for Hunger Relief and the Taste of the NFL Nationwide Benefit for Hunger Relief, to name a few.

The couple and their staff focus on regionally produced products, supporting small farmers such as Judy Shad in Southern Indiana who makes amazing goat cheese and Diana and Jared Loerzel who feature beautiful greens from their Herb Wagon Farm in Mineral, Illinois as well as a Farmer's co-op in Madison, Wisconsin.

Rotating Regional Cuisine
Zinfandel is located in the arty River North area of Chicago, surrounded by trendy eateries, clubs and art galleries. Their next door neighbor is Spago and other culinary luminaries such as Fonterra Grill and Maggiano's Little Italy are close by. Some have compared this section of the city to New York's SoHo.

The decor is a study in Americana. The split-level dining room recreates the warmth of a backwoods lodge with enough rusty American folk art steel pieces and colorful paintings and batiks (by artist Cynthia Low, Susan's sister) to keep urban city-slickers happy. American music furthers the theme, with everything from big band and swing to traditional jazz.

Goss's menu offers a flavorful marriage of culinary styles from across the United States. So diverse are the foods, Susan enjoys preparing a changing monthly menu of specials in addition to the regular fare. Each month focuses on a different region and the styles of cooking native to that area.

While January is normally Coast to Coast Barbecue month, a fire in the restaurant's smoker made a slight detour in the normal specialties for this tribute. Instead we swerved into the February selection: Low Country Fare, featuring cuisine native to the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia. British born plantation owners instructed the African slaves to cook European style foods which resulted in a wonderful melding of flavors.

Specialty items on the menu from the Low Country include such appetizers as Crabcakes with Caper Tarter Sauce and Soaked Cucumber Salad, Carolina Deviled Shrimp with Warm Black Eyes Peas and Arugula, Cheddar-Corn Grits Cake with Forest Mushroom Red Eye Gravy and Shiitake Chips, an excellent and highly-recommended Creamy Virginia Peanut Soup with Wood-Grilled Shiitakes and Leeks, and Spicy Savannah She-Crab Bisque with Dry Sherry and Crab Roe.

Main course specialties from this region include Wood-Grilled Pork Chops with Curry, Toasted Peanuts and Raisins, which had a wonderful smoky flavor, Whiskey-Glazed Amish Duck Breast with Wild Mushroom Rice 'Purloo' and Whiskey Pan Juices, New Year's Hoppin John (vegetarian) with Wood-Grilled Vegetables, Braised Collards and Herbed Rice Pilaf, Wood-Grilled Striped Bass with Wilted Chicory, Crisp Potato Pancake and Sesame Seed Brown Butter, and Low Country Smothered Carolina Rock Shrimp with Country Ham and Cheddar Corn Grits.

The Regular Fare
Regular fare offered year-round at Zinfandel includes starters like Dungeness Crab Springrolls with Sesame Cabbage Slaw and Tamarind Honey Sauce, a Southwestern Quesadilla of Wood-Grilled Vegetables with Sundried Tomato and Olive Salsa, Modern Midwestern Bierkase with a Goat Cheese Cheddar Spread made with homemade Worcestershire and salads such as the famous Zinfandel 'Wilted' Salad with Organic Field Greens, Wood-Grilled Onions, Toasted Pecans. Perennial main courses include Pan-Seared Diver Sea Scallops with Mushroom-Leek Risotto and Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette, Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon with Sauteed Spinach, Shiitakes and Dried Cranberry-Walnut Sauce, Wood-Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Herbed Rice Pilaf.

Every occasion at Zinfandel begins with fragrant buttery cornbread served piping hot with wonderful buckwheat honey butter, dumped into a basket at the table from a cast iron skillet. This treat was as good as any cornbread I've ever encountered in the South.

All American Wine List
A good proportion of Drew's work time is spent in the study of wine - a life-long interest. By the time Goss was 18, the wine list was automatically handed to him by wine stewards when he and his parents went out to dine.

The all-American wine list is one of the best in Chicago. Drew Goss puts much care into choosing the wines that will compliment the delightful recipes at Zinfandel. This attention to detail has earned the restaurant both a Wine Spectator Excellence Award since 1994 and a Wine Enthusiast Award.

At the top of each month's menus are Drew's special wine suggestions made in accordance to the foods offered for that month. He is always available to help diners make wise choices when pairing wine with food. We had a delightful 1998 Shooting Star Zin Gris - a lovely, aromatic wine, and a very bold 1997 Hess Select Cabernet with dinner.

Wine dinners are hosted once a month at Zinfandel showcasing the tastes, flavors and creativity in ethnic American food and wine. Of special note are two annual wine dinners - the Red and White dinner held on July 3 and the Halloween Brown Bag Dinner.

While you might think that they only stock wine, Zinfandel also offers a full line of brandies, bourbons, liqueurs and the like.

Lunch and Saturday Brunch
Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:30 - 2:30 and features such temptations as a Warm Turkey Meatloaf Sandwich served with Avocado, Mossholder Brick Cheese and Sweet Potato Chips, an interesting Winter Ratatouille and Rotini with Eggplant, Zucchini, Olives, Capers, Basil and Wisconsin Parmesan. What American menu would be complete without a burger? Zinfandel offers a robust and lean Buffalo Burger served on a fennel-seed bun with Parsley Slaw and House-made Ketchup.

A unique Saturday Brunch (Zinfandel is closed on Sunday - Drew and Susan love to watch football) includes a Lobster Scramble - Maine Lobster, Scallions, Red-skin Potatoes and Parsley in fluffy Scrambled Eggs, their famous Breakfast Bread Pudding which is layered with Tillamook Cheddar Cheese, Smithfield Ham and Basil and served with a Marinated Tomato Salad and Organic Field Greens, or a Crusty Smoked Duck Hash with Red Bliss Potatoes, Wood-Grilled Onions, Peppers and Homemade Worcestershire and served with two eggs and a Field Greens Salad.

Service at Zinfandel was outstanding. They have a super and knowledgeable waitstaff, and all employees give input and customer feedback to menu items.

Zinfandel attracts a mix of business diners and River North loft dwellers. The dress is casual - jeans are fine - but many patrons wear suits. The restaurant is kid-friendly and wheelchair accessible.

Lunch: 11:30 - 2:30 Monday through Friday Dinner: 5:00 - 10:00 Monday through Thursday 5:00 - 11:00 Friday & Saturday Brunch: Saturday 10:30 - 2:30 Closed Sunday All credit cards are acceptable. Cost of an average dinner with wine and dessert will run you $30-$40 per person. Current menus are available on-line at www.zinfandelrestaurant.com.

Click to page 2 to read Lee's review of the dinner he had at Zinfandel.

My guest and I opted for the Appetizer Platter which was a sampling of the Crusty Crayfish Cakes, the Quesadilla of Wood Grilled Vegetables, the Bierkase with Crunchy Toasts and the Rock Shrimp Cocktail. All were excellent - especially the Bierkase and the Quesadilla. We followed this feast with a Zinfandel specialty - their "Wilted" Salad - a unique combination of wood-grilled onions, toasted pecans, ham and a unique maple dressing that is just sweet enough to tempt the senses without being overbearing.

The Braised Pot Roast, an American staple, takes on a new zest with the addition of the zesty Pennsylvania Dutch Black Vinegar Sauce and is certainly a welcome addition to this traditional meat, giving it a little tang. I would have liked a little more garlic in the Garlicky Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes which accompanies this dish.

The Wood-Grilled Pork Chop exuded a wonderful smoky essence from the wood-burning grill and was both a visual and sensual delight, as was the Pan-Seared Atlantic Salmon with the unique and fruity Dried Cranberry-Walnut Sauce -- very inventive. As per Drew's suggestions, we had a delightful 1998 Shooting Star Zin Gris - a lovely, aromatic wine, and a very bold 1997 Hess Select Cabernet with dinner.

While some restaurants devote the majority of their efforts to the main entrees and give little thought to the dessert selection, Zinfandel certainly isn't among that group. Their staple, Warm Chocolate Brownie Sundae with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Toasted Walnuts and Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce and (my favorite), and the Sprecher's Root Beer Float with Praline Ice Cream and Maple Pecan Sugar Cookies will delight anyone with a (very) sweet tooth.

I also tried the "Nanner Pudding with Chocolate Sandwich Cookies" and was truly impressed with the homemade "Oreo" cookies that graced the dish -- quite a bit of extra preparation time. But the extra effort is just the type of nuance that sets this eatery apart from the crowd.

All ice creams and ices are homemade. Other dessert selections at this visit included Campfire S'Mores with Real Marshmallows and Sharfenberger Chocolate, Double Chocolate Cake with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Winter Fruit Crisp with Oatmeal Pecan Streusel and Maple Sugar Ice Cream, and Peanut Butter Pie with Toasted Peanuts and Caramel Sauce.