Yorktown Center in Lombard seems like one of those ideas that looks great on paper. Who wouldn't want to visit a right-off-the-highway super center stuffed with family entertainment, department stores, tons of shopping, a new luxury hotel, a movie multiplex? Well, you get the gist.

And if you don't, then imagine a sea of asphalt bounded by Butterfield Road on the south and Highland Road on the west, filled with massive, self-contained, concrete islands (better known as malls). With so much available space, why not include more than a dozen restaurants?

The shopping complex easily accommodates 17 restaurants (with another two -- Emilio's Madrid and D.O.C. Wine Bar -- opening soon), giving locals and out-of-towners a buffet of different dining experiences. In fact, the restaurants have helped turn the uber-shopping center into a dining destination in just a few months.

Never ones to miss out on a chance to gorge ourselves, a friend and I embarked on a progressive dinner through the mall, which had more than enough to satisfy our diverse appetites. Here's where we went ...

APPETIZER
We started the evening at Holy Mackerel!, the latest concept from the Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse & Bar chain. To my delight, the restaurant strayed from the steakhouse's need to cover every square inch of wall with memorabilia. Instead, Holy Mackerel! flaunted a sleek interior with a few water-themed portraits here and there. Still, it's a new restaurant and the menu had some kinks that need to be worked out. My lobster taquitos, while beautifully presented on a square plate alongside scoops of sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole, suffered from an overpowering tomato sauce. Maybe that's why the restaurant pulled it from the menu since our visit. But they kept the crab cake appetizer ($14.95), flaky and with a tasty, spicy kick at the end thanks to a roasted red pepper aioli. The vinegary slaw that came with the cakes worked wonderfully with the crab's richness. (When we tried the appetizer it was two cakes; it's only one now, but according to a hostess, it's a big one.)

SALAD
For something a little different, we headed to Lucky Strike Lanes, a California-based chain that is more swank nightclub than neighborhood bowling alley. Pabst Blue Ribbon is out, Ketel One martinis are in. And shelled peanuts have given way to an expansive bar menu. If only some of that cool translated to my Caesar salad ($9.50 for a half order, $12.50 for a full order). It was good; the shrimp was well seasoned with notes of lemon and pepper. And the perky dressing didn't call too much attention to itself. But the shredded lettuce was a deal breaker -- salad is hard enough to eat without turning the lettuce into confetti. We did love the tomato cheese s'mores ($7), an inventive dish that stacked slices of tomato and mozzarella between pieces of toasted brioche.

FIRST COURSE
A quick two-minute drive brought us to RA Sushi, a Phoenix-based franchise started in 1997 and later bought by Benihana. But that's about the only thing connecting the two restaurants. This is not Benihana's theatrical teppanyaki-style cooking. RA is about making sushi hip, from the red-and-black interior to a wait staff that looks like they could pose for Maxim. We ordered one of RA's specialty rolls and some nigiri. Our two pieces of toro (a.k.a. fatty tuna, market price) were fatty and succulent and didn't need a brush of soy sauce to accentuate the taste. The lobster-shrimp roll ($11), made with cucumber and avocado, was fine on its own, but the side dollop of pesto with a hint of lime threw off the dish's balance.


SECOND COURSE

After driving to our previous destinations, we walked over to Brio, a nationwide chain that recently opened its first location in Illinois. Inside, the restaurant gave off an intimate, comfortable feel with its white columns and dim lightning. Brio's menu was the real attraction, eschewing heavier dishes for lighter, more delicate fare. Already full from the sushi, the taquitos and the salad, I planned to just sample my veal Milanese ($19.95). But the lightly breaded veal, served with a white wine and caper sauce, was so succulent and juicy I ate the entire entree. Even better was the shrimp risotto ($13.95). The arborio rice was perfect: thick and creamy with a bit of a bite to the grains, the Parmigiano-Reggiano providing a great finish.

DESSERT
After that filling stop, we sauntered over to The Capital Grille for some coffee and dessert, and, surprisingly, some entertainment. The chain's Lombard franchise sported an elegant facade. But on that Saturday night, the restaurant was a meat market for the "cougar" and "sugar daddy" set. The Grille's opulent bar and lounge area, replete with dark, lush couches and tables for two, could accommodate such frivolity. Its dessert menu, however, could not. With the first bite of her coconut cream pie ($8), my friend was in heaven, thanks to its fluffy texture and rum-soaked finish. If only my chocolate hazelnut cake ($9) was as decadent. It was dry, bland and supplied a faint taste of chocolate. Maybe. There's sublime and there's asleep. This fell into the latter.