Sunday, August 9, 2009
Restaurants
BISTRO MARGO
1437 N. Wells Avenue, Chicago, IL
So it is Labor Day weekend, and the City is very quiet. The perfect opportunity to go to that neighborhood you never visit because it is always a zoo! My wife and her friend and I decide to head over to Old Town to visit this little French bistro. It is a cute little French place... reminds me of New York for some reason. The biggest weakness is that they have photos of infants dressed up as adults all over the wall. That grosses me out for some reason. The clientele here is mixed ages really. You have the twenty something kids next to us, the recently divorced 40 somethings next to them, somebody's birthday over there, etc.
So let's talk about food.
Escargot Persillade: Okay. I am not going to say it was amazing, but it was decent. What you would expect.
Duo De Canard, $21.50: Duck Breast & Duck Leg Confit, Green Lentils, Spinach, Green Peppercorn Sauce. It seemed like too much of a perfect fall evening not to partake in a little bit of duck. I think I ate everything on my plate. This place seems very dependable and reliable, but I will not say that there was anything particularly special about it. We were way too full for dessert, which looked great by the way. The table next to us ordered creme brulee which looked really good.
Wine- nice selection by the bottle, as you would expect.
MERLO
2638 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL
Somehow whenever I travel on Lincoln Avenue, I never go west of Sheffield Avenue. That's a pity, because if I had, I would have stumbled across Merlo. This is a one-of-three restaurant chains that touts itself to be a Northern Italy cuisine tour de force. Let me be the judge! Yeah right. Like I know much between Speghettio's and anything else to begin with. Anyway, back to the restaurant. This place is in a storefront that feels a lot like an Italian cafe once you step in. After an uncomfortable one minute pause while we stood over fellow diners (the place is small), we were warmly addressed and offered a seat. Unfortunately, we were not offered the window seat which would have been my preference, but instead we sat in the back of the restaurant. Clientele is middle to late middle age folk that have money to burn.
Let me say this: this restaurant is very polished in its service and flatware. The waiter was on the verge of being rude, but he is a professional afterall, he has no time for casual smiles or useless smalltalk. Chargers are set at the table and removed promptly after ordering. The linens are nice and this feels more like a dining room in a nice hotel rather than a storefront Italian ristorante.
So let's talk food:Pasta e ceci con i Maltagliati. What the hell is that? Oh, it's Chickpea soup with homemade Maltagliati pasta: $7.50. I think it's Italian for yummy. So what was for dinner? Ravioli al basilico ripieni di gamberi alle verdure dell'orto, $18: Hand-made basil ravioli filled with tiger shrimp sauteed in Nettare of Merlo extra virgin olive oil and tossed with peas, asparagus and zucchini. Again, could be Italian for yummy. Excellent diced shrimp in the ravioli, and two large shrimp on the plate for effect.
The weakness of this ristorante? The coffee....go figure.
CAMPECHE
6112 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL
So you love Mexican food and don't know where to go? Your worries are over. Take yourself over to Lincoln Avenue to Campeche, which is right across from Panera Bread. You know the food is going to be good if the salsa is good! Campeche is open for lunch and offers several lunch specials between 11 A.M. and 3 P.M. Monday through Friday. Options include: enchiladas suizas, flautas, quesadillas, tacos, and fajitas. On this particular day I ordered the two tacos (choice of beef, chicken, or guacamole) which is served with rice and beans. While I ordered flour tortillas and it was served with corn tortillas, the food itself was delicious and I will definitely go back.
The restaurant is decorated nicely in an inviting decor.
BLIND FAITH CAFE Evanston, IL
What a great place. Excellent food. The restaurant has a neat bakery section connected next door. I ordered a Kung Pao dish which was served with gardein instead of chicken or beef.
There were so many people in here, I had to believe some did not realize they were in a vegitarian restaurant. Desert was a maple spice cake, not on the menu but something I saw in the case beforehand. Risotto cake was awesome as well!
FLOSSMOOR BREWSTATION Flossmoor, IL
I have been here many a times. Tonight we were in the neighborhood because my favorite restaurant, Cilantro, was closed. How unfortunate. The Flossmoor Brewstation (or "Brewery") has the interesting distinction of being one of the three best restaurants in Flossmoor (interesting, because there are only three restaurants in Flossmoor besides the country club). The place makes beer. They make very decent beer. This evening I opted for the veggie burger, which is very unimaginative because it is merely a Boca burger on a hamburger bun. The menu actually discloses this fact as well. I could have made this at home. The chips and salsa ordered as an appetizer were very good.
NIGHTWOOD Chicago, IL
Friday night was my second experience at Nightwood, in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. The buildout of this restaurant is very nice, and very intimate. Coincidentally, I ended up sitting at the same table as the first time I was here. The friendly staff greets you at the door and will offer you still or sparkling water once seated. There is an interesting selection of hand crafted cocktails, which I recommend. Upon hearing that the hot toddy was not available, my wife ordered me a prosecco and fruit puree medley which served the purpose.
Although the staff mantains that the menu changes on a frequent (perhaps nightly) basis, it seemed very similar to the first time I was here several months ago. That is, with the exception of the cheeseburger (which looks amazing), trout, and chicken, which stay on the menu. The other entree selections are heavy on the meat side (pork, beef). The beef selection looked and sounded delicious, but at $40 per plate, I decided to pass. The other entrees are much more affordable, in the $20-25 range. I opted for the chicken, which was very good. The portion was huge. My wife ordered the whitefish, which was also good. Desserts sounded very good. Sorbettos/gelatos are available on a per scoop basis, which is a nice option for us penny-pinchers, who just want a little palate cleanse at the end of a meal.
Unfortunately, the restaurant did not have its canvas outer door in place yet, and a nasty draft swept through with every opening of the door.
Finally, it should be noted that the bathrooms are elegant, and very large. A visit to the bathroom also gives you a nice survey of the open kitchen (and on a cold night, this also gives you the opportunity to warm up). Overall, a very good, popular restaurant where you will be very comfortable and welcome. Reservations are highly recommended (by me).
HOT CHOCOLATE
What a disappointment. First of all, the awning is annoying to me for some reason. Maybe that's the reason I've avoided it all my life. Well, I found myself here last night. The server took 10 minutes to come over to the table to take drink requests and explain the menu. There was no mention of specials so I assume there were none. Seeing that most of the options contained meat, I opted for the soup du jour, which was a pumpkin soup with creme fraiche on top. This was delicious. The wife's beet salad was good also, apparently. The mussels came as my main entree and these were disappointing. Also, I was given no seafood fork (two would have been nice). I was left to manage with a giant, overweight fork that I could not properly wield because of the size and because of the constrictive area of the restaurant. On top of that the mussels were boring and the broth a disappointment. Two accompanying croutons tasted odd.
What Hot Chocolate does seem capable of is crafting decent cocktails. The first I had was a "Gingervit," with North Shore Aquavit, Domaine de Canton VSOP, fresh lime, and Goslings Ginger Beer (for color). The second was a makers mark concoction which garnished with a slice of lemon and apples (an underused garnish, really). Overall, this restaurant was okay, but the service a bit slow. In addition, the location of the tables so close together can make it very difficult to have a conversation.
URBAN BELLY
Last Tuesday we went to Urban Belly. This is a great restaurant in an unassuming strip mall. Unfortunately, it has gotten quite popular, and you have to wait for a table even on a Tuesday! We ended up taking dinner to go. Dishes can be prepared vegetarian. The prices seem to have creeped up. I think next time I will stick with the old standby, Penny's noodle shop.
The first time I went here was great...
MAYAN PALACE
It's hard to go wrong with this Lincoln Park mexican restaurant. The parking is the hardest part of coming here. The service is always great. The guac was a little off this evening, but the salsa is amazing, and the two shrimp tacos with pico de gallo I had were amazing! Margaritas were perfect, as always.
SWEETS AND SAVORIES
What can I say? I haven't had food this good in quite a while. Dieters stay away. Tuesday is half price nights during our glorious recession. The place is small and unassuming. Interior design is secondary, but they are obviously focusing on the food. I had the vicchyssoise, lobster risotto, and bread pudding. I highly recommend the three. Unless you don't like awesome stuff, in which case you should stay away from this awesome restaurant. Some people describe the lobster risotto like getting your boner worked on by four hot, anorexic, Ukranian underwear models, but I just call it awesomes. HIGHLY recommended.
Some Place in Ukranian Village
So we went to this place on Saturday, and it was uber dissappointing. I ordered snapper for dinner, and it was this weird arrangement with salad dressing on top and other dumb stuff. Fortunately they were able to do a good desert....some kind of a custard cup with an oreo crust. Not usually my thing but I didn't order it. For the $100 we spent I wish we had gone to Sweets and Savories instead.
Pepe's Mexican Restaurant, Lockport, IL
I've been here before. You can usually rely on this chain of restaurants for dependable eats that are inexpensive and tasty. Tonight I strayed a bit and asked for something that was not on the menu, two shrimp tacos. While our garcon said that yes he could indeed get me tacos de camarones, what I received was really someone's idea of a bad joke. Salad topping shrimp that were still cold in flour tortillas. Yuck. But, that's what I get for dreaming up my own dinners. Oh well, the salsa and guac were good, as usual. Margarita's taste like they came from a mix but that's pretty standard.
Fuego Mexican Restaurant
Another good meal at Fuego. The guacamole was superb, and spicy, prepared table side as usual. I ordered one of the cheaper margaritas, not the first one on the list but one farther down the menu. Pretty damn good. And their salsa rocks! What did I have for dinner? I almost can't remember. It was the appetizer portion of the shrimp quesadilla. This place gives you huge servings. The appetizer was enough for dinner, but the cheese looked and tasted like cheez whiz. A little strange.
Cafe De Sol Wicker Park
Good place. I normally only come here for a late breakfast, early lunch, but I found myself in the neighborhood one day around dinner time and sat myself down....nice atmosphere, especially at night with the patio lights and outdoor seating. The ubiquitous music is a nice touch as well. They do in fact have a dinner menu, which is not extensive but adequate. I ordered the fish tacos which were decent, but on the small side.
GREEN EYE
It's always refreshing to me when I order a beer at a bar and it is not only cold...but ICE cold. That's what happened to me when I ordered "Tug Boat Ale" or some shit here.
Francesca's Forno
What did I order? I should remember. But I can't. It was okay. some kind of pasta.
INDIA HOUSE
This is a very high quality, fancy Indian restaurant in the Streeterville/Gold Coast area. The Bhagari Shrimp was outstanding. The free naan and tomato dip is oustanding as well. I could have just dined on that by itself. A special order of garlic naan really hit the spot however. This great place is a little expensive, but well worth a look. Try avoiding the wine if you're on a budget.
CAFE MATOU
EL TAPATIO
CAPTAIN JACK'S
CAFE de SOL
1437 N. Wells Avenue, Chicago, IL
So it is Labor Day weekend, and the City is very quiet. The perfect opportunity to go to that neighborhood you never visit because it is always a zoo! My wife and her friend and I decide to head over to Old Town to visit this little French bistro. It is a cute little French place... reminds me of New York for some reason. The biggest weakness is that they have photos of infants dressed up as adults all over the wall. That grosses me out for some reason. The clientele here is mixed ages really. You have the twenty something kids next to us, the recently divorced 40 somethings next to them, somebody's birthday over there, etc.
So let's talk about food.
Escargot Persillade: Okay. I am not going to say it was amazing, but it was decent. What you would expect.
Duo De Canard, $21.50: Duck Breast & Duck Leg Confit, Green Lentils, Spinach, Green Peppercorn Sauce. It seemed like too much of a perfect fall evening not to partake in a little bit of duck. I think I ate everything on my plate. This place seems very dependable and reliable, but I will not say that there was anything particularly special about it. We were way too full for dessert, which looked great by the way. The table next to us ordered creme brulee which looked really good.
Wine- nice selection by the bottle, as you would expect.
MERLO
2638 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL
Somehow whenever I travel on Lincoln Avenue, I never go west of Sheffield Avenue. That's a pity, because if I had, I would have stumbled across Merlo. This is a one-of-three restaurant chains that touts itself to be a Northern Italy cuisine tour de force. Let me be the judge! Yeah right. Like I know much between Speghettio's and anything else to begin with. Anyway, back to the restaurant. This place is in a storefront that feels a lot like an Italian cafe once you step in. After an uncomfortable one minute pause while we stood over fellow diners (the place is small), we were warmly addressed and offered a seat. Unfortunately, we were not offered the window seat which would have been my preference, but instead we sat in the back of the restaurant. Clientele is middle to late middle age folk that have money to burn.
Let me say this: this restaurant is very polished in its service and flatware. The waiter was on the verge of being rude, but he is a professional afterall, he has no time for casual smiles or useless smalltalk. Chargers are set at the table and removed promptly after ordering. The linens are nice and this feels more like a dining room in a nice hotel rather than a storefront Italian ristorante.
So let's talk food:Pasta e ceci con i Maltagliati. What the hell is that? Oh, it's Chickpea soup with homemade Maltagliati pasta: $7.50. I think it's Italian for yummy. So what was for dinner? Ravioli al basilico ripieni di gamberi alle verdure dell'orto, $18: Hand-made basil ravioli filled with tiger shrimp sauteed in Nettare of Merlo extra virgin olive oil and tossed with peas, asparagus and zucchini. Again, could be Italian for yummy. Excellent diced shrimp in the ravioli, and two large shrimp on the plate for effect.
The weakness of this ristorante? The coffee....go figure.
CAMPECHE
6112 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL
So you love Mexican food and don't know where to go? Your worries are over. Take yourself over to Lincoln Avenue to Campeche, which is right across from Panera Bread. You know the food is going to be good if the salsa is good! Campeche is open for lunch and offers several lunch specials between 11 A.M. and 3 P.M. Monday through Friday. Options include: enchiladas suizas, flautas, quesadillas, tacos, and fajitas. On this particular day I ordered the two tacos (choice of beef, chicken, or guacamole) which is served with rice and beans. While I ordered flour tortillas and it was served with corn tortillas, the food itself was delicious and I will definitely go back.
The restaurant is decorated nicely in an inviting decor.
BLIND FAITH CAFE Evanston, IL
What a great place. Excellent food. The restaurant has a neat bakery section connected next door. I ordered a Kung Pao dish which was served with gardein instead of chicken or beef.
There were so many people in here, I had to believe some did not realize they were in a vegitarian restaurant. Desert was a maple spice cake, not on the menu but something I saw in the case beforehand. Risotto cake was awesome as well!
FLOSSMOOR BREWSTATION Flossmoor, IL
I have been here many a times. Tonight we were in the neighborhood because my favorite restaurant, Cilantro, was closed. How unfortunate. The Flossmoor Brewstation (or "Brewery") has the interesting distinction of being one of the three best restaurants in Flossmoor (interesting, because there are only three restaurants in Flossmoor besides the country club). The place makes beer. They make very decent beer. This evening I opted for the veggie burger, which is very unimaginative because it is merely a Boca burger on a hamburger bun. The menu actually discloses this fact as well. I could have made this at home. The chips and salsa ordered as an appetizer were very good.
NIGHTWOOD Chicago, IL
Friday night was my second experience at Nightwood, in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. The buildout of this restaurant is very nice, and very intimate. Coincidentally, I ended up sitting at the same table as the first time I was here. The friendly staff greets you at the door and will offer you still or sparkling water once seated. There is an interesting selection of hand crafted cocktails, which I recommend. Upon hearing that the hot toddy was not available, my wife ordered me a prosecco and fruit puree medley which served the purpose.
Although the staff mantains that the menu changes on a frequent (perhaps nightly) basis, it seemed very similar to the first time I was here several months ago. That is, with the exception of the cheeseburger (which looks amazing), trout, and chicken, which stay on the menu. The other entree selections are heavy on the meat side (pork, beef). The beef selection looked and sounded delicious, but at $40 per plate, I decided to pass. The other entrees are much more affordable, in the $20-25 range. I opted for the chicken, which was very good. The portion was huge. My wife ordered the whitefish, which was also good. Desserts sounded very good. Sorbettos/gelatos are available on a per scoop basis, which is a nice option for us penny-pinchers, who just want a little palate cleanse at the end of a meal.
Unfortunately, the restaurant did not have its canvas outer door in place yet, and a nasty draft swept through with every opening of the door.
Finally, it should be noted that the bathrooms are elegant, and very large. A visit to the bathroom also gives you a nice survey of the open kitchen (and on a cold night, this also gives you the opportunity to warm up). Overall, a very good, popular restaurant where you will be very comfortable and welcome. Reservations are highly recommended (by me).
HOT CHOCOLATE
What a disappointment. First of all, the awning is annoying to me for some reason. Maybe that's the reason I've avoided it all my life. Well, I found myself here last night. The server took 10 minutes to come over to the table to take drink requests and explain the menu. There was no mention of specials so I assume there were none. Seeing that most of the options contained meat, I opted for the soup du jour, which was a pumpkin soup with creme fraiche on top. This was delicious. The wife's beet salad was good also, apparently. The mussels came as my main entree and these were disappointing. Also, I was given no seafood fork (two would have been nice). I was left to manage with a giant, overweight fork that I could not properly wield because of the size and because of the constrictive area of the restaurant. On top of that the mussels were boring and the broth a disappointment. Two accompanying croutons tasted odd.
What Hot Chocolate does seem capable of is crafting decent cocktails. The first I had was a "Gingervit," with North Shore Aquavit, Domaine de Canton VSOP, fresh lime, and Goslings Ginger Beer (for color). The second was a makers mark concoction which garnished with a slice of lemon and apples (an underused garnish, really). Overall, this restaurant was okay, but the service a bit slow. In addition, the location of the tables so close together can make it very difficult to have a conversation.
URBAN BELLY
Last Tuesday we went to Urban Belly. This is a great restaurant in an unassuming strip mall. Unfortunately, it has gotten quite popular, and you have to wait for a table even on a Tuesday! We ended up taking dinner to go. Dishes can be prepared vegetarian. The prices seem to have creeped up. I think next time I will stick with the old standby, Penny's noodle shop.
The first time I went here was great...
MAYAN PALACE
It's hard to go wrong with this Lincoln Park mexican restaurant. The parking is the hardest part of coming here. The service is always great. The guac was a little off this evening, but the salsa is amazing, and the two shrimp tacos with pico de gallo I had were amazing! Margaritas were perfect, as always.
SWEETS AND SAVORIES
What can I say? I haven't had food this good in quite a while. Dieters stay away. Tuesday is half price nights during our glorious recession. The place is small and unassuming. Interior design is secondary, but they are obviously focusing on the food. I had the vicchyssoise, lobster risotto, and bread pudding. I highly recommend the three. Unless you don't like awesome stuff, in which case you should stay away from this awesome restaurant. Some people describe the lobster risotto like getting your boner worked on by four hot, anorexic, Ukranian underwear models, but I just call it awesomes. HIGHLY recommended.
Some Place in Ukranian Village
So we went to this place on Saturday, and it was uber dissappointing. I ordered snapper for dinner, and it was this weird arrangement with salad dressing on top and other dumb stuff. Fortunately they were able to do a good desert....some kind of a custard cup with an oreo crust. Not usually my thing but I didn't order it. For the $100 we spent I wish we had gone to Sweets and Savories instead.
Pepe's Mexican Restaurant, Lockport, IL
I've been here before. You can usually rely on this chain of restaurants for dependable eats that are inexpensive and tasty. Tonight I strayed a bit and asked for something that was not on the menu, two shrimp tacos. While our garcon said that yes he could indeed get me tacos de camarones, what I received was really someone's idea of a bad joke. Salad topping shrimp that were still cold in flour tortillas. Yuck. But, that's what I get for dreaming up my own dinners. Oh well, the salsa and guac were good, as usual. Margarita's taste like they came from a mix but that's pretty standard.
Fuego Mexican Restaurant
Another good meal at Fuego. The guacamole was superb, and spicy, prepared table side as usual. I ordered one of the cheaper margaritas, not the first one on the list but one farther down the menu. Pretty damn good. And their salsa rocks! What did I have for dinner? I almost can't remember. It was the appetizer portion of the shrimp quesadilla. This place gives you huge servings. The appetizer was enough for dinner, but the cheese looked and tasted like cheez whiz. A little strange.
Cafe De Sol Wicker Park
Good place. I normally only come here for a late breakfast, early lunch, but I found myself in the neighborhood one day around dinner time and sat myself down....nice atmosphere, especially at night with the patio lights and outdoor seating. The ubiquitous music is a nice touch as well. They do in fact have a dinner menu, which is not extensive but adequate. I ordered the fish tacos which were decent, but on the small side.
GREEN EYE
It's always refreshing to me when I order a beer at a bar and it is not only cold...but ICE cold. That's what happened to me when I ordered "Tug Boat Ale" or some shit here.
Francesca's Forno
What did I order? I should remember. But I can't. It was okay. some kind of pasta.
INDIA HOUSE
This is a very high quality, fancy Indian restaurant in the Streeterville/Gold Coast area. The Bhagari Shrimp was outstanding. The free naan and tomato dip is oustanding as well. I could have just dined on that by itself. A special order of garlic naan really hit the spot however. This great place is a little expensive, but well worth a look. Try avoiding the wine if you're on a budget.
CAFE MATOU
EL TAPATIO
CAPTAIN JACK'S
CAFE de SOL
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
