*** (3 stars)
Okay, this place is not the best sushi restaurant in Chicago, but it’s counter service sushi and sashimi, and you can get anything you want, made fresh, and lunch is about ten bucks. That’s really impressive. If I want a quick, good sushi fix, this is where I go.
Sashimi Sashimi
640 Church St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 475-7274
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sashimi-sashimi-evanston
**** (4 stars)
The all you can eat sushi special here allows you to get exactly what you want, and it’s darn good sushi. If you’re really craving sushi and you’re hungry, this is the place to go. For better quality, Kansaku is a better choice, and for cheap, Sashimi Sashimi is your best bet. But for a lot of good sushi in a nice environment, this is a great choice. Also, there is a teppan grill, so it’s a good place for larger parties and for kids.
Todoroki Hibachi and Sushi
526 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 750-6565
http://www.yelp.com/biz/todoroki-hibachi-and-sushi-evanston
***** (5 stars)
This is a small plates sort of place, so we sampled some smoked salmon, hummus, Margherita flatbread and some fish tacos. It was all good, and the hummus plate, which is more like a whole Lebanese meal including falafel and olives, is a particularly good deal.
The menu is really interesting, and warrants several repeat visits. Service was well-intentioned but not quite as professional as the food. The place was very busy, due to the trendy vibe and good prices. The bar looks nice, too.
Terra an American Bistro
2676 Green Bay Rd
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 563-9100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/terra-an-american-bistro-evanston
***** (5 stars)
A really top-notch French restaurant with extremely reasonable prices for what you get. The wine pairings, in particular, are extremely attractive.
The restaurant is the latest project of award-winning chef Michael Lachowicz. During our Thursday night visit the place was almost full. What we received was a delicious five-course French meal for two people with matching wine pairings. Each course was super, and the matching wines paired perfectly with the food. We had:
goat cheese puff amuse bouche (we were actually served this twice, which was great!)
corn soup (paired with an Italian white)
zucchini with goat cheese in pastry
seared salmon (paired with a white Burgundy)
roast pork in pastry (paired with an Argentinian Cabernet Sauvignon)
chocolate souffle with chocolate sauce and strawberries
chocolate truffles
Service seemed well-intentioned, but not really at the caliber of the food. This was one of the dressier restaurants I’ve been to around Evanston, with many of the men in coats and ties. That was ironic, because the owner is extremely friendly and casual, working the front desk in jeans and a short sleeve shirt!
This place has definitely made it onto our regular dining list.
Michael
64 Green Bay Rd
Winnetka, IL 60093
(847) 441-3100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/michael-winnetka
**** (4 stars)
I’ve been to some elaborate brunches over the years, but I think the weekend brunch here takes the cake. Over the top versions of just about anything you can imagine, from cheeses to waffles, omelets, fruits. Not cheap, but a great brunch.
Verandah
3950 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 632-5000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/verandah-las-vegas-2
*** (3 stars)
This canal-side Mexican restaurant used to be a favorite of ours, but it seems to have gone downscale. The chips are no longer served with a tower of various salsas, and the food is now unremarkable.
Canonita
3377 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 414-3773
http://www.yelp.com/biz/canonita-las-vegas
**** (4 stars)
This is just another in the endless stream of high end steakhouses pioneered by Morton, the Palm and so on. But the bar at the front of this place is another story. It’s a small space that serves small plates, offers the complete winelist, and is a really cozy place for a light meal at bargain prices. We liked it the first time we visited so much we went back the next night for dinner. Their small plates are a steal for Vegas. For example the four cheese plate with accompaniments was $8, and two Kobe sliders were $10. Compare that to $17 for a Caesar side salad in the restaurant. The ambiance is great, and we had the place almost to ourselves, even though the restaurant was packed.
Charlie Palmer Steak
3960 S Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 632-5120
http://www.yelp.com/biz/charlie-palmer-steak-las-vegas-3
** (2 stars)
Slimy noodles and lots of dim sum. Crowded, noisy, mediocre service. Very forgettable. It was so bad we went to the chocolate place at Bellagio afterward to recover.
Noodles
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(866) 259-7111
http://www.yelp.com/biz/noodles-las-vegas-2
**** (4 stars)
It’s trendy and a bit louder than I’d have liked, but conversation was possible. We had the seven-course Omakase, where you put yourself in the chef’s hands, and he didn’t fail us. Standouts were the tuna pizza with truffle oil and the teriyaki kobe beef shortribs, which were really tasty without being too rich.
Yellowtail
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 730-3900
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yellowtail-las-vegas-2
***** (5 stars)
I’d been to this restaurant before and wasn’t that impressed with the food, but this time it was a home run. Two of us had the Menu Degustation, while one had the Prix Fixe. That was problably the best best, as the snapper, in particular, was deliciously seasoned and perfectly cooked. The highlight of the five-course degustation was probably the foie gras, although it was all excellent.
Picasso
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 693-8105
http://www.yelp.com/biz/picasso-las-vegas