Monthly Archives: June 2015

Circa 57

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**** (4 stars)

This place is all about the decor, which is fabulous. I’m not sure there were any diners in the 50s that were actually this nice, but it gets each individual element perfect, right down to the two-tone glittery piping on the vinyl booths.

The menu is exactly what you’d expect from a place that serves 50s comfort food, with very little concession to modern nutrition. Everything we tried was good, and probably less greasy than its 50s inspirations.

Service was attentive and friendly. This is an excellent choice for before theater dinner.

Circa 57
101 W Campbell St
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(847) 392-1957
http://www.yelp.com/biz/circa-57-arlington-heights

Shaw’s Crab House

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**** (4 stars)

Shaw’s is a bustling (that’s restaurant speak for noisy), sprawling, traditional red leather booth place that serves shellfish, fish and sushi to a packed house every night. The extensive menu is filled with traditional items and preparations, and waiters sport traditional white jackets, although the service is anything but stiff.

The menu begins with an interesting selection of (yes, traditional) cocktails, and some nicely thought out wine by the glass selections.

The tuna tartare appetizer nicely combined citrus and avocado flavors, and was accompanied by ample dipping chips. Shrimp cocktail was a classic preparation, with good sized shrimp and just the right amount of horseradish.

I particularly enjoyed the Caesar salad, which had a nicely balanced dressing, and thin wafer-like croutons with a lot of flavor.

The Copper River salmon was good, not remarkable, but I really enjoyed the accompanying grilled asparagus. A side of au gratin potatoes was more like a dish of cheese and butter with a trace of potatoes under there, but it was as delicious as it sounds.

Shaw’s is not a great place for quiet conversation, but it works well for a boisterous business dinner, or a group of friends that knows each other well enough that deep conversation isn’t on the agenda.

Shaw’s Crab House
21 E Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 527-2722
http://www.yelp.com/biz/shaws-crab-house-chicago

The Purple Pig

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**** (4 stars)

Despite the name, this place is also a good choice for vegetarians. We had six courses, and aside from a little bacon in one of them, there was no pig or other meat involved. The highlights were the peas (because of the fresh mint mixed in) and the leeks.

There is a great selection of both pasteurized and raw milk cheeses, which made a wonderful dessert plate for two.

For me, though, the reason to go is the remarkable wine list, with hundreds of selections, all from countries bordering the Mediterranean. Nearly every selection is available by the glass, demi, half or full bottle, and they’ll even open a bottle of any of the wines priced under $50 (which is nearly all of them) and pour you just half. So it’s a great place to explore varieties and appellations you’ve never heard of.

One word of warning: the atmosphere is vibrant (read that as LOUD) to say the least, so it’s not a place for intimate conversation. It’s somewhat better on the patio, but even there it’s pretty boisterous.

The Purple Pig
500 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 464-1744
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-purple-pig-chicago

Bongiorno’s Italian Deli & Pizzeria

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Interior

Italian Beef

Pepperoni with Basil Pizza

**** (4 stars)

This homey little counter service Italian place off the lobby of River View Plaza is a great spot for lunch or dinner.

The price for a ten inch pizza is great, and it has a very authentic crust such as you’d get in Napoli.

You can get any kind of pasta with any kind of sauce, but I haven’t yet found a combination that excites me, although the serving size is large enough for two or more.

I like the Caesar salad, which isn’t tossed, but has a tasty dressing.

And the very best item is the garlic bread, a generous serving with lots of garlic butter, fixed in the pizza oven so the edges have a slight char. The sandwiches, such as the Italian Beef, are served on the same bread.

There’s a pleasant outside patio where you can enjoy the view of the Trump tower–if you look straight up.

Bongiorno’s Italian Deli & Pizzeria
405 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 755-1255
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bongiornos-italian-deli-and-pizzeria-chicago

Hot “G” Dog

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**** (4 stars)

This place is the heir to the Hot Doug’s legacy, and they’re doing a good job of making creative gourmet dogs, without the block-long line.

I tried the New York, which included bacon and spicy mustard and ketchup, and the duck, which reproduced the famous foie gras dog, complete with truffle aioli. Both were quite good. The accompanying “small” fries was bountiful, but nothing special.

Hot “G” Dog
5009 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 209-3360
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hot-g-dog-chicago

Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar

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**** (4 stars)

This restaurant combines sushi bar, robot grill and noodle shop all in one. The lofty main room is pleasantly modern and upscale without being dressy.

I enjoyed the sashimi, and a King crab special appetizer. The skewers from the robot grill didn’t really impress. Despite the elaborate menu descriptions of sauce, they were all fairly bland.

The ice cream trio for dessert was the highlight of my meal. The espresso was a real standout.

There are some excellent cocktails, particularly if you enjoy bitter and complex flavors.

Service is friendly. It can take a while to fill orders, even though there is a team of delivery people.

Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar
230 West Erie Street
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 662-4888
http://www.yelp.com/biz/union-sushi-barbeque-bar-chicago-2

Billy Goat Tavern

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** (2 stars)

This place is a dive. It revels in being a dive. And I think dives are just fine, if they have great food. But there is absolutely nothing special about the hamburgers here, other than the fact that they were featured in a funny sketch on Saturday Night Live three decades ago. Having not seen the sketch, I entertained myself by reading the very interesting memorabilia that covers the walls. If only the food had been as interesting.

Billy Goat Tavern
430 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 222-1525
http://www.yelp.com/biz/billy-goat-tavern-chicago

The Chicago Diner

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**** (4 stars)

This is one of the better vegetarian restaurants I’ve been too. They do a great job of using ingredients such as seitan in ways that give it great texture and flavor.

We started with the barbecued sauce coated “wings” which had a great crust and delicious coating. The serving was generous, to say the least, and when we’d finished sharing the appetizers we were wondering if we could eat any of our entrees.

The cuban sandwich was okay, but the tostadas were great, with just the right balance between quinoa and black beans.

Shakes are a specialty here, and my coffee flavored one was wonderful. Note: a small is plenty!

The Chicago Diner
3411 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-6696
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-chicago-diner-chicago

Trenchermen

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***** (5 stars)

Trenchermen provides a very interesting menu in a great environment that is a mix of retro and modern.

The very reasonably price four course menu offers a nice way to sample (rather large) tasting portions of two appetizers, and entree and a dessert. Having complete flexibility of wha tot choose from the menu is really a nice idea. Our eight choices were:

Shrimp was served on interesting toast, and with a lemon curd garnish, it was good, not superb.

Ham was thin sliced and served with a BBQ-like sauce, very good.

Carrots with exotic spices were accompanied by wonderful English pea falafel.

Pickle tots were more like potato puffs, with very little pickle flavor.

Cauliflower was a spectacular slice of a whole cauliflower, browned on both sides and served with tangy relish. This was stellar.

Double burger was perfectly cooked, served with spectacularly crisped steak fries and the most delicious “burger sauce” for dipping I’ve ever tasted. This was addictive.

Basque cake had a wonderful buttery crust and came with delicious poppy seed ice cream.

The cheese plate included three American artisanal cheeses, but the highly was the accompanying house-roasted nuts.

The focus here is on cocktails more that the rather eclectic selection of wines. Service was very friendly.

Trenchermen
2039 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 661-1540
http://www.yelp.com/biz/trenchermen-chicago