Author Archives: steve

mfk

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Bar

Interior

Ceviche

Aguachile

Bread service for two

Crunchy prawn heads

Sardines (special)

Coquettes

Fideos

“Tortilla”

Basque cake

**** (4 stars)

If you don’t like little fishes such as sardines and anchovies you should stop reading now.

Still with me? mfk is definitely all about the style of fish you would find in the Basque region. It’s a lot like the pinchos we had in Bilbao. Nearly all of the plates are sized for sharing, so expect to order two or three per person, depending upon size and appetite.

The best items we tried were the ceviche and the aguachile. Both incorporated really fresh raw fish. Croquettes were also good.

The fideos was a good pasta dish, but it’s hard not to end up with very soft pasta when it is this thin. The dish we liked the least was the tortilla espanola, which had nothing to do with tortillas. It was basically a very fishy salt cod omelet.

The Basque cake was voted one of the best desserts in Chicago, but we didn’t find it all that special. Actually it seemed kind of dried out, but maybe that was just our piece.

Pricing is reasonable. There is a limited selection of wines, but they are perfect matches for this type of food.

Service isn’t at a fine dining level, with servers shuffling your used utensils from dirty plates to fresh ones, but it is adequate.

As others have noted, it only takes one loud person to make this very small restaurant very noisy.

mfk
432 W Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 857-2540
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mfk-chicago-2

Cherry Circle Room

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Entry

Interior

Pretzel

Foie gras

Tuna tartare

Caviar

Grilled Octopus

Simple green salad

Caesar salad

Mussels

Leg of lamb

Leg of lamb

Cauliflower gratin

Carrot cake

Chocolate and mint

***** (5 stars)

The term “hidden gem” is overused, but is the perfect description of the Cherry Circle Room. Hidden away at the very, very, back of a very, very rowdy second-floor space in the Athletic Club (not a club anymore), this oasis of calm recalls fine dining of the Mad Men era, except that the restaurant and its cuisine are far newer.

First off, the wine list is one of the best in town, with great producers and a broad selection, if not a lot of depth of vintages. Best of all, pricing is reasonable, and there are some real gems for those who explore.

We started with a pretzel baguette, a perfect choice to prep for that first taste of wine. Then we moved on to some appetizers.

The foie gras pate was an absolute home run, an elegant ribbon studded with interesting accompaniments and served with the perfect toast points. This was the best dish in a very fine meal.

The caviar was a reasonable portion of superb osetra, made all the better by the reasonable $30 cost. The presentation is interesting although I don’t think it improved the caviar. It’s served atop what is essentially an omelet sphere filled with runny egg yolk.

Big Eye Tuna was another good appetizer, not quite a tartare or a poke, but something in between.

Grilled octopus was very tender, and served in a Spanish tapas style sauce. I would have liked a bit more char on the octopus, but it was very good.

Steamed mussels were in a delicious coconut curry broth, and served with a perfect French baguette.

The simple green salad was just as it says. The Caesar salad had unfortunately succumbed to 1999’s deconstructionist trend, and was served as a whole head of romaine. Our server steered us wrong on this one, because we even asked before ordering it if it was tossed in the kitchen. Fortunately the plate was big enough to cut it up, but that’s really the kitchen’s job. I wish this fad would go away.

For our main course we shared the leg of lamb, which was perfectly cooked, carved tableside, and plated in a marvelous reduction. It was some of the best lamb I’ve had.

Desserts were a bit less to my liking, but your mileage may vary. Both were again deconstructed, and I thought would have been better not. The ingredients for a nice carrot cake were strewn across one plate, and a bowl held small bits of what could have been assembled into a mint chocolate sundae, but wasn’t. Both seemed to be priced more for their appearance than the actual content.

Service was informative and efficient, but not at the level one might expect given the old-school setting. This might be a good thing, because there was certainly no hint of snootiness, and I would be comfortable coming back to this restaurant anytime. In fact, I’m looking forward to it.

Cherry Circle Room
12 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 792-3515
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cherry-circle-room-chicago

LYFE Kitchen

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Exterior

Interior

Guacamole

Buffalo chicken

Vietnamese shrimp salad

**** (4 stars)

This is a quick serve healthy concept where you order at the counter and they bring your food to the table. It’s not entirely vegetarian, but that’s the emphasis.

The guacamole appetizer was very fresh and well seasoned, although the accompanying chips are a bit on the indestructible side.

Buffalo chick is baked rather than fried. It was moist and flavorful, although the coating was much more like barbecue or chili powder than true BUffalo sauce.

The best item I tried was a special, the Vietnamese shrimp salad, which had a nice mix of romaine and arugula dressed in a vinaigrette, and a handful of shrimp in sweet Tahi chili sauce.

This location is large and airy, with lots of sidewalk seating, too.

LYFE Kitchen
413 North Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 836-5933
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lyfe-kitchen-chicago

Steak 48

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Entry

One of many dining rooms

View from private tables in the rear

Bread-half Parmesan dill, half sea salt

Crab and avocado

Shrimp cocktail

PB&J

Crispy shrimp

Wedge salad

Small NY Strip

Small bone in filet

Creamed spinach

Mac and cheese

Asparagus fries

Brussels sprouts

Corn creme brulee

Crispy banana split

***** (5 stars)

Steak 48 is from the team that used to own Mastro’s Steakhouse. The chef is Brian Key, who previously worked at Gibson’s.

It’s a very large restaurant, on two floors with a huge bar. Some of the rooms can get quite loud, so if you don’t want that, ask to sit in a smaller room. There are three glassed in tables back by the kitchen that are fantastic.

The music soundtrack is excellent, with upbeat rock mostly from the 70s and 80s.

We started with the shrimp cocktail, which is sold by the piece; it came with cocktail sauce and mustard sauce. We also tried the crab and avocado stack, which was made more interesting by a layer of crispy wonton.

On a second visit we had the PB&J pate appetizer and the crispy shrimp (which is almost identical to Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill). Both were excellent and were, in my view, the best appetizer choices.

Caesar salad is traditional, and definitely has anchovies blended into the dressing. The only non-traditional element is a poached egg, which we skipped.

The wedge salad isn’t exactly a wedge, it’s the whole heart of a head of iceberg lettuce.

Steaks are cooked in a 1500 degree broiler and served on 500 degree plates. Do not touch.

My bone-in small filet mignon was nicely seasoned, but cooked beyond the requested medium, and the hot plate added to that. My companion’s NY strip was a much better choice, perfectly cooked to the requested medium rare, and was actually as tender as the filet and of course much more flavorful. It was the best steak I’ve gotten at a Chicago steakhouse. Even though it was also the “small” it was a generous 12 ounces, with no wasted fat to trim off.

For sides we had the mac and cheese, which was fairly light, and the creamed spinach which was nicely smokey.

On a second visit we had the asparagus fries and the Brussels sprouts, neither of which seemed remarkable. The corn creme brulee was interesting, but is very, very sweet, more a dessert than a side.

The crispy banana split was an interesting variation on a classic, with salted caramel ice cream, luxardo flavored whipped cream, and corn flake crusted bananas.

I would rate the food as good, but not exceptional, except for that NY strip. If you’re looking for a great steak, that’s the reason to come.

The wine list has a fairly high mark up, especially on the prestige bottles, but the wines by the glass are generous pours, so they aren’t quite as expensive as they appear.

Service was incredible, especially considering the place had been open four days. It’s the reason for the five star review. It’s the best service I’ve experienced at a Chicago steakhouse by far. The bus persons were measuring the distance from the edge of the table to the silverware as they set the tables, and when clearing plates they asked how we enjoyed each course.

Our server, Nadiyah, was extremely knowledgeable and personable, and even took time out to give us a tour of the restaurant. Kudos to management for assembling such an amazing staff so quickly.

Steak 48
615 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 266-4848
http://www.yelp.com/biz/steak-48-chicago

MingHin Cuisine

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Entry

Interior

Menu

BBQ Pork Crepe

Oyster congee

Fried shrimp roll

Duck

Siu Mai

Shrimp dumpling with chive

Fried pot stickers

**** (4 stars)

This is probably the most nicely decorated and modern restaurant in Chinatown. It’s populated mostly by locals, not tourists, so you know you are going to get a very authentic experience. Fortunately there is an extensive pictorial menu, so you can get a pretty good idea of all the dishes before you order.

Be aware that this is real Chinese food and dimsum, not the variety served at the Chinese restaurant in the mall. As such, many of the items are going to be more gelatinous than you are used to, so examine the pictures carefully. Crepes, for example, are not what you think they are.

Of all the things we tried, we liked the Siu Mai (pork and shrimp dumplings) the best.

At lunch time, the dim sum is very reasonably priced. We left stuffed for under $30 for two of us.

MingHin Cuisine
2168 S Archer Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 808-1999
https://www.yelp.com/biz/minghin-cuisine-chicago-3

Tavern On Rush

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Exterior

Upstairs

Upstairs

Lemon hummus

Tuna tartare

** (2 stars)

I really wanted to like this place, but there were problems on so many levels.

It’s divided into two levels that are nicely decorated, plus extensive patio seating. We sat upstairs, which is horse racing themed.

The menu is extensive, and the kitchen is fast, if not particularly talented. Lemon hummus was quite good. Tuna tartare was pedestrian and the tuna was tired.

My Bellevue Salad was described as coming with rock shrimp, but they were just small, regular, flavorless shrimp. The kitchen also forgot the balsamic vinagrette dressing.

The sliders were fine, but the kitchen forgot the cheese.

These problems could have been corrected had our server been available more often than once every fifteen minutes. But with as almost two hours invested in a forgettable lunch it didn’t seem worth the effort.

Incidentally, the wine list is nice and fairly priced.

Tavern On Rush
1031 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 664-9600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tavern-on-rush-chicago

BLVD

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Exterior

Interior

Interior

Seafood tower

Whipped avocado toast / Hamachi

Chicken pot pie

Patty melts

Yuzu curd

***** (5 stars)

Even though it had only been open a few weeks when we visited, this place hit a home run as far as we were concerned. The decor is spectacular, certainly the most beautiful restaurant in Chicago. The ambiance is great, too, with a cool soundtrack at just the right level, and enough acoustic treatment to keep the general din manageable, even when it is packed.

We tried a lot of dishes and loved each one. The concept here is really geared toward sharing, and not just family style. Most of the dishes we ordered came with four discrete items, so it would be perfect for business dining, too, as there is no awkwardness involved in the sharing process.

We started with the seafood tower, an extravaganza of lobster, crab, shrimp and oysters that was perfect for three or four to share. The shellfish had all been carefully separated from the shell which made it easy to eat. At $125 it was very reasonably priced for the amount of seafood included.

Next we had the hamachi. Although described as being served in plum sauce, it wasn’t sweet at all, but had a nice citrus component that perfectly complemented the delicate fish.

Whipped avocado toast was also excellent, with a nice light avocado mixture and greens atop tasty, slightly charred sourdough.

The chicken pot pies were a clever presentation, with delicate puff pastry we filled ourselves from the accompanying cast iron dish. This kept the pastry flaky until we were ready for it.

Patty melts were a nice, filling way to end the meal. The dish included four individual sliders, each with a generous serving of perfectly cooked burger, melted cheese, grilled bread, and the pickle on top, in case you didn’t want it.

I honestly wouldn’t have changed a thing about any of these courses; they were perfect.

We finished with a dessert described as a Yuzu curd, although it was closer to key lime pie. It was fine, but not my favorite.

The wine list is extensive and fairly priced, and there are some interesting wines by the glass.

The service was professional, friendly and attentive at all levels, including waitstaff, front desk, and manager.

BLVD
817 W Lake St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 526-3116
http://www.yelp.com/biz/blvd-chicago

Leña Brava

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Interior

Upstairs

Cured salmon laminados

Lena ceviche (albacore)

Hiramasa laminados

Chesapeake wild striped bass aguachiles

Huarache

Plantains

Short rib

Duck

Artichoke

Blueberry tart

*** (3 stars)

This is an interesting new concept from Rick Bayless that is different from his other restaurants, and anything else in town, too.

The menu is almost entirely plates intended for sharing, divided up somewhat arbitrarily into groups such as ceviches, aguachiles (which were a lot like the ceviches), cockteles (which were a lot like the ceviches), laminados (more like sashimi), etc. All four of those categories are mainly raw fish prepared with different sauces. We tried four of them and found the sauces interesting but the fish inferior in quality to what you would expect in a good sashimi bar. The salmon, in particular, was largely inedible, with a third of each piece so tough and stringy it could neither be cut nor chewed. Sure, we could have sent it back, but it should never have been served in the first place, as it was visibly flawed.

More successful were the two wood-fired dishes. The duck had a nicely lacquered coating and excellent flavors. Short ribs were less interesting, as the sauce and the accompanying mashed cauliflower were quite bland.

The Huarache was one of the best dishes. It was a sort of corn flatbread with what can best be described (but wasn’t so described on the menu) as a vegetable mole.

Two sides were pretty good: the artichoke hearts were nicely cooked al dente, and the plantains were nicely caramelized.

Both the corn crisps and the tortillas that accompanied several courses were quite good.

Perhaps the best thing we had was the blueberry tart, a large, hand folded pastry with a nicely charred crust, served with ice cream.

The wine list offers a very eclectic selection of wines by the bottle and glass. It’s eclectic enough that I’ll wager you’ve never heard of 90% of the producers.

The restaurant is divided into a number of smaller rooms, with the outdoor seating and upstairs the quietest areas. Service was efficient.

Leña Brava
900-902 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 733-1975
http://www.yelp.com/biz/le%C3%B1a-brava-chicago-2

Arun’s Thai Restaurant

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Exterior

Bar

Interior

Interior

Cocktails

App 1

App 2

App 3

Tuna

Lemon grass soup

Vermicelli

Snapper

Lobster

Scallop

Beef

Dessert 1

Crepe

**** (4 stars)

I’ve had many tasting menus and I’ve had many Thai meals, but I’ve never had a Thai tasting menu, so it what great fun to visit Arun’s, where you get to taste modern variations on many classic dishes.

We began with some of the very thoughtful cocktails, which were a cut above average, even in very cocktail-oriented Chicago.

The twelve-course menu begins with many courses that are just one bite, although it’s often a very large bite. One of my favorites was the first course, a betel leaf with a complex assemblage surmounted by coconut.

Everyone’s favorite course of the meal was the last of the starters, an extraordinarily flavorful lemongrass broth served from a miniature teapot.

Four main courses were served family style. The best of these was the Massaman beef curry. Also good were the lobster and scallop. The only real miss of the evening was the snapper in sweet Thai chili sauce, a fairly conventional Thai dish, and this one wasn’t as crispy or interesting as the traditional version.

We finished with two desserts, both fruit-based, that were a refreshing conclusion.

On the whole, we felt that every single course was beautiful, and quite a few were extremely delicious. A few didn’t quite live up to their exotic appearance but were pleasant nonetheless.

One of us had the wine pairing with the dinner. There were some interesting wines and some good matches, but if you’re knowledgeable about wine I think you will do better ordering off the interesting, extensive and well-priced list. The sommelier was quite personable and informative.

Our waiter was also very friendly, and the many members of the serving staff all took pride in their fine restaurant.

Arun’s Thai Restaurant
4156 N Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 539-1909
http://www.yelp.com/biz/aruns-thai-restaurant-chicago

Guildhall

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Exterior

Bar

Interior

“Tarte flambe”?

Bucatini

Burger

**** (4 stars)

Guildhall is a reliable restaurant with a nice ambiance both inside and on the sidewalk. The menu offers a fair variety of American bistro food with nods to some international cuisines.

You just can’t take the menu dish names too seriously. For example, “Tarte Flambee” has no characteristics in common with a tart, and is not flambeed. It’s actually a flatbread with a generous layer of cheese and ample piles of bacon. And it’s big enough to serve as an entree, or for a table of four to share as an appetizer.

Yet the other appetizers we tried were much, much smaller. The delicious Ahi Tuna Crudo was just five small bites. And the also good smoked salmon was five slightly larger servings that were two or three bits each. Both would be a good appetizer for one person.

We also shared the seared shishito peppers. These were good, but were far spicier than I’ve had elsewhere; perhaps it was just this batch, but we ended up seeding them to make them more palatable.

Squid Ink Bucatini was just so-so. The shrimp and calamari were generous, but the bucatini was overcooked. Because it is essentially spaghetti with a hole through the center, it is very delicate, and needs a defter touch.

The Guildhall Burger was the best entree we tried. It was generous and juicy, topped with nice condiments and veggies, and served with well-crisped fries.

Skip the espresso, which is very bitter.

Service wasn’t quite at a fine dining level, but was certainly adequate, and sufficiently attentive for an enjoyable meal on a very busy Father’s Day evening.

Guildhall
694 Vernon Ave
Glencoe, IL 60022
(847) 835-8100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/guildhall-glencoe