Category Archives: American (New)

The Rusty Spoon

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**** (4 stars)

This gastropub on Church street offers some great food at impressively affordable prices. A well thought out menu lets you graze on starters or assemble a conventional dinner.

We tried the grilled squid and octopus and the haystack fries as starters. The seafood was tender and succulent with just the right amount of char, and served over nicely dressed arugula with tasty pickled rinds. The fries were hay thick and tossed with herbs and cheese. Nicely crispy but not particularly hot (probably because they were too thin to stay warm), they were accompanied by house made ketchup, barbecue sauce and aioli.

To finish up our light meal we shared the “55” burger, a generous serving of meat, charred on the outside and grilled to a perfectly requested medium rare. caramelized onions and melted gouda gave it plenty of flavor, and the bun was crusty enough to hold it together, even when split.

Half the menu is wine and beer selections. Our 2005 Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape lived up to the stellar reputation of the vintage.

The Rusty Spoon
55 W Church St
Ste 101
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 401-8811
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-rusty-spoon-orlando

Kings Bowl Orlando

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***** (5 stars)

This is a really nice bowling center with amazingly good food, certainly as good as any sports bar in town. Their wine and beer selections are also very well thought out.

It’s especially a great place for groups, as they will close off a section of lanes with a curtain and you can have a wonderful private party for the whole evening.

You don’t need to be even mediocre at bowling in order to enjoy this place, which in my case is a very fortunate thing indeed.

Kings Bowl Orlando
8255 S International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-0200
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kings-bowl-orlando-orlando

Metrowest Golf Club

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**** (4 stars)

I’ve always enjoyed this course. It’s in terrific shape, there’s a nice clubhouse and restaurant, and the people are friendly. It’s a somewhat interesting course, but no real elevations changes to make it stand out.

The restaurant, Westerly’s, reviewed elsewhere, offers a light, airy room, good service, and fresh food.

Metrowest Golf Club
2100 S Hiawassee Rd
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 299-1099
http://www.yelp.com/biz/metrowest-golf-club-orlando-3

Luma on Park

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***** (5 stars)

Offering one of the more hip fine dining environments in town, Luma manages to create a techno vibe without being deafening. A creative, evolving menu offers a nice variety of foods for both vegetarians and carnivores.

Pizzas–more like flatbreads, really–are a great starter. They also make a great burger. These simple foods are not reflective of the overall menu, though, which is fairly sophisticated. Most of the food is more oriented toward small plates, although there are some great entrees as well.

There are plenty of interesting wines to match with a multi course grazing menu, although the wine list is perhaps the most annoying I’ve ever encountered. I’ve seen wines lists sorted by varietal, by country, by color, even by “weight”, but this is the only list I’ve every encountered that is sorted by bottle price and otherwise completely jumbled. Know that you want a chardonnay? Good luck comparing them, as they’ll be scattered randomly around the list.

That said, the wine prices are very reasonable, albeit reflective of fairly obscure selections. There is a reserve list that is less jumbled, and has more recognizable names.

Service is always professional and friendly. There is a small private room beyond the kitchen suitable for parties of eight or so, and also some “chef’s bar” seating that faces the kitchen. For an even more memorable visit, the downstairs wine room offers sofas, a TV, and a single table suitable for about ten. The room can also be rearranged for larger parties.

One of our favorite things to request downstairs is the truffle popcorn, which is amazing.

Luma on Park
290 S Park Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 599-4111
http://www.yelp.com/biz/luma-on-park-winter-park

Oak Street Beach Cafe

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*** (3 stars)

It seems three stars is the highest rating this place has ever gotten, but I thought it was fine, and one of the better choices at Midway.

The menu is a bit confusing, but it’s sliders: pick 1, 2, or 3 and what you want in them. I chose tuna. It was well done, which was probably just as well (no pun intended).

Pick your bun. I chose brioche, but I think I got white. Anyway, they were nicely grilled.

Pick your chip seasoning. I chose salt and pepper. As others have noted, they are fresh, but some are soggy. Still, there were about a pound of fresh ones.

The sliders had nice crispy romaine lettuce and decent tomato. No sign of the advertised aioli, but probably just as well.

Employees see sullen but not outright abusive.

Note: prep time is 10-15 minutes, so don’t go here in a rush.

Bottom line: I’d go here again.

Oak Street Beach Cafe
Chicagi Midway International Airport
Chicago, IL 60638

http://www.yelp.com/biz/oak-street-beach-cafe-chicago-2

Fuel

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*** (3 stars)

A good place for breakfast. The chilaquiles and pancakes were both fine, not particularly remarkable. The side order of ham was generous and very tasty, sourced (as are many of their offerings) from a local provider. Service was friendly and attentive.

Fuel
1222 Washington Ct
Wilmette, IL 60091
(847) 251-3835
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fuel-wilmette-2

Boltwood

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***** (5 stars)

Evanston has a new high end restaurant to be proud of. The chef from Publican, and one of the owners of Brothers K coffeehouse have teamed up to take over this space, formerly a (good) noodle shop and turn it into a very trendy and noteworthy restaurant.

As others have noted, there is one major downside to the place. Because of its austere, hard-surfaced decor, it is VERY LOUD. In fact, if I had been at a regular table entertaining guests I would not be able to give it a five-star review. But since I was alone, and seated at the chef’s bar facing into the kitchen, the sound level was tolerable.

Of course, it’s wonderful that the place is packed all night after being open only weeks. And lots of people like vibrant restaurants. But when the quietest place in the establishment is the kitchen, there may be a wee acoustic problem!

So therein lies my tip for pleasant dining: ask to sit at the chef’s bar. Not only will you not be deafened, you’ll see the fascinating parade of dishes as they leave the kitchen.

Anyway, the food is wonderful. Since the menu changes often, my selections won’t necessarily be available to you, but I loved everything I had: grilled Brun-uusto cheese with sweet and sour cherry sauce, pickled cauliflower, quinoa salad, crispy potatoes (quite possibly the best potatoes I’ve ever had), a whole sardine with fennel and orange, and chicory ice cream.

There is a somewhat eclectic selection of wines, with about a third of them available by the glass, but I opted for the cocktails, because there were several interesting offerings. I prefer drinks with bitter or sour components, and these didn’t disappoint. I tried: El Mescalero del Norte (mescal, grapefruit, Compari), Evanston Sazerac (rye , bitter, absinthe), and The New Georgian (peach, bourbon, mint). They were all excellent, and I’ve listed them in increasing order of sweetness. The mescalero was probably the best, combining earthy and bitter flavors.

Given the quality of the food, I felt pricing was fair. Some of the starters and veggies are under $10, and most mains are about $20. Plan on a starter, main and vegetable, and you’re looking at $40 per person. If everyone at the table does that, and you want to sample everything, you’ll all get reasonable sized tasting portions and won’t leave hungry or broke.

Service was very friendly and professional. I’d read some uneven reviews on this, but I don’t think it’s completely fair to criticize a restaurant that’s not running like a well-oiled machine during its first few days. The service I received was faultless.

As the meal ended and I emerged onto Davis Street, a fire engine was passing with its siren on, and I noted how quiet the city was now that I was outdoors!

Boltwood
804 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 859-2880
http://www.yelp.com/biz/boltwood-evanston

Franks ‘N’ Dawgs

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**** (4 stars)

So if you’re in the mood for a hotdog, this might not be the best choice, since there’s even a sign saying they don’t do Chicago dogs. They also don’t do anything else recognizable as a conventional hotdog. But they do make some interesting gourmet dogs.

We tried three that were somewhat similar: Banh Mi, Tur-Doggin and (the day’s special) Quiche Dawg. All were based upon interesting sausages with a number of savory toppings, and all tasted somewhat similar. Interesting, but perhaps not gourmet.

We also tried the mystery corn dog platter. To me, the mystery was how anyone could mistake these for corn dogs! There isn’t a conventional cornbread coating, just a thing slurry of paste that has been deep fried to a crunchy consistency. There were several different sausages involved; the only clearly identifiable one was lamb.

The best dog was actually not a dog, it was the Slammin’ Salmon, which was sort of like lox on a bagel but in a bun.

Speaking of buns, that’s probably the best thing about the place. Rather than conventional hotdog buns, they use squared off chunks of bread that are grilled with butter to a nice golden brown.

If you’re looking for something different–and by that I mean different from a hotdog–it’s worth a try.

Franks ‘N’ Dawgs
1863 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 281-5187
http://www.yelp.com/biz/franks-n-dawgs-chicago

Bistro CloClo

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ClocloJazzBrunch

ClocloOmelet

***** (5 stars)

Authentic French Bistro food and sidewalk cafe ambience, too. Just as cafes spill out onto the sidewalks in Paris, CloClo spills out onto the sidewalk at the Dr. Phillips Marketplace, but it is considerably more weatherproof than a Paris cafe, a good think on a rainy Orlando afternoon!

The lunch menu offers the starters and lighter fare one would expect in Paris, including “Croque” sandwiches, a quiche of the day, and crepes. For me the highlights are the starters, including the smoked salmon, pates, and especially the mussels, which were perhaps the best I’ve had anywhere, finished in a delicate wine and cream sauce with a touch of herbs and a much lighter garlic dose than most places.

The white sangria, a house specialty, was an unexpected surprise, and very refreshing. There are also a variety of Champagne cocktails.

At night the sandwiches disappear and a few more entrees are added, but it’s largely the same menu.

The wine list is a bit scatterbrained at the moment, although there are plenty of interesting offerings. and it’s in the process of an upgrade.

This space was problematic when it was Press 101 because of an awkwardly placed ordering counter and bar. That has been corrected, and there is now an elegant indoor dining room in addition to the sidewalk area.

Food and beverage pricing is very reasonable.

Bistro CloClo is a great addition to Southwest Orange County, which really needed an authentic French restaurant. The fact that is it a Bistro with great ambience is a real plus.

Bistro CloClo
7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 745-5045
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bistro-cloclo-orlando

North Pond

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**** (4 stars)

An idyllic setting for a restaurant. When you can sit in the front room with all the wall opened up on a nice evening there is no more pleasant dining venue in Chicago.

We had the tasting menu, and felt that it contained many interesting and delicious ingredients that didn’t necessarily combine into something greater than the individual parts. But each dish had lots going on in it, for sure. The most successful were actually two courses that were added, a amuse bouche of curry and pineapple soup, and a pre-dessert with mace ice cream. The dessert itself was also a highlight.

THe accompanying wine pairing is a good deal. While there are no stunners, the wines work well  with the dishes, particularly considering home many disparate flavors there are in each one.

Our waiter, though hurried, was obviously really passionate, and shared an anecdote about each wine.

Overall I’d certainly return, not so much for the wine as for the overall experience.

North Pond
2610 N Cannon Dr
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 477-5845
http://www.yelp.com/biz/north-pond-chicago