Category Archives: American (New)

Baptiste & Bottle

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1/2 burger (shared)

Biscuit

Crudo

Bone Marrow

Exterior

Entry

Interior

*** (3 stars)

The emphasis here is on bourbon and whiskey in either cocktails or by the glass. It’s a decent list, but there are plenty of places in town with more cocktail offerings and more extensive spirits lists. The most interesting offering is probably the flight of three versions of the Sazerac.

The food menu is compact, but has a decent variety. We tried a half dozen items, and although there were no home runs, it was all fine. We had the spiced nuts and bacon, Brussels sprouts, biscuit, crudo, bone marrow and the burger. The best items were the fries that came with the burger, which were perfectly crisp on the outside but fluffy inside, and the bone marrow, which was really more about the oxtail than the marrow.

We finished with the Spanish coffee, which was flamed at tableside, but probably not worth the $25 price tag. The rest of the prices seemed reasonable.

Service was adequate, but not what you could call attentive.

Baptiste & Bottle
101 E Erie St
Fl 20
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 667-6793
https://www.yelp.com/biz/baptiste-and-bottle-chicago

Bridge House Tavern

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Exterior

Interior

Tots, blue cheese on the side

Carpaccio

Shaved salad

**** (4 stars)

Bridge House Tavern offers the best outdoor dining space along the Chicago River, plus an indoor ambiance that is more pub than sports bar. But don’t expect a simple pub or sports bar menu. There are some really interesting offerings here, both healthy and otherwise.

We started with some tater tots, a very generous serving, and one of the most pub-ish offerings. The serving was huge, and they were nicely crisped. I was glad we got the blue cheese on the side, as I think it would have turned them into a sodden mess. They were great on their own, and the crispy Brussels sprouts added a nice zest.

Beef carpaccio was also good, and another generous serving.

The shaved salad was fantastic. It’s a huge mound of sliced zucchini, cauliflower, fennel, radish and Brussels sprouts, tossed in a tasty dressing that doesn’t overwhelm the delicate flavors. Truly, this is one of my favorite salads in town.

There’s a good list of beers, a somewhat more limited list of wines, and also a daily drink special.

Service was good, even though the place was hopping, both indoors and out, on a nice summer day.

Bridge House Tavern
321 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 644-0283
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bridge-house-tavern-chicago

Wood

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Exterior

Interior

Mixed board charcuterie

Heirloom tomato tart

Baby octopus

**** (4 stars)

This is a good choice for drinks and small plates in Boy’s Town. There’s a nice bar, cozy booths, some high tops, and outdoor seating.

We started with a charcuterie assortment. Charcuterie represents about a third of the menu, and the mixed plate offers a good way to sample quite a bit of it. The cheeses on our plate were all somewhat similar, semi-firm. The pate was close to a liverwurst. The best item was the salmon pastrami, which was like a seasoned smoked salmon.

The tomato tart was just so-so, but the heirloom tomatoes that came with it were very good.

Baby grilled octopus was also just okay, but the chorizo and corn mixture that came with it was excellent.

The best item we had was the chocolate trilfle, an excellent mix of hot and cold, crunchy and chewy, sweet and bitter. It went great with the Rare Wine Company Verdelho Madeira. They offer the full range of Rare Wine Company Madeiras if you want something sweeter.

Speaking of wine, there is an interesting range of selections, although only a limited number are offered by the glass. Some interesting cocktails are also available.

Wood
3335 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-9663
http://www.yelp.com/biz/wood-chicago

The Lunatic, The Lover & The Poet

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Exterior

Interior

Mussels

Scallops

Burger and fries

**** (4 stars)

I’m sure this place can get really loud when it is full, because of all the hard surfaces and pulsing soundtrack, but late on a Sunday evening it was a good spot for dinner for two.

The focus is evenly divided between drinks and food, with a well-thought out menu of mostly shareable plates, and an iPad-based wine and spirits list. The wine selections are mostly eclectic, and there aren’t a huge number of by-the-glass choices, but there are plenty of spirits. Interestingly, some wines are served by the glass, 500ml or 750ml, and even when ordering the 750ml they are poured from carafes rather than bottles.

We started with the mussels, which were in a tasty broth that didn’t overwhelm the delicate shellfish. The accompanying grilled bread was nicely charred, a perfect vehicle for dipping.

Scallops were also good, with a nice sear, and accompanying peas and pea tendrils.

It takes some nerve to serve a burger when you’re across the street from one of the country’s most famous, but this one stood up to the competition, with nice crisp lettuce and cucumber pickles providing some crunch. I just would have liked for the bun to be grilled or toasted.

Service was friendly and the manager was attentive, and we didn’t feel rushed, even though we basically closed the place.

The Lunatic, The Lover & The Poet
736 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 775-0069
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-lunatic-the-lover-and-the-poet-chicago

Acadia

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Interior

Caviar and beef tartare

Mini lobster roll

Pizza

Bialy

Salmon

Ice

Cucumber

Scallop

Buckwheat

Lobster

Pork cheek

Peach melba

Chocolate

Hysop ice cream

** (2 stars)

I have struggled to figure out how to give Acadia three stars, which Yelp defines as “A-OK”, and I just can’t do it. It was not okay, and here’s why.

Acadia is trying to operate at the Alinea, Oriole, Grace level, and it’s not even close. At this level a meal needs to be an experience. The food needs to make you pause in wonder. We found ourselves doing a lot of wondering last night, but not in a good way.

The decor is fine. They’re definitely going for an Alinea vibe. And the service was fine, too, although we got the impression they’d sent someone over to Grace to take notes, and then imperfectly shared them with a less experienced staff. But the problem was the food.

Course after course we were presented with gorgeous dishes–some of the prettiest in town, no doubt–that went nowhere. Rather than ingredients coming together to create something greater than the individual parts, there were a series of disjointed, sometimes even flavorless creations that left us wondering if the chef had gone on vacation and left the restaurant on autopilot.

We knew we were in trouble when we started with not one but three amuse bouches, not one of which was special. They included a meat with caviar on it–not the last time this mistake would be made. Who does that, and why? The flavors aren’t complementary, and each ruined an otherwise fine ingredient. A two-bite mini lobster roll was just that, but not a particularly good lobster roll. And the “pizza” was a nice cracker with some cheese on it. This would probably have been the best choice as the amuse bouche course.

Bread service consisted of a bite-size pretzel roll with truffle butter. Honestly, you can get a better pretzel bite at Bar Louie, and I found myself yearning for their mustard.

The first true course of the night was good quality salmon. As with nearly every course, something was poured on it table-side. This was a delicious broth of osmanthus and charred pineapple, which did nothing to enhance the salmon, but was wonderful to sip from the bowl once the salmon was gone. The course is accompanied by a durable bialy.

A bowl of shaved ice appears, and vinegar is added. Hmmm.

Cuttlefish and cucumber is an attractive dish, but with very little flavor.

A scallop is not seared quite enough to make it interesting, although one of our party of three likes the weird dehydrated crispy/gummy orange segment served with it.

The pretzel roll reappears, this time without the truffle butter. Was the first one a mistake? This one is accompanied by a dry, too tough miniature biscuit. Seriously, I can make a better biscuit with Bisquick. This one looks like a huge amount of effort went into it with nothing interesting to show for it, a metaphor for the meal itself. The breads are accompanied by a dish of buckwheat groats soaked in a generous amount of butter, one of the most savory dishes, and one that required nothing to be poured onto it.

The lobster course is the most successful. Although the small lobster tail is a bit tough, the lobster bisque (poured over the plate, of course) is delicious, and really complements the other flavors on the plate, especially a half spoonful of corn nibblets. This is what all the courses should have been like.

The last savory course is a nicely cooked piece of pork cheek which has plenty of flavor without the dollop of osetra caviar ruined by being placed on top. (Again, who does that, and why?)

Three desserts follow, all along the same lines of a bowl with ice cream or chocolate pudding topped with random flowers and bits of this and that. They are all fine, and the fact that most ingredients don’t compliment each other would have been overlooked save for the preceding parade of mismatched items.

About halfway through the meal we lapsed into a sort of stunned silence. Having been to nearly every fine dining restaurant in Chicago, how could this possibly be? I suppose the tip-off should have been that we were able to purchase tickets the night before. And in fact the room was half empty, so word may be getting around. It’s certainly hard to imagine repeat visitors.

So let’s talk about the tickets. When I purchase a meal and wine pairing through tocktix, I don’t appreciate an attempt to upsell me as soon as I sit down. If you want to offer an optional wagu, add it as an option on tocktix.

Nor do I appreciate the effort to sell me additional wine or cocktails to “start” the meal. With a nine-course wine pairing for $125, it shouldn’t be 15 minutes before the first wine shows up. Every other restaurant in town brings out a sparkler with the amuse bouche. There’s a reason. And the high-acid, mineral-focused wines didn’t really match the food anyway. For the same $125 Oriole manages  a pairing of entirely old world gems, so it’s not impossible.

In short, this meal didn’t remotely justify its $1200 price tag.

Acadia
1639 S Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 360-9500
http://www.yelp.com/biz/acadia-chicago

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

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

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

Goosefoot

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Interior

Menu

Egg ramp garlic peas

Foie gras, melon gaspacho, tea

Crab, apple, avocado

Corn soup

Mushroom tortellini

Beef

Macaroon

Yuzu, cherry and peach tonic

Espresso

Rose lime kiwi / strawberry white coconut (below)

Goosefoot Chocolate

***** (5 stars)

If you assume that fine dining is an inherently serious business you need to check out Goosefoot. Chris and Nina welcome you into their “home” and cast aside the pretensions and stuffiness, providing a fun experience of discovery and camaraderie.

The multi-course tasting menu features twelve dishes of stunning beauty and complexity, each served in a unique and playful way. It’s remarkable that two people (and an unnamed helper in the kitchen) can provide this level of culinary and service perfection.

Each dish is accompanied by a story, delivered individually, often by Chef Chris, who interacts with guests table by table and course by course more than I’ve ever encountered. How he finds time to cook and arrange each delicate offering is beyond me.

The restaurant seats no more than twenty people, in a single, synchronized seating.

On the service side, it would be easy to assume that with only one person–Nina–providing all the service for the restaurant, details such as place settings and napkins replacement, ice bucket refreshing and so on would be impossible. You’d be wrong. Service was consistently at Michelin level.

You might also assume that a BYOB restaurant would have minimal glassware, but again you’d be wrong. A full set of Riedel sizes was available and provided, matched to each wine guests brought.

in the end, the two things I will remember most about Goosefoot are the beauty of the food, and the ebullience of our hosts.

Goosefoot is one of the best fine dining values in Chicago, and it’s certainly the most lighthearted one.

Goosefoot
2656 W Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 942-7547
http://www.yelp.com/biz/goosefoot-chicago