**** (4 stars)
An interesting combination of Italian, French, and American food is served here. Nice drink menu, and good service. Enjoyed my French onion soup and burger.7 Plates Cafe
2221 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL
60614
(773) 687-8817
https://www.yelp.com/biz/7-plates-cafe-chicago
***** (5 stars)
Wow, the two huge rooms here were packed late on a Sunday. We had an appointment elsewhere and things were taking a long time so we only had time for cinnamon rolls, which were fantastic. Would love to come back. Very inexpensive.Ann Sather Restaurant
909 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL
60657
(773) 348-2378
https://www.yelp.com/biz/ann-sather-restaurant-chicago-7
*** (3 stars)
A classic diner menu in a high-ceilinged, trendy environment. Egg dishes were good, as were the pancakes. Decent coffee.Eggy’s Diner
333 E Benton PlSte 103
Chicago, IL
60601
(773) 234-3449
https://www.yelp.com/biz/eggys-diner-chicago-3
***** (5 stars)
I really like the interesting menu at the Dearborn. It has all the classic sandwiches you’d want for lunch, but also interesting appetizers, soups and salads.The Dearborn
145 N Dearborn St
Chicago, IL
60602
(312) 384-1242
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-dearborn-chicago-2
*** (3 stars)
A flashback to the 50s in every way from decor to menu to the cracker basket on the table. Even the placements are unchanged! Anderson’s has never been my favorite soup, but the other food on the menu is quite good. My tuna sandwich was just like Mom used to make, and the quesadilla (which I’m pretty sure wasn’t on the menu in the 50s) was huge.
Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant
376 Avenue Of
Buellton, CA
93427
(805) 688-5581
https://www.yelp.com/biz/pea-soup-andersens-restaurant-buellton-3
Exterior
Interior
Interior
Surfenturf
Skatewing schnitzel
Weisswurst
Black forest pots de creme
Underberg
***** (5 stars)
Funkenhausen offers a modern take on German food. They say it’s served with a Southern twist, but I didn’t really detect that aspect in what I had.
The menu is divided between smaller plates and larger ones, but all are sharable.
I started with the surfenturf, a delightfully creative and flavorful combination of seared scallops and braised short rib. This was my favorite dish.
The skate wing schnitzel was an interesting take, more like a breaded and fried fish filet.
The most German item I tried was the weisswurst, nicely seared sausages.
The black forest pots de creme is heavier than a normal pot de creme, essentially a fudge, topped with marinated cherries.
The wine list focuses on German and Austrian wines, and there is also a nice assortment of interesting German beers. The cocktail list is also creative. I really liked the German Visits Mexico, a blend of tequila and cucumber, rimmed with fennel salt.
The dining room probably gets noisy when busy, in the beer hall tradition, but I went early and enjoyed the funky soundtrack.
I’d rate the food a four, but the service was a solid five stars. My water glass never got more than an inch below the rim!
Funkenhausen
1709 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL
60622
(312) 929-4727
https://www.yelp.com/biz/funkenhausen-chicago
Exterior
Bar
Interior
Assorted crostini
Olive oil tasting
Hamachi crudo
Roasted cauliflower
Lamb
Cafe Gourmand with pot de creme
**** (4 stars)
Pros and cons, but my experience was at least three and a half stars.
First, this is a gorgeous room. It’s much nicer than the website photos suggest. It has a great central bar and some cozy corners.
When I arrived there was a DJ playing loud rap. Uh oh, I thought, not my style. But then a foursome sat near me and asked them to turn it down. Bless them! The DJ must have been about to go off shift (it was before 5pm on a Saturday), so they just put on some chill music and left. What an improvement in the place’s ambiance!
The wine list has some very well thought out selections, by the bottle and the glass. They even have Dom Perignon by the glass at a reasonable price! I haven’t seen that before.
I started with three crostini, and all were excellent I also tried them on different “platforms” to compare, and those were good, too. My favorite was the salmon on traditional toast.
The complimentary olive oil tasting was also nice. I loved the blood orange olive oil and bought a bottle to go.
Hamachi crudo was disappointing. There was nothing wrong with the hamachi, but it had been so thoroughly buried in a variety of sauce that the fish was lost.
Roasted cauliflower was a delicate preparation that works best as a starter, because it would be too subtle as a side dish.
The highlight of my meal was the rack of lamb. It was perfectly cooked medium rare with a great char on the bones, and served with a wonderful rosemary and garlic oil.
I finished with the cafe gourmand, a nice idea that combines a cup of coffee with your choice of mini dessert (I chose the pot de creme) and a bit of praline.
Excellent professional service was provided by Danilo.
Fig & Olive –
104 East Oak St
Chicago, IL
60611
(312) 445-0060
https://www.yelp.com/biz/fig-and-olive-chicago-chicago-5
Interior
Bar
Exterior
Chiles Rellenos
Enchiladas
Duck tacos
**** (4 stars)
This is a pleasant family style restaurant serving all the standard Tex-Mex dishes. The place is surprising large, with the dimmer, more intimate area being on the bar side. They did a great job with the decor and acoustic treatments.
La Casa De Isaac & Moishe
2014 1st St
Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 433-7400
https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-casa-de-isaac-and-moishe-highland-park-2
Interior
Exterior
Ranch hand
**** (4 stars)
This place is a complete remodel of the Italian place that was here before. Although I miss that place, this is probably a better space for serving three meals a day for the attached hotel. It’s lighter and more open, and looks more like a diner.
There’s a large selection of various burger styles, but you can get pretty much anything you like on them. The patties are the smashed kind, so they’re all cooked all the way through. I had the Ranch Hand, basically a BBQ bacon cheeseburger, and it was very good.
The accompanying fries weren’t very exciting, but a side order of onion rings was nicely done.
Service was friendly. The kitchen was a bit slow, considering they weren’t busy, but we weren’t in a hurry.
Bill’s Bar & Burger
30 E Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 595-0446
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bills-bar-and-burger-chicago
Pate
Salmon
Salad
Crudo
Scallops
Oysters
Interior
Outside
**** (4 stars)
If you’re looking for a romantic outdoor dining experience in Beverly Hills, this is the spot. It overlooks the park, is away from the street, and it’s dimmly lit. It’s really the perfect spot for a quiet and intimate dinner.
That the food never quite lives up to its ambitious aspirations is really beside the point. It’s nicely presented and pretty good, if not exactly superb. But given its location, and the excellent service, it is reasonably priced.
The wine list, which has to be requested, is extensive and interesting, with many big names but also lots of obscure gems. There are no deals on the list, but you’ll find some very intriguing selections.
In short, this is a great place to come with someone when you want the focus to be on your time together. A lovely experience.
Georgie
225 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 860-7970
https://www.yelp.com/biz/georgie-beverly-hills