Category Archives: Chicago

Naha

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Chocolate tartufo

Beet salad

Skate wing

Duck

*** (3 stars)

The highlights of our dinner at Naha were the service, which was outstanding, and the breads, which are varied and interesting, particularly the ones with fennel, cumin and other unique ingredients.

The beet salad was just okay. The individual ingredients didn’t really come together to create something more.

I enjoyed the skate wing, which had a crispy sear on it, and went well with the sunchoke sauce.

The duck breast had a very flavorful lacquer seared onto the outside, but don’t order this unless you like your duck blood rare. Again, individual ingredients didn’t really complement the duck.

Plating was an issue throughout the meal. The duck, in particular, did not look like a dish served by a Michelin starred restaurant.

The most attractive dish was dessert. The chocolate tartufo was served with a delicious porter beer ice cream and espresso foam, and some of the ingredients worked together.

Naha is an adequate restaurant, but seems very overpriced for the quality. The Michelin star is puzzling.

Naha
500 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 321-6242
https://www.yelp.com/biz/naha-chicago

Tallboy Taco

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Cheese crisp

Interior

*** (3 stars)

This counter serve taco bar is literally at the bar inside National 27. There are a variety of taco fillings on offer, all served on a traditional corn tortilla.

I thought the salmon taco was a bit fishy, and the pastor a bit dry, but both were fine.

The chips were a highlight, obviously homemade, quite crunchy, and well salted. The salsa that came with the order of chips was a thick puree that tasted a bit like enchilada sauce. It was improved by adding some pico de gallo from the salsa bar.

Ceviche was quite good.

The “cheese crisp” was essentially an open face quesadilla, and not all that crisp.

Prices are excellent, and the food comes out from the kitchen quite fast.

Tallboy Taco
325 W Huron St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 488-4917
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tallboy-taco-chicago

South Water Kitchen

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Salmon salad

Bacon chive deviled eggs

Chicken sandwich

Pumpkin pancakes

Exterior

Interior

**** (4 stars)

Went for brunch. It met my criterion of having non-brunch foods at brunch, so that’s a win.

The chicken sandwich and accompanying fries were excellent, with a tender, succulent slab of chicken in a fresh onion roll, and nice crispy fries.

The salmon salad was unusually, being mostly composed of grain, with mixed in chunks of chilled salmon; I really liked it and it went perfectly with the Gainey chardonnay we ordered (a rare bottle to find in a Chicago restaurant).

The pumpkin pancakes were fluffy and accompanied by tasted pecans.

The only miss was the bacon and chive deviled eggs, which were almost good, but contained a bitter herb I couldn’t identify.

The restaurant is divided into a number of spaces on different levels, and has a nice ambience.

Service was friendly, and wines were half price on Sunday, which was a great deal.

South Water Kitchen
225 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 236-9300
https://www.yelp.com/biz/south-water-kitchen-chicago

Signature Lounge

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View from the ladies room

Lime, bramble, Pimm’s cup

*** (3 stars)

This is a place you go to for the view, of course. It’s a bit tired, and very crowded and noisy, but you can get a table, have a drink, and hope for a better table. Don’t go when it’s the least bit hazy, as visibility is worse than it seems at street level.

It’s certainly a better deal than the observation deck, since it’s free. On the other hand, you won’t get a 360 degree view. Since the space is divided into rooms you have to pick the direction you want to see. On the other, other hand you can get a drink while you enjoy the view. On the other, other, other hand it’s going to cost you about $16 a drink. So go on a clear day.

Signature Lounge
875 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 787-9596
https://www.yelp.com/biz/signature-lounge-chicago

GT Prime

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Entrance

Main dining room

Upstairs

Looking down at the kitchen

Kale Caesar

Carnivore: tenderloin, rib eye, wagyu, venison

Corn and shishito peppers

S’mores ice cream cake

Coffee & stout donuts

**** (4 stars)

This new GT restaurant is very different from its sister restaurant GT Fish & Oyster. In some ways it is more like the related Boka.

The space is mostly dark woods and stainless steel kitchen, although the underlying theme is intended to be a fanciful journey into the woods. We sat in a small upstairs space which was pleasantly isolated from the general hubub, and was quite nice, with interesting forest-themed woodwork and a dazzling light fixture. Given the size of the place, overall noise levels were reasonable, and the soundtrack is eclectic and interesting.

The idea here is to not be just another steakhouse, and they are succeeding with that. Although the emphasis is on red meat, portions are small, typically 4 ounces per person, and the side dishes are plentiful. There were some hits and misses, foodwise.

We started with the Kale Caesar, which had some nice croutons and incongruous cherry tomatoes. The kale was minced so finely that it was en route to tabbouleh, not really the consistency I was looking for. The Caesar dressing that was mixed into it was tasty, though.

Tuna Crudo was one of the standouts–delicate slices of tuna topped with red pepper and cilantro, and lightly sauced, perched atop shaved radish. This dish seemed like it came straight from a sashimi bar.

We shared the “Carnivore,” a sampler of tenderloin, rib eye, Wagyu and venison. The rib eye was the stand out here, and the Wagyu surprisingly came in last. This platter has four, 4-ounce servings of each, and is billed for four people, although two hungry people could no doubt polish it off.

The Brussels sprouts side was nicely caramelized, and probably didn’t need the prosciutto-like topping.

The better side was the Shishito peppers and corn, an unusual combination of lightly blistered peppers and delicious corn kernels creamed with Parmesan cheese.

S’mores Ice Cream Cake was well done, and tasted just like its name, but the real standout for dessert (and perhaps the whole meal) was the Coffee & Stout Donuts. These were served hot from the fryer, with a thick coffee dipping sauce and a wonderful crumb streusel to dip them into. Wow!

I probably wouldn’t go here for a steak, but I’d try some of the other mains, and focus on the appetizers, sides and desserts.

The wine list isn’t extensive, but there are some nice choices, although no bargains.

For a newly-opened restaurant, served was seamless and pleasant.

GT Prime
707 North Wells St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 600-6305
https://www.yelp.com/biz/gt-prime-chicago

Smyth

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Smyth: carrots cooked in beef fat with beef fat donut

Smyth: Tomato dessert

Smyth: Duck tongue cooked two ways

Smyth: Squab

Interior of Smyth

**** (4 stars)

Smyth is in the same class as Next, Oriole and Alinea. That’s some tough competition. The space is gorgeous, with a quiet but open kitchen along the back, and a large open dining room. The soundtrack is great, and at just the right level. So I’d rate it above the cramped Next, rustic, Oriole and stuffy Alinea.

Service was terrific. Each course was presented by a different chef, and the wine pairings were presented by a very personable sommelier. Front desk staff was also very welcoming, making the whole experience quite pleasant.

It’s the food that doesn’t quite live up to those competitors. True, you never know what you’re going to get at Next, but at Oriole and Alinea you can rely upon every component of every dish blending together in eye opening perfection. That was not the case here.

This is definitely a menu for adventurous eaters, with courses such as duck tongue presented two ways.

There were certainly some excellent individual components in the various courses (of which there were more than a dozen, counting the amuse bouches). But no single course every quite came together seamlessly. The Squab was delicious, but not improved by its accompaniments, the puree on which the lamb sat was exquisite, but the very vinegary black garlic sauce clashed, and an egg yolk and cream dessert would have been just as good without the egg.

The first few wines (of nine) in the pairing were a bit out there, but the latter wines were better than the pairings at the above mentioned restaurants, and an amaro went particularly well with one of the desserts.

For a restaurant open only a few weeks I was very impressed by Smyth. At over $500 for two people with the wine pairings, tax and gratuity I think it’s fair to expect a bit more, and I imagine that given a bit of time they will deliver on that promise.

Smyth
177 North Ada St
Chicago, IL 60607
(773) 913-3773
https://www.yelp.com/biz/smyth-chicago

Public House

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Pulled chicken salad

Smoked wings

Bar

*** (3 stars)

Public House is a cut above the average sports bar, with a more diverse menu that still includes all the basics. It has a good ambiance, and the background music is just the right volume.

The smoked wings were nice in that they weren’t breaded or particularly greasy, but they could have used more smoke flavor, and I’d have preferred a Buffalo sauce to the BBQ and white sauce they were served with.

The Pulled Chicken salad was an excellent mix of greens, apple, walnuts, dates,
avocado, fennel, cornbread croutons, goat cheese, honey-cilantro vinaigrette. Although they could have done a better job of separating the pulled chicken from the gristle, the combination of ingredients came through in a sum that was great than the individual parts.

Service (sitting at the bar) was fast and friendly.

Public House
400 N State St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 265-1240
https://www.yelp.com/biz/public-house-chicago

Hannah’s Bretzel

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Prep area

Exterior

Club baguette with almonds

*** (3 stars)

This is a pleasant counter service restaurant that specializes in sandwiches made on pretzel bread, hence the name. The bread is fairly small and it’s not that cheap, so don’t expect a Subway experience.

The focus is on fairly healthy combinations such as a turkey club. The health aspects are somewhat offset by the hundreds of chocolate bars lining the queue–dieters beware!

Service is well organized and there is a pleasant outside dining area.

Hannah’s Bretzel
400 N La Salle St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 621-1111
https://www.yelp.com/biz/hannahs-bretzel-chicago-7

Heaven on Seven Wabash

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BBQ Shrimp po’boy

Gumbo and jalapeno corn muffin

Entry

Interior

Hot sauce wall (only half of it!)

Interior

One table’s hot sauce

***** (5 stars)

This is a very good Cajun restaurant. No, it’s not as good as many in New Orleans, but it’s good. And what makes it special is the vibe, with its thousands of different hot sauces lining the walls (no, there are no repeats) and its perpetual Christmas-garlanded ceilings.

I started with a cup of the gumbo, which was excellent, with its generous helping of tender, flavorful Andouille sausage.

A jalapeno corn muffin wasn’t all that impressive compared to others I’ve had.

My main was a Cajun barbecued shrimp po’boy. The shrimp was very hot, with a slight saffron flavor, and the bread was nicely grilled. The whole mess (and I use the term intentionally) was covered in a flavorful Cajun gravy with just the right amount of spice. At first, as I picked at it with my fork, I thought it was just okay, but once I’d eaten enough shrimp to be able to pick the whole thing up and get a bite of everything, I really liked it.

Service was friendly and efficient. A lot of regulars came in and sat at the small, U-shaped lunch counter while I was there. I could tell it’s a place many people have been coming to for decades, and I can see why.

Heaven on Seven Wabash
111 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 263-6443
https://www.yelp.com/biz/heaven-on-seven-wabash-chicago

Papacito’s Mexican Grille

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Fish taco

Combo 1: enchilada and relleno

Exterior

Interior

** (2 stars)

This is mostly a counter serve restaurant, but there are a few small tables jammed into the tiny space and they do offer full table service. The best that can be said is that it’s a good deal to get the combo meal which includes a can of soda for $9. There was nothing remarkable about the enchilada or relleno, though. I also tried a fish taco, since they bragged about having been named the best fish taco, and it was okay. The pico de gallo on the fish taco was the most flavorful item I had. Service was friendly.

Papacito’s Mexican Grille
2960 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 327-5240
https://www.yelp.com/biz/papacitos-mexican-grille-chicago