The circle is complete. Before Michael Foley opened Printer`s Row to local and national acclaim in 1981 and then Foley`s First Street last summer, he had planned for three distinct restaurants in Chicago. With the recent opening of Foley`s Grand Ohio in partnership with his father, Robert, that goal is achieved.
Oddly, while the trend with some restaurateurs in Chicago and other cities is to open second and third restaurants that are smaller, less expensive and more casual, Foley has taken a different path.
With a capacity for 130 people, Foley`s Grand Ohio is one and a half times the size of Printer`s Row, more expensive than First Street, and the most conventional of the three.
Part of the conventional feeling is the location. It`s smack in the middle of the restaurant-heavy North Loop, a block east of Michigan Avenue. High ceilings, proportionally large oil paintings against off-white walls, spacious banquettes and generously sized tables covered with pale yellow linen give the impression of a fine hotel restaurant.
For traveling business people and those who work in the Loop, this is the most visible of the three restaurants. And that`s unfortunate.
Foley`s Grand Ohio is not the flagship, it`s the freighter. It`s not an artistic but rather a commercial end to the circle. That`s disappointing.
At his best, Foley takes fresh, chauvinistically American ingredients and prepares them with a bold, creative touch. When it works, it pays off with bonuses, such as Foley`s ”Who`s Who of American Cooking” award from Cook`s Magazine in 1984. When it doesn`t work, these attempts are interesting experiments at best.
The lime pasta, for example. Lime is nice. Pasta is nice. But when your head rests over a helping of the two put together, the aroma comes closer to shaving lotion. It doesn`t work. And to make matters worse, its teammate, a thick fillet of smoked salmon, is a bit too salty and dry to save the dish.
And the chicken confit. Confit is a laborious procedure in which meat, usually duck or goose, is rubbed with salt and spices, immersed and cooked in fat until very tender, then often stored in the flavorful fat for up to several months. Often, just before serving, the skin will be fried quickly to crisp it, but that isn`t done here. The meat tastes fine but the skin is limp with odd black specks. It`s hidden under a generous helping of vegetables, but is still unappetizing.
And yet, some very fine dishes reign at Foley`s Grand Ohio. They tend to be the soups, salads and grilled items, the kinds of dishes a lesser chef can handle, especially if there are good ingredients to work with.
Two of the soups are excellent. A mussel chowder with plenty of clean, plump bivalves has a creamy, sweet taste with a fine aroma of butter. A few crunchy corn kernels give a textural contrast, and for a kick, a touch of hot pepper and an assertive helping of cilantro are added. It`s a creative, good- tasting soup.
Vegetable soup has a full-bodied broth, heady with fresh thyme and rosemary, chunks of additional vegetables, and is beautifully presented in a metal charlotte bowl, very hot, with a bowl-sized crouton and a thick slice of swiss cheese melted on top.
Grilled duck foie gras is a winner. The rich liver benefits from a brief visit on a charcoal grill, then is teamed with endive spears filled with Michigan cherries in a tart vinaigrette.
A deviled crab appetizer has a clear, full flavor of crab, needing only a squirt of accompanying fresh lemon. Grilled tuna salad is generous enough to serve as a small entree. The fillet is lightly grilled to still raspberry-red in the center, a wonderful way to eat very fresh tuna, and served with a large radicchio leaf filled with peeled, cubed cucumber in aromatic sesame oil. A few black beans are scattered here and there to visually tie the dish together.
A juicy lamb sausage in a natural, crisp casing holds a nicely balanced curry spice mixture. The sausage stars on a mixed grill plate that also includes simple, moist, grilled chicken breast, some flavorful, fork-tender venison, and a thin slice of beef that has unfortunately been allowed to cook to medium well, robbing it of natural juices.
Homemade riesling ice cream is creamy, smooth and beautifully presented in two little scoops with thin, fanned slices of poached pear, a sprig of fresh mint and two tiny, heart-shaped puff pastries.
The wine list has a modest 60 bottles, about half from California, and leans toward whites. With warm weather, the French doors will open onto 30 sidewalk tables on Ohio Street.
For Foley`s big finale, this third restaurant is disappointing. Service is still a bit tentative, but its young staff should improve. But still, Foley`s Grand Ohio is worth a visit. Most diners, if they choose soups, salads and grilled items, should have a good meal from start to finish.
SIDE DISHES
— Village Smithy in Glencoe will honor poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with a celebration of his birthday, Feb. 27. The early-American style restaurant in a turn-of-the-century blacksmith shop will feature poetry reading by Glencoe resident Roland Calhoun, former village president and former owner of the Village Smithy. In addition to the regular menu, there will be a Maine lobster dinner at $16.95 per person and roasted prime rib of beef at $12.95 per person. For reservations, call 835-0220.
— Arnie`s, 1050 N. State St., has a new complimentary pre-dinner cocktail hour buffet that offers hot and cold entree-style dishes. Included during the special buffet hours, 5-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, are individual filet mignon sandwiches with mustard mayonnaise, mini-hamburgers with toppings, angel hair pasta with marinara or white clam sauce, chicken wings with plum sauce, homemade chili with sour cream, fresh vegetables, domestic and imported cheeses and sliced, fresh fruit.
CORRECTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS
In last week`s restaurant review, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, 2024 N. Halsted St., was inadvertently assigned three stars. The correct rating should be two stars. The Tribune regrets the error.
FOLEY`S GRAND OHIO (STAR)
211 E. OHIO ST./645-1261
American
Hours: lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; dinner, 5:30-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., to 11 p.m. Fri., Sat. Closed Sunday. Price range: dinner with appetizer, soup or salad, entree, dessert, tax and tip, $19-$42 a person. Credit cards: American Express, Carte Blanche, Diners, MasterCard, Visa. Reservations: Accepted.
The ratings reflect the reviewer`s opinion of the food in relation to price compared with other similar restaurants in the Chicago area. Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. More visits are made when necessary. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. All meals are paid for by The Tribune.
(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR) Outstanding
(STAR)(STAR)(STAR) Excellent
(STAR)(STAR) Very Good
(STAR) Good
Fair
Poor
