It’s tough being the middle child, who is neither the first nor the last, neither the mature leader nor the cute new arrival.
Some of that middle-child syndrome may be affecting Grapes, the second of Steve Chiappetti’s (with partner George Guggeis) three restaurants. While the acclaimed Mango is an ongoing success story, and newborn Rhapsody is still brimming with potential, 6-month-old Grapes is somewhere in between.
On the positive side, the food is very good, and sometimes fabulous, at prices (every entree is less than $20) that make Grapes an exceptional value. Chiappetti’s wide-ranging menu makes authoritative stops in France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco and the Middle East; apart from Mantuano Mediterranean Kitchen, the three-star restaurant in NBC Tower, there isn’t a better Mediterranean menu in town.
But while the food is in great shape, the rest of the operation is holding Grapes back. Spotty service and an uncomfortable dining room are speed bumps on what ought to be a smooth culinary road, and the sooner those trouble spots are attended to, the better.
First, the food. The menu includes more than a dozen appetizers; the indecisive may opt for an assortment of three chef-selected appetizers for $15 ($13 at lunch). Though the menu calls this a “tapas style” assortment, the plates, brought tableside on a tiered plate stand, are hefty in portion and easily enough for four.
If you’re ordering a la carte, you’ll want to include the grilled octopus. The bite-sized pieces of octopus have superior texture, firm without a hint of rubberiness, and their flavor is enhanced by a splash of red-wine vinaigrette, along with thin-sliced tomatoes, caramelized onions and fresh basil.
Also not to be missed are the chickpea fritters, another dish rendered wonderful by flawless texture. Chiappetti’s version of felafel is crunchy outside and impossibly light and delicate inside, served over pita bread with a yogurt sauce flavored with garlic, cilantro, cumin, a touch of mango and cucumbers — rather like a contemporary spin on tzatziki.
Other treats include thin eggplant slices wrapped around spinach, golden raisins and pine nuts, with a red-pepper puree sauce that has a hint of spicy harissa to it. Braised mussels arrive in a sturdy stock with lots of black olives and caper berries, but the mussels have enough flavor to distinguish themselves. Taramasalata, a smooth-whipped blend of milk-soaked foccacia and salmon roe, comes with gaufrette potatoes and firm cucumber slices for dipping.
Assertive seasoning distinguishes the best entrees as well. Pan-seared seabass sits on a pile of arugula dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, along with a ragout of black olives, caper berries and pickled tomatoes. A lively spice rub enhances excellent pork tenderloin served with oven-roasted potatoes.
More conservative entrees work just as well. The kitchen makes a very straightforward osso bucco, the lamb shank given a hint of lemon and paired with risotto Milanese. Onion-crusted chicken is moist and delicious, served with crispy pommes frites. And a traditional Moroccan tagine of curried lamb over couscous, with vegetables, golden raisins and almonds, is delightful.
Desserts include a slightly dry but nicely bittersweet flourless chocolate cake; a decadent berry tart in which a slab of white chocolate stands in for pastry cream; and a nicely tart lemon meringue pie, a pretty concoction with soft, oven-browned meringue peaks.
The wine list, by manager and sommelier Michel Guth (who runs the wine program at Mango and Rhapsody as well), has been improving steadily. The by-the-glass selection is especially nice, and the bottle list is well-chosen and fairly priced (as you might expect from a restaurant called Grapes).
Service needs attention. The first night I had a couple of my pet-peeve buttons pushed, beginning with the expediter who announced each entree and waited for someone to claim it; the waitress did the same thing with desserts. On a follow-up visit, another waitress was so lax in repouring wine (bottles are stashed away from the table) that we finally insisted that she leave the bottle with us.
The operative words for the dining room are cramped and noisy. Though the floor is carpeted and there are some fabrics on the ceiling and walls, the 44-seat room reverberates with sound. Tables are so tiny and close together that merely making your way in and out of the restaurant will put you in contact with strangers. (We noted with some apprehension the presence of flaming saganaki on the appetizer list; we’d guard our eyebrows if the table next to ours ordered this.) Chairs are utilitarian, the banquette seats are hard and unforgiving, and on cold days the room is drafty. At least the decor, apparently done by someone on a Pottery Barn shopping spree, is pretty.
Chiappetti’s excellent, budget-friendly food is more than adequate compensation for the service lapses and less-than-luxurious atmosphere. But these shortcomings will have to be addressed if Grapes is to be known as anything other than Mango’s less-accomplished little brother.
———-
Grapes
(star) (star)
733 N. Wells St.
312-943-4500
Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Fri.
Entree prices: $11-$19
Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V
Reservations: Strongly recommended
Other: Valet parking available
Rating system
(star) (star) (star) (star) Outstanding
(star) (star) (star) Excellent
(star) (star) Very Good
(star) Good
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
