I really wanted to give Saussy three stars. That’s how much I like the place, how impressed I am with chef Jephanie Foster’s cooking, how certain I am that this restaurant has a brilliant future.
But I pulled up short, mostly because there are still a few unplugged holes in the Saussy dining experience. The dessert selection is very limited (though I like what I’ve tasted so far) and still developing. The liquor license, which is in the works, probably won’t be issued for a couple of weeks at least; though that’s good news for bargain hunters (bring your own wine and save a bundle), I still haven’t seen the wine list, nor do I know how well the waiters understand it. Even valet parking, a thoughtful though not essential feature in this neighborhood, isn’t up and running yet.
Saussy is not quite as good as it’s going to be. Happily, it’s very good already.
The 50-seat Near West Sider occupies the space that was once Savannah’s. The decor isn’t fancy, but the room is attractive and comfortable, with white linen-topped tables that are generously spaced. Two window-side tables, raised above floor level and flanking the front door, are especially appealing. Well-worn hardwood floors and a handsome oak bar give the room a sense of permanence. Smoking is permitted at a few back tables only.
Foster, who grew up in Florida and is half-Japanese, has cooked at Cuban-Mexican and Thai-Japanese restaurants, giving her a strong background in ethnic flavors. Her versatility is demonstrated in Saussy’s ever-changing menus, which feature mojito-marinated Opah (mojito is a Cuban rum and mint drink; Opah is a Hawaiian fish) with beet-infused couscous and minted shrimp ceviche, as well as tempura softshell crabs with a soy-glazed seaweed salad.
A sweet nectarine glaze works very well with crispy wontons stuffed with goat cheese, lump crabmeat and an aggressive jolt of jalapeno. Chipotle-corn soup could have been hotter in two respects; the chipotle presence was not terribly obvious, and the soup itself arrived merely lukewarm.
But hamachi tartare, dressed with a sesame-chive emulsion, is lovely, and seared foie gras is a pretty thing, perched on matchsticks of beet and Granny Smith apple.
Entrees include a pair of gorgeous quails, stuffed with mushrooms and smoked bacon and served with caramelized brussels sprouts; and a terrific cumin-crusted pork tenderloin with mustard slaw and a ragout of corn and white beans. Mahi-mahi works well with an Asian mustard glaze and sweet chile sauce; braised veal shank with rich au gratin potatoes is sophisticated comfort food.
As enticing as the a la carte dishes are, your best bet may be to go with a spontaneous tasting, which is available daily — although servers sometimes forget to mention it (it’s not on the menu, though it probably should be). Tastings begin at four courses for $40 and scale upwards from there, limited only by your senses of gustatory and financial daring.
Whatever the number of courses, what emerges will be more than you expect. My so-called four-course tasting turned out to be a six-course dinner, the bonuses being a delicious, piping-hot curried asparagus soup and a duo of salads — long romaine leaves dressed with a Dijon vinaigrette and a melange of lettuces with plum tomatoes stuffed with mild gorgonzola cheese.
Along with those dishes were ravioli stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, herbs and mascarpone cheese; a sturdy duck and shiitake-mushroom risotto, beef tenderloin with zinfandel-cherry reduction sauce and a dessert assortment. At $40, this has to be one of the best bargains in town.
Though the dessert list needs more variety, the few items that are available aren’t bad at all. I’ve had a nicely executed gingered creme brulee, crispy banana turnovers with banana-Kahlua gelato, a slightly overthick almond tuile filled with white-chocolate semifreddo and a very satisfying chocolate dried-cherry bread pudding with Tahitian vanilla gelato. By the time you read this, Foster may have added a cheese plate as well.
Service is very good. Waiters may not grasp the menu fully, but with a changing-daily menu and a repertoire as varied as Foster’s, that’s a forgivable shortcoming. More important is the evident emphasis on hospitality and customer recognition; they do a good job coddling the clientele.
I don’t particularly like the name Saussy — how’s that for picking nits? Apparently owners Eric Webber and Douglas Hamrick wanted to call the place Saucy, but couldn’t get rights to the name and settled for a homonym. Although in a season in which we’ve seen new restaurants named Karizma, NoMI, Naha and Mod, Saussy seems practically coherent by comparison.
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Saussy
(star) (star)
1156 W. Grand Ave.
312-491-1122
Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., brunch Sun.
Entree prices: $18-$25
Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V
Reservations: Strongly recommended on weekends
Noise: Conversation-friendly
Other: Wheelchair accessible
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.
