A roundup of restaurants recently reviewed by restaurant critic Phil Vettel.
CARNIVALE (star)(star)(star) 702 W. Fulton Market, 312-850-5005. Jerry Kleiner’s latest concept is a multi-level pan-Latin restaurant with the look of a hot nightclub and the price tag of a neighborhood eatery. Don’t call the melange of Caribbean and Central-American cuisine “Nuevo Latino,” however; chef Mark Mendez prefers “Latin soul food,” as his cooking is simpler and more homespun than some of the fusion that nuevo embraces. Recommended: Fluke ceviche, beet salad, rum-glazed pork shoulder, Guatemalan chicken, mango upside-down cake. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun. Entree prices: $14-$35. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, $5 valet parking, smoking in bar only.
CUATRO (star)(star)(star) 2030 S. Wabash Ave., 312-842-8856. A contemporary South Loop spot with a nightlife vibe, Cuatro offers sophisticated surroundings and the multifaceted nuevo Latino cooking of Bryan Garcia, who flits from country to country and shifts from contemporary to traditional dishes with seamless ease. Live music and livelier cocktails are major pluses, as is the generally attentive service. If you’re in the neighborhood for lunch, Garcia’s tortas gigantes are very satisfying, and the Bossa Nova brunch is accompanied by live music. Recommended: Salmon-scallops ceviche, moqueca do mar, pork chop, chocolate-truffle martini. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Tue.-Fri., brunch Sun. Entree prices: $12-$27. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended weekends. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, no smoking.
DAVID BURKE’S PRIMEHOUSE (star)(star) 616 N. Rush St., 312-660-6000. A steakhouse that dry-ages its prime beef in a salt-lined room below the dining room, Primehouse appeals to the younger steak-lover with hip decor and creative culinary items from its namesake founding chef. Steaks typically spend 28 days in the aging room, but from time to time a 40-day steak might be available for a price upgrade. Recommended: Surf-and-turf dumplings, porterhouse for one, 40-day ribeye, “rack of cookies.” Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., breakfast and lunch Mon.-Fri., brunch Sat.-Sun. Entree prices: $22-$42. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, no smoking.
DEL TORO (star)(star)(star) 1520 N. Damen Ave., 773-252-1500. There’s a lot of bull about this restaurant, and I mean that in a good way. Horn-shaped lights jut aggressively from one wall, another wall boasts an animal-hide cover accented with artistic gashes; undulating curves on the bar and ceiling recall a matador’s cape, as does the back room, swathed in a multitude of red fabrics. Andy Zimmerman’s tapas menu includes just enough traditional dishes to establish credibility, but for the most part steers clear of the tried-and-true. The joint is too noisy, but what tapas bar isn’t? Recommended: Cabrales and date croquettas, sashimi-style scallops, chorizo-stuffed calamari, rainbow trout, lamb chops, bread pudding. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., brunch Sun. Tapas prices: $3-$16. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking.
DELEECE (star)(star) 4004 N. Southport Ave., 773-325-1710. Such customer-friendly features as a $20 three-course menu on Mondays-Tuesdays, half-price wine bottles Wednesdays and free WiFi access during lunch help distinguish this Wrigleyville mainstay. That, and the very good American food by chef Steven Obendorf, and the restaurant’s urban-casual atmosphere and friendly, laid-back service. Recommended: Pot stickers, duck breast with sweet-pea ravioli, skirt steak, chocolate-chip banana-bread pudding. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Tue.-Fri., brunch Sat.-Sun. Entree prices: $15-$29. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended weekends. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, no smoking.
FULTON’S ON THE RIVER (star)(star)(star) 315 N. LaSalle St., 312-822-0100. With its riverside location and historic-loft charm, Fulton’s looks every bit the sophisticated steak and seafooder that it sets out to be. The beef is all USDA prime; the seafood, particularly the oysters, is pristine and there’s just enough imagination in the menu to distinguish it from the rest of the pack. When summer ushers in outdoor-dining season, the dual riverside patios should contain some of the most sought-after tables in town. Recommended: Oysters, crabcake, tuna Three Ways, lamb chops, bread pudding. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Fri. Entree prices: $18.95-$46.95. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking.
IL MULINO NEW YORK (star)(star) 1150 N. Dearborn St., 312-440-8888. This NYC import tries to wow its patrons with ritual and extravagance, from the showy, chandelier-filled dining rooms to the myriad bits of tableside ministrations applied by the tuxedoed waitstaff. It’s all a bit over the top and, not surprisingly, so are the prices, as evidenced by $23 langoustine-and-risotto appetizers and similarly eye-popping tariffs for whole fish and veal dishes. High-quality ingredients are pluses; minuses include too-close tables and the lack of a suitable waiting area (a downstairs lounge is under construction). Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Fri. Entree prices: $24.75-$48. Credit cards: A, DC, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Valet parking, no smoking.
QUARTINO (star)(star)(star) 626 N. State St., 312-698-5000. Perhaps the best of Chicago’s small-plate Italian concepts, Quartino abounds with $7 pastas, $5 salads and $12 entrees–more than confirming its “you can’t afford not to eat here” motto. You sacrifice white tablecloths to eat like this, and meal timing is nonexistent (dishes arrive in the order they’re ready, and just about everything comes up quickly), but the menu is ambitiously large and the food is uniformly impressive. And the atmosphere, which juxtaposes old-fashioned deli cases with plasma TVs flashing subtitled Italian cinema, is invigorating, though noisy. Recommended: Fava bean panino, grappa-cured salmon, bigoli with duck ragu, asparagus risotto, profiteroles. Open: Dinner and lunch Mon.-Sun. Entree prices: $12. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, $5 valet parking, kitchen open until 1 a.m.
RHAPSODY (star)(star)(star) 65 E. Adams St., 312-786-9911. Rhapsody is a restaurant attached to Symphony Center that has quietly become one of the best fine-dining options in the Loop, thanks to the unique stylings of Chef Doran Payne, who insinuates the flavors of his native St. Lucia into his cooking. He makes liberal use of fruit, for example, though the food reflects Payne’s European training more than anything. An aggressive beverage program, attentive service and a delightful outdoor garden are all pluses. Built as part of Symphony Center, Rhapsody serves first and foremost to feed the CSO subscribers enroute to performances, but Payne’s food makes Rhapsody a worthwhile destination even when–make that especially when–the performance space is dark. Recommended: Duck pastrami salad, gnocchi with shrimp, halibut with passionfruit butter, chocolate Symphony. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sat., lunch Mon.-Fri. Entree prices: $21-$28. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, no smoking.
SCHWA (star)(star)(star) 1466 N. Ashland Ave., 773-252-1466. Plenty of people pay handsomely to dine at “chef tables,” in order to observe and interact with the kitchen staff. At Schwa, that interaction comes at a relative bargain price, because although the entrees are in the upper-$20s and lower $30s, you bring your own wine. Though the food, by chef/owner Michael Carlson, is imaginative and artistic and reflective of Carlson’s work under uber-chef Grant Achatz, there is no army of servers to pamper you. Indeed, there is only Carlson and sous Nathan Klingball more often than not, which means the chef or sous will be the person taking your order. (Then again, there are only 28 seats, and Carlson is stingy with his reservations, which are a must.) The $85 degustation, a virtual menu tour, is probably the best way to go, though a la carte works fine as well. Just bring a variety of wines if you’re concerned about food matches. Open: Dinner Tue.-Sat. Entree prices: $21-$35. Credit cards: M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: No smoking.
SCYLLA (star)(star)(star) 1952 N. Damen Ave., 773-227-2995. Stephanie Izard is one sweet chef, which she demonstrates daily at her charming, 50-seat Bucktown restaurant. Izard works a little hint of sweetness into just about everything she cooks, but balances flavors so precisely that it never seems like overkill. Scylla takes its name from a mythological nymph-turned-sea-monster (which explains the seafood-focused menu), but there’s nothing inhospitable about the charming and knowledgeable service or the intimate atmosphere. And Scylla caters to just-stopping-by locals with an appealing bar menu of $5 nibbles. Recommended: Lobster profiteroles, escargot-stuffed figs, grouper with sweetbreads, beignets. Open: Dinner Tue.-Sun. Entree prices: $17-$25. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Valet parking, no smoking.
SOLA (star)(star)(star) 3868 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-327-3868. Chef Carol Wallack is flying high with her first solo (or sola) effort, a contemporary American dining room whose menu gives full play to Wallack’s surfer-girl fondness for Californian and Hawaiian flavors. Interesting textures highlight the kitchen creations, served in a sophisticated dining room loaded with light wood and neutral tones. Friendly and precise service is a particular strength. Recommended: Lobster-shiitake pot stickers, crab cakes, miso black cod, duck breast, citrus pound cake. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Thu.-Sat., brunch Sat.-Sun. Entree prices: $14-$26. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, no smoking.
TERRAGUSTO (star)(star) 1851 W. Addison St., 773-248-2777. Cute, modestly priced (and BYO) and attitude-free despite its strong commitment to organic, local products, Terragusto is a delightful neighborhood restaurant, particularly if this happens to be your neighborhood. Parking can be tricky, and don’t even think about visiting without a reservation, as Terragusto’s 28 seats fill up fast. Homemade pastas are the big draw; during the day you can cruise by and see owner Theo Gilbert or one of his underlings making fresh pasta by the front window. Recommended: Mozzarella “in a carriage,” verde alla bolognese, stracci with mushrooms. Open: Dinner Wed-Sun., lunch Wed.-Fri., brunch Sat.-Sun. Entree prices: $13-$19. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: BYOB; no smoking.
TIMO (star)(star) 464 N. Halsted St., 312-226-4300. The eight-year-old French bistro Thyme has been transformed by chef/owner John Bubala into a rustic-Italian concept. Bubala continues to use his wood-burning rotisserie to great effect (particularly with chicken and lamb dishes), and one or two Thyme signatures remain on the menu, so the change won’t come as a shock to any long-time customers. Indeed, they’ll probably like most of the new dishes. Recommended: Parmesan shrimp in vanilla nage, prosciutto with organic ricotta, duck with polenta, pineapple cake. Open: Dinner Tue.-Sun. Entree prices: $18-$28. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking.
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Ratings key:
OUTSTANDING (star)(star)(star)(star)
EXCELLENT (star)(star)(star)
VERY GOOD (star)(star)
GOOD (star)
Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
