A roundup of restaurants recently reviewed by restaurant critic Phil Vettel.
CUSTOM HOUSE (star)(star)(star) 500 S. Dearborn St., 312-523-0200. Shawn McClain, who has wowed diners with his seafood-focused Spring and veggie-centric Green Zebra, turns his skills to roasted meats in this handsome Printer’s Row spot inside Hotel Blake. The menu and location ensure a pricier dining experience than McClain’s fans have grown accustomed to, but lovingly handled meats and an array of intriguing side dishes–as well as pastry chef Elissa Narow’s desserts–justify the expense again and again. Recommended: Beef tartare, sweetbreads, baked Alaska. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Sat. Entree prices: $18-$38. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended weekends. Noise: Conversation friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible (through hotel entrance), valet parking, no smoking.
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.
DI PESCARA (star)(star) 2124 Northbrook Ct., Northbrook, 847-498-4321. An overnight success with its North Shore neighbors, Di Pescara might be the ideal shopping-mall restaurant. The cuisine is simple and approachable, the dining rooms are spacious without being unbearably noisy (though hardly quiet) and the menu is packed with budget-friendly innovations, the best of which is the “A-List” of $5 glasses of wine matched to specific entrees. And if you only have room at meal’s end for one or two bites of dessert, that’s exactly what you can order, as several full-size sweets are also offered in one- and two-bite portions. Recommended: Artichoke all’ Marco, shrimp Pescara, almond-crusted whitefish, Pescatore. Open: Dinner and lunch Mon.-Sun. Entree prices: $15.95-$28.95. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, 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, 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.
GAMBA (star)(star) 455 E. 84th Drive, Merrillville, Ind., 219-736-5000. If you’re looking for a good excuse to pull off I-65 and grab a bite, this offbeat Italian concept is perfect. Gamba looks like a circular fortress from the outside but there’s charm to spare within, thanks to a Jordan Mozer design that arranges the dining room (and several private spaces) around an outdoor courtyard in the center. The menu seesaws between traditional Italian creations and wild flights of fancy by Chef Simon Floyd; the Italian choices are safest but some of the whimsical items work OK, too. The overpriced wine list and scarcity of interesting by-the-glass choices are minuses. Recommended: Eggplant with ground veal, braised rabbit with polenta, scallops with wasabi cream sauce. Open: Dinner and lunch Mon.-Sat. Entree prices: $17-$32. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended weekends. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, smoking in lounge only.
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.
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. 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, 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. 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,” 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.
TRATTORIA GEMELLI (star)(star) 3755 Grand Blvd., Brookfield, 708-387-2445. A chummy trattoria with very good food and a staff that does just about everything right, Trattoria Gemelli is a big hit in restaurant-starved Brookfield. Chef Fiorenza Tasinato has a knack of making simple dishes sing with flavor. Recommended: Eggplant parmesan, Gemelli pizza, mixed-seafood grill, veal saltimbocca, cannoli “martini.” Open: Dinner and lunch Mon.-Sat. Entree prices: $11-$20. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Not accepted. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, no smoking.
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.
