First bite: V.I.C.E.
It seems like the crop of downtown late-night dining spots is growing every night. And the brand new V.I.C.E. (with a kitchen open until 1 a.m. most nights) offers many virtues in this department.
A sister to the adjacent Vivo, V.I.C.E. calls itself an “amuse-bouche boutique.” Its food, directed by chef Chris Laramie, turns out to be a lot less precious and a lot more generous than the moniker suggests. First up were a half-dozen plump Kumamoto oysters ($16) served with a sweet champagne mignonette, cocktail sauce and a killer creme fraiche and dill sauce. But the loveliest savory was the $10 pair of juicy “2 oz. Kobe Burgers” topped with crisp pancetta, arugula, Camembert and truffle oil between ultra-fresh brioche. While it’s true I’ll eat just about anything drizzled with truffle oil, this was a perfect combination of textures and flavors.
Finishers were warm S’mores ($2) featuring a graham cracker boat carrying raspberry ganache and toasted marshmallow, and the wonderfully sticky seasonal (peach and plum) stone fruit tart tartin ($4). V.I.C.E., 840 W. Randolph St.; 312-733-3379
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