A roundup of restaurants recently reviewed by restaurant critic Phil Vettel.
AIGRE DOUX ***
230 W. Kinzie St., 312-329-9400. Though the name means “sweet and sour,” there’s scarcely a distasteful note to be found in this remarkable restaurant, run by husband-wife team Mohammad Islam (chef) and Malika Ameen (pastry chef). Nominally an American restaurant, Aigre Doux’s menu incorporates a multitude of global influences and knowing twists on classic cooking (Mediterranean lamb and couscous becoming American lamb chops over Perigord-butter grits, for instance). Recommended: Mussels in Thai broth, artichoke soup with bay scallops, slow-baked salmon, sticky toffee pudding, creme fraiche panna cotta. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sat., lunch Mon.-Fri., brunch Sat.-Sun. Entree prices: $24-$34. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Valet parking, no smoking.
CAFE MATOU ***
1846 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-384-8911. A 60-seat cafe with handsome oak French doors and eye-catching abstract art, this edge-of-Bucktown hangout is almost too comfortable to be a bistro, despite Charlie Socher’s excellent French cooking and neighborhood-friendly prices (augmented by a weekday $23 prix-fixe and other bargains). An ambitious wine program and well-informed service are icing on the cake. Recommended: Beet-rocket salad, blanquette de veau, parfait glace. Open: Dinner Tue.-Sun. Entree prices: $17.75-$21.50. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible (front entrance one step, back entrance available), no smoking.
CHALKBOARD ***
4343 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-477-7144. Gilbert Langlois (ex-Rushmore, SushiSamba Rio) brings his creative-comfort-food act to the Lincoln Square neighborhood with this 62-seat charmer, a beautiful dining room full of uncluttered elegance, enlivened by the occasional appearance of the chef’s son, Owen. Arrive 15 minutes early and spend the time hunting for a metered parking space. Recommended: Grilled quail with “secret” stuffing; beet salad, striped bass, fried chicken, bread pudding. Open: Dinner Mon, Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. Entree prices: $15-$28. Credit cards: A, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, no smoking.
DELACOSTA ***
465 E. Illinois St., 312-464-1700. Douglas Rodriguez earned his “father of Nuevo Latino cuisine” label at his New York City restaurants in the ’90s, but his better-late-than-never 2006 arrival in River East shows that the chef still has fresh and original things to say. His vibrant ceviches, sliced and marinated to order, virtually sing with flavor and the rest of the menu sparkles with freshness and fun. The solarium bar, which overlooks Ogden Slip, is a magnet for the well-dressed set. Recommended: Rainbow ceviche, marlin tacos, chocolate tres leches cake. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Fri. Entree prices: $21-$38. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible (separate entrance), valet parking, no smoking.
LE LAN ***
749 N. Clark St., 312-280-9100. The arrival of chef Bill Kim has invigorated and focused the kitchen of this River North restaurant; hot and sour soup becomes haute cuisine in Kim’s hands, as do any number of prosaic sounding, brilliantly executed dishes. Exemplary service and a food-friendly wine list are significant pluses. Recommended: Pork-shrimp spring rolls, tea-smoked duck, mahi-mahi with pineapple-cucumber relish, white kimchi, lemon-coconut creme brulee. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sat. Entree prices: $20-$36. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, no smoking.
OSTERIA DI TRAMONTO ***
601 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling; 847-777-5608. Chef Rick Tramonto goes rustic Italian in this cavernous but good-looking (the brick-domed ceiling is worth a visit all by itself) restaurant inside the Westin Chicago North Shore hotel. The decor will put you in mind of a Tuscan house of worship, and in that vein Tramonto gives Italian tradition its due devotion. Recommended: Quartet of mozzarella, Tramonto pizza, monkfish osso buco, orange-ricotta cannoli. Open: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Mon.-Sun., brunch Sun. Entree prices: $13.95-$36.95. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, no smoking.
PALERMO’S *
11255 W. 143d St., Orland Park, 708-364-6700. A family Italian restaurant best known for its pizza is not where one expects to find a French-trained chef, but Reinhard Barthel, late of Cafe 36, is expanding his repertoire these days at this ambitious young offspring of the original Palermo’s near Midway Airport. Barthel’s cooking is deeply respectful of Italian cuisine, but his menu offers more depth than most similar operations ever attempt. Recommended: Arancini, gamberi sambuca, spaghetti amatriciana, veal braciole. Open: Dinner Mon., Wed-Sun. Entree prices: $16-$25. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended weekends. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, no smoking.
PANE CALDO **
72 E. Walton St., 312-649-0055. Though it sits on one of the Gold Coast’s most tony streets, this 70-seat jewel is anything but ostentatious, though it’s comfortable enough (comically small restrooms aside). Veteran chef Maurice Bonhomme adds a French lilt to the nominally Italian menu, seen in his complimentary amuses and his complex, understated sauces. The wine list is broad and impressive. Recommended: Lobster mille-feuille, black-grouper ceviche, mushroom risotto, chocolate trio. Open: Dinner and lunch Mon.-Sun. Entree prices: $31-$37; tasting menu $69-$95. Credit cards: A, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Hushed. Other: No smoking.
PARLOR * 1745 W. North Ave., 773-782-9000.
This 36-seater (there’s room for another 30 on the patio) offers laid-back atmosphere and more skillful cooking than the modest-sounding menu and budget-friendly prices would suggest. Service can be spotty, especially at the always-crowded weekend brunch when the kitchen can get overtaxed. On the whole there’s a lot to like. Recommended: Chicken and waffles, s’more bomb. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. Entree prices: $15-$27. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Valet parking Thu.-Sat.
RICCARDO TRATTORIA ***
2119 N. Clark St., 773-549-0038. Riccardo Michi was an executive chef with the Bice restaurant group for many years, and Lincoln Park locals are thrilled to be getting Bice-quality food at neighborhood-trattoria prices — one of the big reasons that it’s hard to get a reservation at this narrow 50-seater. Michi’s robust, rustic cooking is first-rate and attitude free; he’s as happy to make a sinfully rich spaghetti carbonara as he is to laboriously create tripe Florentine, a signature dish that has developed something of a cult following. Recommended: Tuna carpaccio, orecchietti with boar sausage, lobster risotto, ricotta cheesecake. Open: Dinner Tue.-Sun. Entree prices: $12-$24. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, no smoking.
SAGE GRILL **
260 Green Bay Rd., Highwood, 847-433-7005. An attractive American bistro with wide-ranging appeal, Sage Grill has enough high-end dishes to appeal to luxury diners but plenty of options under $20 and a prix-fixe option (four courses, $45), among other customer-friendly touches. And don’t skip Brenda Manfredini’s desserts. Recommended: Balsamic-glazed quail, lobster gnocchi, espresso sundae. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun. Entree prices: $14-$32. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, smoking in bar only.
TRAMONTO’S STEAK & SEAFOOD ***
601 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling; 847-777-6575. Chef Rick Tramonto applies a gourmet touch and his trademark showmanship to the steakhouse concept in this dining room in the Westin Chicago North Shore hotel. The menu offers such throwbacks as iceberg-wedge salad and shrimp cocktail, and the shellfish platters are named after characters from “Gilligan’s Island.” All this in a theatrical setting with a 30-foot-tall wine wall, water walls and other eye candy. Recommended: Frog legs, beef tartare, ribeye steak, lemon-meringue tart. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun. Entree prices: $19-$47. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, no smoking.
VIAND ***
155 E. Ontario St., 312-255-8505. Steven Chiappetti is back in the city. The one-time chef of Mango (which closed to make room for development) has attached himself to this attached-to-a-hotel dining room just steps east of Michigan Avenue and is cranking out the sort of unaffected, flavor-packed cuisine that made him a hero to downtown foodies years ago. Whimsical, prop-filled presentations make gazing at Chiappetti’s food almost as fun as eating it. Recommended: Lamb riblets, roasted chicken, lamb tagine, Junk-Food plate. Open: Dinner, lunch, breakfast Mon.-Sun. Entree prices: $15-$24. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, no smoking.
XEL-HA **
710 N. Wells St., 312-573-9947. The much-traveled Dudley Nieto is behind this River North newcomer, a Mexican restaurant that focuses on the Mayan-influenced cooking of the Yucatan Peninsula — which promises slow-cooked, achiote-marinated meats and citrus-drenched seafood. The restaurant has its rough edges, but Nieto is cooking as well here as he ever has. Recommended: Cochinita pibil, los tres ceviches, panuchos de pato, spice-rubbed ribeye steak, cuatro leches cake. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sat., lunch Mon.-Fri. Entree prices: $14.95-$22.95. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, parking lot ($10) across street.
ZAPATISTA *
1307 S. Wabash Ave., 312-435-1307. This modestly ambitious South Loop restaurant takes its name from a Mexican revolutionary, but there’s nothing subversive about the menu, which sticks for the most part to tried-and-true staples, capably executed. The fajitas are particularly good here, as are the daily specials, which typically outshine the everyday fare. Zapatista draws a good-sized after-5 crowd. Recommended: Sorpresa Veracruzano, scallops with tomatillo-avocado salsa, steak and lobster fajitas. Open: Dinner and lunch Mon.-Sun. Entree prices: $8.99-$24.99. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking.
ZOCALO **
358 W. Ontario St., 312-302-9977. The former Chilpancingo space has had its carnival colors muted to soothing earth tones, but Saul Roman’s Mexican cooking is plenty eye-opening on its own. About three-quarters of the menu consists of small-plate dishes priced from $6-$9, though there are 10 entrees for those who prefer more traditional dining. Service is a bit by the numbers but keeps up with the speedy kitchen. Recommended: Guacamole trio, fish tacos, octopus ceviche, pork tenderloin, steak Oaxaqueno. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Fri. Entree prices: $14-$22. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended weekends. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, no smoking.
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Ratings key:
OUTSTANDING ****
EXCELLENT ***
VERY GOOD **
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.
