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, 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. An ambitious wine program and well-informed service are icing on the cake. Recommended: Beet-rocket salad, gruyere-stuffed quail, 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.
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 already a magnet for the well-dressed set. Recommended: Rainbow ceviche, marlin tacos, shrimp chicharrones, churrasco, 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.
NICHE ***
14 S. Third St., Geneva; 630-262-1000. Once there was a stellar contemporary-American restaurant in the Fox Valley called 302 West. When that restaurant was sold in spring 2006, its chef, wine directors and most of the other staffers banded together to open this cozy 72-seater a half-year later. Fans of the old 302 will find plenty of similarities in Niche’s scrupulously seasonal menu and unerring seafood preparations, but this impressive newcomer is definitely a new chapter for chef Jeremy Lycan, manager/sommelier Jody Richardson, and crew. Recommended: Smoked sturgeon, grouper with crawfish, pecan-crusted walleye, roasted duck breast, chocolate assortment. Open: Dinner Tue.-Sat. Entree prices: $27-$32. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, 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: 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.
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. 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.
THE STAINED GLASS ***
1735 Benson Ave., Evanston; 847-864-8600. Rarely do food and wine match so beautifully as they do at this North Shore stunner, where chef Victor Hernandez’ superb contemporary-American food is supported by a fine beverage program that offers wines by the bottle, glass, or flight. Recommended: Foie-gras BLT, baked artichoke, lamb rack with white-truffle creme brulee, chocolate cubed dessert. Open: Dinner Mon., Wed.-Sun. Entree prices $14.75-$29.75. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking weekends, no smoking.
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. The one-time chef of Mango (which closed to make room for development) has attached himself to this attached-to-a-hotel dining room 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, 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, 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.
Ratings key:
OUTSTANDING ****
EXCELLENT ***
VERY GOOD **
GOOD *
Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
