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). The result is delicious food that’s also intellectually satisfying, and, when paired with careful, spot-on service and a thoughtful wine list, adds up to a superb dining experience. 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.
BRAVO TAPAS *
2047 W. Division St.; 773-278-2727. Night-clubby design meets respectable tapas menu in this year-old concept, a multi-level space with main- and upper-level dining and a downstairs lounge. It’s a neat space, worthy of a little dress-up but with a laid-back vibe, and though the tapas can be hit or miss, the hits are in the majority. It’s best to order as you go along; the kitchen is pretty quick and the narrow tables won’t accommodate more than three tapas dishes at once (which won’t prevent the servers from bringing them out). Recommended: Any empanada, scallops with mashed sweet potatoes, ceviche Bravo. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. Tapas prices: $6-$10. Credit cards: A, M, V. Reservations: Recommended weekends. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking.
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.-Sun. Entree prices: $15-$28. Credit cards: A, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, no smoking.
FIXTURE *
2706 N. Ashland Ave.; 773-248-3331. When is a small-plates restaurant not a small-plates restaurant? When it’s this year-old, 30-seat neighborhood spot, where chef Sarah Nelson cranks out portions that are about the size entrees would be if anybody listened to nutritionists’ advice. Choose judiciously among the three-dozen menu items, therefore, because three is all you’ll manage. Recommended: Chicken croquettes with caponata, chile-marinated lobster ceviche, suckling pig with habanero barbecue sauce, orange cheesecake. Open: Dinner Tue.-Sun. Prices: Small plates $6-$13. Credit cards: DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, no smoking.
HARO *
2436 S. Oakley St.; 773-847-2400. In the sea of quality Italian restaurants that is the Heart of Italy neighborhood sits this improbable upstart, a classic tapas restaurant that is homey and unpretentious and something of a magnet for young adults in the later hours. It doesn’t take much to fill up this 47-seater, so reservations are a must, unless you arrive early. Warm-weather lunches are a good option, too. Recommended: Chicken roulades with Iberico cheese, tortilla espanola, oxtail-stuffed piquillo peppers. Open: Dinner and lunch Tue.-Sat. Tapas prices: $5-$8. Credit cards; A, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Valet parking.
KODA **
10352 S. Western Ave.; 773-445-5632. Although owners Janice and Patrick Daley have been praised for opening this bistro in the restaurant-deprived Beverly neighborhood, the truth is that Koda would be a welcome addition just about anywhere. Chef Aaron Browning brings a lot of experience to a menu that incorporates French classics with more contemporary dishes. Service needs polish, but is certainly friendly and eager enough, and in addition to a handsome, understated dining room, there’s an adjacent lounge whose comforts are no doubt appreciated by the people waiting patiently for a table. Recommended: Tart flambee, scallops over risotto, roasted salmon, chocolate-espresso cake. Open: Dinner Tue.-Sun. Entree prices: $14.50-$27. Credit cards: A, DS, M, V. Reservations: Accepted. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, parking lot, 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.
PARLOR *
1745 W. North Ave.; 773-782-9000. This 36-seater (but there’s room for another 30 on the outdoor 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, but on the whole there’s a lot to like here. Recommended: Chicken and waffles, smoked pork chop, 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, striped bass, 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.
TEPATULCO **
2558 N. Halsted St.; 773-472-7419. Chef/owner Geno Bahena is back in town, after an 11-month flirtation with the West Coast, with this lively Lincoln Park restaurant. Fans of Bahena’s former Chicago restaurants, Ixcapuzalco and Chilpancingo (both closed) will find one or two similarities with Tepatulco’s menu, but it’s clear that Bahena isn’t merely rehashing the past here. The best option is the five-course, $45 tasting menu (add another $19 for wine pairings), a flavor-filled tour of Bahena’s craft. There’s plenty of indoor seating here, as well as a spacious outdoor courtyard. And on weekend evenings, a deejay starts up the music and the place really gets lively. Recommended: Vuelve a la vida (return to life), lamb chops in mole negro, molcajete surtido. Open: Dinner and lunch daily. Entree prices: $13.95-$21. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended weekends. 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, pork and shrimp wontons, 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.
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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.
