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.
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, 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.
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.
THE CHICAGO FIREHOUSE **
1401 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-786-1401. Beyond the usual beefy litany at his South Loop chophouse, chef Caesar Reyes’ menu offers an ambitious list of seafood entrees and other surprises, such as frog legs over celery root. There’s a hefty wine list containing plenty of big names, but there’s a considerate number of affordable bottles as well. The building, a former firehouse (the brass poles are still on display) features a well-appointed and sedate white-tablecloth dining room, and a more boisterous bar space in front. Recommended: Frog legs, mini-crabcakes, ribeye steak, carrot cake. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Fri. Entree prices: $16-$64.99. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking.
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.
ENTOURAGE **
1301 American Lane, Schaumburg; 847-995-9400. The cocktail-shaker-shaped front window is a clue to how seriously this sophisticated restaurant takes its beverage program, from its not-the-usual-suspects wine list to a cocktail list that includes $75-plus “luxury” blends (in a keepsake, hand-painted glass). But Entourage is serious about its food, an approachable, contemporary-American menu. There’s more solid execution than originality, but most dishes work fine. Recommended: Tuna tataki, macadamia tilapia, prime rib, white-chocolate cheesecake. Open: Dinner and lunch Mon.-Sun. Entree prices: $15.95-$42.95. Credit cards: A, DC, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended weekends. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, smoking in lounge only.
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.
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, and just about everything sings. 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.
MOSAIC *
151 N. Joliet St., Joliet; 815-740-7800. Most casinos’ idea of fine dining is an expensive steakhouse, so credit Harrah’s Joliet Casino (which, admittedly, also is building a steakhouse) for this something-for-everyone restaurant, which isn’t overly fancy but is way nicer than any buffet. The dining room is wildly colorful and spacious, service is almost obsessively friendly and Lam Vongsakoun’s approachable menu still has room for some spicy dishes and the occasional flourish. It’s decent for the most part, and the desserts are especially good. Recommended: Pot stickers, flatiron steak, Death By Chocolate, Key lime martini. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Sun. Entree prices: $13.95-$25.95. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Accepted. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, complimentary valet parking.
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.
NOMI***1/2
Park Hyatt Chicago, 800 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-239-4030. This showpiece of the Hyatt hotel group is a very expensive restaurant, yet time and again Christophe David’s exquisite French cuisine and NoMI’s luxuriously appointed interior justify the tariff. NoMI’s dramatic seventh-floor views of the historic Water Tower and the surrounding cityscape are icing on the cake. Recommended: Truffle tart, veal loin with sweetbreads, turbot, Majari chocolate dome. Open: Dinner and breakfast Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. Entree prices: $36-$50. 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.
