First bite: Bluebird Bistro
So far, Bluebird Bistro & Wine Bar, the Webster Wine Bar’s new sibling, is drawing some good buzz. I’d settle for better service.
It’s my only caveat. Otherwise, I’d extol the virtues of this wonderful addition to the city’s sipping scene from Tom McDonald, half the consultant-turned-restaurateur duo behind Webster Wine Bar. I’d heap praise onto Bluebird’s amazing Belgian ales and braised rabbit on egg noodles.
But a 20-minute wait for potato leek soup? On a slow Sunday night?
Bluebird better handle its service issues soon. The quality of food and drink, coupled with its affordable pricing, won’t stay hidden for long. It’s already the new neighborhood spot for twentysomethings, with its ambience of dimly lit exposed brick and reclaimed dark wood.
Tacked on a slim wooden board, the menu offers small plates and flatbreads ($8-$10), with entrees a couple dollars more. Bluebird’s pedigree defines its wine list, but it’s the beer list that’s a work of art, rivaling places like Map Room and Piece. With about 50 different brews, Bluebird’s list isn’t as extensive as Hopleaf’s. Instead McDonald and partner Paul Johnston (formerly of Hot Chocolate, the restaurant next door) built a global list, anchored by Belgian ales.
I couldn’t try them all — I did have to drive. But the Wostyntje, a dark-brown mustard ale with notes of sugar, is my new favorite. Try it with Bluebird’s chicken liver and knackwurst pate appetizer ($6). Flawless. The Ambrio-braised rabbit ($14) knocked me over with its tender, juicy pieces of rabbit, mixed with bits of bacon, mushrooms and shallots and served over egg noodles.
If Bluebird can fix its service problems, then nearby restaurants may find themselves a little less hectic.
Bluebird Bistro & Wine Bar, 1749 N. Damen Ave.; 773-486-2473.
–Glenn Jeffers
First bite: The Reagle Beagle
While the ’70s and ’80s might have been kitschy fun, design-wise, those years were not always known for incredible food (Polynesian broil, anyone?).
So it goes for The Reagle Beagle, a new ’70s-themed lounge just off the Mag Mile. The place, in case you didn’t catch the reference, is named after the pub from the old TV sitcom “Three’s Company.” The “Beagle” from that show was worn and a little bit sleazy, if memory serves me right. The Reagle Beagle here is more tasteful, somehow, with good lighting, a stone fireplace and a nice blend of booths, couches and chairs and higher bar tables. Photographs of iconic actors from the 70s and 80s cover the wall. TVs show commercials and shows from that era. Music is piped in from those distant times.
All of this adds up to fun, so it was too bad the food ended up so, well, not fun. The lunch menu itself isn’t terribly appetizing, leaning heavily on foods inspired by that polyester era. Take, for example, the head-scratching fruit and cheese platter ($9): “pineapple boat, mandarin oranges, apples, buffalo mozzarella, brie, and cubed cheddar served with crackers and a caramel dipping sauce.”
We ordered the chipotle grilled chicken sandwich (chipotle grilled chicken breast, avocado, garlic mayo, brioche roll, $10) and the Jamaican chicken salad (jerk chicken, pineapple boat, banana bread, $9). The chicken sandwich fared best, though it didn’t wow us. It came as a trio of somewhat bland but palatable mini-sandwiches with a cup of stale “dipping straws” (breadsticks) and creamy white cheddar beer dip. The Jamaican chicken salad was alarming, a pile of overcooked chicken bits doused in a creamy greyish pink “jerk” sauce atop a quarter of a sliced pineapple with, inexplicably, three fingers of banana bread on the side. Blech.
Overall, The Reagle Beagle is a fun place to be, but not a fabulous place to eat.
The Reagle Beagle, 160 E. Grand Ave.; 312-755-9645, www.reaglebeaglechicago.com
–Trine Tsouderos
IN THE WEB EDITION
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