Ja’ Grill
1008 W. Armitage Ave. 773-929-5375
“Great food! My wife and I split a jerk chicken and jerk pork. Very flavorful and perfectly spiced. Cool ambiance, and a great addition to the neighborhood.” — Tonyinchicago
“I really liked the spicy jerk pork we tried. Better than I expected. The room is actually pretty cool too. A nice change of pace from the [Twisted] Lizard. But please train your servers. Ours didn’t know much about the menu, and the bartender ignored us when we went for a drink.” — Xlamity!
A Mano
335 N. Dearborn St. 312-629-3500
“We’ve been hearing such good things about this place we had to check it out ourselves. It was so worth it! To start: what a sexy, fun environment. Cozy, inviting and yet very cool. The food was terrific!” — Tasty1
“While the atmosphere and service were good, the food portions were tiny for an Italian restaurant! My friend and I shared an appetizer and had an entree and a dessert each, and we were still not full by the end of the night.” — Chigirl09
Brasserie Ruhlmann SteakHouse
500 W. Superior St. 312-494-1900
“The room is very large and extremely noisy. Tables are crammed together and the service was terrible. Our waiter was more concerned with trying to upsell everything on the menu than actually providing service.” — Jaime
“Went there with a large group … The food, service and atmosphere were all superb. I highly recommend this restaurant and can’t wait to go back.” — Btcrowley
Ai Japanese Restaurant
358 W. Ontario St. 312-335-9888
“I love the ambience of Ai. Service was excellent with Rai from Kamehachi there. He has insight and will grow the place. [Ai] has to work on a few items and [then] it should be wonderful.” — wdt2613
“This is the place to go if you like Japonais but want a laid-back attitude and half the bill.” — jbontario
Su-Ra Korean Restaurant
2257 W. North Ave. 773-276-9450
“This place is a gem. Service was helpful and attentive. The bi bim bop was hot, fresh and beautifully presented. Ask for it in the hot pot. It keeps it warm throughout your meal. The complimentary barley tea is a nice touch at this BYO.” — Justice. J.
“The atmosphere is casual but classy. The service is friendly and non-intimidating with respect to pseudo-nouveau Korean food patrons. It’s miles above the classic Asian hole-in-the-wall restaurant because of the tasteful, clean decor.” — LMT
Old Town Brasserie
1209 N. Wells St. 312-943-3000
“The food was mediocre. All items fell way short of expectations. The attitude and service … also [were] below average. My fellow diners and I detected surliness and indifference among the staff.” — Lakeview07
“One of the most enjoyable meals I’ve had in Chicago. Food is up to Trotter and Tru standards in a less formal setting. Great atmosphere reminiscent of French bistros and brasseries on Madison Avenue in New York City. One of the best values in Chicago.” — Quitbug57
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New nibbles
Hungry for more? Watch for the latest edition of New on the Scene this week in RedEye — or go to metromix.com now. And if you have trouble making it to all of the new Chicago restaurants, we’ve got the solution: Taste of New on the Scene. We’ve invited some of the restaurants featured in our New on the Scene column to gather in one convenient location to give you a taste — literally — of what they do. Restaurants slated to serve include:
– Ai Japanese Restaurant
– Cafe 103
– Exposure Tapas Supper Club
– Franconello Italian Restaurant
– Honky Tonk Barbecue
– La Madia
– Paramount Room
– Prosecco
– Thalia Spice
Taste of New on the Scene
When: 6-8:30 p.m. Dec. 3
Where: Sam’s Wine & Spirits, 50 E. Roosevelt Rd.
Tickets: $10; RSVP:
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metromixpromotions@tribune.com
