First bite: Mercat a la Planxa
Maybe it’s the oscillating acid trip of primary colors on those carpets. As you enter the new South Loop tapas restaurant Mercat a la Planxa (638 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-765-0524) from the swooping lobby of the Blackstone Hotel — itself newly refurbished — there’s a brief Alice-Wonderland moment when the scale seems off. The door — small, utilitarian — appears not to open into a dining room, but into a janitor’s closet. You walk through a low-ceiling lounge, past a bar holding squat jars of seasonal sangria, then up a flight of spiral stairs. A winding wall of hexagons in autumnal oranges and greens keeps pace from first to second floor — then, at last, the dining room.
And oh, that dining room: 162 seats. A mix of half-moon booths outfitted in orange and yellow. Long community tables. Everything beneath a series of tall arched windows that look out onto Grant Park — this place is going to be inundated with tourists and fanny packs.
Oh, right, food.
Mercat a la Planxa (pronounced plahn-CHA) is the Chicago debut of a Chicago native, Jose Garces. The son of Ecuadorean parents, Garces made his name in Philadelphia, opening two successful tapas joints with equally dramatic design. The food at Mercat’s not bad, either. Not quite cohesive — not yet. But worth a spin once the plates stand equal with the design. We went the third night of business, and though the hook at Mercat is Catalan-inspired griddled Spanish tapas (grilling is the region’s signature), there wasn’t much smoke. Nothing flopped, but nothing wowed: traditional bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds, cipollini onions stuffed with a light dollop of goat cheese, braised rabbit wrapped in agnolotti resting in a finger bowl. There’s a lot going on and nothing distinct. As for the flatbread coated with marinated anchovy, pine nuts, goat cheese and pancetta — that’s a salt Armageddon, with anchovy swallowing every taste in its path. Placing pancetta alongside it adds nothing. Then we had dessert — a spicy melon soup with a scoop of grainy ricotta ice cream carried the heat expected in everything else.
Price wise, Mercat is about average: $5-$14 for most dishes. And likewise, too deep with choice to wind your way through the first time. Plates of cheese come with glazes of caramel and pear-mustard compote — next time. I’m also antsy to try one of those three rice dishes — lump crab, morels, or mussels. The cochinillo asado — a whole roasted suckling pig, in green onion — sounds tantalizing enough for us to meet the conditions: four diners, 48-hours notice.
— Christopher Borrelli
First bite: Rockstar Dogs
After much hype and a few delays, the tiny Rockstar Dogs (801 N. Ashland Ave.; 312-421-2364) finally opened its West Town doors this weekend. The narrow room with nine red stools on one side and a wall of rock star photos on the other feels a little crowded when more than 10 people share the space. So we were happy to arrive to an empty restaurant on a blustery Sunday afternoon with our party of four kids and two adults.
We tried the two Groundeds (a corndog with Tater Tots, $6), the Los Lobos (with mustard, onions and roasted jalapenos but no bacon as described on the menu, $6), the J. Timberlake (a charboiled cheezy dog, $7) and The Zeppelin (a regular dog). Each dog came with grease-free crispy fries or nicely textured Tater Tots and a drink — either a canned soda or a bottle of water.
While we waited for the food, we entertained ourselves by naming the musicians in the pictures on the walls and coming up with creative explanations for the stripper pole, which is too close to the wall to accommodate any spins, by the way. My son decided it must be for firemen.
After about 10 minutes, the finished baskets, each holding the dog and taters and a Rockstar Dogs tattoo, hit the counter. The kids thought everything tasted fine. The adults liked the snap of the natural casing on the wieners and the fresh condiments but thought that the place probably works better as a late-night, post-club stop than a Sunday afternoon family joint.
— Monica Eng
First bite: Pho Xua
Argyle Street needs another pho restaurant like Chicago needs another gray cold week of winter. So I was surprised to see the new Pho Xua Restaurant, (1020 W. Argyle St.; 773-271-9828) sprout up in the middle of Uptown’s pho alley. What on earth could these people offer that is not already here?
The answer is: an elegant experience. Sure, Hai Yen (across the street) has made some inroads in that direction, but Pho Xua, with its handsome dining room, peach cloth-upholstered chairs, fancy tea cups and lovely presentations, takes it to a new level. The best part is that Pho Xua keeps its prices at or below its neighbors.
Summer rolls with beef (bo cuon) cost $2.90, chicken salad (goi ga) is $8.95 and bubble teas cost $3.25. Best of all, the beef noodle soup (pho) with a beautifully presented plate of condiments and excellent, slightly wider rice noodles is delicious and costs a mere $5.90.
— M.E.
———-
For more dining and food news, go to chicagotribune.com/stew
