First Bite: L2O
It was opening night at L2O (2300 N. Lincoln Park West; 773-868-0002) on May 14, but a subtle opening for one of this town’s most anticipated restaurants. No klieg lights flashing off the nearby Lincoln Park Conservatory. No red velvet ropes. Why if you didn’t know where to look in the ornate lobby of the Belden-Stratford Hotel you might miss it. (Hint: Head to what was once the home of Ambria, that Art Nouveau wonderland of haute dining.)
The ebony wood doors are subtle, save the L2O — say el-two-ohhh — in brushed metal. Open those doors and you may add more emphasis to that last syllable once you see the subtle yet elegant, earth-echoing decor — all woods, ivory tones, frosted and etched glass, sculptural floral arrangements, soft light playing off everything. That barely hints at the creativity emerging from the kitchen where French-native Laurent Gras bakes the breads, makes the desserts (souffles and more) and imagines the fish and seafood creations that dominate the menu here (hence the L2O).
The hostesses were gracious and welcoming, even for a couple sans reservations looking for just drinks and appetizers. There’s no bar, per se, but a comfortable lounge of three tables and butter-soft, contemporary white leather chairs. It’s here where we perused the cocktail menu, a mix of drinks (Singapore Sling, Between the Sheets, wines by the glass, etc.) plus raw items, warm items, desserts. Sipping a house apertif (Piper Heidsieck plus a strawberry and hibiscus juice; $18) and a Tupari Sauvignon Blanc ($14), options were contemplated: Lamb tartar with shrimp and pickled peach? Black bass with mango and praline? Sashimi? Caviar? Some raw seafood? All the au courant elements are there: pork belly, yuzu, geoduck clams, Wagyu, kaffir lime.
Salted cod and fingerling potatoes, smoked gelatin and caviar ($15) arrived, perfectly ethereal, delicate. Could have eaten two. Scallops with sassafras, hibiscus, tomato ($17) sounds simple but the tiny rolls of rhubarb set alongside emerald circles of zucchini added tart spark to the tomato-hibiscus sauce. Next time, we’re making reservations, maybe for the four-course prix-fixe, maybe for the tasting menu, or a singular item or two.
— Judy Hevrdejs
Mouthful: Texas links
The words “hot guts” may not make your mouth immediately water, but they do when I hear them in conjunction with the special Texas-made sausage that made its debut at Smoque (3800 N. Pulaski Rd.; 773-545-7427) on May 17. Smoque owner Barry Sorkin says these links, made by Rudy Mikeska Jr. of Taylor, Texas, are “different from any Chicago-style link that I’ve ever had. Very different flavor profile and texture. Some places in Texas will call them ‘hot guts.’ I’m not sure Chicago’s ready for that phrase.” If they taste as good as Sorkin says, I just want to call them dinner.
— Monica Eng
Kudos: Table Fifty-Two
Art Smith’s restaurant, Table Fifty-Two, is one of four nominees for best “A-List Restaurant,” one of the categories in Bravo’s first-ever “A-List Awards,” a show that purports to celebrate “the best in food, fashion, beauty design and pop culture.” The show will premiere on Bravo June 12 (9 p.m. CDT). It’s a thoroughly tongue-in-cheek awards show, hosted by Kathy Griffin and featuring such categories as “A-List Must Have” (is it a baby, an iPhone, a rehab stint? Stay tuned!) and Drama King & Queen nominees for individuals on reality TV series. “The A-List Everywhere” award, which goes to the most-impossible-to-avoid face, features nominees Britney Spears, Ryan Seacrest, Nicole Richie and Barack Obama. But the cable channel apparently takes its food seriously; besides Table Fifty-Two, other “A-List Restaurant” nominees are Bar Boulud and Little Owl in New York City, and Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles — acclaimed restaurants all. Sure beats going up against Christian Siriano for “A-List Drama King.”
— Phil Vettel
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