A roundup of restaurants recently reviewed by restaurant critic Phil Vettel.
Green Zebra *** 1460 W. Chicago Ave.; 312-243-7100. Shawn McClain’s mostly vegetarian (there’s always one fish selection) and vegan-friendly restaurant is one of those places to show off to out-of-towners, because no matter where they’re from, they haven’t got this back home. Not only is the vegetable-focused menu good enough to convert the most ardent carnivore, but it’s also presented with a fine-dining sensibility. If only the dining room were twice its current size, there might be room for all the people who want to eat here. Recommended: Burrata salad, chestnut-puree potstickers. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., brunch Sun. Prices: Small plates $7-$16. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking.
L2O **** 2300 N. Lincoln Park West; 773-868-0002. Chef/partner Laurent Gras does with fish what Shawn McClain does with vegetables and Grant Achatz does with everything else — he presents flawless ingredients in ways you never anticipated. Gras delights in playing with texture — even the menu has a rubbery coating for tactile interest, and the minimalist dining room (the old Ambria, utterly transformed) combines natural woods, frosted glass and steel-cable room dividers. The Japanese influence extends to the inclusion of tatami rooms, featuring elaborate kaiseki meals for $225. Bring your wallet (dinner will run $200 per person, easily) but leave your preconceived notions about fish behind. Recommended: Cherrywood-smoked kinmedai, Golden Egg Yolk, shabu-shabu, dessert souffle. Open: Dinner Mon., Wed.-Sun. Prices: Four-course menu $110; 12-course menu $165. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended (credit card required). Noise: Hushed. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking, jackets suggested.
Mercat a la Planxa *** 638 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-765-0524. The cooking of Spain’s Catalan region gets uncommonly reverential treatment in this South Loop restaurant whose multi-tiered, wildly colorful dining room would feel at home in the middle of Barcelona. Executive chef and local-boy-made-good-elsewhere Jose Garces (whose acclaimed Amada and Tinto restaurants are in Philadelphia) produces dishes that blow you away with pitch-perfect details, from the olive-oil drizzle that adds just the right brightness to pan con tomat to the bacon marmalade that adds salty-sweet grace notes to a flatbread pizza topped with shortrib meat. When Garces isn’t here, which is most of the time, chef de cuisine Michael Fiorello does the heavy lifting, ably abetted by an exemplary service staff possessing the eager zeal of religious converts. Recommended: Jamon de campo, Spanish omelet, hamachi en escabeche, rabbit agnolotti, mato y ubas. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., breakfast/lunch Mon.-Fri., brunch Sat.-Sun. Prices: Small plates $5-$16; tasting menu $55. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-challenged. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking.
Park 52 ** 5201 S. Harper Ave.; 773-241-5200. Yes, this Hyde Park restaurant by Jerry Kleiner looks a lot like Room 21, which opened a year ago in the South Loop. So what? They’re not exactly neighbors (32 blocks apart), and in creating Park 52, Kleiner has brought his signature style (bright-red leather, custom ironwork, warm tones) and sophistication to an under-served restaurant neighborhood, equipping it with an approachable and affordable American menu and the friendliest staff this side of Disney World. What’s not to like? Recommended: Spiced ribs, skate wing, roasted whitefish, rack of lamb. Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun. Entree prices: $19-$36. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended weekends. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking.
Sixteen *** 401 N. Wabash Ave.; 312-588-8000. Given all the chest-thumping and publicity-mongering that has accompanied the creation of its home, the Trump International Hotel & Tower, it wouldn’t have ruined my day if Sixteen had turned out to be an overpriced flop. But this dazzling restaurant, oozing with spare-no-expense luxury and boasting riveting city views, lives up to the hype. Australian chef Frank Brunacci fashions an International menu that’s rife with muscular, aggressive flavors — yet his completed dishes are full of nuance and depth. Reserved but unstuffy service is a major asset. Recommended: English pea soup, Malaysian-style duck percik, diver scallop “bang bang,” Study in Strawberry. Open: Dinner and breakfast Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Fri., brunch Sun. Entree prices: $36-$39. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible, discounted valet parking.
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Ratings key:
OUTSTANDING ****
EXCELLENT ***
VERY GOOD **
GOOD *
Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
