It takes a certain confidence to name a restaurant Epic. But “epic” is an accurate description of chef Stephen Wambach’s new River North home, a big space serving big portions at big prices. And confidence is not something this place lacks.
Between the second-floor restaurant and main-floor lounge, connected by a massive staircase made of glass, steel and luxurious Brazilian Ipe wood, Epic occupies 14,000 square feet. There are 130 seats in the dining room alone, plus another 100 or so in the lounge — not to mention 60 and 50 more on their respective mezzanine levels. (We’re up to four levels now, if you’re keeping track.) Ceilings on the loft-like second floor, where brick walls are draped with sheer, flowing fabrics, soar to 23 feet. It’s like a slice of Las Vegas, complete with besuited men with earpieces at every turn.
In terms of reputation, it’s clear that Epic aspires to be bigger still. With an opening so close to the holidays, it likely will be a couple of months before River North scenesters have a verdict. For now, the staff does its best to set the place up for greatness, lobbing carefully phrased inquiries at every opportunity. About the decor: “Isn’t it amazing?” About the food: “Is everything perfect?”
Even the flat-screen TVs in the lounge are in on the gig. On our visit, they displayed slides of the restaurant’s food. As we eased down the giant staircase, we were treated to a larger-than-life digital version of the Chilean sea bass that had been on our table less than 45 minutes earlier.
But you can’t blame the place for wanting to make an impression. Besides, the seemingly egotistical nature of it all is tempered by the fact that Wambach, who comes off a two-year tour as corporate chef of Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Restaurant group (BLT Steak, BLT Prime, etc.), turns out food worth boasting about.
There’s a pristine hamachi starter ($16), served raw and topped with charred blood oranges, thinly sliced radishes and fried artichokes to create an intriguing exchange of textures and flavors. And there’s an impressively executed appetizer of Spanish octopus ($14) so tender that the edge of a fork slid right through it. Then there’s the 14-ounce veal chop ($39), adorned with an earthy, peppery porcini-parmesan crust, imposing in size but so tender we could have cut it with a butter knife.
Threatening to upstage it all are desserts from pastry chef Christine McCabe, whose thoughtful compositions — and they truly are compositions — include Pumpkin & White Chocolate ($10), three cubes of dense white chocolate cake topped with pumpkin ice cream, and Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch ($10), a chocolate lover’s dream punched up by the addition of huckleberry and acai emulsion and acai berries.
As you might guess, portions here are, well, epic. In addition to that hulking veal chop, the meat- and seafood-focused menu features an equally substantial Berkshire pork chop with apple-quince mostarda ($29) and a manly lineup of steaks, including a 16-ounce New York strip ($38) and a 22-ounce smoked ribeye ($43). The biggest cut, a 40-ounce porterhouse for two ($73), dwarfs them all. Sides, which include a dish of honeyed Brussels sprouts ($7) tossed with bacon and toasted chestnuts (too sticky-sweet for us, but much more interesting texturally than the usual straight-up bacon-and-sprout combo), are large enough to share.
Bigger isn’t always better, however, a truth you suddenly may recall when your server drops the check. You’re paying for every ounce of that meal, and quite possibly an inch or two of that luxe staircase.
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kpratt@tribune.com
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Epic essentials
Great order: Hamachi (right), veal chop, Pumpkin & White Chocolate
Drinks: Signature cocktails (try the Berry Smash, $11) and wines by the glass in the lounge; 200-plus-bottle wine list and more food-friendly wines by the glass in the dining room
Average dinner for two: $200-$250
Hours: 5:30-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday; bar open 4:30 p.m.-2 a.m. (3 a.m. Saturday)
Coming soon: Raw bar (Jan. 4); lunch (mid-January); brunch (Feb. 6); 3,000-square-foot rooftop (spring)
