Lockwood Restaurant & Bar
17 E. Monroe St.
lockwoodrestaurant.com, 312-917-3404
Who eats: Businesspeople and tourists
Why eat: Fine dining amid the urban bustle
Ambience: Lockwood, in the heart of the Palmer House, is a cocktail of cosmopolitan sophistication and European refinement. A bar connects lobby to restaurant, blending old school and old world.
The restaurant is somewhat less audacious, with mirrors and an eclectic mix of colors and textures: marble here, black leather there, carpet, metal, dark and light woods everywhere. The seating is plush, and glittery curtains soften the room.
Despite tourists flocking at the door and Chicago flying by outside, Lockwood succeeds in luring you in and getting you to slow down.
Dress code: Business attire is the garb du jour, but going casual won’t leave you feeling out of place.
Noise factor: Lockwood is comfortable and well-spaced, but because it opens to the Palmer House’s grand lobby, it hums with echoes and tourist chatter. While we were there, diners overheard a Christmas choir singing in the lobby.
Overheard: “So is that the schedule going forward? So then will the shift be the same? Will you start at 7?”
Service: The waitstaff was pleasant but appeared infrequently. Our attendant was helpful, if not completely knowledgeable about the menu. When I ordered the pot roast sandwich, he had to examine the menu, saying things had changed while he was on vacation.
Cellphone reception/Wi-Fi: Full cell
Reservations: A good idea but not needed on a weekday.
Menu: Sandwiches, soups and salads
Reliable options: We kicked off with the merguez sausage flatbread ($15). Not an exciting opener. The thin, crunchy slab was bland, with spare toppings on a skimpy layer of manchego cheese.
Our other starter, the spinach and artichoke dip ($13), proved much tastier — thick and creamy and inviting many dips of crispy pita. Each of the entrees was well-portioned.
The salmon nicoise ($18) was a winner. Slightly crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, the salmon was drizzled with mustard vinaigrette and sat on green beans and refreshing cherry tomatoes. The pot roast sandwich ($17), once it was deemed a genuine option, was just the right amount of tender — a juicy cut accented by white cheddar, horseradish and caramelized onions, and it came with a side of chips.
For the half-and-half option ($15), we chose the Southwestern wrap (adding grilled chicken or steak will up the price) and a hearty cup of the soup of the day — beef barley. The wrap blended a zestful mix of black beans, corn, cheese and a mild chipotle sauce inside a thin tortilla. The rich soup had lots of beef and wasn’t too salty.
Expect to pay: $20-$30 per person
