Chicago Reader: Restaurant Reviews

Fresh From the Oven

mail@chicagoreader.com — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Thirteen recommended bakeries Alliance Bakery 1736 W. Division | 773-278-0366 $ BAKERY, COFFEEHOUSE | 7 Am-9 PM Sunday, other days 6 AM-9 PM Formerly a Polish bakery, Alliance was sold to a French pastry a few years back and is now turning out wonderful-looking (and affordable) French pastries in addition to offerings like quiche and, in a nod to the neighborhood, kolacky. Strong Intelligentsia coffee and espresso drinks are available, in addition to Naked juices, hibiscus lemonade, and a few upscale sodas. The…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Food Issue: The Best New Restaurants of 2009

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

From Browntrout to Zebda by Mike Sula I hate the casual arrogance implied by those two words—the best—particularly when they're applied to the infinite universe of food, but really when they're applied to anything at all. You could spend a lifetime reading, listening, watching, eating, and chances are you still wouldn't have read, heard, seen, or eaten nearly enough to know what's "the best." And in a year when the relentless tide of new restaurant openings barely slows despite the crappy economy, it only becomes more improbable…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

What's New

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

Reviews of Old Town Social, Gemini Bistro, and Orvieto--a charcuterie destination, a comfort-food bistro, and the new pizzeria/wine bar at Green Dolphin, all marred by flat-screen TVs by Mike Sula The airspace in the open, multilevel faux-Victorian sports bar Old Town Social is so thoroughly and discordantly saturated with flat-screen TV signals I'm convinced the design scheme is intended to simulate the internal torments of a schizophrenic. Some sight lines are so crowded by moving images that it's almost like being in a fun house hall of mirrors. It's a painfully annoying environment to have to endure to get a taste of chef Jared Van Camp's terrific house-made charcuterie. Van…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

New Too

mail@chicagoreader.com (David Hammond) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0600

New reviews of recently opened restaurants including Blue Ocean, Ch'ava Cafe, Dolce, Folklore, Havana, Knew, and La Mediteranee by David Hammond Blue Ocean 4650 N. Clark | 773-334-6288 $$$ ASIAN, JAPANESE | DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: MONDAY-SATURDAY TILL 1 | BYO With the street appeal of a low-lit neighborhood lounge, Blue Ocean is a middling sushi joint that aspires to be an excellent bar, promising a range of Asian-influenced beverages and dozens of sake selections. At the moment, Blue Ocean is BYOB, and some of the more desirable menu options seem to be appetizers and salads engineered to work…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Crunch, Crunch

mail@chicagoreader.com (Holly Greenhagen) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Sixteen vegetarian and/or organic restaurants by Holly Greenhagen Alice and Friends Vegetarian Cafe 5812 N. Broadway | 773-275-8797 $ vegetarian/healthy | Dinner: seven days The name refers to Alice in Wonderland; the menu consists primarily of vegan versions of pan-Asian food—Almond UnChicken, Korean BBQ, Japanese Don Ka Su—plus items like a veggie burger and UnChicken Drumsticks. Most entrees come with rice and salad; there's a large selection of appetizers, drinks, and vegan desserts. The interior was renovated earlier this month, and there are plans to start lunch in…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

More Upscale Mex

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Eleven contenders in Chicago's burgeoning upscale Mexican scene. by Mike Sula Chilam Balam 3023 N. Broadway | 773-296-6901 $$ MEXICAN, SMALL PLATES | DINNER: SUNDAY-MONDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED TUESDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11 | BYO | cash only Twenty-three-year-old Chuy Valencia is only the latest—and possibly the youngest—graduate of the School of Bayless to come out of the Frontera/Topolobampo kitchens and stake his own claim. After a pit stop as chef de cuisine at Adobo Grill, in late August he opened Chilam Balam, a cramped but not…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

New Too

mail@chicagoreader.com (David Hammond) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Reviews of ten recently opened restaurants, including Ciao Amore, Cosina Grill, and Kyu Sushi. by David Hammond Ciao Amore Ristorante 1134 W. 18th | 312-432-9090 $$$ ITALIAN | LUNCH: TUESDAY-FRIDAY; DINNER: SUNDAY, TUESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED MONDAY | byo Ciao Amore, a somewhat out-of-the-way place with lots of ambition and space to grow, is still getting its act together, though it promises to be quite a show. The cardboard-stiff Italian bread we started with and the cold coffee we closed with were sad, but what came in between was consistently delicious and at times exceptional. Chef Cesar Pineda…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

What's New

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Bayless proteges in Lakeview and Logan Square and felicitous dining at the Hotel Felix by Mike Sula Twenty-three-year-old Chuy Valencia is only the latest—and possibly the youngest—graduate of the School of Bayless to come out of the Frontera/Topolobampo kitchens and stake his own claim. After a pit stop as chef de cuisine at Adobo Grill, in late August he opened Chilam Balam, a cramped but not claustrophobic subterranean spot offering a small-plates menu along with a list of monthly seasonal specials—mostly more antojitos plus a few larger plates. It was a dish from this changing list that…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Around the World in Curry

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Ten restaurants offering curry dishes, from Jamaican to Japanese by Mike Sula Anjin Mamiri 2739 W. Touhy | 773-262-6646 $ ASIAN | LUNCH, DINNER: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday | closed monday | alcohol prohibited At this, Chicago's only Indonesian restaurant, the menu doesn't seem too hung up on regional specificity, with the exception of coto makassar, a beef tripe soup from South Sulawesia, where owner Muhammed Rukli hails from. It's an interesting bowl, the base of which is peanut sauce mixed with the milky water that's been used to soak rice. But what brings…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Hot Diggity

mail@chicagoreader.com (Martha Bayne) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Twelve Chicago hot dog stands by Martha Bayne The Dog Joint 350 W. Armitage | 773-687-9573 $ AMERICAN, BURGERS | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | Open late: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 4 New hot dog stand also offering burgers, Italian beef, and skin-on french fries. While it normally closes at 8 PM Sunday through Thursday, it stays open till 11 PM on nights when there's a show at the nearby Park West. Cash only, with an ATM on the premises. Drew's Eatery 2207 W. Montrose | 773-463-7397 $…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

What's New

mail@chicagoreader.com (David Hammond) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Featured reviews of the Bridgeport breakfast-and-lunch spot Nana, Jerry Kleiner's theatrical 33 Club, and River West's The Red Canary by David Hammond During the first weeks at NANA, a busted computer made for Homeric wait times. Then city workers cracked a gas pipe, forcing a lunchtime evacuation. Such mishaps were exacerbated by slowish service. Fortunately, waits are decreasing, due in part to whip-cracking servers like ours, who was heard querying the cooks sarcastically, "You want me to come over there and help you out?" Cafe 28 pastry chef Maria Solis (aka Nana) and her sons, Omar and Christian, preside over this genuinely…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

New Too

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0500

New reviews of ten more recently opened restaurants by Mike Sula The Bad Apple 4300 N. Lincoln | 773-360-8406 $$ BAR/LOUNGE, BURGERS | LUNCH: SATURDAY-SUNDAY; DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: EVERY NIGHT TILL 2 | RESERVATIONS FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY Craig Fass and Mandy Franklin (Menagerie, Cooper's) opened their beer and burger bar the Bad Apple a scant half block south of the venerable Jury's, and while that institution attracts a decidedly different crowd, its burger is formidable and has been justly recognized as such for years. Now, with the Bad…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Between the Bun

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Eleven good bets for burgers by Mike Sula Between the Bun The Counter 670 W. Diversey | 773-935-1995 $ BURGERS, ICE CREAM | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11 | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED Latent anti-west coast bias initially led me to smirk at the idea of a bunless "burger bowl," what the folks behind exploding Santa Monica burger chain the Counter call what is essentially a burger salad. But the two I sampled, belonging to a pair of carb-conscious but pleasure-loving eaters, were…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Essential Japanese Eating

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Eleven Reader-recommended Japanese restaurants by Mike Sula Bob San 1805 W. Division | 773-235-8888 $$ ASIAN, JAPANESE | DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 12:30, MONDAY-THURSDAY TILL 11:30 Proper raw-fish minimalists typically have nothing but scorn for the dark sound-tracked nightclubs that chum fashionable neighborhoods for suckers eager to accessorize their nights out with gaudy fish candy. With a dining area and lounge, Bob San has the latter market locked up—it's the place to be seen washing down your crabby dragon roll with…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Neighborhood Tours

mail@chicagoreader.com (David Hammond) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Mexican restaurants in Pilsen and Little Village by David Hammond Neighborhood Tours Abuelo's Mexican Grill 2007 S. Damen | 312-733-0329 $ MEXICAN/SOUTHWESTERN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: MONDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY | BYO Brothers Angel and Hugo Gomez have transformed a grungy storefront across from the Damen Pink Line stop into a sparkling sandwich shop wallpapered with Latin American record jackets and National Geographic covers. Sopes, tacos, burritos and tortas are well conceived and delicious, demonstrating fine attention to detail. The chorizo sope is a beautiful construction, a soft masa platform…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

What's New

mail@chicagoreader.com (Mike Sula) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:00:00 -0500

Playful Italian at the Wit, million-dollar views and $23 burgers on Trump's Terrace, and fussed-up brunch at Jam in Ukrainian Village by Mike Sula The name is Italian for "crazy food," but I can't say there's anything inherently kooky about what's being served at Cibo Matto, the third and most anticipated of the new restaurants at the Wit Hotel. But compared to State and Lake, its relatively safe and boring downstairs neighbor, it is pretty remarkable—especially considering both are operated by the 16-unit empire Concentrics Restaurants. In fact, Cibo Matto could pass as Spiaggia's more playful, easygoing younger sibling. What does an Atlanta-based operator…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

New Too

mail@chicagoreader.com (David Hammond) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0500

Ten recently opened restaurants by David Hammond New Too Abuelo's Mexican Grill 2007 S. Damen | 312-733-0329 $ MEXICAN/SOUTHWESTERN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: MONDAY-SATURDAY | BYO Brothers Angel and Hugo Gomez have transformed a grungy storefront across from the Damen Pink Line stop into a sparkling sandwich shop wallpapered with Latin American record jackets and National Geographic covers. Sopes, tacos, burritos and tortas are well conceived and delicious, demonstrating fine attention to detail. The chorizo sope is a beautiful construction, a soft masa platform topped with piquant…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]