Chicken croquettes and olives and cornichons at Azucar A. Jackson

April 20, 2007

Azucar
2647 N. Kedzie
773-486-6464

EVERY DISH ON the tapas menu at AZUCAR sounded good, so between the four of us we ordered nearly all 20 or so of them, along with a bottle of wine from the reasonably priced all-Spanish list at this new Logan Square spot. Opting to skip basics like grilled garlic shrimp and goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, we started with an arugula and baby spinach salad with fennel, orange, and cherry tomato and two wedges of manchego served with almonds and fig jelly. Standouts as the evening progressed included beef empanadas on a fire-roasted pepper puree and albondigas--meatballs in a spicy-sweet piquillo pepper sauce with garlic jam--and we ordered seconds of both. A lamb dish, comprising four juicy chops, was redolent of vanilla, and a cheese-stuffed red pepper atop a chickpea puree was especially tasty. Our server spread clean napkins over our messy tablecloth before bringing dessert: a chocolate terrine with salted almonds, which reminded me of a dense Italian torta, and a cinnamon-laden creme Catalan. After we paid the bill, one of the owners, Robert Otero, introduced himself and offered us a complimentary shot. --Kathie Bergquist

Ninefish
2438 Main, Evanston
847-328-9177

SET ON THE outskirts of an Evanston mall that includes a Marshall's and a Sam's, NINEFISH doesn't look like much from the outside, but the interior of this sushi bar has been designed with precise attention to detail, from the minimalist flower arrangements to the culinary picture books in the waiting area. Tea, often a freebie earning no more attention than a chopstick, comes in a dozen varieties, each served in a special pot, which helps compensate for the lack of alcohol (Ninefish is currently BYO). Sashimi is prepared in what the chef calls the European style; the slivers of raw fish come dressed with nontraditional sauces. We had fresh and firm striped jack with a dot of pureed kiwi, sitting on a wash of light alfalfa puree; white tuna was simply splashed with truffle oil. These were excellent accompaniments, setting the freshness of the fish in relief rather than overwhelming it like the usual ginger and wasabi. Ninefish, which has pan-Asian aspirations, also offers an eclectic range of nonsushi options, including pad thai and Peking duck as well as some all-American steak, but it's the sashimi that's worth the trip. --David Hammond

Blu Coral
1265 N. Milwaukee
773-252-2020

SIXTH MONTHS AFTER the first BLU CORAL "contemporary sushi lounge" opened in Woodfield, another appeared in Wicker Park, and yet another is soon to follow in Evanston. Sushi in Japan is traditionally somewhat simple, but in the U.S. it can sometimes be overengineered for fashionable effect, and the chain is proof that it's a growing trend: Dragon Fire is a roll packed with soft-shell crab, asparagus, and tobiko, teased with chile sauce, and flambeed in Bacardi; my partner thought it would be fun, and it was, but it wasn't so tasty. A heavy, chewy spring roll of filet mignon was an unconventional concoction that confirmed the value of convention. Much better were the lobster roll wrapped in eel and the yellowtail wrapped in cod rather than nori, both innovations in the service of good flavor. We had some delicious fatty tuna (at ten bucks a pop it'd better be good), but the mackerel, salmon, and tuna sashimi on an omakase (chef's choice) platter was disappointingly mushy. Still, the space is sleek, with metallic curves and sexy ambient lighting, and the servers are friendly; the swank bar may be the perfect place to sample a saketini. Watch out for the two-stage cocktail glass that rests inside a globe filled with ice, though; it's a cool concept, but it drips. --David Hammond

OTHER RECENT OPENINGS
The Gage 24 S. Michigan | 312-372-4243
Hop Haus 646 N. Franklin | 312-467-4287

CLOSED
Fierros 2550 W. Addison

For more on restaurants, see our blog the Food Chain.

New Too

Twenty-two more recent openings

Aigre Doux Restaurant and Bakery
230 W. Kinzie | 312-329-9400

$$$$
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY/REGIONAL | LUNCH: MONDAY-FRIDAY; DINNER: MONDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL MIDNIGHT, MONDAY-THURSDAY TILL 11

Mohammad Islam and Malika Ameen, the married couple in the kitchen at Aigre Doux, have celebrity chef pedigrees (the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, Jean Georges, Balthazar, Craft), and the promise of their new restaurant earned it blurbs in glossy magazines months before it opened. Given the boldface print, it's gratifying and somewhat surprising to discover that the food isn't crying for attention: it's simple, elegant, and good, full stop. The menus for dinner (Islam's territory) and dessert (Ameen's) are both graceful variations on New American ideas -- rack of lamb with truffled grits and fennel, chocolate mascarpone cake with dulce de leche and roasted pear. An artichoke soup with Nantucket Bay scallops achieves the rare trick of becoming more interesting rather than less as you eat it, and mussels with a coconut curry sauce and butternut squash are almost ethereally light. Ameen's desserts should not be skipped: toffee bread pudding with candied kumquats and Devonshire cream ice cream is shameless, over-the-top, and irresistible. Tucked in behind the Merchandise Mart in the former Pili Pili space, Aigre Doux has a high-heeled, high-profile location. But it wants to be more of a neighborhood place: a drop-by bakery component offering sweets and lunch is scheduled to open next month. Nicholas Day

Big Pho
3821 W. Lawrence | 773-866-2015

$
ASIAN, VIETNAMESE | LUNCH, DINNER: MONDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED | BYO

A pho joint in Koreatown seemed an odd thing to me, but owner Sean Kim acted on the advice of an uncle who runs one in LA, and given the crowds at lunchtime it looks like he was right. Kim studied at his uncle's place for two months and devised a formula geared toward his Korean customer base, which apparently prefers a less oily broth than the typical Vietnamese pho; the result is simmered for ten hours with beef bones -- no chicken or pork, Kim insists. It seems to lack some of the heady spices that typify the pho on Argyle Street -- I wasn't feeling much star anise -- but the broth is clean and fortifying. Among the 11 varieties a full four are seafood based -- and include some really pretty green mussels. Much less play is given to organy bits, though you can still get your tripe and tendon flotsam. Considering that Koreans usually don't go more than a day without some sort of soup, I'm betting Big Pho has staying power in Albany Park -- but where's the kimchi? Mike Sula

The Brown Sack
3706 W. Armitage | 773-661-0675

$
AMERICAN, ICE CREAM | LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY, TUESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED MONDAY | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED | CASH ONLY | BYO

It's a long way from Malaika Marion's first Chicago job at Planet Hollywood to her "soup, sandwich, and shake shack" on the western fringe of Logan Square. Most recently a manager at Lula Cafe, Marion's lived in the neighborhood for years, and when she saw the teeny Armitage storefront she knew the time was right to break out on her own. She's turned the space into a sunny, six-table destination for hearty down-home standards like a gooey grilled peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich and beefarific chili laced with head-clearing handfuls of cumin and chile (a vegan version is also available). The daunting Reuben -- a popular choice based on a peek at the other tables -- comes piled with corned beef topped with the traditional Thousand Island dressing and melted Swiss, plus grilled onions. There's also rich mac 'n' cheese, meatball subs, Goose Island root beer floats, and daily soup, sandwich, and dessert specials. Come summer longer hours and sidewalk seating are planned. Martha Bayne

Cotes du Rhone Bistro
5424 N. Broadway | 773-293-2683

$$$
FRENCH | DINNER: SUNDAY, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED TUESDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11:30 | BYO

Dinner at Cotes du Rhone, the new Edgewater bistro from former Cafe Bernard chef Brian Moulton, shot out of the gate with a trio of smartly executed classic French starters: piping hot, garlicky escargots; a complex, satiny duck liver pat; and plump mussels in an addictive garlic-white wine broth that should give the mollusks over at the Hopleaf a run for their money. Even the soft, crusty bread was a hit. Given the strong start it was surprising that things flagged at the entrees. The menu includes bistro standards like cassoulet, duck confit, and a nice, juicy roast chicken, but three of my group of four opted for specials. And while the beef tenderloin in green peppercorn sauce was tender, rare perfection, the veal flank smothered in black truffle mushrooms was overcooked and my rabbit loin stuffed with goat cheese and red peppers was a rich, complicated mess. No one could complain of going hungry, but we were left a bit disappointed. Still, Cotes du Rhone is undeniably a nice addition to the miscellany of this strip of Broadway. The two candlelit rooms are quiet and almost gothy, the service was friendly if scattered, and it's BYOB for the time being. Martha Bayne

The Depot
5840 W. Roosevelt | 773-261-8422

$
AMERICAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED

There's a nostalgic vibe at this new space occupying a longtime diner -- 52 years and counting -- in the far-west-side enclave called the Island. The menu offers egg creams -- the east-coast specialty made with milk, sugar, vanilla, and seltzer water -- and other homey standards like open-faced roast beef sandwiches and chicken salad, and blue plate specials such as meat loaf or grilled pork chops with country gravy. The chicken noodle soup is obviously homemade, with fresh chunks of carrots and celery, and it's a real deal at "$2:17" (in a bit of gimmickry, all the prices are styled like arrival and departure times). The pot roast sandwich is mounted on a substantial bun custom-made by a local bakery and heaped with fried onions. It comes with coleslaw and gravy fries for $6.59. Lasagna had a ricotta filling so fluffy it was practically a light pasta dish; a club sandwich was stacked high with fresh roasted turkey and bacon. For dessert the crowd-pleaser is red velvet cake, a mild, not terribly sweet, deep red chocolate cake with cream-cheese frosting ($3.52). David Hammond

Emerald Loop Bar & Grill
216 N. Wabash | 312-263-0200

$$
ENGLISH/IRISH/SCOTTISH, AMERICAN, BURGERS | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: SATURDAY TILL 3, OTHER NIGHTS TILL 2

This pub on the first floor of the historic Jeweler's Building looks unassuming from the outside. But the interior is spacious and well-appointed, with plenty of cozy nooks for mellow conversation. As the name would suggest, it bills itself as an Irish pub, and sure enough there are the typical Bennigan's-like gewgaws on the walls. Traditional dishes include shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, and the like. Clearly, though, the kitchen is aiming a little higher. The fish-and-chips were unusual, with a crispy, almost spicy batter. The goat-cheese-and-mushroom quesadillas were a bit drab, but the warm spinach-and-artichoke dip was a hit at our table. And my steak sandwich was among the finest I've ever had: a juicy cut of meat smothered in caramelized onions and blue cheese between thick slices of sourdough -- definitely knife-and-fork food. The $10 martini was disappointing; not cold enough and served with plain old pimento olives. But the $4 Smithwick's (on special), served in a frosted pint glass, was aces. Rob Christopher

Graze
35 W. Ontario | 312-255-1234

$$$
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY/REGIONAL, SMALL PLATES | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL MIDNIGHT, OTHER NIGHTS TILL 11

Heavily reliant on logs, oversize sunflowers, and lots of glossy, grassy tile, the design team behind River North's Graze appears to be going for some sort of sunny "preschool pastoral" theme, but the execution is half-baked: the shiny tree cutouts on the south wall bring to mind the worst of high-80s plasticity, and I can't even guess what the deal is with the square of Astroturf mounted on the bathroom wall. Unfortunately this disconnect between concept and reality extends to chef Bob Zrenner's kitchen as well. The small plates menu (good for grazing -- get it?) covers a lot of promising if familiar ground, but of the six dishes tried only the ahi tuna "nachos" (tuna tartare on wonton crisps topped with yuzu and wasabi caviars) and two tasty, tiny crab cakes really delivered. Bacon-wrapped meat loaf drew all its flavor from house-made barbecue sauce and, well, bacon, the meat loaf itself bland. Seared scallops were flabby, and a plate of panko-crusted artichoke hearts was distressingly Fridays-esque. About the novelty plate titled "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" -- a slider, mini hot dog, nachos, and Cracker Jack -- the less said the better. ("It's a low-key dish," our sweet-faced waiter apologized as he took it back, "more for kids.") Jordan Rappaport's desserts were more successful, the crispy "cheesecake ravioli" served with blueberry sauce and strawberry-cracked pepper ice cream a particular standout. Martha Bayne

Icosium Kafe
5200 N. Clark | 773-271-5233

$
MEDITERRANEAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | BYO

Icosium Kafe, an Algerian creperie from Belkacem Elmetennani (owner of Crepe and Coffee Palace and Mamacita's), is the latest inhabitant of the apparently cursed northwest corner of Clark and Foster, and the ghost of the former occupant, the Corner Grille, lingers on in the form of aluminum cafe tables and orange vinyl banquettes. Still, it's a lot cozier than before, with brass, beaded lamp shades, mirrors, and tapestries just about everywhere. Savory crepes come in eight varieties, from the "Cheka Chouka" -- stuffed tight with roasted peppers, caramelized onions, goat cheese, baby spinach, tomatoes, roasted garlic, and arugula -- to the simple, classic combo of Brie and apples. There's also a make-your-own option, and meat, from chicken to halal merguez sausage to snails, can be added to any crepe for $2.99. Dessert crepes include gold standards like Nutella and strawberries and exotica like the Crepe Icosium, filled with pistachio ice cream and a compote of raisins, pears, and rose water. Elmetennani also offers a range of organic coffees, juices, and teas. While the menu combinations are fairly predictable, everything's well constructed and filling, and the staff couldn't be sweeter. Martha Bayne

Juicy Wine Company
694 N. Milwaukee | 312-492-6620

$$
EUROPEAN, SMALL PLATES | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 2, OTHER NIGHTS TILL 1 | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY

From the name you'd expect Juicy Wine Company to be all about the grape, but the instant you walk in the door it's clear the place is just as much about the cheese. A "retail plus" wine bar from Rodney Alex (formerly of Wicker Park's Taste), Juicy offers a dozen-odd "cheese experiences," a selection of cured meats, and even a butter "experience" that pairs three artisanal butters with various sea salts. A trio of raw-milk cheeses included a nutty Pleasant Ridge Reserve, a rich, dense, Taleggio-inspired Meadow Creek Grayson, and a potent blue from Bayley Hazen whose rind evoked the subtle flavor profile of a barnyard in summer. Both the wine and cheese lists have a strong domestic emphasis, and everything's available to go. Wines served in-house are marked up a flat $15 over the retail price, making even the swankier bottles, like a seriously complicated 1994 Davis Family Russian River pinot noir, relatively accessible. Any bottle for sale in the shop is available at this "chill-out price"; there are also a dozen reds, whites, and bubblies by the glass. Downstairs the wood-trimmed, minimalist space is split between a wine wall and deli case in the front and a low-key seating area of tables and banquettes in the rear. Upstairs is a cozy bar and lounge, complete with DJ booth. The staff is casual and helpful -- Alex pressed a shaving of a rare Swiss something on us as we were halfway out the door -- and in all it's a pretty pleasant (er, "chill") scene, even if the prices (about $11 per glass) may still render it a little haute for some tastes. Martha Bayne

Kansaku
1514 Sherman, Evanston | 847-864-4386

$$$
ASIAN, JAPANESE | LUNCH: MONDAY-FRIDAY; DINNER:SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11

At Kansaku it's not easy to resist the seductive and colorful "signature rolls": we had the Fiesta, a tangy cigar of salmon, tuna, jalapeno, and cilantro, as well as the appetizer Citrus Spring Roll, a spicy tuna paste with cucumber and avocado peeking through translucent rice paper. Both of these nouveau Asian items were fine, but my recommendation is to stick with more traditional sashimi or sushi and savor embarrassingly fresh finned things shipped in several times a week to this atmospherically lit, stylish, and friendly place. We had a buttery escolar, rich enough to smear on bread, and tuna sliced thick as a ham steak and so transcendently tender I couldn't bear to defile it with soy and wasabi. If you really must have hoofed creature, there's tonkatsu, fried pork cutlet, but when you come here you'd best go fishin'. To drink take the plunge with unfiltered sake like ozeki nigori, a tongue-coating, richly textured beverage, floral and suitable as aperitif or with dinner; I tried a more expensive filtered sake, which seemed neutered by comparison. David Hammond

Nhu Lan Bakery
2612 W. Lawrence | 773-878-9898

$
ASIAN, VIETNAMESE | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED TUESDAY | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED

Cheap, fresh, and filling, banh mi, the miraculous French-inspired Vietnamese sub, is the sort of thing that should be available on every corner -- but isn't. Nhu Lan Bakery, a new Vietnamese bakery in Lincoln Square, is a pioneer, striking out relatively far from the Broadway/Argyle intersection. It's a risky business plan, but a treasure for the neighborhood. Demi baguettes are baked fresh daily to cradle nine different fillings (only five were available on my last visit), typically accented by pickled, julienned carrot and daikon, cucumbers, mayo, cilantro, thinly sliced jalapenos, and dressed with spicy-sweet nuoc cham, a potent fish sauce. Among my favorites is the "special," a meat-lover's sub with a schmear of rich pat, headcheese, ham, and a fried pork sausage called cha hue. The simpler ham banh mi is piled with jambon and a generous wipe of pat, a simpler version that highlights the textural contrast between the two. There's also a meatball filling, sweet and messy like a sloppy joe; a lemony shredded chicken; grilled pork; and an all-vegetable variety that's the only one I can't recommend. There's also a large selection of Vietnamese snacks for takeaway: spring rolls, yellow house-made mayo, Western pastries, and a rotating variety of sweet rice and pudding desserts in challenging flavors -- corn, mung bean, sweet potato, sausage. You can take away vacuum-sealed sausage, pat, ham, and headcheese too. Mike Sula

Olé Lounge
2812 N. Lincoln | 773-388-3500

$$
TAPAS/SPANISH | DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL MIDNIGHT, OTHER NIGHTS TILL 11:30

The business card for Ol Lounge, a suave new tapas restaurant housed in a former church, reads "Brace yourself for a religious experience." Well, that's one way to set up outsize expectations, but if a recent visit is any indication, the priest has been hitting the sauce. Dinner started out well with mojitos, sangria, and a scantily clad server (the leggy waitstaff is part of Ol Lounge's stock-in-trade) who beckoned us to settle in at an inviting table near the bar. But once the food began to arrive our faith was tested. Here were ajillo rock shrimp without any discernible garlic, classic tomato bread with manchego and serrano with no discernible ham, beef tenderloin in a mushroom-and-cheese sauce with no discernible cheese, and, most perplexing of all, a vegetable-and-chorizo omelet listed on the cold-plate menu but served warm. One highlight, to be fair, was a cheese plate with manchego, tetilla, and cabrales, and a sweet fig cake made the perfect ending to an imperfect meal. Food be damned, though: the place was humming on a Friday night, and amid all the beautiful people and the tinkle of happy talk one can detect some possibilities for its salvation. Chip Dudley

Pasticceria Natalina
5406 N. Clark | 773-989-0662

$
BAKERY, ITALIAN | 7 AM-6 PM TUESDAY-FRIDAY, 8 AM-5 PM SATURDAY-SUNDAY | CLOSED MONDAY | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED

Since opening their pastry shop Pasticceria Natalina on Valentine's Day, Natalie Zarzour and her husband, Nick, have labored to the point of exhaustion to introduce their customers to the culture of Sicilian dolci, where there are no shortcuts, the cannoli are filled to order, and it's appropriate to indulge in something sweet anytime but dessert. In addition to more common items like cannoli, Zarzour's been rolling out an exotic, ever changing selection: orange blossom or rosewater rice puddings; a boozy rum baba; zeppole, deep-fried fritters filled with custard and sour amarana cherries, traditionally served for Saint Joseph's Day; spicy iced fig cookies called cuccidatti; shell-shaped, ricotta-filled Neapolitan sfogliatelle; and delicate, savory fazzoletti ("little handkerchiefs"), puff pastries filled with combinations like peas, prosciutto, and mint or artichoke hearts, capers, raisins, and pine nuts. You can also get exotica like cassatine, or miniature cassata, the elaborate glazed and fruit-bedecked Sicilian Easter cake. Choosing among the offerings can be agonizing, and they're expensive -- the pistachio cookies go for more than $20 a pound. But that's the price you pay for quality ingredients and painstaking, labor-intensive authentic recipes. Mike Sula

Radhuni Indian Kitchen
3227 N. Clark | 773-404-5670

$$
INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | BYO

All-you-can eat Indian lunchtime buffets, those cheap, bounteous steam-table banquets that ensure low postprandial production levels, come with the unstated implication that they consist of last night's leftovers. They aren't a good way to evaluate a kitchen's abilities, but on my first visit to Radhuni the staff discouraged me from ordering any higher-ticket menu items -- a pretty discouraging sign in itself. The genial but distracted host -- he'd been scrapping noisily with someone in the kitchen -- advised "Everything on menu, we have over there," indicating a less-than-impressive selection of eight items at odds with the menu's extensive list of northern Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi offerings. There was nothing you haven't seen before, and -- feh -- the chana masala was too salty, matter paneer tasted canned, the chicken curry and tikka masala were rubbery, and the samosas gluey. The baingan bharta, on the other hand, stood out, with a deep caramelized flavor brought on, I was told, by roasting the eggplant in a tandoor. On a subsequent visit the malai kofta was smushy and oversweet, dal bharta was undercooked, and the beef nehari -- an item I was excited to see so far south of Devon -- was cut in rough chunks floating in oily "gravy." This time the owner told me he was flying solo because the chef was napping. I was unpleasantly unsurprised. Mike Sula

Sapore di Napoli
1406 W. Belmont | 773-935-1212

$$
PIZZA, ITALIAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY, TUESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED MONDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL MIDNIGHT, TUESDAY-THURSDAY TILL 11 | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED | BYO

The dozen kinds of authentic Italian-style pizza at this tiny storefront include salsiccia e cipolle (Italian sausage with smoked mozzarella and onions), verdure (asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, and roasted peppers), and quattro stagioni (artichokes, prosciutto di parma, mushrooms, and olives). Thanks to the 800-degree brick oven, they're all rapidly prepared in "like, five minutes," said our server, and feature a crackerlike crust. The patate e rosmarino, with thinly sliced potato and rosemary, was more than respectable, but skip the di rucola salad with anchovy and vinegar unless your feelings for arugula run deep. A cooler holds about 14 flavors of gelato and sorbetto, none of them labeled but all so good that you could be excused for playing dumb just to get samples. More exotic varieties include zabaglione, made with sweet marsala and tasting a lot like eggnog. Service was endearing: setting down after-dinner coffee, our server said proudly, "I steamed the milk for you, so there's no coldness!" Sapore di Napoli is BYOB, with a $5 corkage fee. Anne Ford

Simply It
2269 N. Lincoln | 773-248-0884

$$
ASIAN, VIETNAMESE | LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY, TUESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED MONDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11 | BYO

Peek through the picture window and the new BYO Vietnamese spot Simply It looks like a sweet bijou of a place, with paper lamps hanging overhead and one exposed brick wall. Inside things are a little more prosaic: there's a number on each table, the noise level fluctuates between boisterous and deafening, and the waitstaff, though eager to please, seems antsy and inexperienced. With few exceptions, though, our food made up for all this. The hot, tender grilled lemongrass beef appetizer, rolled into a moist rice-paper sheet with fresh mint and cilantro, was so good it was hard not to make a meal of it. Two baseball-sized clumps of fried shrimp and sweet potato turned out to be the shrimp fritter appetizer -- again, large enough for a serious seafood fan to dine on. Only the vegetarian spring rolls were at all ordinary. Entrees include Simply It's Beef (more or less a bigger version of the lemongrass beef starter) and roasted duck curry served skin on, all the better for lovers of duck fat. Banh mi fans will have to stick to Argyle Street; there's only one here, renamed the "Saigon sandwich" and relegated to the side-dish category. Anne Ford

Ta Tong
2964 N. Lincoln | 773-348-6500

$
ASIAN, THAI, JAPANESE | LUNCH: MONDAY-FRIDAY; DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | BYO

Both Thai and Japanese cuisine are on offer at this small new BYO joint from the former owners of Tom Yum, which has now closed. Crab Rangoon was hot, crisp outside, and creamy inside -- it just didn't taste much like, you know, crab. "Golden silk shrimp," shrimp wrapped in thin, deep-fried strings of egg noodles, were similarly flavorless. A house special, citrus chicken, was much tastier: marinated, crisply fried chicken served with a creamy lime sauce and a curiously crunchy side of collard greens. We didn't know quite what to make of our excursions into the sushi side of the menu. All the standards are available, and there are some nice offerings like the "for beginner" platter with ebi, tamago, California, and kani maki. But the sweet potato tempura maki had been dribbled with so much wasabi mayo and unagi sauce that it was nearly soggy. The crunchy maki -- a battered-and-fried roll with unagi, crab, cream cheese, and avocado -- fared better, though again we wished the unagi sauce were on the side. Service was a little hit-and-miss but still friendly, and the space itself is inviting enough. Anne Ford

Tepatulco
2558 N. Halsted | 773-472-7419

$$
MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11

Big names beget great expectations, so when Las Fuentes closed and then reopened as Tepatulco, a new venture from Geno Bahena (Ixcapuzalco, Chilpancingo), the buzz-o-meter was off the charts. But while they're enjoyable enough, Bahena's latest creations never quite blew me away. Sopa Azteca was a good example of Tepatulco's almost-there cuisine: a fiery broth with some complexity, it was undermined by mechanically cubed cheese and chicken. Camarones aguachiles verdes, a Sinaloan version of shrimp lightly "cooked" in lime marinade, was delicately flavored, and the sopes de chapulines -- little masa cups stuffed with black beans, cheese, and grasshopper bits described on the menu as "succulent" -- was an accessible dish for one with bug parts. Many patrons seemed to dig the molcajete, a hot lava-rock bowl of steak, chicken, and cactus paddles in a full-bodied sauce topped with chorizo and served with handmade tortillas. Salmon (uncommon in traditional Mexican cuisine) was grilled and deliciously dressed in satisfying green pumpkin-seed-based mole. Simple but satisfying chicken Milanesa was a meaty capon breast with peppery pickled red onion -- complemented by the menu's one Mexican red wine as well as margaritas, shaken tableside. David Hammond

Tramonto's Steak and Seafood
601 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling | 847-777-6575

$$$$
STEAKS/LOBSTER, SEAFOOD | DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11

The North Shore Westin is pretty utilitarian looking, but once inside Rick Tramonto's new steak house you'll find characteristic Tramonto flourishes: a 1,200-bottle climate-controlled wall of wine, a waterfall. The luxe treatment extends to the menu, which offers sybaritic steak toppers such as bone marrow, a whole roasted foie gras, and a truffled poached egg. Starters included pristine Penn Cove oysters and tender snails overpowered by pureed spinach. Salads included a special of sauteed sweetbreads and a terrific if slightly overdressed Caesar with one delectable white anchovy. A grain-fed bone-in rib eye, with its fresh, clean beefy flavor, was memorable, but Tramonto's Tomahawk Chop, 40 ounces of dry-aged beef meant for two, merely hinted at the intense mineral tang of properly dry-aged beef. Sides were well executed, in particular the twice-baked potato with white Irish cheddar, roasted wild mushrooms with crispy croutons, and wood-roasted brussels sprouts. Scrumptious Gale Gand desserts include the Best Ever Chocolate Pudding, which it may well be, and a root beer float coupled with sugar-dusted beignet french fries with cherry catsup. Service is beyond reproach, and kudos to corporate director of wine and spirits Belinda Chang for including a $35-and-under section in the mostly upper-end wine list. Gary Wiviott

Viet Bistro
1334 W. Devon | 773-465-5720

$$$
ASIAN, VIETNAMESE | DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | BYO

For years Pasteur has been a favorite for classy, upscale Vietnamese that avoids the ridiculous excesses of Asian fusion. Sadly, it closed April 18, and chef-owner Daniel Nguyen's long-in-coming follow-up may leave people stifling their surprise over their spring rolls and satay: what were they doing behind the papered windows all those months? Tired appetizers of vegetable tempura and beef skewers and boring curries and stir-fries predominate, less imaginative and more prissy than those at a half-dozen spots on Argyle Street. Even the more unusual items lacked excitement: a papaya salad with jellyfish, something that's usually searingly hot, here was practically unseasoned and required a healthy dollop of chile sauce to bring it to life. Tem, a sweet grilled chicken and pork meatball lollipopped on a stalk of lemongrass, was pretty but sort of pointless. The house was out of the interesting-sounding lobster roll, and we were steered toward spring rolls indistinguishable from any I've ever had before but for their $5 price tag. Spicy shrimp curry was thin and watery; a red snapper was overfried; bo lui, beef cubes marinated in pinot noir and soy sauce, was nothing more than shish kebab by another name; and chocolate layer cake had a stale whiff of the freezer about it, not the only indication that someone's phoning it in here. At press time the liquor license was still pending. Mike Sula

Wings Around the World
321 E. 35th | 312-326-6930

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GLOBAL/FUSION/ECLECTIC, SEAFOOD | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: SATURDAY TILL MIDNIGHT, FRIDAY TILL 11:30 | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED

Takeout-only operation Wings Around the World opened in a neighborhood with an inordinate concentration of fried chicken franchises, and though it's far more imaginative, ambitious, and wonderful than any of them, the potential for a wildly successful chain is obvious. Owner Abeng Stuart does wings grilled or fried in 35 (for now) different sauces or rubs, more or less representing nine different cuisines: Jamaican, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Greek, "Canadian," and "American." The wings themselves are steeped overnight in a base seasoning and cooked unbattered in fresh, clean oil, leaving the meat an unadulterated vehicle for these intense flavors -- also applicable to shrimp or fish. The "Maple Twist," filed under Canadian, is a light syrup-and-butter potion, meant to evoke pancakes, or more aptly, chicken and waffles. The Greek lemon-and-garlic wing is bright, citrusy, and smothered in roughly minced garlic, while my favorite, the Parmesan-garlic, is crusted with real cheese. The jalapeno is smothered in whole sliced chiles, and the rum and bourbon barbecue sauces are unmistakably spiked. Several were designed with the pleasure/pain principle in mind: the Kamikaze is a powerful multichiled blast that flooded my skull with endorphins. These aren't prepackaged assembly-line concoctions, but house-made dressings dreamed up by someone who understands proportion and balance and has a knack for conjuring up vivid associations. Mike Sula

Xel-Ha
710 N. Wells | 312-274-9500

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MEXICAN | DINNER: MONDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11

Xel-Ha (pronounced "shell ha"), the latest venture from chef Dudley Nieto (Chapulin, Adobo Grill, Zapatista), is one of Chicago's most elegant Mexican dining spaces, with linen tablecloths, a fireplace, a stylish back room, and a mammoth mahogany bar staffed by a knowledgeable bartender and stocked with 60 premium tequilas. It's also one of few Chicago restaurants featuring Yucatecan cuisine, which unlike the foods of many other Mexican regions isn't inherently spicy but can be amped up with incendiary salsas. Chef Nieto is justly proud of his version of queso relleno, Edam cheese stuffed with seasoned ground beef in white sauce. Served with sweet raisins, olives, and saffron, it's a characteristic fusion of Native American, European, and Middle Eastern traditions. Nieto also turns out a traditional rendition of turkey, a Yucatecan native, in black recado, a chile paste that's been around since the Maya's heyday. Made with a form of the herb epazote peculiar to the region, it comes with a tomato "crepe" sprinkled with queso for visual contrast with the dark bird. Orange -- especially bitter orange -- is a common ingredient in Yucatecan cuisine, and Nieto's zin de venado, shredded venison (also native), is served with orange sauce and tamulada, a salsa made with habanero chiles and roasted tomatoes. Chef Nieto has always been peripatetic, but here it seems he's come home. David Hammond

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