G&O
459 N. Ogden Ave.Chicago, IL 60642
West Town/Noble Square
312-888-3367
grandandogden.com
Hours: Dinner: seven days
Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2
Our Review
The only beer consistently on tap at G&O—named for its location near the intersection of Grand and Ogden—is Coors Banquet, though there are three other taps that have a rotating selection of craft brews, and quite a few bottles. The focus is more on the dozen-odd cocktails and the complicated-sounding dishes (the lamb chops come with dill pesto, whipped chai parsnips, and "yogurt buttered green beans"). None of the food we ordered was as exotic as it sounded. The frites were supposedly served with smoked sea salt and cracked pink peppercorns, but they were some of the most straightforward fries I've ever had, just crispy enough to be unobjectionable. I wish I could say the same for the soggy and undersalted brussels sprouts. Fortunately, we fared better with the silky scallops—though I wasn't impressed by the bland wontons stuffed with cranberry-butternut squash puree that accompanied them. Possibly the best of the bunch were the crispy, fresh rock shrimp fritters drizzled with remoulade and "Szechuan sauce." The theme of "good enough" continued with dessert, house-made chocolate truffles (one rolled in bacon bits, another in coconut) that were fairly pleasant, but a tad on the sweet side and very soft. My dining companion gave up after a couple bites, noting that it was like eating chocolate frosting.
Price: $$
Payment Type: MasterCard, Visa, AmEx, Discover
