Being from Wisconsin and also being loyal to the the state's professional football team, I found it a bit uneasy stepping inside Mike Ditka's restaurant. However, it was tempting given the rave reviews we have heard about the place.
Better late than never, right? My first trip to Aigre Doux and why not get a prix fixe. I'd say upfront that
it's not generally a good way to evaluate a place. That said I had a very good meal and even though we were a fairly large group up against the back kitchen-wall, I did find the place to be nice and comfy. Then again it could have been the girl drinks.
The other thing to note is that 3 cosmos has the tendency to make any night a remarkable night. The menu option of braised spare ribs made any decision a formality. I've been on a braised meat kick lately and was excited. The haricot vert was a great starter... what better to go with a cocktail. Technicolor.
My wife, as an interior designer, was fortunate enough to get an invitation to get a sneak preview of Sushi-X. I admit I have not been to Sushi-X's original location, on Chicago and Milwaukee in East Ukrainian Village. One of the first thoughts I had was that this is a bold move for them: there are quite a few sushi places around Lincoln Park and Lakeview, anywhere from more "old school" styles with bright lighting and lots of bamboo to trendy, hip places. Sushi-X aims for the trendy and hip segment of the sushi market, with its dark colors, dark lighting, Japanese anime, and techno. Maybe this is good timing as there have been more of the "trendy" places opening around Lakeview, and surprisingly, a few signs around Lincoln Park as well.
Though we've never been, for Valentine’s Day my wife and I went to Carnivale as it's had received good reviews. When we walked in right away we felt the place was over the top, yet awe-inspiring with generous use of primary colors, high ceilings, Cuban music, and lots of energy. Coming in there was someone handing out free samples of Spanish olives. Carnivale is mostly pan-Latin but does throw in Spanish dishes like manchengo and zamarano cheese as well as the ever-tasty jamon Iberico. The other thing we noticed was the people patronizing the establishment, were very eclectic and perhaps not a typical West Loop club crowd.
Continue reading "Carnivale: Pan Latin Food in a Theatrical Setting" »
It has been almost a year ago since I had reviewed Cru Wine Bar. I love wine bars, and the fact that it is in the Gold Coast makes it an instant plus, especially since it is near one of our condo's. With my wife's coupon in hand we decided to taste a couple dishes.
The first server nearly scared us off. When my wife asked about what type of crab was in the crab and artichoke gratin, she barked "it's crab." Her series of short answers almost caused us to walk out. No hard feelings, of course, just that we made a bad decision. Luckily she didn't serve us, and another person came, and she was more pleasant to deal with.
I have a very hard time taking chain restaurants seriously. I’m barely even open to going to restaurants that have more than one location in the same city. So I was extremely skeptical with a recent girl's-night-out that was set to start at Adobo Grill in Old Town (they also have locations in Wicker Park, Lombard and Indianapolis). That being said I’m a huge fan of Mexican food and can’t always afford to go stand in line at Frontera – which, in my opinion, is the holy grail of Mexican food.
Adobo was a surprising experience. The 10 of us fit comfortably in a very private table in the main dining area. Because of the large size of the group I was able to try many dishes on the menu and all of the dishes we ordered I found enjoyable and different than your standard burrito/taco Mexican joint.
For quite some time I have heard great things about Le Lan, a French-Asian restaurant in River North. It turned out to be a wonderful restaurant with personable and helpful staff, as well as an open plan atmosphere. A gift certificate for Christmas made it easier to visit.
One of my favorite haunts, Bistrot Zinc, changes its core menu once a month. And with frequent $25 off coupons in the mail I come back quite often..and order the wine. And appetizers. And dessert. And get a good meal for two for $60 after the discount, not including tip.
This month I'm pleased to announce the rognons on the menu, called Rognons de Veau à la Sauce Moutarde. Not knowing much French I understood veau but had to ask what rognons were, and much to my delight they were...
Continue reading "Bistrot Zinc: My Offal Meal This Past Weekend" »
The Ketel One Club is the season ticket holder dining room where if you shelled out lots of money for your tickets you're obviously in a position to drop too much money on food before a hockey game.
There's a concept issue here for me and I think the season ticket holder as a customer is the only way to rationalize why anyone going to a Blackhawks game (in my case) would opt out of the hotdog and beer dinner option with an appetizer of nachos and another beer for dessert. But it takes all kinds. So what do you do? Give them a TGI Fridays menu at a Ruth's Cris price.
Continue reading "The Ketel One Club at the United Center" »
La Tache on Balmoral in Andersonville is a cute little French bistro that is priced out around Le Boucheon $15-$22 for entrees. I've been there once before for dinner and remember enjoying it, promising to return. Though it's been a while, I finally did go back... for brunch.
In Andersonville (the ANDER in Andersonwater Park) there are tons of restaurants that seem to open and close with such regularity that it's hard to keep track.
Sushi Luxe wants to be and probably is the local trendy sushi place and where that doesn't immediately bother me the beat centric techno in a dining room with only 3 tables seated does. A metronomic thump in an otherwise quiet environment is quite annoying.
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