Monthly Archives: September 2015

Chipotle Mexican Grill

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*** (3 stars)

I happened to visit both Qdoba and Chipotle during the same week, and was struck by how nearly identical they are.

Both offer counter assembly of burritos or bowls with rice, beans, sauce, protein, guacamole, lettuce and a couple of other ingredients. And both result in fairly homogenous, bland tasting imitations of a mediocre Tex-Mex burrito. There are minor differences in the other offerings and drinks, but not really anything of note.

The major appeal seems to be the weight of the food you can get for well under ten dollars. This aspect probably explains why most are located near college campuses.

It’s not the worst Tex-Mex food you’l ever have, but unless you’re looking for a good deal by the pound, the appeal is really lost on me.

Chipotle Mexican Grill
7800 Dr. Phillips Blvd
Ste 100
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 352-0198
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chipotle-mexican-grill-orlando-11

Qdoba Mexican Grill

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*** (3 stars)

I happened to visit both Qdoba and Chipotle during the same week, and was struck by how nearly identical they are.

Both offer counter assembly of burritos or bowls with rice, beans, sauce, protein, guacamole, lettuce and a couple of other ingredients. And both result in fairly homogenous, bland tasting imitations of a mediocre Tex-Mex burrito. There are minor differences in the other offerings and drinks, but not really anything of note.

The major appeal seems to be the weight of the food you can get for well under ten dollars. This aspect probably explains why most are located near college campuses.

It’s not the worst Tex-Mex food you’l ever have, but unless you’re looking for a good deal by the pound, the appeal is really lost on me.

Qdoba Mexican Grill
58 E Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 629-1190
http://www.yelp.com/biz/qdoba-mexican-grill-chicago-3

Chutney’s Indian Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

Chutney’s is in the space formerly occupied by the excellent Rice Paper and the terrible Lolailo. It’s also almost next door to Graffiti Junction, which used to be Orlando’s finest Indian restaurant, Memories of India, so it has some big shoes to fill.

So far things look promising. We visited at lunch, and, unfortunately like most Indian restaurants in the area, only the buffet is available at lunch time. While there are plenty of choices available on the buffet, it’s impossible for the food quality to match what could be served up fresh and in even more variety from the kitchen.

We were impressed with the variety of chutney available (not too surprising, I guess, given the restaurant’s name) and the endless supply of naan bread that was delivered to our table.

They were still working out some issues with getting checks promptly to tables, but the service was friendly.

Still, to assess whether this is really the next go-to Indian restaurant in Southwest Orlando (something we could really use, given the weaknesses of the others in the area) will require a visit in the evening.

Chutney’s Indian Restaurant
7637 Turkey Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 730-9624
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chutneys-indian-restaurant-orlando

Bistro Voltaire

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**** (4 stars)

There are quite a few restaurants in and around River North that claim to be authentic French Bistros, but most of them really aren’t. This one is pretty much the real deal.

The intimate space is busy yet not loud, and the menu offers authentic bistro dishes such as Bouillabaisse and Salad Lyonnaise. We particularly liked the Rack of Lamb, which was served in a red wine sauce with a touch of sweetness to it. Food pricing is very reasonable.

A small to medium selection of fairly obscure French wines offers a few excellent selections if you look for the good years. Wine pricing is fairly reasonable.

Service was friendly, a bit overwhelmed on a busy Saturday, but they coped nicely.

Bistro Voltaire
226 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 265-0911
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bistro-voltaire-chicago

Hub 51

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**** (4 stars)

I really enjoyed the upscale vibe of this place, which came without the usual deafening roar of poor acoustics. The lighting is also great, with spots directed at the tables, where they belong.

We went at lunch time on a Saturday but ended up ordering breakfast. The vegetable hash with poached eggs was very good, but the show stopper was the breakfast nachos. What a great dish! Thin, crisp chips with cheese, scrambled eggs, sauce, some guacamole and a sour cream drizzle, all finished under a broiler. And what a huge mound! This could easily have been lunch for two all by itself.

Good service (lots of people in training, who also seemed good) made for a nice meal.

Hub 51
51 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 828-0051
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hub-51-chicago-2

Cafe Selmarie

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**** (4 stars)

Cafe Selmarie is an interesting amalgam of pastry shop, coffee shop, and restaurant.

When you enter it looks like it’s just a pastry shop with a few small tables for enjoying your purchase or sipping a cup of coffee. But proceed to the rear, and there is a fair-sized restaurant.

The menu offers American, French, Italian, and (at least the night we visited) German food, plus other eclectic international cuisines.

We shared the Brussels sprout salad, which was good, a special leek and bacon flatbread that was phenomenal (gooey topping, crisp crust), and a special German sausage plate that was also tasty.

For dessert we selected a couple of pastries from the case out front. There’s a small wine list with many selections available by the glass.

Service was friendly and professional.

The place is kid friendly, and there were quite a few families dining the Friday night we went. An adjacent open area provides outside dining when the weather is nice, and place for the kids to run around.

If you’ve not been to Lincoln Square, it’s definitely a cute neighborhood to check out.

Cafe Selmarie
4729 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 989-5595
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-selmarie-chicago

Shanghai Terrace at The Peninsula Chicago

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***** (5 stars)

The combination of restful setting, superb food and faultless service make this Chicago’s best Chinese restaurant, and one of its top restaurants overall. It’s particularly delightful when it’s warm enough to eat on the terrace, a surprisingly serene environment considering it’s just a half dozen or so floors above Michigan Avenue.

We put ourselves in our waiter’s hands, and he assembled a delightful multi-course meal for us.

We began with an assortment of six pieces of dim sum, individually plated for each of us. This item is not listed on the menu (nor is any form of dim sum sampler) so it is worth asking about. Although I am not a huge dim sum fan, this was clearly the best I have ever had; each was light and flavorful, and even the crab rangoon managed to be delicate and appealing.

Next we shared a split serving of hot and sour soup, also the best I’ve had, with less vinegar and more broth flavor. Plenty of tender lobster chunks made it special.

Peking duck is available in a full or half portion, and the half is perfect for sharing as an appetizer. It’s served with the traditional cucumber, scallions, pancakes and sauces, but the duck was so perfect we ate most of it by itself. Crispy skin and no layer of fat at all made it among the best duck dishes I’ve had. Next time I might try the five spice duck to compare it.

For entrees we shared scallops in black truffle sauce, and a spicy shrimp dish. Both were good, and were different from anything else we’d had, but I felt the preceding courses were better.

Perhaps the highlight of the meal was an amazing red rice dish that I didn’t see on the menu. It was vegetarian, and included various nuts, broccoli and other tidbits, and had a rich, mouth-filling flavor that was remarkable. I would definitely ask for this again.

Finally we finished with a fruit and sorbet plate. Our waiter added a bit of coconut sorbet, which turned out to be the highlight.

A well-conceived wine list offers many selections designed to accompany the food, including a small half bottle section. Wine prices are erratic, with some barely above retail, and others sky high, so careful browsing is required, but will be rewarded.

This was a great meal, and I’m sure we will return often to this surprising oasis in the midst of the city.

Shanghai Terrace at The Peninsula Chicago
108 E Superior St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 573-6695
http://www.yelp.com/biz/shanghai-terrace-at-the-peninsula-chicago-chicago

Smith & Wollensky

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**** (4 stars)

In a city almost stuffed to the brim with steakhouses, Smith & Wollensky is one of the better known names. A mini chain (of 9) founded in New York in 1977, it is now owned by Patina Group.

The Chicago location looks and feels fairly venerable, although the interior is certainly modern, and the extensive patio is more light and airy than one associates with steakhouses.

As with all the major steakhouses, prices are high, because prime aged meat ain’t cheap. Lunch is a more economical option, and that’s when I tried it out.

After a nice serving of a complimentary bread loaf (topped with herbs) I began with the split pea soup, which was in many way the highlight of the meal. Smooth and delicious, it had a great fresh pea flavor with a hint of smoke. My mother’s specialty was split pea soup, and this was better. High praise indeed.

Next I had the Wollensky salad, a huge serving of crisp lettuce with lardons, mushrooms, and (oddly) cubes of potatoes instead of croutons. I really enjoyed the vinaigrette dressing, and liked the salad enough to take the leftovers with me (which were a lot).

I finished with the steak sandwich, which was served with slaw, a pickle, and a side of fries. The steak was extremely tender and flavorful. I liked the horseradish sauce on the bun. The fries were just all right.

Any of these three courses would have been a complete lunch, making it an affordable option.

Service was very attentive, and there’s a nice view across the river.

Smith & Wollensky
318 N State St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 670-9900
http://www.yelp.com/biz/smith-and-wollensky-chicago

Le Colonial

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**** (4 stars)

This popular restaurant serves well prepared and beautifully presented Vietnamese food in a French Colonial setting. Don’t expect French fusion cooking, as there is little French culinary influence, but the setting will definitely transport you to 1950s French Colonial Vietnam.

We put ourselves in our waiter’s hands, and he knocked it out of the park, serving us two appetizers, two salads and two entrees. Nearly all of them were something we would not have ordered, but will definitely order again. We preferred the appetizers and salads to the entrees, and would concentrate on those areas of the menu on our next visit.

We began with a ravioli that was made from amazingly thin and delicate layers, and bursting with flavor. This was probably my favorite dish. We also had the wok seared monkfish, which was slightly spicy, and served with crisp sesame crackers.

Our salad course consisted of a filet mignon and watercress salad (reminiscent of Thai waterfall beef) and a lotus root and crispy tofu salad that was a knockout. Not being a big tofu fan, I would never have ordered this, but it was my other favorite.

Our entrees were a sautéed shrimp dish, and sautéed filet mignon with yams and green beans.  These were both good, but not as good as the previous dishes.

For dessert we had an ice cream and macaroon dish that was fine, but not special.

A nice selection of wines designed to accompany the food is available, with a particularly fine selection of Champagnes by the glass.

In addition to the downstairs space, there is a bar and clubbier upstairs dining room.

Obviously we enjoyed the service, as our waiter created this excellent meal for us!

Le Colonial
937 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 255-0088
http://www.yelp.com/biz/le-colonial-chicago

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

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**** (4 stars)

This bustling tapas restaurant is larger than it looks from the outside, and is consistently busy.

The menu has a reasonably broad selection of tapas and also paella. There is also a substantial wine and sangria list, and a separate cocktail menu.

I particularly enjoyed the house smoked salmon.

Bacon wrapped dates were nice and crisp on the outside without being mushy on the inside.

Buttermilk chicken thighs seemed mis-named, and were more like chicken tenders with a wing sauce on them.

Beef skewers were tender and nicely charred on the outside, although the horseradish sauce could have used more kick.

The empanadas had a delightfully flakey pastry.

Service was friendly and attentive. Dishes are delivered by runners, and come out as they are ready, so don’t order everything at once or you will be inundated in food!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
2024 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 935-5000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-ba-ba-reeba-chicago-3