Monthly Archives: October 2015

Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar

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***** (5 stars)

What a creative concept this place offers. Not only are there flights of wine, there are also flights of food. Each features three different selections.

Although they are listed as small plates, the serving sizes are quite generous. We started with the ocean flight, which featured lobster ravioli, seafood salad, and scallop Rockefeller. The ravioli was the best.

Next was the salad sampler, and all three salads were really excellent.

At this point we were getting pretty full, even thought we’d theoretically only shared two “small” plates! But we pressed on and had the sashimi. Wow! This was top quality tuna and salmon, six pieces of each, served over ice. It was odd the they had no wasabi, but otherwise exceptional.

I really liked the fact that they were totally flexible about which wines to have in each flight, so rather than sticking with their preset offerings we selected eclectic assortments to match the food and our palates.

Ambiance is bustling and trendy yet intimate, especially in the booths upstairs. Service was very attentive and professional.

I loved this concept and wish there was once closer to home.

Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar
39 S Main St
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 521-8005
http://www.yelp.com/biz/flight-restaurant-and-wine-bar-memphis

Cielo

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**** (4 stars)

Great service is the highlight of this elegant restaurant that overlooks the Four Seasons pool and the Gateway Arch.

The menu offers some Italian classic dishes, well prepared. I enjoyed the branzino entree, but the highlight was the flexibility to select a starter plate of high quality meats and cheeses, and especially the large selection of house-made gelatos. This was a good choice for hotel dining.

Cielo
Four Seasons Hotel
999 N 2nd St
Saint Louis, MO 63102
(314) 881-5759
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cielo-saint-louis-2

GreenRiver

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**** (4 stars)

Green River offers one of the better cocktail lists in Chicago, and the dining area is upscale, trendy and yet intimate. The approach, through long hospital-like corridors is a bit weird, but once there you can settle in and enjoy some interesting small plates and a lot of cocktails.

One word of caution is that wine offerings are pretty limited, so it’s definitely a cocktail place. I liked that there were a lot of choices that weren’t overly sweet.

Food was good, even if there were no real home runs. Service was very knowledgeable and helpful.

GreenRiver
259 E Erie St
18th Fl
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 337-0101
http://www.yelp.com/biz/greenriver-chicago

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

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***** (5 stars)

A great restaurant that seems like it has been around for over a hundred years (which its Miami counterpart has) not just 15. Extremely professional service, and, of course, amazing crab. But the real standout here is the terrific prime beef, some of the best in Chicago.

Joe’s is a great way to step back in time and enjoy dining the way it was meant to be, when waiters wore tuxedos, and tablecloths were changed in seconds between seatings in bustling dining rooms.

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
60 E Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 379-5637
http://www.yelp.com/biz/joes-seafood-prime-steak-and-stone-crab-chicago

Mary Jane Burgers & Brew

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***** (5 stars)

Wow, this place was far beyond expectation. I guess we should have known when it was mostly full even before noon.

I’m a bit of a chicken wing snob, because I like a great sauce, but wings that aren’t greasy or bready. I’ve had grilled wings, before, but these were not just grilled but actually smoked. The tender, smokey flavor suffused all of the moist meat, and the crispy charred crust coated with tangy buffalo sauce made them honestly the best wings I’ve ever had.

The quesadilla was also good. The “mj blat” was a terrific bacon, lettuce, bacon, avocado, bacon, tomato, and bacon sandwich on grilled sourdough. I don’t want to think how many calories there were in this baby.

We were just passing through, which is probably a good thing, or I’d have lunch here every day!

Mary Jane Burgers & Brew
102 N Jackson St
Perryville, MO 63775
(573) 547-6279
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mary-jane-burgers-and-brew-perryville

Xoco

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*** (3 stars)

I don’t really understand the hype about this place. I realize that the desire is to try to take Mexican food and do something new and original with it.

The problem here is that everything “original” is not an improvement on the original version. When you eschew  the traditional bread from a Mexican torta and replace it with a baguette-even a tasty one-it turns into something other than a torta. And when you make churros really skinny they get tough. And when you cover them with sauce they get tough and soggy.

That said, most of the flavors I had were very good ones. And the habanero salsa that came with the sandwich had a wonderful flavor, although it was really too hot to eat, as I was warned.

So if you want something different, you might try it, but if you want a tasty Mexican lunch, look for the little food counter at the back of most Mexican grocery stores. You’ll get better stuff there.

Xoco
449 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 661-1434
http://www.yelp.com/biz/xoco-chicago

Sable

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*** (3 stars)

I wanted to like Sable a bit more than I did. The ambiance is nice, and the service is very friendly. There is an interesting menu of eclectic cocktails, and a limited selection of small plates and entrées.

But not too much of the food stood out. My favorite was the grilled peach salad, which was more about beets than peach. The pretzels were also good, but only after we asked for some spicy mustard to Doctor the cheese sauce that accompanied them.

Falafel sliders would have been better with a crustier patty, and the tempura needed more variety of vegetables. The worst item was the fried chicken, which was positively dripping with Greece. Yuck.

The chocolate cake with salted caramel ice cream was a nice way to finish, and I was impressed that they had a 1968 Madeira by the glass.

In short, I might go back, but it would probably be for a snack.

Sable
505 N State St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 755-9704
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sable-chicago

Dicks Last Resort

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*** (3 stars)

Dick’s is a fun place with a fun menu and fun staff. The food is typical sports bar, with perhaps a slight Cajun slant. Menu prices a fairly high, especially for dinner.

I had the catfish bucket for lunch, and it was tasty, if a bit pricey for what it was.

Dick’s works hard to create a divey environment inside, and it’s made easier by the fact that the Marina Towers are getting a bit divey themselves. However there is a great view of the river from both inside and the extensive outside riverfront patio.

My server was friendly and helpful, and the kitchen was quick. It’s worth a visit if you’re looking for a place to get a drink and sit by the river.

Dicks Last Resort
315 N Dearborn St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 836-7870
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dicks-last-resort-chicago-2

The Boarding House

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**** (4 stars)

A fabulous remodel has been done on this gorgeous historic boarding house. Each floor offers a different experience, from the cellar, to the ground floor bar, to the beautiful 3rd floor dining room, and private dining on the other floors.

It’s hard to ignore the dramatic chandeliers fashioned of wine glasses and bottles, which set the tone for an exceptional wine list.

The menu is divided into starters and main courses. We began with a bread service, fluffy pull apart rolls served with two butters, one sweet, one savory. Our first courses were good, if not spectacular: burrata cheese with toasted baguette slices, and octopus with new potatoes.

Entrees were very good. The venison was meaty without being gamey, and was served on a delicious combination of fall vegetables, cranberries, ham and other goodies. Scallops were perfectly cooked, served on a sweet puree with nicely caramelized Brussel sprouts. If I had any complaint it was just that both dishes were a bit on the sweet side.

Service was friendly and efficient, and the room volume was great, even when completely filled, as it deserves to be. A very neat environment for a pleasant meal.

The Boarding House
720 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 280-0720
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-boarding-house-chicago

Dicks Last Resort

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*** (3 stars)

Dick’s is a fun place with a fun menu and fun staff. The food is typical sports bar, with perhaps a slight Cajun slant. Menu prices a fairly high, especially for dinner.

I had the catfish bucket for lunch, and it was tasty, if a bit pricey for what it was.

Dick’s works hard to create a divey environment inside, and it’s made easier by the fact that the Marina Towers are getting a bit divey themselves. However there is a great view of the river from both inside and the extensive outside riverfront patio.

My server was friendly and helpful, and the kitchen was quick. It’s worth a visit if you’re looking for a place to get a drink and sit by the river.

Dicks Last Resort
315 N Dearborn St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 836-7870
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dicks-last-resort-chicago-2