Category Archives: American (New)

1921 by Norman Van Aken

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Exterior

Entry

Foyer/kitchen

Dining room

Fried Cornish game hen, collard greens, Mac and cheese

Duck

*** (3 stars)

The challenge a new restaurant faces is threefold: providing good food, good service, and attracting customers. 1921 has succeeded on two out of three.

The customers are no problem. Open only a week or two, the restaurant was packed when we visited. Unfortunately, although the decor is beautiful, it didn’t include acoustic treatment, so the dining room was at a deafening level–enough that my companion and I had to keep repeating ourselves, even though we were at a small table for two.

The food also passes muster. I’ve never been a huge fan of Norman’s at the Ritz Carlton, but I thought three of the dishes we had here were better than anything I’ve ever had there.

The Caesar salad was enlivened by some lemon zest, a trick I will try at home.

Chaufa “Aeropuerto” was an Asian-influenced fried rice dish with grilled octopus and sausage. The octopus and sausage were just okay, but the rice flavors were wonderful. This is a large starter, but would make an excellent side dish.

The fried cornish game hen was excellent, like a wonderful fried chicken, and served with good collard greens and mac and cheese.

The only miss was the duck breast that our waiter highly recommended. It looked unappetizing, and the “mole” sauce bore no relationship to a true mole, overpowered by odd tasting herbs.

The third aspect of a good restaurant is the service staff, and the place was certainly heavily staffed. But our waiter was in way over his head. Upon taking our order he told us he’d “try to get the wine out as soon as he could,” as if this required some Herculean effort. Apparently it did, as it didn’t arrive until we were almost done with our first course. Someone should also mention to him that you present the bottle before opening it, and you don’t fill the wine glasses to the brim to save yourself a trip later. And had we not anticipated his failure to pace the meal, I’m pretty sure our entrees would have arrived before we’d even finished that course.

Management seemed involved, so perhaps this will be corrected as they adjust staff levels.

Overall I’d say that if you’re in the area and want good food, 1921 is worth a try, as long as you don’t plan on having a conversation during dinner.

1921 by Norman Van Aken
142 E 4th Ave
Mount Dora, FL 32757
(352) 385-1921
http://www.yelp.com/biz/1921-by-norman-van-aken-mount-dora

Roister

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Upstairs Dining Area

Downstairs Prep Kitchen and Counter

Grilled Sourdough Toast with Cheese and Cauliflower

Green Tomato Gaspacho

Oysters

Cantaloupe and Trout Roe with Dehydrated Cheese and Buttermilk Jalapeno Dressing and Breadcrumbs

Slaw Salad

Shrimp with Crab Etoufee

Salmon and Spinach

Fried Chicken!

Milk Ice Cream with Dehydrated Mint and Frozen Strawberry Ice and Strawberry Gel

***** (5 stars)

This new offering from Grant Achatz far exceeded our expectations, which were already high. The trick to a good experience here is to sit at the downstairs prep kitchen counter, which offers a far quieter experience than upstairs, and a bargain 8-course tasting menu for a mere $85.

Every course was a home run, and there wasn’t a single course that wasn’t better than everything we’ve had this year on sister Restaurant Next’s tasting menus for far more money.

There’s a creative cocktail list, and an extensive menu of wines by the glass, so it’s easy to assemble your own pairing.

Service is friendly and knowledgeable, and it’s fun to watch your meal assembled before your eyes.

Roister
951 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607

http://www.yelp.com/biz/roister-chicago-2

Mr. Quick

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**** (4 stars)

Mr. Quick serves good reliable diner food in an old-fashioned roadside diner setting. If your group can’t decide between breakfast lunch and dinner, Mr. Quick has it covered, as they serve all three at once. The extremely extensive menu offers pretty much every diner food you can think of.

The omelets are interesting because they are served in either flat or fluffy styles, a choice I’ve never been offered before.

Corn beef hash, eggs and hashbrowns were prepared just the way I requested.

The burger was good too.

The staff are definitely into what they’re doing here, in both the front of house and behind the counter, as service was prompt and courteous, and true to its name our assortment of dishes were served pretty darned quick.

Mr. Quick
5615 W Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32808
(407) 293-0511
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mr-quick-orlando

Sepia

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**** (4 stars)

Sepia provides a fine dining experience in a pleasant, laid back atmosphere. Service is professional without being stiff, and there is a wonderful wine list with reasonable pricing.

The best way to go here is the prix fixe dinner, as you get to try many smaller portions of their specialties. While everything we had was very good, the only true home run was the duck, which had a wonderfully crispy skin, and sat atop a truly amazing carrot puree. The toasted almonds elevated it to something better than food. This was also the homerun of the optional wine pairing, with an exotic Italian pinot noir providing the perfect accompaniment.

While Sepia’s food might not be quite as off the charts as a few of the area’s elite, it is a very solid choice for a fine meal in a relaxed setting.

Sepia
123 N Jefferson St
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 441-1920
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sepia-chicago

Andy’s Jazz Club

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IMG_2032

IMG_1997 IMG_1999

**** (4 stars)

7pm show and dinner on a Thursday. $10 cash cover at the door.

Cool jazz quartet: piano, acoustic bass, drums and sax. You definitely won’t be having a conversation, despite them being”conversation friendly”! But it’s all about the music, so who cares?

Delicious ceviche.

Fall off the bone short ribs with a rich and complex sauce.

Excellent cocktails, each with a unique spin.

Prices reasonable for the area and entertainment.

No verbs were harmed in the writing of this review.

Andy’s Jazz Club
11 E Hubbard St
Ste 1
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 642-6805
http://www.yelp.com/biz/andys-jazz-club-chicago-2

Bistronomic

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***** (5 stars)

This bistro serves authentic French bistro food in a modern decor or a pleasant covered outside dining area.

The early evening three course prix fixe menu is an excellent deal, and includes so of the best menu selections.

Duck confit was perfectly crisped, served with a lightly dressed frisee salad.

Salmon was perfectly browned and served over some marvelous vegetables.

Two classic desserts round out the prix fixe menu.

The wine list focuses on affordable French wines, with a limited selection by the glass.

Service was friendly and efficient.

While the ambiance is not traditional, of the French bistros in River North, this is my favorite for food.

Bistronomic
840 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 944-8400
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bistronomic-chicago

Untitled Supper Club

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**** (4 stars)

Untitled isn’t exactly a supper club or a speakeasy, but it does have some elements of those. You enter down a broad staircase into a foyer off of which large rooms extend in all directions. One room is a large lounge that serves over 500 whiskeys, another has a stage for live performances (there was a very good Jazz quintet playing the night we visited) and a third room is strictly for dining, and features private alcoves for six all around the edges. This last room was most to our taste, as the live band was audible but conversation was still possible. Decor throughout is romantic and 1920s inspired.

The menu contains a nice variety of shareable plates, and a selection of full-size entrees. We loved the Mussels, which were served in a green curry broth that tasted like Tom Yum Goong. There were a LOT of mussels in the bowl for a very reasonable $16.

We also vaporized two other small plates, deviled eggs, and bacon fat fries. Yes, you read that right–write, BACON FAT FRIES! They were as good as you would imagine.

Well after all that, we could only share a salad as our main dish, and our server’s recommendation of the asparagus salad was a great one. Raw, pickled and grilled asparagus were combined with mixed greens and an excellent green goddess dressing.

An interesting cocktail list includes smokey, bitter and other exotic flavors. A nice variety of wines by the glass is on offer, along with a limited bottle list that seemed a bit pricey.

Service was amazing (as was our server’s dress). Her recommendations were spot on. Note that many of the hostesses and servers were scantily clad, and apparently things get bawdy as the evening progresses.

It’s a bit hard to describe the concept here, because they are trying to be several things at once, and are doing so pretty successfully. I can see it as a place for business over whiskey, for cocktails, for a romantic dinner, or a late night show. And by moving from room to room, you could actually do several on the same visit.

Untitled Supper Club
111 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 880-1511
http://www.yelp.com/biz/untitled-supper-club-chicago

The Kitchen Chicago

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*** (3 stars)

We tried this place for brunch on a Saturday, and it was fine. It’s an unusual cross between coffee shop and seafood bar. As a result the mussels were the best dish. They were tender and had an excellent broth and were served with nicely grilled bread.

The poached salmon salad was just so-so. The salmon what rather sturdy, as were the stems of the accompanying greens.

Service was friendly and efficient.

The Kitchen Chicago
316 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 836-1300
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-kitchen-chicago-chicago

Alinea

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***** (5 stars)

I’m pleased to say that the 2016 reinvention of Alinea has been a phenomenal improvement. So much so, in fact, that it now is again a serious contender for best restaurant in the US.

First of, the complete redesign of the space has resulted in a comfortable, sedate environment where the food and wine are the focus. The new furnishings are cozy and the ambiance is quiet, with no loud soundtrack. As a result, conversations tend to be muted and the communication with the servers is enhanced.

And certainly there are no better servers around than those at Alinea, where everyone is well trained on the components of each complex dish, and the accompanying wine pairings.

Best of all, the new menu has placed the focus squarely on the food. While each course is presented in meticulously chosen dinnerware–from gorgeous dishes fashioned of hand crafted ceramic to ephemeral bowls of ice–the spotlight is on the food in those bowls, not gimmicky utensils or serving platforms.

The didactic instructions of exactly how to eat each course are gone, and now you are invited to experiment and explore with the flavors on your plate.

In this new incarnation, feedback is actively solicited as they find their way to the favorite dishes. Certainly the first five courses were absolute knockouts, and the wine pairings that accompanied them pure genius. It’s a bit hard to count the courses, because the menus is an avant-garde map, and many courses consist of multiple dishes, but trust me, you won’t leave hungry, whether you chose the upstairs salon experience or the more elaborate downstairs experiences.  I felt the salon offered more than enough fine dining, and ten great wine pairings, all at a very fair price.

If you haven’t been to Alinea for a while, or you are looking for a stellar dining experience in Chicago, there can be no better place to start.

Alinea
1723 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 867-0110
http://www.yelp.com/biz/alinea-chicago

Copper Fox

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**** (4 stars)

This space that occupies one section of the ground floor of a hotel doesn’t look much like a  gastropub, but the food definitely qualifies.

The standout item was the #16 Biscuits, probably the best biscuits I’ve ever had. They were crunchy on the outside, warm and flaky on the inside, with a slight herbal scent. The honey butter was a perfect accompaniment.

Smoked gouda mac and cheese was also very good, with slightly crisped edges due to the bubbling hot skillet it was served in.

The seven layer chicken salad was a nice combination of romaine, corn, black beans, shredded chicken and ranch dressing. Less interesting was the hamburger, which was fairly ordinary, and served with thick cut, skin on, somewhat limp fires.

Service was friendly. There is an adjoining bar making some interesting cocktails, including several complex variants of the Moscow Mule.

Copper Fox
155 East Ontario St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 255-8505
http://www.yelp.com/biz/copper-fox-chicago