Category Archives: Chicago

Anna’s Asian Grill & Sushi Bar

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**** (4 stars)

Anna’s offers a broad range of Asian cuisines and preparations–eight pages worth, in fact. From sashimi to Thai, curry to noodles, dumplings to roti, you’ll find a bit of everything here. I sampled a number of their small plates, and a noodle dish, and all were good.

There are quite a few house specialties, but perhaps the best known is the Stuffed Avocado, a tempura fried avocado with spicy tuna. The dish is quite rich, and the four pieces would make a good starter for a party of four, or a heavy one for a party of two.

The Trio Blossom is served on three spoons, one with squid and basil, one with hamachi (yellowtail in this case, often amberjack) wrapped around jalapeño and cilantro, and one with kani kama (fake crab) wrapped with salmon. I found the exterior of the squid pleasant, but the interior was rather slimy compared to others I’ve had. The yellowtail was the most successful, the jalapeño nice and crisp and not too spicy. As a result, I think the Rising Sun Roll would have been a better (and cheaper) choice.

The Chef’s Sake Baby Ribs was actually one rib, marinated in a tasty homemade tamarind sauce. It was good, but seemed a small portion to share, and too expensive to justify for one.

The Pad Laos was a nice variation on Pad Thai, with an emphasis on ginger and scallions rather than a typical heavy Pad Thai sauce. The lime wedge provided a nice dose of acidity.

Service was extremely friendly and attentive, and I felt welcome from the moment I stepped in the door.

Anna’s is BYOB, and they did a nice job serving the Champagne brought by a neighboring table. I found it odd in a gourmet Asian restaurant that the green tea was a Lipton tea bag.

I wanted to try a wide variety of preparations, and took my server’s recommendations of the house specialties. They were all good, although I didn’t feel there were any home runs. I think on a return visit I would focus on the sushi rolls.

Anna’s Asian Grill & Sushi Bar
1804-06 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 975-3404
http://www.yelp.com/biz/annas-asian-grill-and-sushi-bar-chicago

Sunda

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*** (3 stars)

I had high expectations for Sunda, and they were met in some areas, but not all.

The best item we sampled was the Crispy Brussels Sprouts, a superb house specialty; thin slices of broccoli are almost toasted, then tossed with red cabbage, carrots, chilies, fried shallots, and minced shrimp and served with nuoc cham (a rice wine vinegar dressing). I couldn’t stop eating this!

Tiger Shrimp Tempura was interesting in that it was served with candied walnuts, but the creamy honey aioli was really slathered on and made it very rich.

“Grilled Spare Ribs” are actually Korean style kalbi ribs, not my favorite.

Sushi was less inspiring. We tried several house special rolls, and none was greater than the sum of its parts. Spicy Salmon Shiso was particularly odd, with very finely ground salmon tartare and a dollop of sriracha on top of a thin slice of jicama and a shiso leaf. The ingredients were fine when picked apart, but the combination was a bit of a mess.

The wine and beer list in interesting, with many selections, including some excellent Champagnes, available by the glass. The space is stylish and vibrant, and the service was efficient, if not inspired.

Sunda
110 W Illinois St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 644-0500
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sunda-chicago

H-Dogs

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***** (5 stars)

Chicago is looking for the successor to Hot Dougs, and not only is H-Dogs a candidate, I think it’s even better, because they make the single best salmon sandwich I have had anywhere! In fact, when I go back, I’ll just skip right past their excellent dogs, and get me another one. It was a perfectly grilled salmon filet with crisp greens, red onions, and a zesty horseradish infused dressing, all on a wheat bun.

I also sampled the Greek, vegetarian and French dogs. The Greek was essentially a gyro, with lamb, tomatoes, onions and a their version of “tzatzki” sauce. The Healthy Hound is a vegetarian dog that’s a bit more in the style of a Chicago dog, but without the pickle, and with roasted peppers. The French was the richest dog I tried, duck sausage smothered in caramelized onions.

All the dogs were good, but I kept going back to that salmon burger!

Everything comes with excellent French fries, served crisp and piping hot. The inclusion of fries makes the pricing of the dogs and burgers much more attractive.

There’s also a rich chili, available in both vegetarian and turkey versions. I got this to go, and it was great reheated later.

H-Dogs is definitely worth the trip south, and it’s pretty convenient to get there on Lake Shore, so I’ll certainly be back… for more salmon burgers!

H-Dogs
4655 S Martin Luther King Dr
Chicago, IL 60653
(773) 633-2978
http://www.yelp.com/biz/h-dogs-chicago

Next – Trio

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***** (5 stars)

Trio is an even more spectacular menu than Modern Chinese. This homage to Chef’s first restaurant ten years ago pulls out some vintage tricks, and reminds us of how cutting edge that restaurant was.

21 courses, many of them home runs. Very lavish ingredients, beginning with a generous serving of Osetra, and two courses using foie gras in completely different ways.

My favorite course was a surprise, the smoked figs was that perfect union of unexpected flavors that turns the whole into much more than the individual parts.

A few of Alinea’s serving tricks were used for some of the courses, but they’re more playful and less pretentious than at Alinea.

As always a convivial staff enthusiastically sharing information and their love of what they’re doing. A great dining experience.

Next
953 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 226-0858
http://www.yelp.com/biz/next-chicago-2

Zapatista

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*** (3 stars)

This output of the Zapatista chain is a bit smaller and somewhat less convincingly themed than some of the others, but the food is pretty much the same.

The highlight is the made to order guacamole, with is served with coarse ground corn tortilla chips.

The conchinitas pibil is a savory entree choice, a large heap of slow cooked marinated pork with pickled onion slices.

Service is friendly and efficient.

Zapatista
1307 S Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 435-1307
http://www.yelp.com/biz/zapatista-chicago

Grace Restaurant

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***** (5 stars)

Grace is certainly deserving of its two Michelin stars. Everything about the experience is near perfection, from the extremely professional yet friendly service to the plating of the food, which turns each dish into an individual work of art, combining delicate and varied flavors in surprising and visually appealing ways.

The dining room is sophisticated, understated, and calm, a serenity that extends even into the visible kitchen, yet the contemporary soundtrack keeps the experience upbeat and fun.

My only quibble is with the winelist, which has a strong focus on wines from the Loire region, not my favorite.  This focus extends to the wine pairings served with the meal, some of which didn’t seem a great match, although the friendly and articulate sommelier explained the reasoning behind each match in such a captivating manner I was glad we had selected the pairing, even if next time I will strike out on my own.

Grace Restaurant
652 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 234-9494
http://www.yelp.com/biz/grace-restaurant-chicago

Pride Sushi and Thai

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***** (5 stars)

What a delightful surprise! This small fusion restaurant is creating some of the most beautiful–and tasty–sushi in Chicago.

The menu is about half Japanese, half Thai, and many of the fusion items are spicy, such as their take on edamame, which had a definite kick to it. The beef salad comes with the traditional spicy rice vinegar sauce that would accompany a waterfall beef salad. These were both good, but the stars of the show were the sushi items.

We began with a plate of sashimi. Although the chef offers a sampler, we selected our own, and the pricing was very reasonable to get exactly what we wanted. All of the items were very fresh and delicious.

Then we tried several rolls. Wow! As you can see from the photos, each was a work of art. I’ve never had sushi served with such a painterly approach! All three rolls were excellent, and really different from one another. My favorite was the “All About Salmon” which combined salmon, smoked salmon and ikura, balancing them with both creamy and citrus ingredients, plus spicy and sweet sauces.

A month ago we tried the high end sushi place across the street, and it was good but extremely expensive. At about a fourth the price, our meal at Pride was actually better, and I’m ready to return any time.

Pride Sushi and Thai
2706 W Peterson Ave
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 381-3354
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pride-sushi-and-thai-chicago

Boka

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***** (5 stars)

Of all the Michelin starred restaurants in Chicago, Boka must be one of the greatest bargains. For little more than the cost of a typical restaurant you can have a spectacular meal. And the cozy yet classy, relaxed yet professional atmosphere and friendly service make it a great choice for everyone.

Our party of three was able to try the majority of items on the menu, and everything was terrific. Standouts were the carrot salad and foie gras starter.

The chicken was beautiful, but the saffron flavored brioche sandwiched between the crispy skin and the succulent meat wasn’t to my taste, simply because I’m not a saffron fan.

The duck, on the other hand, was the best I’ve ever had, incredibly tender and moist, and bursting with flavor, even without the accompaniments.

Desserts mostly included home made ice creams as an ingredient, which is always a plus with me.

The wine list is filled with excellent choices. There aren’t a lot of old wines, but there are a wide array of recent vintages from all regions, at reasonable prices.

If you’re looking for a truly fine dining experience without needing to mortgage the house, Boka is a great choice.

Boka
1729 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 337-6070
http://www.yelp.com/biz/boka-chicago

Three Dots and a Dash

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***** (5 stars)

I’ve always loved Tiki bars, since I grew up in Los Angeles, frequenting Trader Vic’s, Don the Beachcomber, the Islander, Beachbum Bert’s and many others. It’s sad that they’re all gone. But the good news is that Three Dots and a Dash tops them all.

From the moment you venture down the stairway full of skulls, Three Dots immerses you in perfectly themed kitsch. The lighting, soundtrack and set decoration are impeccable, and the drinks are potent and tasty.

The drink menu is divided between classic and modern sections. I had the signature drink, Three Dots and a Dash, which was not too sweet, and rendered exotic by the inclusion of allspice. It was invented at Don the Beachcomber in the 1940s. (Incidentally Three Dots and a Dash is Morse code for the letter “V” as in victory.)

Many of the drinks are for sharing, and each has its own unique presentation.

We stopped in before dinner, so we didn’t have a chance to try any of the food, but most of it is traditional Tiki menu fare, and it looked delicious.

With a place this cool, you’re going to have to wait in line unless you go at a weird time. We were able to walk in right after work, but the place quickly became packed; however we never felt rushed.

To find the door, look for the alley off of Hubbard and follow the neon stripe.

Three Dots and a Dash
435 N Clark St
Back alley on Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 610-4220
http://www.yelp.com/biz/three-dots-and-a-dash-chicago

Oak Street Beach Cafe

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*** (3 stars)

It seems three stars is the highest rating this place has ever gotten, but I thought it was fine, and one of the better choices at Midway.

The menu is a bit confusing, but it’s sliders: pick 1, 2, or 3 and what you want in them. I chose tuna. It was well done, which was probably just as well (no pun intended).

Pick your bun. I chose brioche, but I think I got white. Anyway, they were nicely grilled.

Pick your chip seasoning. I chose salt and pepper. As others have noted, they are fresh, but some are soggy. Still, there were about a pound of fresh ones.

The sliders had nice crispy romaine lettuce and decent tomato. No sign of the advertised aioli, but probably just as well.

Employees see sullen but not outright abusive.

Note: prep time is 10-15 minutes, so don’t go here in a rush.

Bottom line: I’d go here again.

Oak Street Beach Cafe
Chicagi Midway International Airport
Chicago, IL 60638

http://www.yelp.com/biz/oak-street-beach-cafe-chicago-2