Category Archives: Chicago

Naoki

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

I’ve had sushi all over the world, and some of it at very high end places. It seems most great cities have some exciting sushi places that focus on high quality sashimi, so I’ve always been surprised that I couldn’t find a similar experience in Chicago, even though I tried all the highly rated suspects. So I was happy to see that Naoki now fills that gap.

Located in the former private dining room of L2O and Intro, and accessible only by literally walking through the kitchen, Naoki is a refined and fairly intimate space with a small sushi bar and about a dozen tables.

Clearly the thing to have here is the Naoki-Style Sashimi. These dishes each consist of five pieces of fish dressed with a subtle drizzle of sauce and topped with one or two morsels to enhance them. The two standouts were Salmon with spicy Ginger Soy and Endive, and the Hamachi with Aja Panca, Scallion and Ponzu. These range from $15 to $24 and are well worth the price.

The Edamame “Guac” was an interesting appetizer; it’s fluorescent green, packs a slight kick, and is served with rice crisps. Tuna Tacos were fine, but the two very small tacos seemed extremely overpriced.

The regular sashimi offerings we had and the rainbow roll were no different than you’d get at many other restaurants, so stick with the Naoki-Style sashimi.

A thoughtful list of cocktails, sake, and some superb Japanese whiskies is supplemented by a short but excellent list of wines by the glass, and more offerings by the bottle. Standout beverages included the Six Corner Sling and the Nikka Taketsuru whiskey.

Service was helpful and attentive. Noise levels are energetic but not unreasonable.

Naoki
2300 N. Lincoln Park West
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 868-0002
http://www.yelp.com/biz/naoki-chicago

Tanta

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

Tanta provides a modern take on traditional Peruvian cuisine in an upscale, trendy environment.

We went for brunch, but mostly ordered non-brunch items.

The causa is a deconstructed version of the Peruvian classic, with the ingredients arrayed along a plate rather than stacked, but the flavors adhere closely to the classic dish.

There are several varieties of ceviche, depending upon the type of fish and whether you want a lime or creamier base.

All three empanadas were excellent, and each person in our party had a different favorite, so it’s worth trying them all.

The quinoa salad was refreshing, but not a show-stopper.

One of my favorite items was from the brunch menu, it was chicken on top of an egg “tortilla.” The accompanying sauce was reminiscent of a sweet Thai chili sauce.

There’s an interesting list of cocktails, topped by a fragrant take on the classic pisco sour.

Pricing is reasonable, and service is attentive, even when they are bustling (which seems to be all of the time).

Tanta
118 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 222-9700
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tanta-chicago

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

Posted on by

***** (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

GreenRiver

Posted on by

**** (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

Sable

Posted on by

*** (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

Xoco

Posted on by

*** (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

Dicks Last Resort

Posted on by

*** (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

Posted on by

**** (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

Posted on by

*** (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

Niu Japanese Fusion Lounge

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

This is a beautiful, large, expensive looking space, so it’s not surprising that prices are pretty high. I loved the way each item was served a bit more nicely than in the other sushi  places in town: miso soup was in a large, stylish bowl, and was a generous serving. The salad that came with lunch was an elaborate collection of mixed greens plus a couple of slices of peppers served with a much more delicate dressing than the normal ginger glop.

But when the sushi lunch set arrived, it looked pretty stingy: just four pieces of nigiri, and four coins of California roll. Not much for $14.

Fortunately I’d ordered another roll, the Mellow Yellow, and it was huge, with ten large slices for its reasonable $7 price.

I loved the tea service, with Genmai tea (the kind with the puffed rice) in a glass pot, served with a tiny glass cup and saucer.

Service was friendly, although if the place had more than a half dozen customers I’m not sure how the relatively slow sushi prep would have kept up.

Niu Japanese Fusion Lounge
332 E Illinois St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 527-2888
http://www.yelp.com/biz/niu-japanese-fusion-lounge-chicago