**** (4 stars)
This place has the atmosphere I’m looking for in a coffee house, and also makes some excellent coffee. The Macchiato is perfect, not a trace of bitterness. Also some great gelato. Ignore that Starbucks down the street; this is the real deal.
Linz and Vail on Central
2012 Central St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 475-1381
http://www.yelp.com/biz/linz-and-vail-on-central-evanston
***** (5 stars)
Evanston has a new high end restaurant to be proud of. The chef from Publican, and one of the owners of Brothers K coffeehouse have teamed up to take over this space, formerly a (good) noodle shop and turn it into a very trendy and noteworthy restaurant.
As others have noted, there is one major downside to the place. Because of its austere, hard-surfaced decor, it is VERY LOUD. In fact, if I had been at a regular table entertaining guests I would not be able to give it a five-star review. But since I was alone, and seated at the chef’s bar facing into the kitchen, the sound level was tolerable.
Of course, it’s wonderful that the place is packed all night after being open only weeks. And lots of people like vibrant restaurants. But when the quietest place in the establishment is the kitchen, there may be a wee acoustic problem!
So therein lies my tip for pleasant dining: ask to sit at the chef’s bar. Not only will you not be deafened, you’ll see the fascinating parade of dishes as they leave the kitchen.
Anyway, the food is wonderful. Since the menu changes often, my selections won’t necessarily be available to you, but I loved everything I had: grilled Brun-uusto cheese with sweet and sour cherry sauce, pickled cauliflower, quinoa salad, crispy potatoes (quite possibly the best potatoes I’ve ever had), a whole sardine with fennel and orange, and chicory ice cream.
There is a somewhat eclectic selection of wines, with about a third of them available by the glass, but I opted for the cocktails, because there were several interesting offerings. I prefer drinks with bitter or sour components, and these didn’t disappoint. I tried: El Mescalero del Norte (mescal, grapefruit, Compari), Evanston Sazerac (rye , bitter, absinthe), and The New Georgian (peach, bourbon, mint). They were all excellent, and I’ve listed them in increasing order of sweetness. The mescalero was probably the best, combining earthy and bitter flavors.
Given the quality of the food, I felt pricing was fair. Some of the starters and veggies are under $10, and most mains are about $20. Plan on a starter, main and vegetable, and you’re looking at $40 per person. If everyone at the table does that, and you want to sample everything, you’ll all get reasonable sized tasting portions and won’t leave hungry or broke.
Service was very friendly and professional. I’d read some uneven reviews on this, but I don’t think it’s completely fair to criticize a restaurant that’s not running like a well-oiled machine during its first few days. The service I received was faultless.
As the meal ended and I emerged onto Davis Street, a fire engine was passing with its siren on, and I noted how quiet the city was now that I was outdoors!
Boltwood
804 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 859-2880
http://www.yelp.com/biz/boltwood-evanston
**** (4 stars)
This is one of the better Italian restaurants in Evanston, despite the confusing name that makes it sound like it’s a coffee place. They do indeed have good espresso, but it really is an Italian cafe.
I tried two specials of the day. The first was the “artichoke fritters” which weren’t actually fritters, but lightly battered artichoke pieces deep fried. A better choice was the mussels in cream sauce. These were nicely done, and the cream sauce was delicious without being too heavy. A basket with two types of bread was provided, and one of them proved perfect for dipping in the leftover sauce.
There is a thoughtful list of wines by the glass, including many Italian selections, and the pours are generous.
A macchiato was the perfect way to finish off the meal.
La Macchina Cafe
1620 Orrington Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 425-1080
http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-macchina-cafe-evanston
*** (3 stars)
Definitely a hole in the wall, this microscopic grill has about five tables. Service is quick and friendly. The corndog breading was fairly thick, but nicely crisp. Fries were plentiful. I was a bit put off by the slightly clotted cheddar sauce used on the cheeseburger in place of actual cheese. All in all fine, but unremarkable.
Wiener & Still Champion
802 Dempster St
Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 869-0100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/wiener-and-still-champion-evanston
**** (4 stars)
Sea Ranch is a weird combination of sushi restaurant and mico Asian market. They carry a few hard to find Asian ingredients such as various noodles, seaweed, rice crackers, candies, drinks and condiments.
There aren’t a lot of places in Evanston to buy good seafood. I’ve been disappointed with the various markets and even Whole Foods. Sea Ranch has a very limited offering of fish–the day I was in it was basically tuna and salmon–but it is of very high quality, and they sell the sushi cuts separate from fish better suited to cooking.
As far as a restaurant, the ambiance is a non-started for me. It’s basically like eating in the aisle of a small store, because that’s exactly what it is.
Sea Ranch
518 Dempster St
Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 492-8340
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sea-ranch-evanston
***** (5 stars)
Wow, authentic hole-in-the-wall Mexican food in Evanston! The way I measure the authenticity of a Mexican place is by the quality of the al Pastor Pork, and this was terrific.
Despite the seeming complexity of the online menu, it’s really quite straightforward: you can get a taco, gordita, burrito or empanada, and have it filled with pastor, carne asada, fish, caramelized onion/charred poblanos, or a few other variations.
I tried several possibilities. The fish taco was small, garnished with diced pineapple, and the least expensive item. The gordita al pastor was generously stuffed with pastor, plus, oddly, some black beans. The burrito with caramelized onions and charred poblanos was huge, and although twice the cost of the taco about five times as much food. All three items were delicious.
Everything is prepared to order, so it is fresh and HOT.
Don’t even think of eating here. Seriously, there is room inside the door for about six people to stand in line and order. No tables inside or out. Ordering online for delivery is probably the best approach.
Tomate Fresh Kitchen
914 1/2 Noyes St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 905-0194
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tomate-fresh-kitchen-evanston
*** (3 stars)
This is a small serve yourself frozen yogurt shop with the usual toppings bar. I was glad to see they offered some non-tart flavors, as I’m not a fan of sour yogurt. I’m not sure what the business plan is here, though, since there are fewer offerings than the larger competitor just a couple blocks north, and the defunct Red Mango already tried in this spot. If you’re in this immediate area and they have a flavor you like it’s worth a try.
Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt
809 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 859-6225
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tutti-frutti-frozen-yogurt-evanston
**** (4 stars)
This latest outpost in a large chain of Chinese restaurants is extremely authentic. And by that I mean that if you’re used to Americanized Chinese takeout places you will find it interesting and perhaps challenging to eat here!
The space is very nicely decorated, and features a dramatically lit bar along one wall. Furnishings are comfortable and elegant, but despite all the fabrics the space can get fairly loud.
Because I was by myself and there is no lunch menu, I chose to try an assortment of appetizers. The wonton soup was some of the best I’ve had. Chicken egg rolls were tasty, but could have been crisper. The Chinese mustard was authentically hot.
Sliced Tender Pork with Garlic Sauce is a cold appetizer. It was very tasty, but it’s somewhat like eating lightly cooked bacon, so the uninitiated should be wary. Similarly the Five Powder Beef is served cold, and contains a fair amount of fat. The hoisin sauce topping it was slightly spicy and very flavorful. Both of these meat dishes were very generous portions, suitable for 2 to 4 persons as an appetizer.
Be aware that most of the food is spicy, and some is very spicy. The heat levels are indicated on the menu.
There is a very thoughtful selection of nice wines by the glass, and the glassware is superb.
Service was a tag team approach, and was friendly and efficient.
Prices are too high for college students, but certainly reasonable for the work crowd. Because of the large portion sizes it’s best to go with four or more people so you can try several things.
Lao Sze Chuan
1633 Orrington Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 868-8989
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lao-sze-chuan-evanston
**** (4 stars)
This is an excellent sandwich shop, with an almost infinite number of combinations of bread, meats and accompaniments available, all scrawled on a large menu on the wall. Or you can come up with your own favorite. Service is friendly but not incredibly speedy, and it can get quite backed up at lunch, especially on Wednesdays, when the popular deli next door is closed.
Rollin’ To Go
910 Noyes St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 332-1000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rollin-to-go-evanston-2
**** (4 stars)
This neighborhood market has a surprisingly deep offering of foods, considering it looks like a convenience store from the outside. It’s certainly an adequate selection to avoid a long walk to a supermarket. The staff is friendly and helpful.
D & D Finer Foods
825 Noyes St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 475-4344
http://www.yelp.com/biz/d-and-d-finer-foods-evanston