Category Archives: Illinois

Boltwood

Posted on by

***** (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

La Macchina Cafe

Posted on by

**** (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

Next – Modern Chinese

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

I approached Next with some trepidation because I’m not a fan of Alinea, its sister restaurant. I found the atmosphere and service there stiff, and grew tired of the dictatorial way we were instructed to consume each course.

I’m happy to say that Next is nothing like that. Service is professional but relaxed, and the servers are happy, informative and passionate about the food they’re serving.

As to the food, there’s little point in mentioning it… or the decor, for that matter. Because the restaurant evolves into something completely new and different every four months, and you’re unlikely to go twice during any given incarnation, you just need to put your trust in the culinary team and expect something special.

That’s certainly what we received the night we visited. There were several home runs and nothing forgettable about the Modern Chinese menu.

I also like the ticketing system. It was refreshing to have no transaction at the end of the meal. The food, wine pairing and tip were all included, and were certainly fairly priced for the experience we received. It left me anxious to return to experience future incarnations of this excellent restaurant.

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

Wiener & Still Champion

Posted on by

*** (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

Sea Ranch

Posted on by

**** (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

Franks ‘N’ Dawgs

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

So if you’re in the mood for a hotdog, this might not be the best choice, since there’s even a sign saying they don’t do Chicago dogs. They also don’t do anything else recognizable as a conventional hotdog. But they do make some interesting gourmet dogs.

We tried three that were somewhat similar: Banh Mi, Tur-Doggin and (the day’s special) Quiche Dawg. All were based upon interesting sausages with a number of savory toppings, and all tasted somewhat similar. Interesting, but perhaps not gourmet.

We also tried the mystery corn dog platter. To me, the mystery was how anyone could mistake these for corn dogs! There isn’t a conventional cornbread coating, just a thing slurry of paste that has been deep fried to a crunchy consistency. There were several different sausages involved; the only clearly identifiable one was lamb.

The best dog was actually not a dog, it was the Slammin’ Salmon, which was sort of like lox on a bagel but in a bun.

Speaking of buns, that’s probably the best thing about the place. Rather than conventional hotdog buns, they use squared off chunks of bread that are grilled with butter to a nice golden brown.

If you’re looking for something different–and by that I mean different from a hotdog–it’s worth a try.

Franks ‘N’ Dawgs
1863 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 281-5187
http://www.yelp.com/biz/franks-n-dawgs-chicago

Catch 35

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

The interior design of Catch 35 is really interesting, with multiple tiers extending up into the buildings mezzanine area. As you might expect there is a fairly broad offering of fish. My favorite is the halibut. The best thing is their sourdough bread, reminiscent of San Francisco. It’s a good spot for pre-theatre dining. Also, after work there is often live jazz in the bar area, where you can eat at a high top.

Catch 35
35 W Wacker Dr
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 346-3500
http://www.yelp.com/biz/catch-35-chicago

Tomate Fresh Kitchen

Posted on by

***** (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

Rollin’ To Go

Posted on by

**** (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