Category Archives: Illinois

Cafe Selmarie

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**** (4 stars)

Cafe Selmarie is an interesting amalgam of pastry shop, coffee shop, and restaurant.

When you enter it looks like it’s just a pastry shop with a few small tables for enjoying your purchase or sipping a cup of coffee. But proceed to the rear, and there is a fair-sized restaurant.

The menu offers American, French, Italian, and (at least the night we visited) German food, plus other eclectic international cuisines.

We shared the Brussels sprout salad, which was good, a special leek and bacon flatbread that was phenomenal (gooey topping, crisp crust), and a special German sausage plate that was also tasty.

For dessert we selected a couple of pastries from the case out front. There’s a small wine list with many selections available by the glass.

Service was friendly and professional.

The place is kid friendly, and there were quite a few families dining the Friday night we went. An adjacent open area provides outside dining when the weather is nice, and place for the kids to run around.

If you’ve not been to Lincoln Square, it’s definitely a cute neighborhood to check out.

Cafe Selmarie
4729 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 989-5595
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-selmarie-chicago

Le Colonial

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**** (4 stars)

This popular restaurant serves well prepared and beautifully presented Vietnamese food in a French Colonial setting. Don’t expect French fusion cooking, as there is little French culinary influence, but the setting will definitely transport you to 1950s French Colonial Vietnam.

We put ourselves in our waiter’s hands, and he knocked it out of the park, serving us two appetizers, two salads and two entrees. Nearly all of them were something we would not have ordered, but will definitely order again. We preferred the appetizers and salads to the entrees, and would concentrate on those areas of the menu on our next visit.

We began with a ravioli that was made from amazingly thin and delicate layers, and bursting with flavor. This was probably my favorite dish. We also had the wok seared monkfish, which was slightly spicy, and served with crisp sesame crackers.

Our salad course consisted of a filet mignon and watercress salad (reminiscent of Thai waterfall beef) and a lotus root and crispy tofu salad that was a knockout. Not being a big tofu fan, I would never have ordered this, but it was my other favorite.

Our entrees were a sautéed shrimp dish, and sautéed filet mignon with yams and green beans.  These were both good, but not as good as the previous dishes.

For dessert we had an ice cream and macaroon dish that was fine, but not special.

A nice selection of wines designed to accompany the food is available, with a particularly fine selection of Champagnes by the glass.

In addition to the downstairs space, there is a bar and clubbier upstairs dining room.

Obviously we enjoyed the service, as our waiter created this excellent meal for us!

Le Colonial
937 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 255-0088
http://www.yelp.com/biz/le-colonial-chicago

Smith & Wollensky

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**** (4 stars)

In a city almost stuffed to the brim with steakhouses, Smith & Wollensky is one of the better known names. A mini chain (of 9) founded in New York in 1977, it is now owned by Patina Group.

The Chicago location looks and feels fairly venerable, although the interior is certainly modern, and the extensive patio is more light and airy than one associates with steakhouses.

As with all the major steakhouses, prices are high, because prime aged meat ain’t cheap. Lunch is a more economical option, and that’s when I tried it out.

After a nice serving of a complimentary bread loaf (topped with herbs) I began with the split pea soup, which was in many way the highlight of the meal. Smooth and delicious, it had a great fresh pea flavor with a hint of smoke. My mother’s specialty was split pea soup, and this was better. High praise indeed.

Next I had the Wollensky salad, a huge serving of crisp lettuce with lardons, mushrooms, and (oddly) cubes of potatoes instead of croutons. I really enjoyed the vinaigrette dressing, and liked the salad enough to take the leftovers with me (which were a lot).

I finished with the steak sandwich, which was served with slaw, a pickle, and a side of fries. The steak was extremely tender and flavorful. I liked the horseradish sauce on the bun. The fries were just all right.

Any of these three courses would have been a complete lunch, making it an affordable option.

Service was very attentive, and there’s a nice view across the river.

Smith & Wollensky
318 N State St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 670-9900
http://www.yelp.com/biz/smith-and-wollensky-chicago

Shanghai Terrace at The Peninsula Chicago

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***** (5 stars)

The combination of restful setting, superb food and faultless service make this Chicago’s best Chinese restaurant, and one of its top restaurants overall. It’s particularly delightful when it’s warm enough to eat on the terrace, a surprisingly serene environment considering it’s just a half dozen or so floors above Michigan Avenue.

We put ourselves in our waiter’s hands, and he assembled a delightful multi-course meal for us.

We began with an assortment of six pieces of dim sum, individually plated for each of us. This item is not listed on the menu (nor is any form of dim sum sampler) so it is worth asking about. Although I am not a huge dim sum fan, this was clearly the best I have ever had; each was light and flavorful, and even the crab rangoon managed to be delicate and appealing.

Next we shared a split serving of hot and sour soup, also the best I’ve had, with less vinegar and more broth flavor. Plenty of tender lobster chunks made it special.

Peking duck is available in a full or half portion, and the half is perfect for sharing as an appetizer. It’s served with the traditional cucumber, scallions, pancakes and sauces, but the duck was so perfect we ate most of it by itself. Crispy skin and no layer of fat at all made it among the best duck dishes I’ve had. Next time I might try the five spice duck to compare it.

For entrees we shared scallops in black truffle sauce, and a spicy shrimp dish. Both were good, and were different from anything else we’d had, but I felt the preceding courses were better.

Perhaps the highlight of the meal was an amazing red rice dish that I didn’t see on the menu. It was vegetarian, and included various nuts, broccoli and other tidbits, and had a rich, mouth-filling flavor that was remarkable. I would definitely ask for this again.

Finally we finished with a fruit and sorbet plate. Our waiter added a bit of coconut sorbet, which turned out to be the highlight.

A well-conceived wine list offers many selections designed to accompany the food, including a small half bottle section. Wine prices are erratic, with some barely above retail, and others sky high, so careful browsing is required, but will be rewarded.

This was a great meal, and I’m sure we will return often to this surprising oasis in the midst of the city.

Shanghai Terrace at The Peninsula Chicago
108 E Superior St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 573-6695
http://www.yelp.com/biz/shanghai-terrace-at-the-peninsula-chicago-chicago

Seven Lions

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**** (4 stars)

This large space has a great upscale vibe, and very friendly and efficient service. We went on an off day for a late lunch, and enjoyed the chill environment and thoughtful food.

Rather than an entree, we grazed our way through most of the vegetable appetizers. The Brussels sprouts lived up to their reputation, and are a don’t miss item. Also excellent was the warm “potato salad”, which was really chunks of crispy roasted potatoes in a mustard seed sauce.

The roasted cauliflower and the glazed carrots were both okay, but not as good as the other items.

Great care went into each preparation, and the entire wait staff was really into making sure we had a great time. Very enjoyable.

Seven Lions
130 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 880-0130
http://www.yelp.com/biz/seven-lions-chicago

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

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**** (4 stars)

This bustling tapas restaurant is larger than it looks from the outside, and is consistently busy.

The menu has a reasonably broad selection of tapas and also paella. There is also a substantial wine and sangria list, and a separate cocktail menu.

I particularly enjoyed the house smoked salmon.

Bacon wrapped dates were nice and crisp on the outside without being mushy on the inside.

Buttermilk chicken thighs seemed mis-named, and were more like chicken tenders with a wing sauce on them.

Beef skewers were tender and nicely charred on the outside, although the horseradish sauce could have used more kick.

The empanadas had a delightfully flakey pastry.

Service was friendly and attentive. Dishes are delivered by runners, and come out as they are ready, so don’t order everything at once or you will be inundated in food!

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
2024 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 935-5000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-ba-ba-reeba-chicago-3

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

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**** (4 stars)

This bustling restaurant serves Japanese barbecue (essentially the same as Korean barbecue), and lots of it. You cook the meats and vegetables yourself on the grill in the center o the table.

The combo meals are the best bet, because they let you try almost everything on the menu. We had the Samurai, which included three types of beef, chicken and shrimp. The toro beef was the best, although all were good.

The meal also come with a tasty miso soup (lots of green onions in it, which I like), salad, a so-so tuna rice ball appetizer, and bibimbap served in a hot stone bowl. I love this type of bibimbap preparation, and usually order it at Korean restaurants rather than the barbecue, so it was nice to have it included. There were also vegetables for grilling, and a pouch of corn kernels.

Dessert, too, was included, and consisted of graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate–a do-it-yourself s’mores kit!

Service was fast and efficient. The place is pretty noisy, so eating on the sidewalk would be a nice option, when available.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
210 E Ohio St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 266-8929
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gyu-kaku-japanese-bbq-chicago

Incredibly Delicious

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**** (4 stars)

This funky old house offers seating scattered around several rooms, and delightful baked goods, quiches and sandwiches.

You order at a well-hidden counter toward the rear, and the wait can be quite long because of the odd way things are set up.

But the wait is worth it, as you’ll discover when they bring your delicious croissant, cake, quiche or sandwich to your table. Everything is fresh and wonderful, and the  service is friendly.

Incredibly Delicious
925 S 7th St
Springfield, IL 62703
(217) 953-4348
http://www.yelp.com/biz/incredibly-delicious-springfield

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum

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***** (5 stars)

I’m a huge fan of BRC Imagination Arts, the designers of this experience. Bob Rogers is a master storyteller, and this facility demonstrates the power of storytelling like few others I’ve encountered.

It’s amazing how much information you can retain when it is presented in a meaningful and moving context, and that’s what the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is all about.

Both of the automated shows are real blockbusters, with amazing effects and immersive narration that really draws you in.

The “Holovision” show Ghosts of the Library uses a live performer and many of the effects developed for BRC’s famous Expo ’86 Spirit Lodge Show (and Knott’s Berry Farm’s Mystery Lodge), plus some new effects that will delight even jaded theme park goers like me.

The Lincoln’s Eyes show uses multiple screens and a lot of moving scrims and impressive theatrical sound to very effectively tell Lincoln’s story in an unconventional way.

Don’t let these elaborate shows fool you into thinking this is shallow theme park-like entertainment. You’ll leave them with a truly deep knowledge of history, having learned many things you never knew you didn’t know about a seemingly familiar story.

Equally impressive to me was the way that Lincoln’s childhood and presidency were presented in two separate walkthrough exhibits. Signage didn’t overwhelm, but was just enough to invite reading and interpreting each stop. I wish all museum curators would learn how to do this.

Similarly, the displays of artifacts were perfectly interpreted, with just enough information to draw us in without overwhelming us with verbiage, yet with plenty of hard information that was easy to absorb. I certainly learned ten times as much as I expected to.

This museum is a delightful place to spend as little as a couple of hours, or as much as a full day. Highly recommended.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
212 N 6th St
Springfield, IL 62701
(217) 558-8934
http://www.yelp.com/biz/abraham-lincoln-presidential-library-and-museum-springfield

Tamari Japanese Kitchen

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***** (5 stars)

This very stylish and excellent Japanese restaurant is in an unlikely mall location.

The real test of a Japanese restaurant is in the quality and visual appeal of the sashimi, and Tamari passed with flying colors. The tuna sampler appetizer was a great example. I was expecting some piles of tartare, but instead received nine pieces of sashimi, including creamy white tuna, lightly seasoned albacore, and superb big eye tuna.

They also have the usual novelty rolls, fried food and noodle dishes, which were all good, but the sashimi is where it’s at.

Efficient service and a great vibe make this the go to spot for sushi in the southwest ‘burbs.

Tamari Japanese Kitchen
639 E Boughton Rd
Ste 105
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
(630) 863-7288
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tamari-japanese-kitchen-bolingbrook