Oriole

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***** (5 stars)

After being open only a bit more than a month, Oriole is already in contention for best restaurant in Chicago, which also makes it a contender for best in the US.

Nearly every one of our sixteen courses was a home run–so much so that it’s hard to pick standouts. From the first bit of langoustine topped with caviar, each course offered an impressive array of flavors, sometimes merging into a complex whole, and at other times exploding sequentially on the palate revealing one ingredient after another.

The alteration of courses from rich to refreshing and back again kept our palates fresh. Portion sizes were just right, so that we never felt over-stuffed (although we would have happily consumed another six orders of just about anything we were served!)

Rather than attempt to describe individual courses, which change anyway, let me just list those items that topped those I’ve had at the best Michelin-starred restaurants in the world: Sea urchin, foie gras, Alaskan king crab and Japanese A5 Wagyu. Each of these provided a mind-blowing complexity that forced one to stop and consider what was going on in each bite, and each event on the plate. For example the charred lettuce that accompanied the Wagyu was so phenomenal it almost upstaged the Wagyu, which was the best piece of Wagyu I’ve ever tasted.

As with many tasting menus, the last four courses are desserts, and some members of our party don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Let me just say that not one crumb survived. The desserts provided terrific variety, were never cloying, and were paired with wines that had very controlled sugar and acid levels, keeping our palates fresh and interested until the very end.

With only about a dozen tables arranged in ample space, the dining room is stylish yet comfortable. Soothing colors and rough brick walls contrast with retro hanging lamps, and a spotlight on each table shows off the food to its best advantage. A glass wall separates the dining room from the kitchen, although it certainly isn’t needed for noise abatement, as there is no kitchen commotion from the many chefs working their magic.

Service is professional yet welcoming, without the stiff affectations of some top restaurants. We were particularly impressed with our sommelier, whose extensive knowledge and passion for the wines on the tasting fight was matched by his deep understanding of the ingredients in each dish and how they matched his selections.

While Oriole is not inexpensive, it offers an astonishing value given the perfection of the experience.

Oriole
661 W. Walnut St.
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 877-5339
http://www.yelp.com/biz/oriole-chicago

Latinicity

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*** (3 stars)

Latinicity is a couple of concepts in one. It’s essentially a mall food court, except that you use a plastic card to keep track of your purchases at the various counters and then pay on the way out.

But the first thing you come to when you enter is a conventional sit down restaurant. Do not eat there! It offers a limited select of mediocre and over-priced Spanish tapas. You will do better at literally any other tapas restaurant in town.

Beyond it, the food counters offer some interesting selections, though, including ceviche (which is really more of a seafood cocktail) and even sushi.

The best choice is Machefe Taqueria, which serves tacos, burritos and cazuelas in a fashion similar to Chipotle, but with actually good ingredients. The corn tortillas are completely authentic, for example. The pastor was not the best in town, but was decent. And at $3 the tacos are certainly reasonable.

A better deal is the burrito, which is served in a flour tortilla the size of a manhole cover for $7.

An even better deal is the cazuela, which is basically an exploded burrito served with three corn tortillas. The attraction here is that it’s the only way to get the chicken mole, a nice slab of breast meat drenched in a very good dark mole sauce. It’s a lot of food for $8.

There’s plenty of seating in the back, but it’s nicer to set near the exit, which is much quieter.

You can get better Mexican food elsewhere, but if you’re in the area it’s a perfectly acceptable choice.

Latinicity
108 N State St
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 795-4444
http://www.yelp.com/biz/latinicity-chicago-2

Parachute

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***** (5 stars)

Some of the most creative cooking in town is happening in this small, bustling restaurant. While some of it is Korean influenced, it is by no means a Korean restaurant, and the influences range far and wide.

The menu is divided into small plates and main dishes, and everything is designed for sharing. Our server recommended our party of two order two small plates and four main dishes.

Stuffed sesame leaves came wrapped around black rice with a vinegar dipping sauce. A really tasty way to start for just four bucks.

Baked potato bing bread tastes just like a loaded baked potato, especially when dipped in the sour cream butter.

Cured hiramasa (yellowtail) was our least favorite dish. The flavors didn’t really stand out or mesh.

Grilled swordfish was by far our favorite, a stellar combination of flower buds, crunchy greens, ginger, almonds and butter that would have been incredible even without the nicely cooked swordfish. I’m not sure that what we had really matched the description on the menu, but I want more of it!

Chicken with artichokes and mushrooms featured a nicely crisped skin.

We finished with their famous take on dolsot bi bim bop. This is the most Korean dish on the menu, but nearly every ingredient had been substituted with something creative. I wasn’t that anxious to try BBQ tripe and nettles, but they turned out to be great. I highly recommend rolling the dice on this one.

An extensive, eclectic wine list is comprise almost exclusively of wines and varietals you’ve probably never heard of. They’ve been chosen to go well with the food. There are also some nice selections by the glass or carafe, and a few interesting cocktails.

Although the space is crowded and there’s a pulsing soundtrack, it’s still easy to talk. Service is friendly and knowledgeable, and driven by an enthusiasm for the creative food they’re serving.

Parachute
3500 N Elston Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 654-1460
http://www.yelp.com/biz/parachute-chicago

The Kerryman

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*** (3 stars)

OK, I admit I’m not a huge fan of Irish pubs, but occasionally I’m dragged to one by my wife and discover the food is far above my expectations. This was not one of those times.

A general fogginess from the server about the characters of the beers and Irish spirits available did not bode well. Irish coffee was potable but not stellar, and they were out of the Jameson I ordered.

Sometimes you get decent American bar food in an Irish pub (this even happens in Ireland) so it’s not entirely stupid to order stuff like chili or a quesadilla. The chili was acceptable, the quesadilla about as mediocre as you’d guess.

But what should be really good is fish and chips, and indeed it was beautifully cooked, with a crispy brown batter. Unfortunately it was pretty greasy, and the fish, although tender and flaky had no flavor whatsoever. The accompanying fries were excellent, though.

There was one standout dish, though: the smoked gouda mac and cheese. It was the best thing I’ve ever had in an Irish pub, and the best mac and cheese I’ve had that didn’t involve lobster. This dish might by itself justify a return visit.

The Kerryman
661 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 335-8121
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-kerryman-chicago

Star of Siam

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*** (3 stars)

This is a satisfactory Thai restaurant. It’s not going to change your life, but if you’re in the area and have a hankering for Thai, it’s a fine choice.

Ironically enough, the best dish we had was the Vietnamese spring rolls. They had a nice combination of basil and mint, and were very fresh. It was nice that they had been cut into bite-sized pieces, and they were served with an excellent sweet and chunky peanut sauce topped with scallions and laced with Sriracha.

Massaman curry was also fine, with a nice coconut base and plenty of whole peanuts. There were lots of shrimp in the version I had, and a few chunks of potato and pineapple. No peppers, but instead cherry tomatoes, which seemed an odd choice.

The beef salad had some great flavors, but the beef was really too tough to be appealing, and almost too tough to eat.

Service was very fast and friendly, and the decor is open and interesting.

Star of Siam
11 E Illinois St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 670-0100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/star-of-siam-chicago

Tanta

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**** (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

Naoki

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***** (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

Sofrito Latin Cafe

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***** (5 stars)

This is a terrific pan-Latin restaurant that is a whole lot better than it needs to be in the tourist corridor. In fact, it’s probably the best Latin restaurant in town. (Just to clarify, it is NOT Latin fusion, which would combine the cuisines of different countries; instead, they offer different foods from many Latin countries.)

Although it’s a quick serve concept where you order at the counter and food is delivered to the table, the service is exceptional. The staff is clearly enthusiastic about their food, and is welcoming and anxious to explain the menu, and to promote their favorite items.

My favorite items were the Pandebono, a round, cheesy, and slightly sweet Colombian bread, and the Cachapa, a Venezuelan sweet corn pancake filled with white cheese and (in my case) beef. Both were a complex combination of savory and sweet flavors, with both crisp and chewy textures. I’ve never had a better Chachapa.

I also enjoyed the Venezuelan empanada, although it didn’t have a lot of filling. I was less enthusiastic about the Mini Cheese Tequeños, which were cheese filled pastry rolls without a lot of flavor.  

There are a number of interesting beers on tap, South American soft drinks, and excellent Cuban coffee.

If you’re visiting and looking for something non-touristy and a bit different, this is a great choice. And if you’re a local, it’s worth the drive to Lake Buena Vista to get your Latin food fix.

Sofrito Latin Cafe
8607 Palm Pkwy
Orlando, FL 32836
(407) 778-4205
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sofrito-latin-cafe-orlando

Dixie Cream Cafe

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**** (4 stars)

This is a charming cafe right in downtown Windermere. I’m old enough to remember this space not only as a convenience store, but also as the post office that preceded it. So it’s odd that I’ve driven past hundreds of times, but only just finally stopped in to check it out. It definitely exceeded my expectations.

There’s counter service for freshly made pastries, coffees, and other beverages, and sit down dining in several areas: the restaurant proper, high tops in the area near the coffee bar, and covered tables outside along the porch. Each offers a different ambiance.

The comprehensive menu includes coffee shop standards with an emphasis on breakfast, and more cafe-like items including artisan sandwiches and gourmet burgers. Fish tacos and other eclectic fare round out the diverse offerings.

I opted for the BL(FG)T, which is a unique version of a BLT using fried green tomatoes. It was delicious, especially the toasted multi-grain bread. I opted to upgrade my side to a mixed green salad, which was served on the same plate. It had a nice mix of greens and an excellent blue cheese dressing.

A very fresh coconut macaroon was the perfect dessert.

Service was very friendly and attentive. I’ll definitely be back to try some of the other interesting lunch dishes, and to check out breakfast.

Dixie Cream Cafe
434 Main St
Windermere, FL 34786
(407) 217-5047
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dixie-cream-cafe-windermere

Yoshi Sushi Bar

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*** (3 stars)

This is a perfectly fine neighborhood sushi bar. Fish quality is good, and the preparations are professional.

All of the fish selections for the sashimi lunch were fresh tasting and it was a nice assortment. There is a large assortment of rolls available as choices on the sushi lunch.

The Tuna Kobachi was a fairly small serving, and the very thinly sliced avocado was a bit hard to deal with, but the flavors were good.

Service was very friendly and welcoming.

Yoshi Sushi Bar
11127 W. Colonial Dr
Ocoee, FL 34761
(407) 347-0521
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yoshi-sushi-bar-ocoee