Filed under: Bucktown | Tags: Bucktown, fast, Mexican, Near the Blue Line, Restaurant, Vegetarian
This little restaurant quickly serves good food and drinks. Their menu has a surprisingly large selection of vegetarian options, but plenty of meat dishes to keep the carnivores among your group happy. They also deliver…something I will be keeping in my come this winter.
We had a great meal of fish tacos (not my dish) and the vegetarian version of their Volcanos. My Volcanos could have used a sprinkling of salt, or some meat, but they were still tasty and I’d get them again. (You can’t go wrong with fried goodness, avocado, and sour cream.)
I’d say their only drawbacks were the sticky tables, and lack of outdoor space. Otherwise we had an enjoyable meal at a place we will definitely head to again.
Filed under: Bucktown | Tags: Bucktown, cheese, byob, sandwhiches, breakfast
Standing in line on two-for-one burger night in this new Bucktown space; the smells are intoxicating. The menu is inventive and refreshing, and the exposed bricks and wide plank floors match its vibe. Starving while in line doesn’t hurt their chances. Considering the distance from our house, I’m guessing they’ll become our new favorite.
Lacking in decor and the signs / paintings hung to high, this new fast food soup joint is still pretty good. A little pricey for two soups, mini bottled water and a and a diet coke ($18) – especially considering that we went to the Deli Boutique on Clark and got two fresh made sandwiches, a bowl of soup, small side of orzo pasta salad, and full size bottles of water and ice tea for $21. But if you’re in Bucktown, in the mood for soup, and don’t want to schlep it all the way to Lakeview’s Soup Box – this is the place. Just ignore the décor or take it to go.
P.S. I think I overhead the owner discussing interior changes, so hopefully this too will improve.
This new restaurant is receiving rave reviews, so we thought we’d check it out.
It was packed, but they were willing to call when our seat was available. A nice plus!
The restaurants interior was typical for the area; exposed brick and ductwork, chalkboard wall, etc. The space is tight, and the two communal tables are a little wide for easy conversation, but overall it’s an inviting, cozy space.
Surprisingly, their menu is rather cheap for the area. My entrée of Half-Roasted Chicken with Stone Fruit Panzanella was only $16, and most appetizers and salads were less than $7.
They also pride themselves on using all parts of the animals (this made me squirm), so their menu had all kinds of interesting extras like sweetbreads and pâtés. I chose meals easier to stomach, but apparently the deep fried sweetbreads were good. The only complaint of the evening was the grilled prawns in anchovy butter were a little overcooked. (Heads were still attached. I looked away.) Otherwise my chicken, our friends Bristol burger, the sweetbreads, market greens with tarragon buttermilk dressing (enough to share), and Money bread (a must!) were all excellent!! ALSO…if they have it, the chocolate sabayon with homemade nutter butters was amazing!! I’d go there just for that.
Though we didn’t order a bottle of wine, our bill was approximately $140 (with tip) for three people, which included two glasses of wine, and a considerable amount of food.
I’m excited to head back (minus the whole animal thing) and see what they have to offer next time. Plus it doesn’t hurt that it’s within walking distance of my place.
Filed under: Bucktown | Tags: Bucktown, Great Prices, Knowledgeable, New, Wine
Ok, this isn’t a restaurant, but I had such a great first experience I have to give them a plug.
Red & White Wines is, as you guessed it, a wine store on the fringes of Bucktown – just across from Cafe Matou. The space inside is minimalistic, serene, and unpretentious, and the owners are dedicated and knowledgeable.
What really makes this new addition to Bucktown so great though, is that 50% of the wines are under $20 and 80% are under $30. It’s a perfect place to head to before dinner at a local BYOB or dinner at a friends.
We will definitely be heading their way often! Especially considering how quickly we finished the first three bottles we bought.
This was one cat, I didn’t like!
Set on the backside of Bucktown, this small French restaurant’s kitschy decor (cat embossed chandeliers) was not worth the money.
Other than the stuffed squid/shrimp in a beur blanc sauce (which I didn’t eat) but heard was one of the best sauces tasted, the food left much to be desired, and for the price I would have rather gone some where else.
My salad of endive, rocket, and beats was covered with shards of cheese, and the red-wine dressing couldn’t cut the bitter taste of the endive and sharpness of the rocket. A lemon vinaigrette would have been much better.
As for our entrees…after viewing the menu (which apparently changes daily) I realized there wasn’t much I would eat. I went with the vegetable dish…a risk I know, but it had potatoes and I wanted carbs. What I got was three tiny red potatoes (tiny = gum ball size), two sprigs of asparagus chopped up, one slice of egg plant, and a rubbery French mushroom drowned in a cream sauce that had formed a skin. Our other entree was fried whitefish, and when it came down to it…it was fish and chips.
Dessert was warm figs in a honey and liqueur sauce (too much honey) with crème fraiche, and raspberries and currents with a teaspoon of whipped cream. The crème brulee that the guy had next to me didn’t look much better. His sugar topping was goopy, not crisp.
Let’s just say we ate a lot of bread and left hungry and disappointed.
During a week of German brew and food (purely coincidental), we stopped by Uberstien before a recent Cubs Game. As cliché as the restaurant might be, I’m a big fan all things Oktoberfest. (Been twice/would go back every year if I could afford it)
Inside you feel some what transported – at least out of Wrigleyville, to a Bavarian brew house complete with blue and white checked flags, German music, and food. While I’m by no means claiming this is highly authentic, it’s a nice change of pace for the area/bar options.
Having gone with the chopped salad and Schnitzelwich we didn’t quite get what we expected, but were pleasantly surprised. Neither of which were fancy, but tasty and promptly served. Steins were chilled and there was plenty of room inside and out to chill with friends.
If you’re looking for something different among the sea of Wrigleyville bars, check out Uberstein.
Filed under: Uncategorized
A disaster of a birthday dinner! Though the company was great, the food was a total let down from this packed, praised new restaurant.
Let’s start with the décor – it feels impersonal. This enormous space, straight out of Vegas, felt like it needed about four more pillars and a few more palms to make the place feel more intimate. I felt almost naked out in the open.
As for the food, the bib salad with tarragon dressing [Coeur De Laitue] was good (though surprisingly simple) and tuna tartar [Tartare De Thon] (which for obvious reasons I didn’t eat) was apparently well prepared. Unfortunately though, it went down hill from there.
When they say filet mignon with chives they mean an overcooked (wedding reception) steak COVERED in chives! The Peking Duck, according to my boyfriend (a non-picky eater) tasted like duck smothered in maple syrup. And our dessert, with its flaky pastry layers, raspberries, and liquor laced whipped cream was surprisingly good but almost impossible to eat. We made quite a mess!
I will say though the hostesses were very nice, as well as our waiter, and I’ve heard that others have enjoyed the food. From our standpoint though, we will not be making a return visit, it was NOT worth the money.
Filed under: Lincoln Park | Tags: bread, carry-out picnics, cheese, great service, olives, Sandwiches
I love, LOVE this place!! It’s no bigger than a large walk-in closet, but this cheese and wine shop is fantastic!! The owner is amazing, and apparently doing great, as they’ve just opened another space in the loop. Here the staff can help you choose/sample cheeses from all over the world, pick up bottles of wine, fresh bread, olives, sandwiches, even a picnic for two to go. (Super cute!) They have a few bistro tables outside during the summer, and they now offer various cheese selections and spreads for shipping anywhere in these beautifully crafted wood boxes. Oh and much to my mother’s delight, during their holidays, they carry Panforte, a Sienese treat (Italian fruitcake). No matter where you live, when you’re in the city, you’ve got to make a special trip to Pastoral, your stomach will thank you!!
