We also all did the wine pairings – I loved mine (Vegetarian), the meat eaters did not.

 I say if you’re a Foodie, go once, but there’s a lot more amazing restaurants that are worth the money in Chicago.

We enjoyed all of two things, our table location and the cheese course.  Beyond that, it wasn’t worth the money for the meal. 

Having just gone to Takashi, where the service was spotty, but the food was delicious, the comparison was easy to make.  Takashi was far superior in quality and presentation and cost 1/4 of what we spent at Blackbird.  Needless to say, we won’t be going back nor recommending this restaurant to friends.

I enjoyed every minute of my empanadas, including the one it took me to reheat them the next day.  I should have gotten the Costa Rican rice (can’t remember what they called it).  I was concerned it would be heavy – it wasn’t, it was heaven on a spoon and I’ll order carry out in the future just for the rice.

Get the shake – I don’t like shakes, especially not oatmeal ones, but this was tasty and again lighter than anticipated.

We’ll be back to this Bucktown BYOB with small outdoor space.

We went when it first opened and then again just recently, hoping to give it a second chance.  Recently, we were seated over an hour after our reservation.  Which, was fine because it’s a small place and we understand, but don’t offer to buy us a round of drinks and then forget half of them.  Also, not to be nit picky, but if you’re going to serve bread, do so earlier in the meal - not after the entrees have been served and then apologize for it.  That just makes it awkward.

Again the food is exceptional, but I’m now having to wonder if why their struggling (per Time Out magazine’s article) isn’t the price of  the food, but instead the Service…because neighboring restaurants are packed most days of the week.

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.

P.S. I think I overhead the owner discussing interior changes, so hopefully this too will improve.

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.

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.

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.