Chicago du Jour
Chicago restaurants puts innovation, creativity and pizazz on menu
By Margaret Casey, Special to R&I -- Restaurants & Institutions, 5/1/2004
| She is always a novelty for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through the last time. |
—Mark Twain |
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It’s hard to guess what spurred Twain’s observation: the architecture, politics or maybe just the pulsing energy of a hungry metropolis. Most likely, though, it was not its 19th century restaurants. But the sentiment perfectly describes 2004’s dining scene, a rousing roster that changes on a constant schedule. Restaurants shutter and others throw open their doors, chefs skitter from one spot to the next while others take culinary leaps from good to great.
What happens in a year’s span—since the last National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show breezed through town—makes it tantalizingly delicious for visitors to consider where the next meal should be taken. For adventure-hungry guests, the list of new dining destinations is beguilingly long, ensuring that some of the best tables in the country are only a phone call away. A list of centrally located restaurants, all in Chicago, follows.
Avec (615 W. Randolph St., 312-377-2002): Snuggled up alongside sister property Blackbird, this newcomer invites settling in at communal tables for shared revelry, food and drinks. An offbeat wine list is filled with possibilities that accent Chef Koren Grieveson’s menu. Most dishes pass through the oven, resulting in pure rustic comfort. Menu Sampler: Chorizo-stuffed dates with pepper-tomato sauce; house-made salume; focaccia with Taleggio, herbs and truffle oil.
BOKA (1729 N. Halsted St., 312-337-6070): An extreme interior makeover effectively erases the past—in this case, the two Southwestern restaurants previously in the space. Now it’s elegant and romantic, befitting the contemporary American cuisine. Menu Sampler: Scallops with cauliflower purée, capers, currants, brown butter and lemon; grilled octopus with saffron aioli, preserved lemon and black olives; double-cut pork chop with rosemary-cider reduction.
Fuse (71 E. Wacker Drive, 312-462-7071): Despite a name that suggests the intersection of several cuisines, the reality here is grounded in contemporary, French-influenced classics. Menu Sampler: Venison with confit cabbage and pomme croquette; poached asparagus with herb salad and morel-and-bone-marrow cream sauce; pappardelle with tomatoes, asparagus, shiitakes and Parmesan broth.
Green Zebra (1460 W. Chicago Ave., 312-243-7100): Nearly ready to open at press time is the second venture by Shawn McClain of nearby Spring. At GZ, his focus is vegetable-based meals with dibbles and dots of meat added as needed for punctuation.
Japonais (600 W. Chicago Ave., 312-822-9600): A certified sushi master as well as a chef ensure that all culinary bases in this massive, meandering space are covered. Menu Sampler: monkfish foie gras wrapped with octopus; lobster teriyaki served tempura-style with asparagus and rice porridge; Kobe prime rib.
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Merlo on Maple (16 W. Maple St., 312-335-8200): A charmer commanded by Bolognese transplants intent on keeping culinary traditions intact. Menu Sampler: House-made green and yellow tagliolini with veal ragù, quail eggs and truffle oil; veal tenderloin with asparagus and soufflé of zucchini and Parmesan; basil-roasted rack of lamb with potatoes and baby onions.
Park Grill (11 N. Michigan Ave., 312-521-PARK): Part of the still-unfolding Millennium Park, the restaurant combines an ideal location with inventive dishes that are familiar in theory and creatively conceived in practice. Menu Sampler: Carbonara with bacon and caramelized onions; rotisserie chicken with rosemary and garlic; salmon with cannellini beans, greens and mustard sauce.
Pluton (873 N. Orleans St., 312-266-1440): Understated elegance makes dining here feel like it’s happening in a private home. Prix fixe with flexibility allows diners to select from three to 10 courses. Menu Sampler: foie gras terrine with montbazillac aspic, brioche and onion confit; bone-marrow-crusted tenderloin with seven-spice reduction and porcini-mashed potatoes; salmon with green-tea-and-truffle sauce.
Saiko (1307 S. Wabash Ave., 312-922-2222): Owners Jerry Kleiner and Howard Davis have transformed a once-bleak block into hipster paradise, first with Gioco, then Opera and now Saiko, an edgy Japanese take on “what’s hot now.” Menu Sampler: prawns with shrimp hash and pineapple butter; soft-shell crab yaki udon; strip steak with wasabi-cheese crust and pea-shoot stir-fry.
SushiSamba Rio (504 N. Wells St., 312-595-2300): Japan meets Brazil meets Peru in this bustling spot. Endlessly hip, and out there, the crowds come to be seen and to try sushi, caipirinhas and funky fusion fare. Menu Sampler: Roasted-squash soup with spiced pepino seeds; lobster three ways (sashimi, claw tempura, miso); miso-marinated sea bass.
Vermilion (10 W. Hubbard St., 312-527-4060): Chef Maneet Chauhan combines a Culinary Institute of America degree, Indian roots and a playful sense of innovation, charming diners with each. Menu Sampler: Mussels with cilantro and coconut broth; tandoori steak with fried plantains; tamarind ribs with yucca fries and corn salsa.
Wow Bao (835 N. Michigan Ave., 312-642-5888): Don’t plan on dinner or even a sit-down lunch. Instead, stop by for a snack and a peek at this Richard Melman venture, a shoebox-sized space in the lobby of Water Tower Place. Chinese steamed buns are the stars, and for $1.19 each, all six varieties are worth trying. Can anyone say, “Expansion plans?” Menu Sampler: Thai curry chicken bao; pad Thai salad.
Ivy Options
Chicago restaurants have nabbed a fair share of Ivy Awards; a few of the most geographically desirable follow. A table at any one of them should confirm that Ivys are all about excellence.
Arun’s (1995): A 20-minute cab ride for world-class Thai food, served in Zen-like surroundings, is easily worth the meter.
Cape Cod Room (1971): This ground-level haunt is retro perfection. The suave skill of Maître d’ Patrick Bredin, in command for decades, is reason enough to visit but crab cakes and Dover sole add to the allure.
Charlie Trotter’s (1990): Culinary perfection at every turn.
The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago (1981): Hushed elegance and inventive, regionally driven cuisine set this apart from many hotel restaurants.
Everest (1990): French-Alsatian fare served in a glittering aerie.
Gibsons Bar Steakhouse (2002): Oversize everything—crowds, cocktails, steaks and sides, dished out with polished service, make this a favored destination.
Spiaggia (1993): Superb views and refined Italian cuisine are major draws.
Topolobampo (1999) and Frontera Grill (1991): Side-by-side siblings—with Frontera posing as the more casual—set standards for authentic Mexican.
Tru (2003): Dreamy surroundings and artful presentations add impact to the menu.
Margaret Casey is a Chicago-based freelance writer.
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