Food is amazing here served in multiple small plates ideal for sharing. Very rich and tasty food. Service was very friendly helpful and attentive but felt restaurant lacked atmosphere- perhaps as we were placed in annex section. read more

Avec is good but I am at loss of why it is a 4.5 star restaurant. Im unsure why people wrote home so well about it. Located in Fulton Market, this is a modern american restaurant. A small, classy, and casual atmosphere with family style seating, meaning you may sit with randoms. The menu is a collection of large and small plates. If you do small plates only, you probably should do 2 to 3. The entrees are relatively small portions so splitting an appetizer with other table guests may be a good idea. We went during a peak time and service was prompt and courteous. The food was a good but the tasting experience wasn't out of this world. A few simple ingredients were combined and unique but the flavor explosion expected by my tongue was lack luster. The food textures werent thought out that well either. I certianly would go again but this wont be on top of my list for my next visit to Chicago. read more

I've heard from several people now that this is a place I should check out for their dates. We decided to come here for my birthday dinner. The seating here is communal style so get comfortable with your neighbors. We were seated next to a couple who ordered the paella and we decided to try that dish as well. On the other side, we sat next to two ladies taking a Road trip from the East Coast. We shared a pleasant conversation with them and share a few tips on their visit here in Chicago. We ordered the Chorizo stuffed medjool dates and the Wood oven paella with confit chicken snail boudin mussels and tangerine aioli. The chorizo date dish was good, but I felt like the flavor of the dates was overpowered by the chorizo and bacon. The paella is not your typical seafood paella since it has confit chicken in it. It was not my favorite. We were seated promptly which was nice and service was friendly and direct. Overall, we were not really impressed. Perhaps this type of food is just too fancy for me. read more

Out of towner here. The hubs and I came here for brunch on a Sunday and we are so happy we did! One of the best restaurants we visited on our little Chicago foodie adventure. Must eats: -Dates -Seafood Paella -Patatas Bravas Must Drink: -Bloody Mary -Atomium beer (so good!) Avoid: -French Exit (tastes like soap) Definitely eat as much as possible here. I heard the waitress say she also loves the trout... Maybe get that too! Overall Yum and ***** read more

Avec - Chicago - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love Avec. The food here makes me one happy guy. We got there around 8 on a weeknight and were luckily seated right away. Good because I was freakin starving! I was expecting to wait a bit since they don't take reservations. The communal wood seating wasn't the most comfortable, but the optional seat cushions definitely helped (they're above your head). Well for one thing, the interior is very unique, like being in a hardwood floor cabin. Weird yes, but I also loved the bathroom, with hardwood floors/walls and the mint soap was a nice touch. The service was excellent, but the food was even better. All the dishes are meant to be shared, with small and large plates. We started with the bacon wrapped dates and just wow! Stuffed with chorizo and in a spicy tomato sauce, all the flavors just worked together so well. Served with some hot crusty bread to sop up the sauce, we enjoyed it so much we ordered seconds. This was a great start and I already had a smile on my face. Next came the focaccia - thin & crispy focaccia stuffed with a creamy mixture of cheese, herbs, and truffle oil. The cheese was very rich, yet the bread was very light and crispy. Every bite was delicious. The housemade bratwurst was another solid dish and I couldn't get enough of that pickled ramp vinaigrette with the super soft white beans. I also enjoyed the hangar steak, which was very tender with a nice char crust and worked well with the grapefruit. We were too stuffed for any dessert, but I know I'll be back soon. They also have a nice wine list, as well as a small but nice craft beer selection. I love you long time Avec. read more

Full review blogged, dish highlights below: For the first dish of the evening we would receive "Chorizo stuffed medjool dates with smoked bacon, piquillo pepper tomato sauce, bread" - a dish that not only wrapped perfectly sweet dates with bacon like many tapas restaurants, but also stuffed them with a substantial portion of smoky chorizo. Simple, rustic, and with four to the bowl plus a chunk of warm bread to sop up the smoky sauce I enjoyed this dish just as much as I expected to and even our group member who doesn't really fancy dates noted that he too found it quite good. For the second dish, "Warm hen of the woods and shiitake mushroom salad with apple, red quinoa, dill, parmesan, sherry vinaigrette" was pretty much exactly what you would expect and the sweet meets earthy admixture was nicely accented by the sharp points of the parmesan and the acid of the vinaigrette. Always a fan of quinoa I particularly liked how the toothsome grain not only managed to balance everything out, but also how it absorbed a small bit of each flavor making for a wonderful taste even as we reached the bottom of the bowl. The third item arrived on a huge wooden board in the form of "Deluxe focaccia with taleggio cheese, ricotta, truffle oil, fresh herbs" and although I enjoyed everything at Avec that evening this was by far and away my favorite. Taking a different route to the spongy focaccia and serving it essentially as two individual flat breads sandwiching a medium-thick spread of the cheesy blend plus low notes of basil and parsley and heady top notes of truffle I immediately understood why Joshua had suggested we may have ordered too much; this was a whole lot of cheese and bread and we still had four plates to go, but working diligently the plate did eventually disappear - every single bite worth it. Slowly enjoying the focaccia the next two items were certainly not something I would have ordered on my own but much like everything else Avec did that evening there was a beautiful balance to the simplicity of each and although I would not order either again I did enjoy what I ate from each, the first "Roasted Brussels sprouts with calf's liver, pumpernickel, butternut squash, almonds, mustard vinaigrette" which featured the taste of caramelized sprouts in spades but used the sweetness of the squash and the bitters of the pumpernickel to help tame it a bit. With the liver providing a slightly gritty proteinacious component and the almonds a bit of crunch I was additionally happy that the mustard tones were relegated to a small supporting role, though in later bites towards the bottom of the bowl would prove a bit much for me. At this point admittedly comfortably sated but certainly not full the next two plates to arrive would prove Joshua to be quite right in his assessment of our order, the biggest capacity consumer being "Whipped Brandade with garlic bread and chives." Seemingly harmless in terms of portion but certainly not in terms of richness this take on the Provencal classic brandade de morue was simply astonishing in its careful balance of the salted cod, potatoes, whipped milk, garlic, and what I can only imagine to be an aged cheese plus olive oil. Creamy and smooth as silk but easily a cup and half in portion and served with crispy garlic bread this was another course where I did a lot of the leg (stomach) work and although more than capable of holding my own at a dinner table this was simply a whole lot of dairy in a rather short time. For our final savory, the main course of the night would be "Wood roasted pork shoulder with chestnut braised cabbage, parsnips, roasted apple, fresh herbs in puff pastry" - a flavor profile no less transporting than the flavors at Next the night before as "Pork Steak and Potatoes" was one of my grandfather's favorite dishes to cook when he was alive. Arriving in a large Staub pot and sizzling hot from the oven with golden pastry atop and at least half a pound of tender pork beneath the flavors in this dish were all spot on and entirely rustic without being heavy handed or clumsy in the least - a truly impressive dish and all the more so for the unique flavor of chestnuts infusing the broth and acting to foil the flavors of the cabbage. Not ready to admit defeat but certainly not in the position to consume more cheese my dining partners and I weighed the dessert options carefully and eventually settled on sharing one of the "White chocolate panna cotta with maple figs and walnut shortbread" three ways to see if sweets matched the savories in quality. Generally not one to be "wowed" by panna cotta I will note that although small in size this particular dish did pack a lot of flavor into each bite and through such light use of chocolate the flavors each came through with aplomb, particularly the maple notes atop the sweetness of the figs. While I personally prefer my desserts with a bit more texture this was a nice "light" finish to an otherwise heavy meal. read more

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5 stars is an understatement to describe my experience at Avec. My roommate and I had just come from an event and were in the neighborhood and figured we'd try out this place. I didn't know exactly where it was located so we were just walking along Randolph and completely passed it (there isn't a sign on the building, just FYI). We luckily found it and am so glad that we did. We came at around 8pm on a Wednesday night and they let us sit at the bar and didn't have to wait at all. We started off with the wine, which is a good portion that you can slowly pour into your glass as you drink it. In terms of food we just split a few small plates, the chorizo stuffed dates are a must have. That was truly a magical dish, they melt in your mouth. It was a good portion size too for the quality and the price. After the dates we had the steak, and that was excellent. Perfectly cooked, I however didn't like the blue cheese- it was a little strong but I'm not a huge blue cheese fan to begin with. You don't even need anything on the steak, the flavor is so good. I love how they time the dishes they bring out. At some places they keep piling up the plates as they come out of the kitchen, but here they let you enjoy your dish and have you complete it before they bring the next one out. I didn't feel rushed at all, and was truly able to enjoy the experience. I really like the size of the restaurant, the place is tiny but very intimate. Great date spot or group get-together. Will definitely be back as my budget allows. The experience to me was worth every penny. I liked this place better than Girl & the goat, that's how good it is. In terms of the quality of food, experience, and the people this is my favorite restaurant in Chicago. read more

Avec - Chicago - Those famous dates - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Don't go here to have a conversation. You won't be able to hear anyone speak, but that's ok, you'll be filling your mouth hole with the best food in the country. Best wines, best apps, best mains, best desserts. Take your time, eat as much as you can. read more

There aren't a lot of places where you can have a fantastic meal and a great time eating by yourself, but Avec is one of them (and I'm sure it'd be even more fun with a group)! First, the food. I went with the medjool dates that everybody has been raving about, the wagyu coulette, and the lamb neck pappardelle. Dates: this is one of their signature dishes and rightly so. If you like pork at all, you will love this dish. The dates with the tomato sauce is a revelation. The other fantastic perk is that you can order a half-serving of the dish, so you get two instead of four. Wagyu: Really smart move to take the coulette cut (top sirloin cap, which can be tough), and use wagyu and marinate it, which gives you fantastic flavor with tenderness. The combination of the beef with the salsa verde was fresh and delicious. Lamb: Disclaimer - I love pappardelle with braised meats in general, so I was predisposed to like this dish. It met my expectations. The lamb neck was flavorful and delicious. The only problem I had with this dish was that it was a little bit oily. Ordinarily, I would be hesitant to give 5 stars to a restaurant I've only been to once and only had 3 dishes at, but all three dishes were superb and you can tell that they run a great operation here. Some highlights 1. The whole ambiance felt homey, special, and friendly. The wooden panel interior, the communal tables, the long stainless steel bar, the attentive service...it all served to transport you from a random street in downtown Chicago to a world where you got delicious food with friendly people. The two people sitting next to me struck up random conversations with me and it felt totally natural. One guy next to me was on a business trip like me and had come two nights in a row because the pappardelle was so good. The decor, vibe, layout, and food all reminded me a lot of one of my favorite restaurants in NYC - Momofuku Ssam Bar - and in my mind, it's hard to beat that. 2. Everyone was incredibly thoughtful. When I got there, it was a 30 min wait even though I went on a Wednesday at 9pm, but they took my cell phone number and so I could wander around the neighborhood while waiting. Everyone introduced themselves by name. The hostess introduced herself and Tess and remembered my name throughout the night. Same with my server Josh, who was great and kept warning me that I might be ordering too much food (I proved him wrong though!)...how often do you have a server tell you to stop ordering?! The space was tight but because the hostess offered to take your coat and bags and stored them in the back, it didn't get too cramped. I've been to some really good restaurants in Chicago - Alinea probably being the best - but Avec is the kind of restaurant I can see myself returning to over and over again. read more

Avec - Chicago - Entrance - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place goes high up there on my "must have" list for Chicago. We got a bunch of random things from here, and ended up more stuffed than the medjool dates. We had to take some of the roasted pork shoulder back to the hotel. Had it for breakfast the next day and it was still crazy good. A few other standouts were the chorizo-stuffed dates, brandade, and house-marinated olives. We got the dates purely based on the unanimous Yelp reviews (didn't even question it) and once again, people were right! They should take these dates and feature them in the Contemporary section at the Art Institute of Chicago. Enough said. The pork shoulder was so tender and the portion was very generous. It was pure perfection. House-cured olives were amazing. Blew my mind. I didn't even realize how big of an olive fan I was (especially the bitter ones), until I had these ones. I should also mention two other things: 1) the ambiance was super laid back and casual, yet somehow classy at the same time. Pretty much everything is made of finished wood. 2) Their beer selection is superb, especially when it comes to local brews which you can only find in Chicago. read more

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Loved it! Everything we had was delicious and the service was great! Atmosphere is mixed as it's all communal tables with no reservations, so it can get very crowded and loud. I had to lean across the table several time to understand what my friends were saying. The prices are very reasonable for the food quality, and it's easy to stay under $30 if you don't get wine, so I'd say it's more of a $$. In descending order, my favorite dishes were: 1. Chorizo-stuffed medjool dates with smoked bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce - a hint spicy, maybe a tad too salty, but overall great! 2. Focaccia with taleggio cheese, truffle oil and fresh herbs - sliced and filled in the middle with the cheese and truffle oil - amazing!! 3. Housemade bratwurst with cardamom, braised white beans and pickled ramp vinaigrette 4. Roasted half chicken with confit fingerlings, ras al hanout, sliced almonds, mustard greens and cerignola olives - Incredibly moist, but huge! 5. Wood-oven roasted pork shoulder with harissa, marinated rock shrimp, hominy, peanuts and tomatillo - overrated, but still very moist and succulent Will definitely return when I'm back in Chicago - I agree with Jess, come to San Francisco!! Note that Avec is similar to their sister restaurants Blackbird (next door) and The Publican. read more

Simply wonderful! I had been wanting to visit Avec and tried once in the fall only to be faced with a 45 min wait at 9pm on a Friday...boo! I was surprised that the restaurant was so packed around 8pm for a Sunday, but we lucked out and got seated right away. The server was really nice and explained the menu and provided some reccos. I will say that she suggested 4 items for 2 of us, but we were stuffed after 3! Everything was delicious. The flatbread was fabulous (though huge, I will say) and the stuffed dates were wonderful...the pork was also good. I was unfortunately way too stuffed for dessert. Food was a 5. The atmosphere is great - it's lively but not too loud and the spot really draws you in as it's warm and friendly. A 5 for atmosphere. Value was good, though we could have ordered less. It would be fun to return with a larger group so that we could sample more. It's a bit pricey, but not overwhelmingly so and there were some nicely priced options on the wine list. I'll go 4 for value. The bathrooms were pretty cool and clean - yay! 5 for bathrooms. Service was great! 5 for service. I want to return as soon as possible - so GOOD! Definitely a great spot for dinner with friends, a date, special occasion - actually for any reason! read more

Food is amazing here served in multiple small plates ideal for sharing. Very rich and tasty food. Service was very friendly helpful and attentive but felt restaurant lacked atmosphere- perhaps as we were placed in annex section. read more

Hands down, the best I've tried while visiting Chicago. Starting with my favorite of the night: Chicken Liver Crostini. This was absolutely outstanding. The smooth and creamy chicken liver pâté was to die for.. the stone fruit mostarda with fresh herbs to top the crostini..amazing play of creamy, crunchy, sweet, salty, fresh. I wish I could eat this every day. Chorizo Stuffed Medjool Dates. Another great one. Came in 4 pieces and again, the sweetness of the dates and saltiness of the chorizo and bacon were perfectly balanced. The tomato pepper sauce added a nice touch of acidity that really complimented the dates and made this dish different from other bacon wrapped dates I've tried. Definitely recommend! I also tried the Whole Roasted Branzino. Cooked and seasoned perfectly but since it is a mild tasting fish, I always found it a bit boring. They topped it with some wonderful colors which included carrots, parsley, cilantro, garbanzo beans (which were undercooked). It was good but I think the others items on the menu were better. The Pork Shoulder was also pretty good. Super tender with a generous portion. Loved the smoked yogurt that was on top. I would say give this one a try. Service lacked a bit but the food made up for it. If I visit again, I will definitely be back! read more

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Great upscale dining with options in the west loop and river north Farm to table dining with superb cocktail program read more

Went here on Jan. 28th - It was AMAZING. Zach took really good care of my friend and I who sat at the bar. We ordered the special slow roasted pig head and it was to die for. We were up in the air on the wine selection which he helped us with. He also was very honest about the amount of food we should order and was right on the money. Overall it was so delish that my friend returned the following night with a large party of others from our company. Thanks for taking good care of us in this gem of a place. Everything was perfect overall. read more

A word of advice: show up early. Even on a monday, Avec fills up by 6pm. And for good reason - it's delicious. The scopey menu ensures there will be something for everyone in your group. Don't get too attached, though - you're meant to share! The wine list can look intimidating, but the servers know their stuff and will happily point you in the right direction. The best dish of the meal was the skate-wing, which was a special. It was perfectly cooked, seared to perfection and dressed with an asparagus and olive salad. The communal seating arrangements can be seen as either a detriment or a bonus for the restaurant; it depends what you are going there for. If you're going for a first date, say, it might be a little awkward to be plopped down in the middle of a long table full of people. But, if you're going with people that you actually know, then it's a lot of fun to make friends with the people around you. It's a lively, friendly atmosphere. I think that it is the combination of this atmosphere and the excellently prepared food that keep Avec feeling fresh and sitting at the top of most people's "best restaurants in Chicago" list even after being open for (I believe) over 4 years. read more

Avec - Chicago - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A sister restaurant with Blackbird, I was excited to try out its counterpart. We had the chorizo-stuffed Medjool dates with smoked bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce; housemade brioche and duck sausage with spiced sugar, roasted beats, and housemade butter; wood-oven braised pork shoulder with chestnut-bacon dumplings, buttercup squash, puff pastry, and fresh herbs; and, housemade tagliatelle with oxtail, cippolinis, kumquats, and criminis. Each of the dishes were interesting, but I felt as most of the entrees started to taste like one another after a while. I really wanted to like the Medjool dish, but it was a little bit too spicy for me. While none of the dishes really stood out to me, I'm glad I tried this place out. I liked how each of the dishes were smaller in portion, so you can order several in a tapas-style procedure. The communal dining experience might irk some, but it wasn't all that bad. I really liked their wooden pig emblem on the doors - they're so cute! +tapas-style +communal dining read more

Their most famous dish, chorizo stuffed medjool dates wrapped in bacon (bottom right) is to DIE for. Every bite took me to heaven We also tried the branzino fish - baked and fried to perfection with delicious crispy skin, and the chicken liver pate (not in pic). They were finger licking good!! If you are not a fan of lamb or goat cheese, skip the sausage. read more

Avec - Chicago - The famous dates!! - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been meaning to write a review for Avec for a while. This place definitely deserves all the hype it gets. My friends and I chose this place because Avec is "where the chefs dine." I can definitely see why. This place is similar to Ad Hoc, where it's family style, but there is no prix fix menu. The menu consists of "large plates" and "small plates." The general consensus within our group was that the small plates were much more enjoyable, especially the chorizo stuffed dates wrapped with bacon. Get here early. We got there at 5:30 and it was empty, but when we left at 8, there was the longest line of people waiting for seats. Order from the small plates and cheeses, you will not be disappointed. read more

Avec - Chicago - fiore sardo, cana de cabra, and tomme de savoi - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here at 4:30 on a Saturday afternoon, and boy that turned out to be a great decision. This place fills to the brim during prime dinner hours and started to do so right after we were seated. The place is small to be sure, but cozy, the bench style seating is fine, much like that of Purple Pig. Service- wonderful, the server was knowledgeable, and the rest of the waiting staff did a great job filling our drinks and replacing our plates b/w dishes. Food- small plate style eatery - chorizo-stuffed dates: definitely lives up to all the hype, they are delicious and the bread it comes with is soft and fluffy, perfect for soaking up the left over sauce after you eat the dates. The sweetness of the dates work perfectly in harmony with the saltiness of the bacon and the spice of the chorizo - whole fish: it's exactly what it sounds like, a whole (deboned) fish fried to a crisp and simply flavored. A charred orange that it's served with adds a nice touch of citrus at the diner's discretion - bucatini: the sauce, mint, bucattini, and octapus come together to make this dish delicious to the last bite - striped bass: this was the only "meh" dish of the night for me, the charred fish housed a bitter flavor which I wasn't very fond of, I don't think I would order this one again next time being this the first time I've visited Avec, I would say the experience was pretty good. The one thing that will surely bring me back here would be the dates, and next time I plan on trying the pork shoulder. read more

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The place is awesome but... The staff??? I mean do you really have to push us buying more food by telling that "x" kind of magazine mentioned your restaurant as ( I don't want to say what) of the city???? Come on? If you make that amount of money you definetively don't need to push your costumes !!!! Not to mention that portions were not generous at all... ( I give you my Italian word) I initially intended to go back for my birthday... But I kind of changed my opinion. read more

Avec - Chicago - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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There's a lot to love here and we had a difficult time deciding where to go on the menu, but our server steered us right (the guess is that we couldn't have gone wrong). We started with the chorizo-stuff bacon-wrapped dates. As delicious as they sound. Then came the branzino with roasted pepper and lemon-garlic mayo. The mayo might have been the highlight of the meal. Out of this world. We finished with the focaccia, which just amazing. Service was great, very friendly, attentive, and helpful. Feels like there is plenty more to explore on the menu. The only downside (and it's a small one): the space is small and loud. Bench seating and shared tables so you're right next to people you didn't plan to be with :) ... There is outdoor seating as well, and that might be good option during summer. All in all, well worth it and we look forward to going back. read more

Knowing that it was a "cheese and meat" kind of place, I didn't expect to have many options as a vegan, but I agreed to come here with my omnivorous friends. While the ambiance was modern and laid-back chic, we were all quite disappointed by both the service and the food. We ended up waiting for a total of an hour and a half: half an hour to get seated, and another hour for food. While I do like their long wooden tables, it is not flexible to different party sizes. We had to share a table with two other parties, and one party was extremely loud and obnoxious. When I asked the waitress if anything on the menu could be made vegan, she wasn't very helpful in figuring out options for me. As for the food, my friends ordered the chorizo stuffed dates and the oven roasted pork shoulder, and I ordered the werp farm greens salad and oyster mushrooms. The salad was very small and nothing special. The oyster mushrooms were ridiculously salty. By the end of the meal, none of us were in the mood for dessert given the long wait and the unsatisfactory flavors of our dishes. read more

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This place was so fantastic. We came for a date night last minute. We were actually fighting and it was Friday night. But this place totally flipped around the vibe. It was packed with shared tables and so much great energy. We shared the shistoso peppers to start and then the eggplant main dish with hummus. It was so unbelievable. I was sad I wasn't more hungry. I still want to go back! read more

Currently my favorite restaurant in Chicago. The interior is beautiful, the atmosphere is great, and though the communal sitting might get uncomfortable during its busy hours, it's all part of the experience. The dishes I've tried: Chorizo-stuffed medjool dates - Their most popular dish, and you'll know why when you try it. The saltiness of the smoked bacon and chorizo combined with the sweetness of the dates is like nothing I've ever tasted. The piquillo pepper-tomato sauce makes the dish even more outstanding. This is not your ordinary bacon-wrapped dates. Whole roasted fish - I'm a fan of white fish, so this one really hit the spot. The salty flavors of lavender vinaigrette mixed with olives, fennel and arugula is perfection. Squid ink pasta with steamed mussels - Didn't know what to expect and was most pleasantly surprised. The thick alla chitarra noodles are buttery and savory, and though the flavors of the chili and basil are a bit understated, I think the sea urchin butter is the highlight of the dish. The delicious, salty mussels also balance out the noodles at the end. Seared shrimp - Not anything groundbreaking, but still as delicious as shrimps could be. The shrimp is spiced perfectly, and the unique combination of the corona beans, radish top pest and roasted radish with limoncello vinaigrette makes the dish a satisfying treat. Lamb sausage - As a huge lamb fan, this was not my favorite dish. Just don't expect anything more than the dish description: lamb sausage with carrots, zucchini, dill, cilantro, green harissa and sesame seeds. Anise-marinated hanger steak - Oh, the meat, the meat, the meat was perfect. Perfectly cooked. And who knew adding avocado to steak could be so good?? Recommended wine: Ataide Semedo Bairrada Tinto 2010 - I personally LOVED the smoothness of this red wine. It went well with all of our dishes. read more

Avec - Chicago - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is my favorite "fancy" restaurant in Chicago. I love it so much that I have never seen the need to explore further (I never tried Blackbird while it was open). Since I'm not comfortable dining in during the pandemic, I got takeout from here through Tock as a treat and it provided a much-needed dose of emotional connection; I get the dates every single time and eating them reminded me of when eating at a restaurant was a less fraught concept. They're super organized about take-out; you pull up and never even get out of your car. I know they are planning to re-open for in-person dining but I will not be coming back until I am vaccinated, so it's going to be a while. I want them to still be there when I can eat in a restaurant again, so I'm happy to get takeout in the meantime. read more

When I want a feel good, home-cookin' meal I come here. (Even tho my mom never cooked like this :) The atmosphere is cozy and often times strangers end up sharing, but it's certainly not expected. If you want the grown up version of beer and a pizza, go for the foccacia (made with truffle oil and taleggio) and Nora beer (an Italian ale served in a 25 oz bottle). The beer alone is worth the trek for me. Don't let the bartender try to put two glasses in front of you for sharing, go right ahead and be "that girl" and drink the whole damn thing. Just be sure to leave when you start singing in the bottle. Lastly, although the meat-cutter might seem to be a bit distracting, if you sit in the chef's seat and you're real nice, they might throw you a couple slices of prosciutto. And in my book, it doesn't get much better than free meat. read more

Wish that there were more restaurants like this. Good food, simple modern decor, friendly staff, great place for a group of people. I love the fact that the food is served family style. It reminds you that food is not just about nourishment and pleasing the senses - it's also about connecting with friends and people around you. Staff was super about trying to cram our group of 8 in on a Tuesday evening letting the first 4 of our group sit down. Highlights of dinner: sausage stuffed medjool dates, excellent dilled corn and fennel bruschetta, crispy roasted chicken breasts with honey roasted chestnuts & squash (my favorite), baked red snapper with olive tapenade and green grape garnish, braised pork shoulder. All excellent and delicious! Dress in layers - the space gets very hot (b/c of the wood fired stove) and cold (b/c of the strong air conditioning). read more

Disappointed. Had heard great things but has a poor experience during my time here. My pork was poorly cooked and not flavorful at all. Did not enjoy my experience unfortunately. read more

Had one of our favorite course menus back in October right before indoor dining closed. Had been here multiple times before, but had never done a coursed menu. It was fantastic! The wine pairings were amazing too. Large portions, but doesn't make you leave feeling stuffed. Waiting for things to open again so we can come back. read more

Super cute place. Located next to Blackbird on Randolph. May be hard to located because you don't really see the name for the place, there's no lit up sign. The place is long and narrow. Lots of people walking around and it's a bit hard since the place is narrow. The wood interior of the restaurant is simple and modern. We came in at around 9:30 on a Saturday night and was told the wait was expected to be around an hour but we were called to sit at the bar within about 20 minutes. Everyone was super friendly! Oh, and they do complimentary coat check =) and yes ladies, there are hooks under the bar for your purses. Food ordered were.. Bacon wrapped chorizo stuffed dates - were pretty good, although I'm not a big fan of bacon nor dates. The mixture of flavors worked well together though. The sweetness of the dates, the spice of the chorizo and the saltiness of the bacon balanced everything. This is worth trying. focaccia with taleggio cheese, ricotta, truffle oil and fresh herbs - i loved this! it's like a light thin pizza. loved the wood burnt bottom and the sweet cheese and truffle oil. yum yum! one of the waiters brought over some honey for us to eat it with and it was perfect! Pasta with lamb Bolognese - not a lot of lamb but it was a good pasta dish, i especially liked that it wasn't a heavy pasta dish. Nothing too extraordinary about this dish though.. Tangier carrot cake w/ whipped goat cheese and pineapples - the cake was good but i wasn't really liking the whipped goat cheese, it was a bit too sour for the cake. A nice place to check out. Lots of wine to choose from and everyone here is really friendly. Small portions here, great to try everything and to share. No reservations! read more

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This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Chicago. I'm blown away by the food every single time I come. The food is Mediterranean/French/American fusion, and small-plates style. Things are very shareable and the menu changes weekly. Their chorizo stuffed dates are truly some of the best I've ever had, and I try to order them every time. They have delicious tartines, salads, fish plates and so many other yummy snacks. I've never had the burger but it always looks incredible as well. Flavors are inventive, fresh, unique and so delicious. I can honestly say I've never had anything here that I didn't absolutely love. I like bringing out-of-town guests here but it's just as fun as a go-to lunch spot if you have time to sit down for a little while. The style of the restaurant itself is fun and unique too. There's basically just one long shared table down the middle and a long bar that you can sit at. It's not very big so there can be a wait, but I've been lucky with my timing and never had to wait long. Can't say enough good things about Avec, just go there! You won't regret it. read more

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We made a res for the weekend of July 4th. Food: - Chorizo dates: 4/5. I wish there was more of the sweet date. The savory chorizo overpowered everything. - Chicken Liver Crostini: 5/5. - Pork Shoulder: 5/5. Very tender. We didn't notice there would be tiny shrimps on it and my fiance is allergic so he couldn't eat the deliciousness. Service: Surprisingly, very slow. There was one waitress taking all the orders for some reason. A little disappointed in our experience, but would be back to try other things on the menu and hoping for faster service. read more

I don't know what has taken me so long to dine here cause it's near the top of my long list of Places To Eat! We went on a Saturday night around 7:30pm so of course the wait was long. Two hours later, we were seated at the bar and quickly attended to. We decided to go with a few small plates: -buratta: this was ok, but not very memorable -sardine bruschetta: this was one of the specials and was disappointing. I didn't like the flavor combination -wood-fired squid: you know a dish will be spicy when there is a dollop of cream on top! This was a little too spicy for my liking, but I kept shoving it in my mouth anyway. -bacon wrapped, chorizo-stuffed dates: there is a reason this is a staple menu item! This was my favorite dish. I loved the combination of smokey bacon, spicy chorizo and sweet dates. Would it be weird if I ordered two plates for myself next time? -cheese plate: we were drunk and went with the server's suggestions. I don't remember what cheeses we had, but I remember them being delicious. The plate came with bread, grapes and almonds that were drizzled with something sweet. I would have given this place five stars, but we only liked half of our dishes. I guess we expected more based on the reviews, but I will be back! Service was excellent and I need those dates again ASAP! read more

Avec - Chicago - MY BODY IS READY - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Oh man. There is so much hype around this place that I just don't understand. It's good, but it is definitely not exceptional. Chorizo-stuffed medjool dates (5/5): This was probably the highlight, then everything went downhill after this...It was creamy and flavorful and just brought me to another level. Focaccia (2/5): bro... it's a simple dish. But it does not stand out. There's an overpowering flavor of truffles which is not pleasant. The whole thing is basically just bread + cheese + truffles. not worth the money or the hype. I expected more from avec. slow roasted pork shoulder (4/5): solid pork shoulder. Besides the strong note of salt there is not much going on with the dish. It is homey in deed, but nothing creative or makes it stand out. Creme caramel (4/5): nothing to complaint about besides a little too sweet. nice balancing of flavor with the edible flowers and crunchy things read more

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I'll keep this brief, given the abundance of detailed reviews. If you are looking for wonderful food, a social atmosphere, a beautifully decorated restaurant staffed with knowledgeable, helpful in that they recommend great wine and desserts (in our case), and not all up in your face servers, then come here. You will have to supply your own friends and may have to wait a bit to be seated, but it's worth it. read more

I came back to Avec for lunch in February and I have to bump up my rating from 3 (in December) to a 4. The things that mattered to me in December were no longer much relevant. I ended up ordering the seared trout for lunch - it laid on top of bread with a salad medley in between. It hit the spot and really gave me the push to update my review - yum! Here's my review for December: The place is a bit hard to find since the door is camouflaged with the wall. Once you find the door - push, don't pull. I was expecting the place to have a more formal or semi-formal ambiance based off of the info I read online (queue the dim lighting, semi dressy attire, and music with volume that is loud enough to cover eaves dropping but soft enough so that you won't lose your voice from screaming) - my expectations were let down. The lighting was faintly dim, workers wore jerseys, and I don't think music was playing at all. The restaurant menu is setup suggesting that people share plates family style. They recommended that 1 large dish or 2 small dishes be ordered for 1 person. Kale Salad (small) - Delish! The salad was light yet full with flavor. If you're looking for greens, I would highly recommend this option! --- 5/5 Chorizo Stuffed Date (small) - The spice of the chorizo, saltiness of the bacon, and sweetness of the dates really made this an interesting dish! I enjoyed trying it after noticing the hype from Yelp; but a try was good enough for me. The dish comes with 4 stuffed dates; we had 1 each and had the rest for take away. --- 3/5 Pork Shoulder (large) - The first thing I thought of when I took a bite is that this reminded me of a taco - in a good way! The pork was very flavorful and reminded me of flavored meat in tacos. I, as many, would recommend this dish. --- 4/5 Steak (small) - Good. Nothing less or more than my expectations. This was the last dish we settled on for our dinner order. --- 3/5 Apple Crostata with Ice Cream - I love it when warm breaded dishes meet cold ice cream! The apple pie wasn't as warm as I would have liked it so that was a bit of a let down. They don't mention it on the menu, but this dish has raisins! My bf is allergic to raisins so he wasn't able to try it which was unfortunate. --- 4/5 (with the caveat that it's not cool to leave out ingredients that people can be allergic to) Turkish Coffee Gelato (Special") - My bf ordered this since he recently came back from Turkey and has declared turkish coffee one of his favorite types of coffee. Unfortunately, he was let down from this ice cream rendition. --- 3/5 There were three things that really caught my attention: 1. The bathroom sink/dryer combo - I've never seen something like that before! Pretty nifty! 2. The "kitchen"! Are the back 2 ovens behind the bar the main part of the "kitchen"? I noticed it on the way out so I didn't have a chance to ask, but it's such an interesting setup! It may be why the dessert took much longer than expected. I would say dessert took over 15 minutes to be served. 3. About 5 minutes after we placed our dinner order we noticed a "specials" board and wanted to change one of our dishes for a special. We were told that they couldn't change it since they dish was already made - unfortunate since we really wanted to try to scallops, but fortunate since the kale was amazing! Maybe I'll come back in the summer time. read more

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for the freeke taboule salad with cauliflower i wana give the kitchen a hugh mothafukinfive Good job guys keep it up Love the wood fired oven in the back kitchen i wish I would've sat by it but all seats were taken.. the host lady in front wasn't too happy to work on haloween. Smile you have a lot happy people excited to be in your restau.. read more

Avec - Chicago - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I made a reservation for an early dinner while I was on my way home from work and ended up being very happy with my decision. Though you sit closely together, the decor makes this place feel open and airy. I ordered a glass of wine. It's definitely right for the price. They give you a 250 ml carafe for the price most charge for a regular glass pour. The people working behind the bar were giving great suggestions to people looking to try a new wine. While I think this place would be amazing for small groups to order and share, I was dining alone and opted for a small plate - the hand cut pappardelle with mushroom bolognese. It was very tasty, perhaps a little salty but I like salt, and a great portion for being a small plate. After I finished, I sat around for bit finishing my wine and never felt rushed out. I ended up ordering the coffee gelato, which had great coffee flavor abs was nice and smooth. Overall, I liked my experience here. The food I ordered was delicious and everything being served around me looked great, too. I was able to relax and take my time and had great service during my meal. I especially appreciated how attentive the barback was with refilling water. I can't wait to come back! read more

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