I really enjoyed the couple of hours I sat here waiting for my car maintenance to be finished. The…read morestaff was super friendly and helpful in guiding me to a wine (or two) I would like. The truffle popcorn was really yummy and definitely big enough to share. The variety is not what you'd find at some standard spot. This wine list is curated and it shows. Inside is cozy and inviting. Looking forward to trying more wine there again soon!

Best store of any kind in the whole world...Truffle popcorn? Delicious!! Da staff? Da BEST!!!…read moreAmbiance? So cool and comfy...and, oh! These wonderful folks sell fabulous beverages!

I cook a lot, grew up with a mother who was known in her circles as a great homecook, and I often…read moreenjoy foods from around the world. I've had Georgian food once before, in Los Angeles. I went with two friends to Metekhi. We focused on the vegetarian dishes this time (though we eat everything), and got the cold appetizer combo along with a tomato/cucumber salad; another cold appetizer with eggplant; a hot bean stew and another hot main course with mushrooms, potatoes and a little tomato sauce. The food was wonderful, and these days where you often get ripped off for really mediocre food, I was pleasantly surprised. Each dish was prepared with a lot of love and care, well seasoned, NOT overusing oil, butter or salt, and also beautifully presented. The herbal seasonings were unusual to me, but delicious. They have a lot of vegetarian/vegan options, which is really cool because I expected a menu with cuisine from this part of the world to be very heavy on meat and starches (I'm half-Polish, have been to Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic, and have tried other Eastern European and Central Asian cuisines). The decor is also really cozy and nicely decorated to convey the vibes of Georgia. Amazing how the inside of these strip malls can be transformed. Come and support this new gem in Skokie/Skevanston. I really want them to succeed, because sometimes I shake my head at what places fill crowds and get great ratings in this area. Metekhi is genuinely good. It's not cheap, but as bagel joints can charge nearly $15 for a sandwich today, it's seems to be the sad times we're in, so you want a memorable experience incl. food/service/ambience. Metekhi delivers on all three. Sharing a few dishes here with friends is a good idea.

Eric R. and I had a lot of time between landing in Chicago and checking into our hotel on Friday,…read moreso we decided that we could drive anywhere and have a leisurely lunch. We wanted to eat something we do not have access to, and Georgian food is definitely a cuisine we rarely have tried. I found Metekhi on yelp the night before while bookmarking a bunch of options in a certain radius, and off we went! When we entered, I noticed it is a very nicely decorated space from the entry all the way throughout the restaurant. There were figurines of dumplings on the bookshelf behind our table. There was only one other table of patrons at that point. The server brought us a carafe or water while we reviewed the menu. We were able to hear her explain some of it to the other table because it was pretty quiet in there, which helped. We ordered hot Georgian black tea, which came in a huge insulated carafe to Eric R.'s delight. We asked several questions, and ultimately ordered too much food on the premise that we wanted to try as much as we could! We got the ajaruli khatchapuri, the boat shaped bread with bubbling cheese and an egg yolk in the middle which we swirled around and then dipped the bread into (small size which we could not even finish); chashushuli, a beef stew with a tomato base that had Indian curry vibes but with completely different spices, topped with sliced red onion and parsley; and khinkali, veal soup dumplings which came with a demonstration from the figurine to show us how to eat them while they cooled a bit! The khinkali were to be eaten by holding the twisted "knob" of the dumpling, taking a bite, slurping the broth, taking another bite, slurping the rest of the soup, then eating the dumpling wrapper and meat filling. It was mind-blowingly delicious. We were too full to try the Georgian salad with walnut dressing or the honey cake. This would be a really fun place to come with a big group! Service was very good, but slow considering there were only two tables in the restaurant. The food and tea were piping hot and made to order. The beef was very tender, and the flavors were incredible. I would definitely recommend a visit here if you have not tried Georgian food! There were options for vegetarians, chicken eaters, and carnivores alike!

Great service and fantastic prices Very knowledgeable owner…read moreand very helpful Recommended

Whether you are a wine expert or not, this place is excellent! The staff is extremely knowledgable…read moreof the nuances of various wines. The selection is vast, and while there are expensive, aged wines, there are also many great selections under $40. The store is also very well organized, so if you are looking for a certain type of red wine, country of origin, etc., you will quickly be able to find what you need. If not, the staff quickly point you in the right direction. Love this place!

I was looking online for good deals on wine tasting and came across this place. I'm so glad I went…read moreto check it out! The ambiance is super nice, big windows and plants and lots of wood decor. It has a very local, casual vibe, and many of the people there seem to be regulars. I went for the wine tasting, which they offer every Thursday from 5-7pm. The tasting costs only $5, but it is free with any purchase. We bought the red wine cheese set for around $13, so we got our wine for free. They also kindly cut and arranged the cheese for us, and it was perfect for two people. We got to try four wines: Italo Cescon Pinot Grigio, Schild Estate GMS, Viva Valentina Sangiovese, and Chateau Kefraya Les Breteches. The GMS and sangiovese were definitely my favorite. It was a really great experience! Everyone was really friendly, the price was incredible, and the wine was high quality. I definitely hope to be back here.

I came in to this place on a Sunday morning and was pleasantly surprised by the three-piece, live…read morejazz band playing ...great background music! This place is super cute and offers something for everyone. From self-service wine tastings (think wine on tap that remains fresh via magic?), to beers chilled in a cooler, to a few beers on tap, a few spirits...did I mention fancy soda's too?!?! Don't miss the bathroom...the "Sunday in the Park" hand-painted mural allegedly has 9 subtle changes that have been modified to reflect the area/owner. And speaking of the owner, Liz, she popped in and within minutes seemed to be making an effort to talk to her patrons - really nice person. I had a grilled goat cheese w/fig sandwich that was awesome! Staff was friendly too. I'll be coming back once I decide which event I want to attend: wine tasting Thursdays, Friday evening bands, Sunday Jazz brunch, or Movie nights.

Fantastic wood-fired pizzeria restaurant with lots of other options. They have fantastic sales…read morealone with a wide variety of beverages. If you have a show at Space, I highly recommend pre-gaming here. The staff is super friendly and I would recommend making a reservation.

visited union pizzeria in downtown evanston last night. here's what we ordered!…read more - drinks: goody two shoes mocktail - app: italian fries - pizza: margherita, wild mushroom, quattro formaggio - pasta: tonnarelli cacio e pepe a very lively place to be on a Saturday night in a central location! a great place if hosting a large party dinner and would like to order family style! the pizzas weren't my personal favorite so if planning to visit, I'd recommend skipping on those. They lacked depth and flavor. the pasta and fries were good, especially the aioli that came with the fries! I wanted the rigatoni pasta but they were unable to take the pancetta out to make it vegetarian. The price wasn't worth the quality and flavor of the food but I enjoyed the mocktail!

Union Squared in Evanston has been on my must try places for at least a year. I finally decided to…read morecheck it off my list and the pizza was meh. I ordered The Godfather pizza which was $32. You don't get to choose a size but the pizza can accommodate at least 3-4 people. I opted for delivery and the pizza arrived in great shape. The pizza looked nice but it was extremely dry and lacked flavor. I've had Detroit style pizza in Detroit many times and this wasn't it. The pizza can be best described as a breadstick with meat sprinkled on top. I tried to eat the leftovers the next day and ended up throwing out the rest of the pizza. It's rare for me not to finish pizza so Union Squared in Evanston is a giant no.

Great gluten-free Detroit-style pizza! Small but mighty inside. Great service. Parking can be…read moretough. I try to visit whenever I'm nearby.

First time having French food, and it was amazing. My partner and I went to celebrate my birthday…read more The space is cozy with very limited seating, highly recommend making a reservation in advance. Servers were attentive and patient with us; at the end of the meal, they surprised us with a cake free of charge. If you are looking for an intimate dining experience with a small party (2-4), definitely worth a try!

The price point brought us here, but the food brings us back. My son and I go for his birthday…read moreevery year. The food is sublime. This time we has a spinach salad with a delicious vinaigrette. Followed by the oh so decadent fois gras. The short rib was so tender and the red wine demi glaze was outstanding. The venison with the cherry demi glaze was delicious. The desserts were out of this world. The creme brulee did not disappoint and the baked Alaska was just, wow and omg. We will be back again and again. PS. We would have shown more pictures but they are of half eaten food. We just had to did in!

Had an incredible meal at Napolita in Wilmette! We started with the Calamari, and it was easily…read moresome of the best I've had. It was perfectly crisp, light, and very delicious. The sauce paired with it was the real standout--full of flavor and the perfect complement to the dish. As for the main event, the pizza arrived piping hot and fresh from the oven. The crust had that perfect Neapolitan char, and the toppings were top-tier. It is rare to find a spot where both the starters and the pizza hit it out of the park, but Napolita nailed it. Great atmosphere, even better food. I can't wait to come back!

fabulous service…read more.. everyone loved their pasta and i found a new wine that i love - a super tuscan...delicious. the service was remarkable and ambiance was just lively enough to keep me awake but easy to have a conversation. i knocked off one star for may salad - heavy handed on the dressing when i asked for it to be light. i got the special autumn salad and for someone that doesn't typically love squash, i loved all the ingredients - they all complimented each other. the burrata that was shared wasn't the greatest - very "costco-esque" to me.

I must have passed Carlos and Carlos hundreds of times on Green Bay Road, always wondered if it was…read morea Mexican restaurant. Found out it's Italian, so based on positive reviews, my wife and I went there early last night. To start they bring out a warm mini-loaf of crusty bread with a small serving of garlicky olive tapenade -- we knew right away we were gonna enjoy this place. The Bella salad had a huge amount of arugula, pear, figs and goat cheese, enough for two. My wife had a special: spinach stuffed ravioli, with a paper thin dough -- very light and buttery. I had the tasty vermicelli amatriciana -- a huge serving, the leftovers was my lunch today. What's interesting was the waitstaff tag-teamed us: Everyone could do everything from take our orders to bus dishes -- you could see they were pros, had worked together for a long time. The only negative (which I will not deduct a star for): There were two huge TV's playing with their sound off -- this did not add anything, were rather distracting. But the food and service won us over -- we will be back.

I was looking for a place to have dinner with a former co-worker who lives up near the border of…read moreWisconsin. I was trying to find a place at least midway between us and discovered Carlos and Carlos on Yelp. Carlos and Carlos is old school from the perspective you actually have to call the restaurant to make a reservation. The space itself is located in what I think is a condo building. The space itself is compact, with tables relatively close together. We ended up sitting at table next to the kitchen door, which for me turned out not to be too bad as we were not sitting on top of other folks. The restaurant and bar were packed as it was a Saturday. Based on the size of the space and number of tables, I would strongly suggest making a reservation if you go there. We started out with fresh bread and one of their specials for the night: flash fried calamari served w/fresh tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, shaved garlic, black olives, capers & garlic butter. This was a first for me as I have never had calamari served this way and it was great. Definitely a dish I would drive back to get. The bread was wonderful and hot. I could see through the kitchen as fresh bread was being pulled out of either a warmer or oven, not sure. It was served with some sort of olive oil and pesto, I think. It made for a lovely spread on the bread. For dinner I ordered a dish called "Meatballs" and it was just that, a whole lotta meatballs with some spaghetti thrown in as a side...HAHAHA! Not complaining, just staying a fact. The meatballs and pasta were good, but I would say there was a fair amount of garlic in the dish. I had my dish as a leftover and as I was warming it up, The Doctor commented that he could smell the garlic. The Doctor had the Pollo Vesuvio, which also came with pasta. I had a small piece and it was pretty nice. Again there was more meat than pasta, but again we were not complaining. The chicken was nice and tender and had a lovely flavor to it. My GF got the Risotto Al Fungi (Arborio served with wild mushrooms & goat cheese). Prior to sampling her dish, I would have absolutely stated that this was a dish I would not order in a restaurant as I wouldn't have any interest in it. I tried a spoonful of my GF's and was amazed at how good it was! The broth that the risotto was cooked in was chicken and I think beef. That with the goat cheese made this a very nice dish and the second reason I would drive here to do a repeat visit for dinner. Portion sizes were nice as The Doctor and I had plenty to eat and enough for light snack the next day. My GF had no leftovers, she became a member of the clean plate club. For dessert we shared a slice of the chocolate mousse cake, which was really nice. It had a lovely dark flavor to it and was creamy in texture. Service was nice and everyone was friendly. There is plenty of street parking within walking distance as well. While this is a bit of a drive for us to get to since it is outside of the city, I could see coming back here. I think I want to try a serving of that risotto on my own instead of a taste.

Love this bright, clean, and professional coffee spot! Plenty of free parking with a large lot…read moreattached, which makes stopping by super easy. The baked goods are incredible, and the baristas are friendly and easy to chat with. Lattes are beautifully made, and I really appreciate the care put into the latte art. A great place for quality coffee with a welcoming vibe.

Please bring back the old version of COCO BREW. I'm begging…read more I've been a regular since they first opened a few years ago, I think around 2019? Their Coco Brew used to be one of my absolute favorite coffee drinks for years, up until recently. I'm not exactly sure when the recipe changed, because as far as I remember it still tasted the same through 2025. I've been busy this year and haven't come as often, but the last three times I ordered it, it was completely different. And since it was made by different baristas, I'm assuming this is a recipe change rather than just inconsistency. (Check the photos to see the differences!) The old version was much lighter, mildly sweet, and had that lovely coconut milk aroma. It tasted fresh, smooth, and really balanced. The new version is totally different. The first thing I noticed was the color. It's way darker now. And the taste matches: darker, more sour, and with a strange almost medicinal aftertaste (reminded of some cough medicine..) The gentle sweetness and mildness are completely gone. Now it somehow tastes strong, sour, and watery at the same time. What happened?? Please don't change something that was already so good. Even the ice seems different now. It used to have smaller ice pieces that filled the cup more evenly and let the liquid move through, so you got that really pretty layered look with the coconut milk and cold brew. Now it's large chunks of ice just floating on top. Anyway, this is just my little heartbreak over a drink that used to be so beautiful and delightful. Other than that, the vibe is still nice as usual, maybe a bit more crowded than before. The decor is still cute, and I've always liked the woody interior. It's also one of the brighter coffee shops in Evanston, with really nice natural light.