Girl and the goat was a menu of delicious after delicious dish…read more The goat empanadas were the crowd favorite and truly the best on the menu. Skirt steak and the dessert were the other 2 faves to round out my top 3 dishes. Service was kind but on the slower side for a Tuesday night Inside is a well designed restaurant that you would expect in west loop

We went in already hearing the hype, and it still exceeded expectations. The standout for us was…read morethe pork shank--perfectly tender, rich, and packed with flavor. It's one of those dishes where every bite hits. The goat empanadas were just as impressive. Great balance, not too heavy, and really well executed. You can tell there's real thought behind the flavor combinations here--it's not just creative for the sake of it, it actually works. The whole experience felt dialed in--food, energy, and service all on point. It's a place you go to enjoy the meal, not just eat. Definitely coming back.

Being a California boy (born and raised) my only way to get a Fish & Chip meal was at a fast food…read morefranchise called H. Salts Fish & Chips; and it was fairly good. Several golf trips to the U.K. (Britain, Scotland, Wales) I got my fair share of excellent Fish & Chips; the best being in Ullapool, Scotland at The Seafood Shack I have never had better! But, leave it to Chicago to deliver some of the best fish and chips I've ever had in the USA, here at The Dearborn restaurant in the Chicago loop. Everything about The Dearborn's signature dish just worked in every way: The fish was fried perfectly The fish itself was moist and delicious The chips (fries) were excellent The coleslaw was the perfect side dish The tartar sauce was scrumptious My Krobacher Pilsner paired perfectly with my dinner The service was spot on And sitting at the bar watching the NBA playoffs didn't hurt either. I did have a scoop of delicious salted caramel gelato that finished this meal perfectly. Having such delicious fish & chips a few blocks away from where I live is certainly better than flying "over the pond" (a British term for the Atlantic Ocean).

This is an excellent spot for a special occasion! I visited recently with a large group for brunch…read moreand we had a great experience all around. Regardless of the time of day and especially during peak hours, I would definitely recommend making a reservation to air on the safe side. The staff prepared our table super quickly and was very attentive- they really went above and beyond throughout the meal. I do not recommend skipping the drinks! I ordered the seasonal Si Se Puede, Tia mezcal cocktail, which was quite spicy and perfectly sweet. For appetizers, we shared the parkerhouse rolls. The rolls were soft and buttery with a delicious whipped butter spread. For the main dish, I ordered the Dearborn Burger. It was solid overall and the portion size was very generous. I tried the fish and chips as well which were excellent. Would definitely order this next time! For dessert, we tried the sticky toffee date cake. I liked that it was not too heavy, and the Heath bar crumbles added a nice crunch. My only wishlist would be to have more of that delicious sauce to scoop up! We left with ample leftovers and in high spirits. Definitely looking forward to visiting again and trying more of the menu!

Just an amazing experience all around!! The tuna tartare was exceptional as well as the sorbet with…read moreBailey's. A little tight on seating but no complaints!!

This is my 2nd sniff in at the Pigster…read more.. Today "sniffed in" at 4.5 stars... BREAD: -- great texture -- LOVE that it is NOT sourdough -- oily, buttery -- fantastic for dipping into our residual sauce on the plates RATING = A+ SPANISH OCTOPUS: -- ultra-tender -- perfectly cooked -- marbled potatoes, jalapeno, sambuca, chimichurri, Spanish chorizo -- visually stunning and colorful -- amazing flavor RATING = A+ AGNOLOTTI: -- I do not eat this pasta often, almost never but WOW! -- thin sheet pasta brilliance on display here -- beef short rib, creamy bone marrow, brown butter and wine au just RATING = A+ PORK BELLY: -- I did not love the ginger glaze, but I am sometimes not a fan of the use of ginger -- I found this dish too sweet and too sour and the combo and boldness of each did not work for me on the nose or palate RATING = B STAFF are exceptional and the dining space is pleasing. Not pretentious or fancy but beyond casual. This establishment is consistently legit per our friend, wife and me. We love staying at nearby hotels so this will always be on our list.

The service was mind blowing. I've never had such thoughtful and attentive servers like them…read more The food was highly innovative and their creativity shines through each dish. You CANNOT go wrong with any dish you order, and I believe the menu rotates which adds to the charm of the restaurant.

Boka is consistently good food over the years and service is decent as well - definitely make a…read morereservation Bread 4/5 Carrots 5/5 Pasta 5/5 Chocolate dessert 4/5

I made a reservation to celebrate my partner's birthday. When we got there they said they'd text us…read morewhen our table was ready but to feel free to have a drink at the bar and check out the views, which are beautiful. We got a drink then the text came through and we sat at our table. For appetizers, we had a dozen oysters. They were so fresh and flavorful. For dinner, I had the mushroom risotto with chicken and he had the duck pot pie. Risotto is something I have been looking for since I tried many years ago at the now closed Pompeii Orland Park location. They had an amazing risotto. Well, Cindy's I have to say is even better. The risotto was so creamy and rich in flavor. The mushrooms were delicious and the chicken was the perfect addition. The pot pie was full of duck meat and veggies. It was very delicious and would definitely recommend it! We also had the broccolini as a side to share, it is a very big order and very very flavorful. The char gave it such a unique, great test. I was surprised to have finished our food completely it was that good . The server brought out a small slice of cake to celebrate the birthday. The perfect dessert. I would definitely come back to try out their brunch menu.

My friend and I were in Chicago recently and stayed at the Chicago Athletic Association. Our…read morereservation was made using The Hotel Collection, and it came with a credit, which we used in part for a late night snack and drinks at Cindy's Rooftop. While I wasn't a big fan of the taste of my drink and dessert, my friend enjoyed both of theirs. Rather, the service was excellent and the views were amazing. My friend ordered The Rocher for dessert, which includes hazelnut cake, mascarpone chantilly, and smoked maldon salt. I ordered a Baked Alaska, consisting of citrus cake, lemon cream, toasted meringue, and salted white chocolate crunch. We both also ordered cocktails. I cannot recall the name of the drinks. I asked for my drink to be fruity and sweet, but it wasn't enough of either for me. The Baked Alaska was fine but too much of various flavors. I wouldn't fault the restaurant for the drink or dessert taste as I know others really enjoyed theirs. Our server was most attentive and very helpful. We found that making a reservation on Open Table only offered a certain number of time slots, and all of them involved having dinner and not just drinks or a dessert. Reservations can also be made on their website though we chose to speak to the front desk about a reservation. Going up to the bar is first come, first serve though. We ended up making an Open Table reservation and were told it was okay to only order drinks and desserts. Cindy's is named in honor of Marian "Cindy" Pritzker, a beloved Chicago philanthropist. It sits on top of the 13th floor of the hotel under a glass atrium and offers views of Millennium Park, Lake Michigan, and beyond. Cindy's Rooftop is open Monday through Thursday from 11 AM to 11 PM, Friday from 11 AM to 12 Midnight, Saturday from 10 AM to 12 Midnight, and Sunday from 10 AM to 11 PM. Go to https://cindysrooftop.com to see a live terrace view, menus, private dining information, and more. If you're staying at or in the area of the Chicago Athletic Association, definitely go up to Cindy's Rooftop for the experience.

I have tried a lot of burgers but nothing has topped Au Cheval. I can never quite finish one but…read moreevery single bite is packed with flavor. It seriously hits every taste bud. Adding the pork belly and egg takes it to another level. The space is cozy and intimate but be prepared to wait. It can be anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Your best bet is to put your name in and wait for the text alert. Thankfully Small Cheval spots are around when I need a quicker fix. As for parking it is a bit tight with valet street parking and nearby lots as your options.

We were heavily recommended this place by a friend and boy it was worth it…read more We showed up on a Sunday around noon, only had a 45min wait, which was not bad at all compared to our original attempt on Friday night! We were seated near where I could watch the line work, which I appreciated as someone in the food industry. Our server was extremely friendly and helpful, explaining the quirks of the menu as well as his own suggestions for us to try. The burgers themselves were amazing. Easily in my top 5 favorite restaurant style burgers of all time. The tender peppered bacon is the perfect touch for these burgers. If you can withstand the wait, it's truly a wonderful time at Au Cheval.

My friends and I have started a burger crawl throughout the city, and we had to have Gretel on the…read morelist! First time here for all of us, but definitely will not be our last! We started with a bunch of cocktails (I wish I remember the names.. but they were all so good!). Food to start, we ordered the Charcuterie, and the House Made Pretzel. We were obsessed with both! The charcuterie did not skimp out like some cheese/meat plates do.. it was a satisfying amount that we kept going back for more. The pretzel was outstanding, twisted and hot, perfectly soft and salty. To eat, I split the Gretel Griddle Burger and the Fried Chicken Sandwich with my friend because although we were there for the burger, I kept reading about the chicken sandwich being fantastic. Booyy they were not wrong!! As much as I loved the burger, the chicken sandwich was my favorite! Perfectly crispy, with this sweet and spicy glaze and the crunchy Asian pear slaw... OMG. I'm still dreaming about this! One thing we were excited about were the Elote Riblettes.. but I wouldn't order these again. I accidentally bit the whole thing and didn't realize they kept the core in, and I had to spit it out. And even after eating it properly it didn't feel like I got enough of it from those little bites. Loved the fries though! We didn't see a dessert menu but we would have definitely been interested in that. After all the drinks apps and the chicken sandwich I was feeling so full so I couldn't finish the burger so I got it wrapped to go. But let me tell you even when I reheated that burger the next day.. it was fantastic!! Overall we may have been the loudest and most obnoxious group (we get a bit excited haha) our waiter and the vibe were all matched! Genuinely loved this place, and looking forward to coming back soon.

I don't know, maybe I'm just a hater, but I've given Gretel a shot twice now and left disappointed…read moreboth times. It was mainly about the service. Disclaimer that both times we sat at the bar. So this has nothing to do with servers at the tables. It just felt cold and not at the level I would expect for the prices and reputation. For example, we ordered the smoked trout caesar salad once at the recommendation of a friend, and didn't love it. It was very, very fishy. Like not just the smoked trout itself, the dressing also tasted way heavier on the anchovies or something than we're used to. And we love caesars! We didn't say anything about it because it's literally in the name that it may be fishy. The issue was that it was so obvious we only took one bite that the bartender commented on it when he was clearing our plates. "Too fishy?" We confirmed. And then he took the full plate of food away that he himself had just agreed with wasn't great, and returned with our bill that still charged us $20 for a salad. I mean, it's fine. But it's just an example of the kind of service you get there. We were barely checked on, even when drinks were empty. Even when making eye contact. Even when we were obviously done eating for several minutes and the bartenders were staring at our plates.Even after asking for a check and watching conversations happen leisurely behind the bar while we sat there. I know sitting at the bar is a different style of service, but it ventured more into inattentive than spacious. The space is cool. The food is fine. It just doesn't make up for feeling like a burden when I'm paying $100+ for lunch for two.

The restaurant had a comfortable, intimate atmosphere with soft, low lighting…read more The service was seamless, explained the menu well, help made decisions and suggestions. Everything ordered was given its proper time to enjoy. Started off with the small portion of the sourdough bread. Fresh and hot! Next was the mixed greens and apple salad. Simple, fresh lite dressing and crispy. This was also shared. Next was the short rib stroganoff, the short rib was very tender, perfectly cooked. Great flavor. Finished the dinner with 6 oz filet mignon. Medium, cooked perfectly , tender meat. Highly recommend. Along with the brussel sprouts and the sweet potatoes. Both had great flavors and are easy shareable. The thick cut bacon was mouthwatering . The desserts were good. The chocolate pie and the crème brûlée. If you were to skip on dessert you wouldn't be missing out. The cocktails were delicious. I recommend the bees knees and the Lillet Rosé.

Ok here's my review for Bavette's Bar & Boeuf on Kinzie, 9.2 out of 10, i had to take off a few…read morepoints for the 3 month reservation hassel, lol. I''ll start with the great atmosphere, dark, intimate, and lively with French flair as soon as you walk in the doors, very relaxing vibe & comforting place. Our reservation was for the outfldoor patio, however the temperature dropped drastically 15-20 degrees by the time we arrived so sitting outside wasn't going to fly. I immediately asked them to put us on the first come first serve list while we found a spot on a couch to wait & had a glass of wine. The waiter in charge of the waiting area passed us a few times before bringing us drink & food menus, so if we wanted to order apps while waiting we could have, I liked that. We only waited maybe 30 min then we're brought to the downstairs bar for seating, which we loved, we like a bar spot, more casual even if in an upscale joint, lol. Our bartender was great, she was engaging, informative, quick wit, on point with the drinks & food recommendations. Ok let's start with appetizers, I heard that the Fried Chicken here was too die for & the trick is to order it as an appetizer, so that's what I did & it comes with a side of cipollini gravy while Jen got the crab cake. The fried chicken was outstanding, crunchy, moist, tender, seasoned perfectly then dipped in the cipollini gravy took it to a whole-nother level. The Crab cake was more crab than cake, so flavorful & did not need anything to make it better, "this is the best crab cake ive ever had" came out of Jen's mouth after just 1 taste. Jen had the 10 oz Ribeye while I had the double cut Berkshire pork chop & let me tell you these two entrees food not disappoint. The steak was slightly charred & seasoned perfectly, giving you that delicious marbled flavor that let's the flavor of the steak knock you out with every bite. The pork chop..... the frikken pork chop was out of this world, fork tender, juicy, succulent, seasoned just right, cutting it was like a hot knife through butter & the pork melted in your mouth. This meal / food hit all the high notes of a top notch establishment. The chef, the waiter, the bartender, the damn hostess, we're all ON POINT, making the entire evening great. The upstairs bar is open for anyone without a reservation, but the downstairs bar is not & the staff stuck to their policy & turned away 20 different couples that tried to sit at the bar without a hostess seating them. I liked that they did that, making my 3 month wait justified & not anyone can just walk in & pop a squat downstairs. Go to Bavettes at least once & tell me if you agree or disagree with my review.

We stopped in for a night cap and a snack on a Friday evening! We sat at the bar and I liked how…read morebig and comfy the chairs are. We also had front row seats to watch March madness, and more importantly the beer filling mechanism that fills glasses from the bottom! Kinda fun to watch. The bar also has purse hooks, which I am always grateful for. The food came out pretty quickly and was super fresh and delicious. The bartender was sooo sweet, very attentive and quick, and made sure my soda was always topped off. I loved the vibe and the moody lighting! The menu is definitely River North prices -- nothing terribly surprising bht on par for the neighborhood. At the time of our visit, cocktails were $15+ and the fry basket was $10. Again, not terrible but definitely paying to be in River North. If you're in the neighborhood, definitely worth it!

Was craving a burger and a drink, and found no vacancy which did have vacancy on a Saturday night…read more We were greeted and sat at the bar immediately. I ordered the picture me drink, and a burger. The cocktail was sweet and refreshing. Great bartender. The burger came out shortly after and it was huge. It was perfectly cooked and super juicy as well. Fries were hot and crispy too. Overall, pretty good spot for some solid food and drinks. The vibes are dark and quite loud, but to be expected for a dive bar.

I've come here with my boyfriend a handful of times and we love it. We like to try different…read morecocktails every time. The mimosa on a nice summer day on the patio is my happy place. The entrees are amazing too. The rice with the chicken skewer is my favorite so far and my boyfriend loves the beef and lamb skewer. The service has always been great as well. We've had the same server a couple times now and she's friendly and gets the job done. (Wish I could remember her name!) The ambience is great. With natural light coming in and the soft lamps, it's calming. Truly a beautiful restaurant.

So disappointed. I…read morecame about 5 years ago and loved my meal, especially the sticky date cake, which lingered in my memory as my favorite all time dessert. This year I was so excited to bring my family and Ema was the only restaurant in Chicago I couldn't wait for them to try. I booked it as our final meal in Chicago and lay awake at 4am being so disappointed in my choice. Our server's greeting was monotone and emotionless, which I realize now, would be foreshadowing the meal to come. Ordered the following 1) Smoky eggplant- arrived appearing as an unappetizing curdled purple grey mush. This was the worst tasting baba ghanouj I have ever eaten. It was acidic and had the texture of cottage cheese. The only redeeming thing about this appetizer was the warm naan. 2) house made stratciatella with side of green falafels- The stratciatella was bland and stringy. I would not order this dish expecting the creamy interior of typical burrata. However, if you like string cheese mixed with heavy cream- you may enjoy this dish. The tomatoes and basil were good. 3) chicken kefta- kefta was bland, rice even blander . 4) short rib with polenta- bland and the meat and polenta had the same texture, which seems impossible but somehow the plating was over complicated by the addition of mushy dates and grapes. 5) buttered noodles- my 8 year old ordered this. It was decent with a good amount of Parmesan and cooked perfectly al dente. By the end of the meal, I was so shocked by how terrible the food was I didn't even want to order the sticky date cake that was my main purpose for returning to this restaurant. Ema, what happened to you?!