Ivy is a really unique and beautiful restaurant. I've been here a couple times. They have lots of nice things happening, from the physical space, to the service, to the food. They offer indoor or outdoor seating in their courtyard. They also have one of the most awesome things I've seen in a restaurant in a while: The menus are like a Kindle paperwhite, in that they are backlit. It's wonderful! They're able to keep the beautiful, dimly-lit ambiance of the place whilst also making sure people can actually read the menus without difficulty. I've never seen this kind of menu in a restaurant but I hope it catches on soon.
My first visit here I had the soup de jour, cream of chicken lemon, which was delicious. They bring warm bread prior to the meal, served with some compound butter, for which the soup was a nice accompaniment.
They offer free valet! Even on a Saturday night! A quick caveat: My first visit was on a Saturday in June or July, and I'd expect that the valet is not available daily. I visited in September, and Hale is completely torn up for construction, so I'm not even sure if they're offering valet on weekends at this time--but this second visit was on a Wednesday, so it's possible. Luckily there is some street parking on surrounding streets. The Metra station is within walking distance so that's a great option if you're heading here.
The service was great. Just attentive enough to not be interrupting all the time, but there to help just as when we needed it.
Our meals have been delicious. The first time I had the savory chicken, and my partner had the mahi special. He said it was perfectly prepared, something I'll have to take his word on since I don't eat fish. The savory chicken was great, with a bit of spice since it's blackened, and the peach added a nice sweet contrast. I'm not a huge fan of the polenta fries but that's just a personal preference, not an issue with its preparation or anything. When I visited on my birthday I tried the Honey Glazed Stuffed Chicken Breast, and that was a fantastic dish. We were slightly disappointed in my friend's meal, though. He ordered the grilled chicken bourbon skewers, and when ordering, he asked whether they came with tomato since that sort of thing often does (there's no mention of tomato in the menu description). He was assured there was no tomato involved and it was strictly what was on the menu, so it was a surprise when there were several tomatoes on the skewers. Another employee brought our meals from the kitchen, so when the server came back it was pointed out and she said she'd get it fixed. The problem is that it came back within about two minutes, so it seems clear they simply pulled everything out and removed the tomatoes. He was never asked if he was allergic to tomatoes (and luckily he's not), but he does have a very strong aversion to them. And since he made his concerns clear at the time of ordering, I think the appropriate response would have been to make the dish fresh. It put a bit of a damper on the birthday dinner, unfortunately.
One of the unusual features of this restaurant is that they have an elevator to get to the second floor, which I very much appreciate. The stairs are tight and a little steep, so they could be tricky even if one wasn't disabled, and some of the seating is upstairs, as are the bathrooms.
The desserts are great, and they had my favorite, creme brûlée. Not that I'm trying to change their mind, but I was surprised that the price for the desserts was so cheap--I expected them to be much more "mini" than they were.
I've recommended Ivy to a coworker who lives in Lombard, because I think this is a place she's really enjoy with her husband, or with friends for dinner and drinks. And though we had the hiccup with the order a few weeks ago, I'd like to come back at some point. Besides the food being good, the space is amazing. It was once a church, and it retains much of that beautiful architecture, such as the stained glass window and arches! It is an inspired space in which to have a lovely meal, and I do hope to be back. read more