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?!

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.

We love Arbella!! Atmosphere inside was great, really large space! We sat at the bar, the…read morebartenders were super friendly and attentive easy to talk to and order from. LOVE the $6 cocktail of the day happy hour (M-F 4-6pm) . Our cocktail of the day was a watermelon lemon drop which was delicious!! Will be coming back next time in Chicago! My local friends new favorite staple bar.

Months after visiting, Arbella still ranks among the best cocktail bars in the city for me!…read more One thing that really makes Arbella unique is their globally inspired old fashioned menu- whether you're an old-fashioned fan or not, these are a must! They've upped their happy hour game by including a rotating global cocktail with previous menu drinks and a daily kitchen special. This time, I ordered the oldest old fashioned and the Oaxaca old fashioned to drink. I thought the first was the best old fashioned I had ever had, but the second was even better! I loved the subtle yet not overpowering smokiness of the mezcal in the Oaxaca. Neither were too sweet and you could really taste the high quality bourbon. We ordered the Korean fried chicken and coconut shrimp to eat from the happy hour menu. The shrimp was super crispy with a delicious ginger-orange compote and rice vinegar pickled onions. Highly recommend! I did think the chicken was a bit tough, but the flavor was good. Another great experience of many to come! If you haven't stopped by Arbella yet, add this to your bucket list asap!

I was in Chicago for a conference. My husband came to keep…read moreme company during the trip, not the conference. I was in the mood for Spanish because I hadn't eaten a paella for a while. I found this place that really close to the hotel we were staying at. I initially made a reservation but we had discussed possibly not going so I cancelled the reservation. We ended up going anyways, haha. No reservation. The restaurant is inside the Blackstone Hotel, which was a very fancy looking, high end hotel. The restaurant was not full so we were seated quickly. We got the chicken pinxto (pronounced pin-cho), which is like a skewer and we got the tuna tartare. Both were excellent - especially the sauce on the chicken. For entree, my husband got the Iberico Pork and I got the mixed paella. He really liked his pork - it was tender, flavorful, and a second, I thought it was a beef. The paella was really excellent. I love seafood and I love the rice on the bottom. Despite it being a small, they're quite large so I recommend sharing with someone. Unfortunately, since my husband doesn't like seafood, he wouldn't try any of it. While we don't live in Chicago, I would definitely recommend to the out-of-towners in search of good Spanish cuisine.

Quick service and the bar is pretty. If you see a show at the auditorium theater, a glass of cava…read moreis on the house. The bartender was very nice and made sure the service was speedy so I could make it to my show on time.

Aba is an outstanding dining experience from start to finish. The atmosphere is beautiful and…read morevibrant with a warm Mediterranean-inspired design that makes it feel both lively and elevated without being overwhelming. The food is consistently impressive. Dishes are full of flavor, well balanced and made for sharing which makes the experience feel interactive and fun. Everything we tried tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared, with a few standout plates that we would order again without hesitation. Service was attentive, friendly and well-paced. The staff did a great job explaining the menu and making recommendations that actually added to the experience rather than just upselling. Overall, it is a place that feels special without being pretentious. Perfect for a night out, group dinner or celebration. Would absolutely return and highly recommend it.

Food was amazing. LA native and celebrating the weekend in Chicago…read more Restaurant was beautiful and our server Dulce was amazing!!

Went here with friends and we ordered different plates. The food is so so good. I just kind of wish…read moreit was more servings for some of the food. All the staff was knowledgeable and friendly the sangria I underestimated we ordered the picture and you could easily have six drinks out of the one picture and the picture looks super small. The sangria could use a little more sweet, but it was still good. The vibe is very chill. It was kind of quiet given the amount of people that was in there and the space is huge.

Stopped here for happy hour before going to the Mexico soccer game. It wasn't too busy. I liked the…read moredecor. We sat at the bar. The sangria was delicious! Not too sweet or watered down. It's hard to find a solid sangria in the city. But the food left me wanting more. I could've done with more seasoning. I did like the steak slider.

I absolutely love Olde Madrid. They are easily one of the best restaurants in all of southeastern…read moreWisconsin. I forgot to take a photo of the Argentinian steak with chimichurri sauce because when it hit the table, it went straight into my mouth lol. Mama Chuey's Bistec is also beyond delicious. They don't take reservations but they have fabulous staff, everyone is friendly. If you order paella, make sure you get that order in right away because it takes 40ish minutes because it's made to order individually. The paella is phenomenal too! I haven't had anything that wasn't good! Just remember that these tapas are meant for sharing. And you'll most likely order too much.

No need much to say is a small place very crowded , why because they serve Amazing food…read more Guys keep it up I'll be back soon

If you're looking for something comfortable with a large dose of AMAZING..... THIS is your place!…read moreOur visit started with an incredible waitress, Moe! She guided us through a phenomenal experience! We began with nothing less than the PERFECT Peppermint Mocha Martini ! Coupled with their infamous Bacon Wrapped Dates! We added some Puffed Potato Poppers! While they're known for their incredible wood fired pizza, we asked for the chef to surprise us! And surprise us he did!! Talapia in a white wine & capers sauce. Sides were broccolini with roasted potatoes & sweet potatoes! It was DELICIOUS! Needless to say, no room for any of the decadent desserts! DO NOT MISS the amazing Red Door in LaPorte, Indiana! With the drive and time well spent!!

Restaurant is Rustic, Modern, Chic Door is Not Red btw :-D…read more Drinks are Custom Curated and from around the World Perfection takes time, Have a Drink made by Kim Enjoy your surroundings, be social, absorb the Vibe, put down your phone. The Clientele is Friendly and Happily awaiting their Food as they are Repeat Customers FYI They are literally cooking your food in a wood burning stove with WOOD! I couldn't believe it until I was shown. There are about 7-10 staff back there working hard. We thanked them for our Meal. I had the Pork-chop (No Knife needed! ) My Wife had the Halibut (Fresh, cooked to perfection) Chef Jeff came out and spoke with us when the kitchen slowed. He has a lot of Food ideas and he plans on implementing them. We drove an Hour + and we will be back with Friends The Owner Cares and it Shows Make a Reservation if you don't want to wait Price was reasonable in my opinion Bathrooms = Clean I wouldn't miss this one......

First of all, I could not make reservations because apparently they don't take it for less parties…read moreof four people. So we came here on a random Friday night to test our luck to get a table at 7 o'clock for two people. We got lucky and got to sit inside because that's where we wanted to sit although they do have sidewalk or outdoor seating as well. I thought sitting inside would be cooler, but I was wrong as all the doors and windows were open and I don't believe the AC was on at all. Well, the menu is pretty extensive. I will say that a vegetarian could definitely eat here as well as anyone else. This is our first visit here and as you can tell from the photos ordered quite a bit of food. And typical top of style the portions are pretty small, but they are meant to be shared. It was actually too much food for two people who were already hungry. Some of the standouts were definitely the meatballs and the salad salads. The jamon iberico was absolutely incredible. Not pictured was the picture of sangria we ordered. We got the rosé and to be quite honest with all of the heat. It actually watered down way too quickly. And it also came in a plastic picture, which was a bit of a turn off. The shrimp with garlic was good, but the garlic was hard to taste because it was also covered or doused in a lot of tomato base or tomato sauce. I was really looking forward to a very clear buttery or olive oil sauce that was saturated with garlic. The mushrooms were OK as well, but again too much tomato in this dish that I'm not used to. The potatoes were also very tasty and well seasoned, and the sauce on it was just right. I think this is a good option for people who want top us in the suburbs however, I will say that I hope they do some tweaking to the recipes as well so that they have something that truly makes them stand out and unique.

Ambiance is good, small place, very loud, need to raise voice to have conversation, ok though…read more Service is very good, attentive and friendly and lots of help Food was ok, have had better A one time experience

Chef Daniel is an awesome private chef/caterer. We've eaten his creations several times; and have…read morealso taken several groups cooking classes with him. He is extremely knowledgeable about all things related to fook and the finer points of cuisine. He is also very personable, and a wonderful teacher/tutor in all things gastronomic. He explains his techniques, makes useful suggestions, and the finished profivt of his labors is always satisfying. Highly recommended!

WLW is awesome! We had them cook for 20+ for my father's 75th birthday party. Communicative, easy…read moreto do business with and the food was out of this world. This was our first experience with a private chef in our home, we can't wait to have them back!