I LOVED my meal here! Ēma (Ay-mah) brings some glamour and glitz to the Mediterranean dining scene,…read morewith an airy, elevated hotel-lobby feel that still doesn't demand a dress code. Dresscode: Smart Casual / Casual Noise Level: Medium (it gets buzzy after 5:30pm) Thursday night Happy Hour was lively, so it took about 10-15 minutes for someone to come around, but service was attentive once we got going. The food is where Ēma really shines. From the Happy Hour menu, the Charred Eggplant Hummus and Crispy Potatoes were generously portioned and great for sharing. On the main menu, the Indian-Mediterranean fusion Bhel Hummus was a party for my taste buds, while the Hot Honey Halloumi and Chicken Kefta rounded out the table nicely. The halloumi is more of a side than a main, but that sweet-and-salty hot honey combo was chef's kiss. For our finisher, the Chocolate Torte knocked us out. Decadent, delicious and chocolate with lots of depth. Overall, Ēma is an excellent spot to order a bunch of dishes for the table and get an elevated meal without feeling stuffy, and delicious without taking itself too seriously. DO's: - Make a reservation ahead, especially for happy hour 4-6pm - Treat apps like small plates, order 2-3 to sample - Entertain their wine list, they have a lot! - Bring vegetarians here, there are plenty of options DON'Ts: - Dismiss the desert menu. It's fantastic and shareable! - Forget to ask for extra pita with the hummus! - Miss out on the LettuceEats loyalty points (check-in with your server before paying your check)

Mixed feelings on this place. Really pretty decor and nice vibe, but portions have greatly…read moredecreased in the last few years. The food is good, but I don't like that the portions have gotten smaller with the price staying the same. I've added pictures to show the difference. Their spicy hummus is probably my favorite hummus I've gotten from a restaurant, but it isn't always on the menu. The Kefta kabob is always good.

First off the customer service here is the best I've ever experienced at a sweetgreens. I ordered…read moremy normal harvest bowl with substitutions and added salmon and it was just absolutely delicious. I am a huge fan of sweetgreens. Please come and create your own adventure.

Went for a healthy food option for my son...the kid meals are super cute including the chicken,…read morehummus, and cucumbers.

Really enjoyed our lunch at Kala, especially as a vegetarian. There were so many options that I was…read moregenuinely spoiled for choice, which isn't something I can say about every Greek restaurant. We tried the zucchini fritter wrap, zucchini fritter bowl, mushroom bowl, Greek fries with dips, and frappes. The zucchini fritter wrap was easily my favorite -- crispy, fresh, filling, and something I'd absolutely order again. Portions were generous and the prices felt very reasonable for the amount of food. We also tried the froyo with olive oil and sea salt, which was interesting and worth trying once, although probably not something I'd personally order again. Service was warm and prompt throughout our visit, and the overall setup makes it a really easy, relaxed place to grab lunch with friends. We sat on the patio, which was a great spot to enjoy the meal without things feeling overly formal or rushed. Overall, a really solid vegetarian-friendly Greek option with good food, welcoming service, great portions, and a nice casual atmosphere.

We usually come to this neighborhood for donuts down the street but then realized that we should…read moreeat something healthy for lunch, instead of just three or four donuts. So looking at both Yelp and Google - Kala, had rock solid reviews and pics for modern Greek food!! So we were able to grab a few seats facing the sidewalk as the place was pretty full, we got two different salads with steak and chicken skewers. The steak (Souvlaki) salad comes with grilled veggies and the chicken comes with navel oranges. I would stick with the steak and order more protein so it sticks to your ribs. I would suggest adding some more lettuce to make these salads even greater....will be back here for a third visit soon :) Most recently, we picked up the souvlaki steak salad with an extra chicken skewer and that really hit the spot!!

Came in for brunch. It was BUSY so definitely get a reservation if you can. Service was good. The…read moretables are pretty close together since it is a pretty small place. I got the chilaquiles with over-medium eggs. It is a red sauce chilaquiles and it was DELICIOUS. Would absolutely come back for this and to try other items on the menu.

Pick 2 lunch deal is amazing Super cute interior…read moreWant to come back for dinner Kale salad was one of the best I have ever had

Excellent food, excellent service from Gerard…read more He is definitely a people person. Thank you. We will be back!!!

After a day downtown we stopped in at True Food Kitchen for dinner. The restaurant is co-owned by…read moreDr. Andrew Weil and the menu is designed to align with anti-inflammatory food advice. The dining room was large and modern. Around 6 pm they dimmed the lights and turned on music that made it feel like a Friday night urban spot. They also have a small outdoor eating area. Our waitress Joy was friendly and attentive. We ordered their margaritas, the air-fryer French fries, a side kale salad and the spinach and mushroom sourdough pizza. Everything was enjoyable and the price wasn't too bad. It worked out to about $30 a person. Overall, we'd definitely go again.

Travel is hell when you have celiac. I am sensitive to the parts per million level and one bad bite…read moreof food can keep me up all night, or send me to bed or the hotel bathroom for days. I will spare the details. I am not a gluten free trendy who has a pastry for desert; this is an issue that's followed me my whole life. Usually when trveling, I end up eating carrots, rotisserie chicken and coldcuts when my supply of hard boiled eggs runs out. Every now and then I hit the jackpot. I arrived in Chicago on a Thrusday afternoon in September and first thing, set out around the neighborhood to find a restaurant where I might be able to eat. All the usual kinds of places (naerly all of them corporate) were out of the discussion when I spotted Doc Bs at 55 E. Grand Ave. The exterior was low-key but for some reason I was drawn to it. I went in to check the place out. Usually this part of the discussion goes like a legal deposition. "What do you know, and how do you know it?" I asked for a menu; I was handed one and began to read carefully. Among other things, they offered a kind of rice bowl dish, a bit like hot poke (the Wok Out Bowl). It came with a diversity of sauces -- Curry, Sesame Teriyaki , Sweet & Spicy Thai, etc. I said, "Which of these sauces has no gluten?" "All of them," said someone named Cassandra, responding in a confident voice. She was the general manager. "Our company takes food sensitivity very seriously. We also have gluten free deep fryers." I pushed a little harder: Cassanda said she could account for every ingredient in every dish on the menu. Right away I was having a 1 in 1000 expeience. Even in the top tier of places aware of the gluten issue (which is no longer vogue), I am often saved by a server who has a clue what goes into the food. Cross-contamination is an issue; as is ignorance about product. Gluten-safe dining is usually based on a stripped down menu; and some places commit outright fraud by neglecting to mention known issues in the kitchen but still saying GF on the menu. My theory of keeping gluten out of restaurant food is **start with none, and add it only where you need it**, which is nearly in nothing. She said that's exactly what we do. My second theory of gluten free is **parity of experience**. That means that everyone at the table has an equivalent experience. The whole table does not enjoy sumptuous deserts while the GF person gets canned pears. At Doc B's I could eat anything on the menu, including French fries and chips and salsa (small, taken-for-granted pleasures by most diners). My third theory of gluten free dining is **no gluen free upcharge.** It's tacky, and adds insult to injury (especially when a GF bun or bread is subpar, as was NOT the case at Doc B's). Doc B's got 100% on all counts. That and the food was consistently excellent. I ate there seven times over five days trying many things (but having a lot of Wok Out bowls). I sent several people and brought four different friends, one of whom had such such extreme dietary restrictions he could usually order an apple. They accommodated him perfectly, with a positive attitude. And there you have it. This gets the highest possible rating from the Gluten Avenver -- seven stars. -- Eric F Coppolino

Great experience all around! We arrived for lunch on a…read moreSaturday around 12:15p and didn't think to make reservations in advance. It was packed! Luckily the window high top bar-seats were available. Not great for catching up in conversation over a meal, but it was better than the a fast food place nearby. The food was great! We had the guacamole as an appetizer - if you don't like cilantro - you will want to avoid it. It was an interesting appetizer, as it came with sweet potato chips. Both were good...not sure it pairs well. (I saved the guacamole for my burger) I had the wedge burger, primarily for the egg. It was great! The burger was perfectly cooked as was the sunny side up egg. I ordered it with a side of fries. Perfectly cooked fries. They give huge portions. I was able to share with my friends. I ordered a cranberry and tonic for a beverage. It was great, however, they served it in a "bar" glass, so it was not a lot of liquid. I had to order two. I prefer pint glasses for non-alcohol beverages. Tasted great, just needed more. Prices are reasonable for a city restaurant. Without tip for 4 adults, 4 entrees and 1 appetizer and soda-water beverages. It came to about $130. Parking...If you can walk or take a ride share. It's the city and parking options aren't great.

Great Brunch! Everything we ordered was delicious…read more Steak and eggs were amazing. Breakfast quesadilla Lemon pancakes. Very comfortable seating also.

This was a nice place that was across the street from our hotel. The menu seemed to have a lot of…read moregreat options we were interested in, so we were thinking about coming back more than once on our weekend trip to try multiple things, but after not liking the first dish we ordered, we decided not to come back. They do have a little dessert/coffee counter in the front of the restaurant where it connects to the hospital, which is kind of convenient if you want something sweet after dinner. We didn't try anything, but the cookies were huge. My husband and I both ordered the wild mushroom teriyaki bowl. I added shrimp to mine and he added chicken. The bowl didn't have much flavor and the vegetables were really hard and barely cooked. The kids got the chicken strips and fries. They were ok as expected.

Our visit to The Smith was really delicious! We found this place on Resy and it was close to our…read morehotel/ within walking distance. Super welcoming staff and I loved the vibe, super bright and open with really cool lighting and shelving behind the bar. The floor tile was really cool too, modern and comfortable. They had a great special going on for World Cup, a burger and glass of prosecco for $18! My kind of girl dinner :) burger came with fries and was super delicious. Cooked perfectly. We also had some burrata which wad delicious as well. We had a great time- check them out!

I had one of the best salads in recent memory during a business lunch at The Smith…read more I went to The Smith for the first time with a small group of colleagues on a beautiful summer day. We were seated near the open windows in a pleasant and airy space. While I don't normally order salads, the sugar snap chicken salad caught my eye. It had a terrific balance of flavors: a base of arugula nicely dressed with a lemon vinaigrette and tossed with sliced snap peas and fennel, well-seasoned grilled chicken, farro, and pistachios. The ingredients were all very fresh and complemented each other well. Colleagues ordered the chicken sandwich and were very happy with it. Portions all around were generous. This is a place for a pretty hearty lunch rather than light bites. Service was friendly, though a little slow, and one of my colleagues had to remind them of her drink order. Prices were on the high side but not unusual for the neighborhood, and the high quality and size of my salad made me feel like the price point wasn't completely outrageous.

I came in with low expectations after walking past this place so many times, but everything was…read moregenuinely so good. The service was also amazing. 10/10. You order at the counter, but the server gave me recommendations and told me about the restaurant's history. They even let me sample their homemade juices and the green juice was so good. You can tell they actually care about the customer experience. Chen's Crispy Rice Salad was so good, especially the miso sesame dressing. It was savory with a nice crunch from the crispy wontons. 8.5/10. The Seasonal Goat salad was genuinely one of the best salads I've ever had. 9.5/10. Super light and refreshing, with sweetness from the Pink Lady apples and dried cranberries. It reminded me of Chick-fil-A's Market Salad, but the roasted almonds took it to another level. So satisfying and I'm already craving it again. Vibes are super casual, so this is definitely going into my rotation.

food: good chicken sandwich for the price. would get charged 20+ at other restaurants…read more service: nice staff ambiance: nice outdoor area too

Was craving a burger and a beer and with such a cool name, how could I not check this place out! I…read moresat at the bar around 5pm and it wasn't very busy. They played good music and wasn't too loud. You could easily carry on a conversation or , like me, continue listening to a podcast. By the time I finished, the place was completely full and a bit noisy, but not bad. I started out with a 10oz Birds of Prey Pilsner. It was very nice. Light and crisp and very easy to drink. I followed that up with Melodious Maibock and ordered the CBG burger with fries. I didn't have lunch so I dove right in and forgot to snap a photo. It was a very good smash burger. It was cooked well and I really liked the combination of pickled onion and caramelized onion. I didn't see it until later but you can add bacon. As much as I loved this burger, bacon would totally take it up a notch! I started chatting with the bartender about their different beers and decided to have the Super Melodious Jalapeño Maibock with the burger. It's soooo different, but in a good way. It paired so well with the burger. You get green bell pepper on the nose and a hint of it on the palate. When you swallow you get a little heat at the back of the throat. It was so good! Great bar. Great food. Great beer. Go check them out!

--Location/Parking-- Located in the heart of River North on…read morethe 2nd floor below the AMC theater. Parking is in nearby street parking on parking structures. --Ambience-- Cool middle bar setup with vinyl glossy wood tables. Great bar set up, but we chose the dining room table. --Service/Staff-- Bartenders were quick in getting the drinks out. Our server was great in letting us know what was on tap and when last calls was. --Products-- Got the neon on tap and my friends got the flight of beers. Good selection of beers to choose from --Capacity-- Inside the dining room can hold about 40-50 people and the bar area can hold about 25 people. --Overall-- Looking forward to return to try out their other items on tap.