SOPRANOS
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MERKAT A LA PLANXA
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RUSTIK
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CLUB LAGO
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Devon Seafood Grill
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OMAGGIO
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HOPLEAF
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Sherman Kaplan Restaurant Review: TAC Quick Thai
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Prosecco
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Sherman's Restaurant Rant -- Leave your comments here!
Indulge me for a moment please. Instead of my normal restaurant review, I’m going to take a little time for some general rants.
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Restaurant Bulgaria
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UNCOMMON GROUND
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SEMIRAMIS
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A Mano
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Mythos
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Best Restaurants of 2007
SHERMAN KAPLAN’S 2007 BEST RESTAURANTS, BROADCAST Dec.28th, 2007 ON NEWSRADIO 780 WBBM
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LA MADIA
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MAY STREET CAFE
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SU-RA
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Exposure Tapas
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Coal Fire Pizza
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The Gage
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Regina's
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Royal Thai
Royal Thai
2209 West Montrose Ave.
(773-509-0007)
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ADDIS ABEBA
Ethiopia is where myth tells us coffee was first discovered by a wandering goatherd. It is where King Solomon found his Queen of Sheba. It is a land of a rich, often troubled history, and a land of exotic foods.
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TRATTORIA TRULLO
Trattoria Trullo, at 4767 North Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Square is part Italian specialty food mart, bar and restaurant.
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CORNELIA'S
Cornelia’s at 750 West Cornelia Street looks tired. Its paneled walls need fresh paint, the room needs better lighting, and a ballroom sized chandelier looks like it could use a good dusting.
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Niche
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MACHU PICCHU
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VIA CARDUCCI LA SORELLA
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Ole
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ERBA
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Republic Pan-Asian
Republic Pan-Asian appears to go to extraordinary lengths to make sure food presentations have a composed Asian serenity. Yet, I’m astounded that inattentive management allows poor customer care to take the “fine” out of fine dining.
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Caliente
I followed my first inclination, I would have walked out of Caliente, at 2556 West Fullerton and looked elsewhere. The restaurant was empty, not a good sign.
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SMOQUE
Smoque at 3800 North Pulaski. I know there are those who write essays, perhaps even poetry about the art of The American Barbecue. I appreciate that sort of zeal, even if my love of barbecue does not quite reach such fervent levels.
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Hing Kee
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Crust
Chicago restaurateur Michael Altenberg may not have reinvented the pizza wheel. But, he comes close with the opening of Crust, at 2056 West Division Street.
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Bentonara
In the years that I have been eating at Japanese restaurants, it was only recently that I worked up the courage to ask …what is the correct way to hold and eat sushi.
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Francesca's Forno
Considering the prodigious portions so many Italian-American restaurants thrust at diners, the idea of smaller plates and Italian food may seem incompatible.
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Graze
The whim of its pseudo-farm decor sets the tone for an evening of grazing at Graze, at 35 West Ontario. Wooden flowers with sunburst faces, fence posts and a playful bucolic mood greet diners in a room where its sophisticated bar and 100 bottle winelist gives a more pointed clue toward expectations.
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Vermilion
The idea of fusing Indian and Latin American cuisines may seem like a stretch, but there’s no quibble with how it is done at Vermilion, at 10 West Hubbard Street.
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Mrs. Murphy's Irish Bistro
It’s a week after St. Patrick’s Day, and you may wonder why I am reviewing Mrs. Murphy’s Irish Bistro. I suppose you could call it the luck of the Irish.
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Adesso
Adesso, at 3332 North Broadway, has an industrial lunchroom look. Its cooking draws on Italian tradition and some innovations.
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Bacchanalia
The vintage Italian neighborhood along South Oakley Avenue may not be as large as it once was, but there still are a handful of restaurants drawing hungry diners as they have for decades.
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Café Matou
From economics professor to restaurant kitchen is an unlikely path. But, it’s the one Chicago Chef Charlie Socher took, and the one that has led him for the past several years to his excellent French bistro, Café Matou, at 1846 North Milwaukee Avenue.
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Rama Thai Kitchen
I do not want to impinge on the success of the six month old Rama Thai Kitchen. Before I get into that, I want to point out there is virtually no serious problem with the kitchen and the food which it creates and
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Fiddlehead Café
Fiddlehead Café seems themed to a “less is more” approach, where complexity is incidental, if not accidental.
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TRATTORIA D.O.C.
Trattoria D.O.C. comes very close to the sort of trattorias found regularly in Italy that serve as neighborhood gathering places.
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Glunz Bavarian Haus
Oktoberfest is here, and that might draw you to Glunz Bavarian Haus. There’s a live oompah band, including a puffy cheeked tuba player. And, there’s a great selection of beers.
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Eleven City Diner
I was very happy with the corned beef sandwich served at Eleven City Diner, part of Chicago’s South Loop resurgence at 1112 South Wabash. It’s a Jewish style delicatessen and restaurant, combined with a typical diner.
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Dine
Dine, at 733 West Madison in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, is well worth searching out and taking a little time to get to know the menu. To say that Dine specializes in American Comfort Food is a big understatement.
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Block 44
Adding to common wisdom, you really cannot tell a book, or a restaurant by its cover. Case in point is the plain facade of Block 44, at 4365 North Lincoln Avenue. That first impression is quickly defused by the restaurant's uncomplicated inside decor, plum colored walls and stark black and white photo art. A contemporary bar is separate
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The Signature Room - 35th Anniversary Review
THE SIGNATURE ROOMTHE 35TH ANNIVERSARY REVIEW-- It was August, 1971…35 years ago that diners got their first view and taste of The 95th, atop the John Hancock Center. The 95th also marked my very first restaurant review.
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Brasserie Jo
Brasserie Jo, at 59 West Hubbard, opened a decade ago, as the namesake of Chef Jean Joho. It's been a solid representative of French casual dining ever since.
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1492 Tapas
1492 Tapas Bar, at 42 East Superior Street is dark and atmospheric in a faux medieval Spanish sort of way. But, the tapas, are real as those found in Madrid, where tapas bars are a way of life.
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Riccardo Trattoria
The Riccardo of Riccardo Trattoria, at 2119 North Clark Street is chef and owner, speaks Italian in the kitchen to his employees and is a veteran of an authentic approach to Italian cooking.
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Wholly Frijoles
Wholly Frijoles, at 3908 West Touhy Avenue in Lincolnwood is more than a Mexican restaurant with a funny name.
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Venus
Chicago has its very first Cypriot Restaurant, and as you might expect, it's in the Greektown neighborhood. Venus, at 820 West Jackson is just off Halsted.
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Turquoise Café
We found Turquoise Café, at 2147 West Roscoe by accident, while reviewing other restaurants in Roscoe Village. It's a delightful discovery with a welcoming decor.
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Trio Atelier
Forget that old saying about how the more things change, the more they stay the same. It surely does not apply to Trio Atelier, the deconstructionist successor to Trio, at 1625 Hinman Avenue in Evanston.
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Think Café
The cooking is Italian at Think Café, 2235 North Western Avenue, but this is clearly not a red tomato sauce style. It's done with more finesse.
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Solga
Every now and again, I get a taste for Korean barbecue. Recently, the taste took us to Solga Charcoal Grill at 5828 North Lincoln Avenue.
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Socca
Socca, at 3301 North Clark Street in Lakeview shows promise of becoming the next dining hit.
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Roy's
"Aloha" is how guests are greeted at Roy's, the Chicago edition of a Honolulu restaurant chain at 720 North State.
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Rick's Café
The menu in this small storefront at 3915 North Sheridan Road, with pleasant outdoor dining space, features South Mediterranean influences, largely French, but with a few Italian and Spanish selections, too.
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Quartino
Quartino, at 626 North State Street is a new Italian restaurant, with an old style look.
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Tank Vietnamese
As we start getting into Chicago's winter, my tastes begin turning to soup. It could be a French Onion or maybe chicken noodle. It also could be pho, the Vietnamese beef broth with uncountable varieties.
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Parlor
Parlor, at 1745 West North Avenue ,has a handsome curved bar, hip service and a menu to match.
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Topo Gigio
It's easy to think of Topo Gigio, at 1516 North Wells Street as retro dining, if only because its name and image go back to the mid 1960s and a popular television novelty act. But, Topo Gigio is really as current as today, especially in its recreation of how foods are served and prepared in Rome.
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Volo
Volo, at 2008 West Roscoe in Roscoe Village, has latched onto the two hottest trends in contemporary dining, The Wine Bar and Small Plates.
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Vic's Classic Italian Steakhouse
There are many excellent versions of the Chicago classic, Chicken Vesuvio, but only one original. It's on the menu at Vic's Classic Italian Steakhouse on 22nd Street in Oak Brook Terrace.
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Saltaus
Saltaus at 1350 West Randolph is uber-modern, with crisp lines, lots of light and a see and be seen kind of space that grows livelier the later it gets. Food follows the form of the restaurant's visual design, simple, easy to understand, innovative.
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Pancho Viti's
North suburban restaurant King Gabe Viti has brought coals to Newcastle with his newest endeavor, Pancho Viti's at 431 Temple Avenue in Highland Park.
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Misto
Misto, a small Italian restaurant at 1118 West Grand may be in the midst of a change as our server explained the almost empty restaurant, except for a couple of people at the bar.
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Meztiso
Meztiso, at 710 North Wells Street, is one of the new breed of Mexican and Pan Hispanic restaurants which is building a following among the young and hip.
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Landmark
With bar, late night, and full dinner menus, Landmark seems to be covering its bases.
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Fixture
Fixture, at 2706 North Ashland Avenue, is both wine bar and small plates restaurant, a formula which has caught on big time among newer dining spots.
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La Scarola
I know La Scarola's reputation. It is considered by people who know Italian food to be among the best. I won't argue that, as I tend to agree. But, the question is, how much indifference should a customer be subjected to?
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La Sardine
La Sardine has been delighting diners with ragouts, bouillabaisse, steak frites and the like since 1998. La Sardine is a sister restaurant to the equally enticing Le Bouchon and shares menu similarities.
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JP Chicago
JP Chicago is one of Chicago's more popular French/American bistro concepts. The airplane hanger style arched ceiling is especially eye catching and service is great.
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Gaylord India Restaurant
Whenever the talk about Indian restaurant comes up, Devon Avenue is usually part of the discussion. But, there is nothing on Devon today that can match Gaylord India Restaurant on Clark Street.
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Fusion
As the name suggests, the idea is fusion, though not in the conventional sense of fusion cooking. Rather, this fusion brings together the likes of Indian, Italian, Mexican and other diverse cuisines.
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Fulton's On The River
Fulton's on the River has positioned itself in that broad market for steaks and seafood, which puts it up against tough competition in a city where steak is king.
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Extra Virgin
Extra Virgin is billed as an enoteca, or wine bar, with a small plate menu. In reality, it's a fairly full menu with modest costs, and a wine list that matches the theme.
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Dunlays On The Square
It's probably a good thing I was wearing loose fitting shoes at Dunlays on the Square, because their gazpacho soup was so refreshing it practically blew my socks off.
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Del Toro
Del Toro is a swank Spanish tapas bar and lounge. The menu offers a creative and authentically Spanish take on tapas, though in some cases we really have to question the value.
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De cero
De cero is much more than a neighborhood taco stand, and not nearly as pricey as the high end Mexican destination restaurants.
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Cyrano's Bistro
Cyrano's Bistro is easily one of the two or three best French bistros we have in Chicago.
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Cousin's Incredible Vitality
The chef/owner of Cousin's Turkish Restaurant at 3038 West Irving Park Road has undergone a transformation, and so has his restaurant, which he now calls Cousin's Incredible Vitality. The idea is raw food, completely vegan.
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China Café Seafood Restaurant
When it comes to picking a Chinese restaurant, and adventure is in the air, we like to visit Chinatown and see what might be more authentic. China Café Seafood Restaurant seemed just the ticket.
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Carnivale
Carnivale is a larger than life visual carnival, covering tens of thousands of square feet and seating for at least 400. The bar and lounge create the first impression, all positive, but it's the main dining room, like a movie set, that is the attention grabber.
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Café Selmarie
The best place to enjoy the heart of the Lincoln Square community is Café Selmaire. The menu is bistro oriented, but not geographically limited.
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Café Le Coq
Café Le Coq is clearly popular for a menu that runs through traditional bistro favorites as well as some imaginative additions. One of them, ravioli with short rib filling in porcini cream sauce is large enough for an entree.
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Café Gelato
This is The Sherman Kaplan Restaurant Review, but I'm really going to tell you about Café Gelato, an Italian Ice Cream Shop. It's as authentic a gelato shop as any we have visited in Italy.
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Brioso
Chicago's Lincoln Square community has become one of the more energetic or vigorous when it comes to new restaurant openings. Among the notable is Brioso
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Brasa Roja
There's roasted rotisserie chicken, and then there's roasted rotisserie chicken Brasa Roja style. This Colombian restaurant specializes in a way that makes their chickens truly exceptional.
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Blue Fin
While the ambiance, including lighting and decor are of the moment, the food follows traditional sushi, sashimi and maki models at Blue Fin, a popular Wicker Park sushi bar and restaurant.
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Tagine
Tagine, at 4749 North Rockwell takes its name from the Moroccan pot which serves double duty as cooking and serving vessel for simmered meats, poultry or vegetables.
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Joy Yee Noodle
Until this past week, I probably was the only one in the immediate 100 mile area of Chicago who had not discovered Joy Yee Noodle. Its three locations in Naperville, Chinatown, and Evanston have similar menus, and all feature not just the noodles, but Taiwanese bubble teas, tapioca drinks, and fruit freezes. If you want wine or beer, bring your own.
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Rioja
What I saw on the menu at Rioja, as well as what was ordered and tasted, was as close as I have found in Chicago to what really goes on in Spain's tapas bars.The restaurant was crowded with people who were so busy laughing, talking, drinking, just having a good time, that I'm not at all certain anyone was paying much attention to the tapas. That's a tribute to their success, in that rarely if ever should tapas really call attention to themselves.
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Blue Elephant
The menu at the tiny Blue Elephant is Thai inspired, but with more than the usual storefront Thai restaurant. So, in addition to such common staples as Pud Thai or Tom Kha Soup, there is blackberry roasted duck, Crouching Tiger Shrimp, even Jamaican style Jerk chicken.
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Amore
Amore, the Italian word for love is the name of one of Chicago's newer West Side restaurants. It's popular as a dinner spot before Bulls home games, and offers a shuttle service to The United Center. The menu is full court press Italian, though some recipes seem to deviate a bit.
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Mambo Café
Mambo Café has turned into a eclectic gathering center of sorts over its three years. It also happens to dish out some pretty good Cuban food as well as a broader range of Hispanic New World choices.
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Joey's Brickhouse
The menu is undemanding, fun, but with touches of the sort of cooking which Joey Morelli learned in school and on the job in fine dining establishments. So, while there are burgers and fries and a sloppy Joe, there's also crab cakes, whole fresh grilled fish and an eggplant-portobello sandwich for the veggie crowd.
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Tank Sushi
There's little wiggle room about sushi; it's either like or dislike. For those who delight in this Japanese culinary art form, Tank Sushi is just the ticket.
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Chestnut Grill & Wine Bar
Chestnut Grill & Wine Bar at 200 East Chestnut in the Seneca Hotel leans to art deco, with no holds barred. The food follows the lead of the restaurant's designation as a grill, with large cuts of beef, a double cut pork chop which towers over its serving platter, and rack of lamb.
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Adobo Grill
Guacamole, prepared as diners watch, is a signature at Adobo Grill. The menu is American Southwest and Mexican, with hardly a slip up.
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Osteria Via Stato
Osteria Via Stato tries to bridge the gap between Italian and Italian-American restaurants. The idea is a series of small courses and a final entree for a set price of about $36 a person. Desserts add a few dollars more.
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Zapatista
Broadcast: March 10, 2006Gentrification of Chicago’s Near South Side has, among other things, given birth to Zapatista, a new Mexican style restaurant at 1307 South Wabash.
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Koi
Something very interesting has been happening to Asian restaurants lately. Newer ones are opening as Chinese coupled with Japanese sushi. Koi, at 624 Davis Street in Evanston fits the bill, and does a very good job with both variations.
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R.J. GruntÂ’s
R.J. Grunt's is a blast from the past, a culinary day tripping adventure at this very first Lettuce Entertain You restaurant.
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La Vita
The menu reflects seemingly standard Italian fare, though there are a couple of truly outstanding selections. Among them is risotto, absolutely terrific dining , evidently made from scratch.
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Marrakech
There is nothing more difficult for me or unpleasant as a restaurant critic than to find little if anything good about a restaurant, especially something that is a small storefront and the result of considerable personal effort.
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Taqueria La Oaxaquena
It's not much of an effort to find good store front Mexican restaurants in and around Chicago. One which stands out from the crowd is Taqueria La Oaxaquena.
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