RUSTIK
A WBBM RESTAURANT REVIEW BY SHERMAN KAPLAN
BROADCAST APRIL 11, 2008
There's nothing at all rustic about Rustik, at 2515 North California Avenue. For one thing, the restaurant's name is spelled with a final K, not C.
Rustik adds attitude toward comfort food. Most meatloaf I know is the one size fits all variety. Rustik’s chef recommends his stuffed meatloaf medium rare. Imagine that!
The filling is Boursin cheese with a topping of caramelized onions. It's moist, very tasty, and not like your Mother's meatloaf in the slightest sense, unless Mom has a show on The Food Channel. .
Among appetizers, pizzas are more like flatbreads, oval in shape. One with caramelized onions, capers and cherry tomatoes which we tasted had a nice, bubbly crust and a good dispersion of flavors.
Another first course choice, Rustik Sliders was disappointing. The beef was over cooked and nearly dry, which makes me wonder what happened to the medium rare concept applied to the meatloaf.
Parker House Rolls which sandwich the ground meat had texture and crust which suggests they may have been under a heat lamp rather than freshly put together. You want sliders? Go to White Castle, not Rustik.
But, among entrees, I will not complain about the fish and chips. These are not exactly like their English cousins, which is OK. The crust is battered, but not especially crisp. However, the cod flavor is perfect, as is the flaky texture. Three large pieces come with cocktail sauce and an excellent wasabi accented tarter. The fries could be hotter, and more crispy.
Scallops and shrimp are served over linguine, which is a little too limp. But the texture of the seafood is fine, as are flavors with herbal accents and butter.
Among other first course selections, grilled hanger steak with fries is about average, which is to say, if you like hanger steak, which I do for its inherent flavor, you will like this version.
Among desserts, ice cream sandwiches are routine, but the Gooey Butter Cake lives up to type. There’s a good wine list and casual service. Expect to spend about $50 a couple for three courses plus add ons. Rustik, at 2515 North California Avenue has a K/RATING of 17/20.
AMBIANCE 4/4 HOSPITALITY 4.5/5 FOOD 8.5/11
(773-235-0002)
Read more Sherman Kaplan Restaurant Reviews at wbbm780.com and in
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