Blame the recession or an overall desire to eat great food in a comfy atmosphere, but the trend towards casual high-end eateries continues in Chicago with Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard's marquee eatery. Located in the West Loop, a sidewalk patio leads to an interior space cocooned between industrial red brick walls with large lounge, galley bar and main dining room lined in beveled mirrors and pop graffiti art captured under a beam ceiling with commercial light fixtures and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a gritty yet ever-more-gentrified Chicago street scene. <br />
The Food
The menu consists of 30 items including ten vegetarian, ten meat, and ten fish dishes as well as four sausages made in house. Standouts include roasted cauliflower with pine nuts, chickpea fritters with fresh mozzarella and squash ravioli for vegetarians; grilled octopus with pistachio vinaigrette or pan-roasted barramundi for fish and skirt steak with wilted romaine, wood over roasted pig or pork liver mousseline for meat eaters.
Last Word
The restaurant accepts reservations but always keeps tables open for “walk-ins, nomads, dreamers, and those of you who don’t like to plan.”
