Wow, it’s amazing how much can happen on the internet in a day and a half of not having internet. Let’s check out the reviews (mapped below) in this week’s Tribune, TOC, and Reader:
Tribune
Phil Vettel went to Sepia and thought it lived up to its considerable hype. He loved the food, which ranges from classic to out-there New American, and really liked the clientele (you’ll have to read the review to know why we italicized that). Monica Eng is charmed by a green/sustainable and child-friendly cafe in Irving Park called Curio Cafe; we think the place can be summed up by its organic lollipops. As for Table Hopping, Glenn Jeffers found that Bluebird Bistro and Winebar was hitting all the good gastropub notes except in the service department, and Trine Tsouderos is less than excited about the food at kitschy Reagle Beagle in Streeterville.
TOC
Heather Shouse heads to Rosebud Prime and is underwhelmed to say the least (see “decomposing crab”). The verdict: if you want to open another classic steakhouse in Chicago, it ought to be better than this. Misty Tosh visits Peacock Cafe, an Edgewater Eritrean restaurant (safe to say, the Edgewater Eritrean restaurant, and finds delicious food and coffee, but precious few customers. We’re especially sympathetic because Peacock is quite possible the only Eritrean restaurant between Minneapolis and Washington, DC, and ought to be supported on those grounds alone.
Reader
The theme for this week’s Reader dining section is new spots, which is always relevant. Anne Spiselman enjoyed the eclectic small plates at Exposure Tapas, but found that the loud crowds, the loud music, and the weak service conspired to put a damper on her Friday evening. Mike Sula was entertained by the pageantry of Oprah personal chef Art Smith’s new haute Southern comfort food restaurants, TABLE fifty-two, in Old Town (that was a mouthful!). The Oprah attention is inevitable, but Smith lives up to whatever expectations people may have with his large and thoroughly enjoyable portions, and high prices. David Hammond was hoping that the views from the tables of Tavern at the Park would be a little more breathtaking (the Millennium Park location is its main draw) and that chef John Hogan’s cuisine - a French twist on New American - was a tad less salty, but overall, didn’t hate the experience.
[Map: “courtesy” of Microsoft Streets & Trips]
