Today is new review Friday! In addition to the three main reviews in Omnivorous, the Reader also published sixteen new short reviews below the jump. Add that to Bruno’s deuce, and you’ve got quite a bit of criticism on your hands. So what’s the harm of going alphabetically?
• Bruno is transfixed by Cafe Bionda’s use of cutesy names like “Joe’s Mama Meatball Salad,” but argues that the homey Italian food tastes as good as it sounds [Sun-Times]
• Hitting up another homey ethnic joint, Bruno washes ashore on the Check, Please wave at Friendship Chinese Restaurant in Bucktown; it’s classic Americanized Chinese food, but the ingredients are high-quality and the cooks pay attention to what they’re doing. [Sun-Times]
• Mike Sula hails the Lincoln Park arrival of Ja’ Grill, which turns out delicious (and surprisingly authentic) Jamaican food; the fish seems to have an edge on the chicken, though [Reader]
• What distinguishes Lockwood from other high-end hotel restaurants with seasonal-driven menus? Unfortunately, says Anne Spiselman, not enough to justify the prices [Reader]
• Martha Bayne is underwhelmed by Prosecco, especially by the top-heavy food and service - this is in contrast to other critics who’ve liked the wine bar, but we secretly think Ms. Bayne is right [Reader]
As for the Reader’s sixteen new mini-reviews, we’ve taken our favorite words from the reviews (found in this order!) and turned them into a Post-style headline:
“Shockingly, megachain ‘Bitch’ lovefest unspeakable phoned-in depressing herbaceous decadence.”
Wow, that was easier than we thought it was going to be! It’s understandable, and what’s more, even plausible…
[Photo: soy cheesecake at Friendship by Ellen M./flickr]
