• It’s Mean Girls redux rom Julia Kramer, whose take on Sepia is a litany of mild praise followed by mild complaints (a too-heavy pasta, some underwhelming mint, an under-herbaceous porchetta) punctuated with a similarly it’s-a-compliment-no-it’s-not final paragraph: Kramer praises the restaurant as the kind of place she’d recommend to her parents or visit with friends, but it’s no better than dozens of other places she would presumably also have on that list. [TOC]
• Renee Enna checks out the apostrophically-challenged Gus’ Diner in Rolling Meadows, where the standard diner fare (deft bacon cheeseburgers, soup or salad with every meal) shares the menu with unexpected dishes like juicy chicken fajitas and a Southern chicken salad topped with candied pecans. A brownie sundae is big enough for three and clocks in under four bucks — not a bad deal. [Tribune]
• After a gut renovation, Andersonville’s La Tache has regained much of the vibrancy it used to have, reports a satisfied David Tamarkin. Expertly churning out standard bistro fare — high-quality onion soup, extra-crispy-skinned roast chicken — the new folks in the kitchen seem to know exactly what they’re doing, except when it comes to dessert, an anticlimactic end to an otherwise great meal. [TOC]
• The latest entry in the city’s burgeoning tapas scene, Eivissa puts a molecular gastronomy spin on classic Spanish flavors like gambas al ajillo or calamari with white beans. But to Anthony Todd’s palate, while the foundation dishes are good, the foams and airs don’t add too much to the table — and the restaurant’s signature “chupitos” (liquid tapas) don’t really work at all. But the cocktails — and the scene — seem to make up for it. [Chicagoist]
[Photo of Eivissa courtesy Chicagoist]
