The Other Critics

More Love for Browntrout; Siboney is ‘Dismal’

Prosciutto, mint, and fig at Rootstock
Prosciutto, mint, and fig at Rootstock Photo: Ira and Andrea/GSChi Flickr Pool

• Despite service that went spotty the more crowded the restaurant got, Pat Bruno is really taken with nearly everything on offer at Browntrout, which he declares one of the best of the chef-owner restaurants to open recently. [Sun-Times]

• Bruno also swings by Yolk. He’s less than enamored of the patty melt, but eggs are the real draw here — the restaurant’s variations on the benedict are christened “terrific” and “enthralling.” [Sun-Times]

• At Ginza, the fish is flown in fresh each day and you can’t get just one or three pieces of sushi. This is due to chef/mastermind Akira Yokoyama’s dedication to his craft, which for Chris Chandler leads to one of Chicago’s most “delightful” sushi experiences. [NewCity]

• The burger at Rootstock is “super,” but avoid the fried items and some of the weirder upscalings (an $8 half-size banh mi riff), which come out subpar, says Mike Sula. But he’s duly impressed by the beer lineup. [Reader, first item]

• All is not well at State and Lake, where Sula finds that the atmosphere — and the menu — speak to deepest winter. The more ambitious dishes lack attention to detail (marrow bones served with no marrow spoon, quelle horreur!), but the chef does transcend the hotel-institution vibe occasionally. [Reader, second item]

• While the ham croquetes are deftly done, David Hammond thinks the majority of the menu at Siboney is “dismal.” Ouch. [Reader, third item]

• Kate Schmidt wonders whether Frida’s is just coasting on its Wrigley-adjacent location: the food doesn’t live up to the prices, the music’s jarring, and flavors are muddy. [Reader, fourth item]

More Love for Browntrout; Siboney is ‘Dismal’