David Hammond was a little suspicious of Bucktown’s Chilapan at first, especially after a questionable reference to Topolobampo. But he finds most of the food surprisingly good: “The focused, inventive menu has veggie and sometimes vegan options as well as a provocative caboose of desserts.” He especially likes the salsas where are, “intense but never stupidly spicy, and the chile-based sauces tingled the palate without overwhelming it, enabling the distinctive personality of each pepper to pop.” [Chicago Reader, second item]
Mike Sula thinks that the new location has reinvigorated Ba Le, allowing it to step up its banh mi production. The sandwiches are now “fresher, made to order on a brisk, efficient line.” Though everything is affordable, the plethora of new are options are “so irresistible that it’s a challenge to leave Ba Le without blowing a sizable wad of dough.” [Chicago Reader, first item]
Old Town Social has a “certain vogue that captured” Pat Bruno’s attention. Claiming that this is “one hot restaurant,” he makes his way through the whole menu. It’s all good to him. The mortadella sends him to “cold-cut heaven,” the fries “couldn’t have been better,” and the steak was “perfectly medium-rare.” [Sun-Times]
