The Other Critics

Bruno Finds Flavors ‘Flying High’ at Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar; Zemans Checks in with Vito and Nick’s

The Sushi Bar at Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar
The Sushi Bar at Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar Photo: Galdones Photography

• Usually, when Pat Bruno calls a restaurant “tight” and “uncomfortable” that means he’s ready to hate it. That’s not the case with Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar, where he claims that “miscues were flying low and flavors were flying high.” He called the Brussels sprouts dish “very innovative,” thanks to “earthy oyster mushrooms along with a dab of pesto and lemon.” [Sun Times]

• Daniel Zemans reexamines a Chicago classic, Vito and Nick’s Pizzeria. Though “not be the most conveniently located” pizzeria for visitors, no “serious list of Chicago’s best pizza” excludes this South Side joint. His only complaint is that the “sauce is virtually non-existent.” While the sausage should be “an automatic part of every order,” he also recommends the “salty, fatty, and crunchy” fried pepperoni. [Slice/Serious Eats]

• Bruno describes Cantina No. 46’s space as “intimate and quite romantic,” but the food had some issues. The “tableside” guacamole “could have used more cilantro, more zip, and a lot more lime,” and it also wasn’t even made tableside. Better was the mini taco flight and the beef short rib enchiladas. Still the rice served with the latter was “too gummy.” [Sun Times]

Bruno Finds Flavors ‘Flying High’ at Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar; Zemans Checks