Michelin Star Chicago Restaurants
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Overall Verdict: This place is fantastic, well deserving of the recognition from Michelin. And, it is now taking the first place slot in my list of Michelin restaurants in Chicago. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it and will likely go back next season.
LONG VERSION:
Continuing on my Michelin star restaurant quest and admitting up front that this review is biased based on comparison to the other Michelin star restaurants at which I have dined. See all reviews of the list here
bit.ly/nGR9Vc
Most relevant comparisons: L20 (taste and appearance of the food); Boka (boring bland decor); Ria (Service and friendliness of the staff; though NOT for the sommolier who was friendly but NOWHERE NEAR Dan from Ria).
Food: 5
The food here was amazing. I had the Vegetarian Tasting Menu at $115 while another friend had the largely seafood based Tasting Menu @ $125 each. A few items were on both menus. Highlights include my favorite the Cauliflower with swiss chard and black cardamom; along with the unique vegan treat "Grain, Seeds, Nuts". The two meat eaters at the table this evening enjoyed the Alaskan King Crab ("Amazing!") but were less impressed by the Wagyu Beef Ribeye. EVERYONE loved the chocolate dessert (2nd of 2) while the Sheep's Milk dessert on the vegetarian menu seemed to beat out the frozen like a rock Coconut concoction on the regular menu.
Decor: 4
YAWN!!!! This place really does look like someone said "what should we do with that random space?" and they decided to put in a restaurant. For pure aesthetics, I would give this place a 3, because really it is NOTHING SPECIAL. However, due to the quiet, good ambiance, and ease of parking and dining, I bumped it up a bit.
Service: 5
Where L2O #failed miserably, this place got it perfect. The servings came out in a timely and well-organized manner. Our glasses were always filled, and there was never (like Topolo) a moment where our table had no food. Friendly and attentive but not overbearing. I felt the staff here were working on the same team and actually liked working together. And the kitchen staff looked like they enjoyed what they were doing as well. Where L2O was a bit depressing, this place was upbeat.
Value: 4
Pricing of this place is more like Boka and the Tasting Menu is pretty steep. However, unlike L2O, you do not feel pressured to do a wine paired tasting so you can choose a nice bottle of wine that can go with all courses and keep your bill relatively reasonable. Somehow, we were full, happy, and had great service for $225 each versus $350 each at L2O. Still not as good a value as Takashi and much more pricey than Sepia, but this is the place you would want to splurge on rather than L2O.
Overall: 5
I'm going out of a limb and giving this place a 5. I think that the food is great, service spectacular and the boring decor does not matter as much when you are comfortable and satisfied. Compared to the other Michelin starred restaurants, this place comes out of top thus far. Therefore, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it and will likely go back next season for a new Tasting Menu. -
HFS - This food was amazing!! And the price was reasonable. Service was great and decor was nice but not overwhelming. Simple and welcoming. Several people ordered the fried chicken, I ordered the Ahi tuna. AMAZING!!!!! I mean really AMAZING!!!!! The flavors of everything we ate were great. Order the mac and cheese and the fried chicken, but then order something moderately healthy, like the tuna, so you don't feel awful. Nice wine list and freindly bartender if you wait for friends before dinner.
One note: While I disagree with pretty much the entire review of Matthew M (who was apparently there the same day as I was) and Randy M, I will agree that the popcorn was actually just odd. I would be happy with bread, please. And the carrot cake was gross. tried to do some gastronomic artistic thing and we all simply found it dry and bland. With better desert and bread, I would have given the place 5 stars. -
ABSO-FREAKING YUMILICIOUS.
Food: 5+++++
OMG slap yo mama good food. EVERYTHING WE HAD was absolutely delicious. Yes, we licked our plates. Nothing on the menu was bad.
The food is very much like Girl and the Goat but with less variety (more specialization?)
Decor: 3
Kind of crappy for the price and neighborhood, but they are cramming a lot of people into a small space. Our table felt like we were at Denny's crammed in and right next to the kitchen.
Service: 4
Good but not great, but very attentive given the crowds. She knew how much we could eat, gave great recommendations and kept the drinks pouring.
Value: 4
Not bad at all. -
SHORT VERSION:
Feeling better now ... after a few good but not great experiences in my Michelin star quest, I was beginning to question our critics at Michelin and their choices in Chicago. Alas, Naha merits its Michelin star.
LONG VERSION:
Continuing on my Michelin star restaurant quest and admitting up front that this review is biased based on comparison to the other Michelin star restaurants at which I have dined. See all reviews of the list here
yelp.com/list/michelin-s…
Overall Verdict: This place does, in my opinion, deserve one Michelin star and it merits a return visit. I would recommend it to friends as well as collegaues or clients.
FOOD: 4.5
My appetizer was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. - Hudson Valley Foie Gras and a "Tarte Tatin" of Golden Delicious Apples, Crimson Raisins and Caramelized Fennel, Quince Jam, Ararat Valley Walnuts. It was sweet, savory, and best of all, HOT!
For my main, I had the Lacquered Aged Moulard Duck Breast. Again, flavorful, well prepared, and served at teh appropriate temperature. Everyone else at my table had the ribeye, and I happily sampled their plates as well as shared mine. All plates were empty at the end of the course, despite very large beef portions and a hearty duck.
Unlike Boka, Ria, and some of the other Michelin restaurants, this place does not go for the look of the food as much as they do the taste of the food. I do not recall anything fancy in appearance other than the desert (Complexite Bittersweet Chocolate "Bar", Hazelnuts, Cocoa and Goldleaf). No colorful sauces sprinkled across the plate, sculptures of meat or lilac scented pillows here. Just good food.
DECOR: 3
Giving the place a 3 not because it was not nice, just that it was boring. But it was comfortable, not too noisy, and very well maintained. To be honest, I could not remember what it looked like so just went to the website for a reminder. That qualifies for A-Ok rating.
SERVICE: 4
Very attentive, friendly, and fast. And the restaurant was very accomodating given we were 20 minutes late and instead of having 6 people only had 4. Not sure whether they would have been as happy or patient on a Saturday but I will give them the benefit of doubt. The service was good but not great, and our server was helpful. I did not feel like I was being pampered a la Alinia, Le Bec Fin, or Le Bernadin, nor did I feel "unworthy" as when I dined at Spiaggia. So, it was just good.
VALUE: 4
I was lucky in that my good friend paid for all o fus, but I did of course look at the menu prices when ordering. I would say this is a pretty good value for a one star restaurant. I would definitely go here again rather than one of the more expensive tasting menu style restaurants. You can have a good meal, greta wine, and an overall good experience here for slightly less than $100 per person.
OVERALL: 4
I would recommend a visit if you're a foodie and/or if you want to impress a client without being pretentious or spending too much. I will put this restaurant below fellow one star restaurants Takashi and Graham Elliott, but above Boka, Alinia (2 stars), and Blackbird. And I would definitely recommend it above Sepia and Sixteen.
Dine here. You will have a good experience. -
Overall Verdict: This place is pretty good, and deserving of the recognition from Michelin. While not a place I would put at the top of my list, I do RECOMMEND it and will likely go back at some point.
LONG VERSION:
Continuing on my Michelin star restaurant quest and admitting up front that this review is biased based on comparison to the other Michelin star restaurants at which I have dined. See all reviews of the list here
bit.ly/nGR9Vc
Most relevant comparisons: Crofton (taste and appearance of the food); Spiaggia (old school decor and attitude); Avenues (hotel location)
FOOD: 4
Nothing we had (there were 6 of us) was bad and most people agreed they enjoyed their meals quite a bit. There was a strange menu oddity, however. We were first presented with a primary menu that looks fancy and expensive, more like L20. But a few of us had also seen another prix fix menu at the entrance to the restaurant. When we asked about this, it was brought out to us. Strangely, it looked like it could have been from another restaurant completely.
Bonus points to the chef for creating a special vegan bento box fpr me on short notice. Everything in it was flavorful and tasty and I did not leave hungry.
DECOR:4
Yawn. Yawn. Yawn. Firstly, there was no one in the room except us and one table of two. The restaurant is in this side pocket of a large floor of the hotel, hidden by a bar and lots of lounging space. The place looks like it has not changed since 1950 and I could see an episode of Mad Men being filmed here. I was actually surprised I did not look around and see men smoking at the dinner table.
I won't knock them for this as it is still tasteful and quiet, so you can have a conversation during your meal.
SERVICE: 4
I think perhaps I would give the guy a 5 had their been moire than two tables dining that night. Not sure if we would have gotten the same level of attention with a full restaurant. Also noted that the manager made a visit to the other table yet did not visit ours. In fact, late in the meal another two diners joined the restaurant and he REALLY kissed up to them. Still not a nod to our table. (I will NOT assume this had anything to do with the fact that I dined with 5 other African American men, though some may choose to question that.)
VALUE: 4
The Tasting menu would have made this place equivalent to Boka, Ria and Avenues. However, the fixed price options with three courses made it highly reasonable. They also had daily specials (which again made it seem like a menu from another restaurant) that looked good.
I would recommend this place but not over Avenues, Ria, or Sepia. -
I went here again last night to see whether the recent successes and awards had changed Blackbird. Specifically, I wanted to see if they too had gone down the path of appearance over quality.
I am happy to say that they have not. In fact, I find it interesting that the James beard award and the Michelin plague are nowhere to be seen, or perhaps in the hallway leading to the bathroom.
The service, food, and decor remain pretty much the same quality as they were 10 years ago when I first began to dine at this restaurant and long before our French friends came here to judge Chicago restaurants.
I do believe this place merits the Michelin star, and think 1 star was appropriate. It is better than many of it's peers in the 1 star category. I would dine here again many times before heading back to the purees and foam of Alinea, lukewarm food and dated decor of Boka, stuffy pretentiousness of Spiaggia or overpriced snobbery of Sixteen (and, frankly, I will support nothing Trump related, but that's another story ...)
Here goes:
FOOD: 5
EVERYTHING is fattening, artery clogging, buttery goodness. Food looks good on the plate but emphasis is still on taste. Flavorful, savory food with interesting twists but not so much about the show that the food gets lost. This visit, I had as my appetizer the confit of suckling pig with fried ipswich clams. YUM!! Dinner was aged pekin duck breast with golden beets, chestnut soubise and munich malt. My guest (from UK) had the skate wing appetizer and the lamb. Both of us cleaned our plates and enjoyed dinner.
Portions are large enough to fill you up but still leave room for dessert, which we both had. Not a fan of the desserts, but mainly because in this category I am a "Joe Sixpack". I want an apple pie or brownie with icecream and am unimpressed by fancy schmancy nondescript deserts.
DECOR: 4
Has not changed. Could get old, but it's clean, crsip, minimalist. Uncomfortable seats to some extent but nothing that woudl keep me away. Slightly loud, but nowehere near Publican or Girl and the Goat levels of noise.
SERVICE: 4
Prompt service, attentive but not overwhelming. And many of the people there have been there for years. Small things like having my coat ready for me when I was done with my meal, the tasty amuse bouche at the beginning of the meal, excellent wine selection, and general friendliness (without being giddy) of the staff were added plusses.
VALUE: 4
Excluding our relatively expensive but great bottle of wine, we paid about $200 for the two of us to have full meal with appetizer, main, and dessert plus coffee. This included the tip. I would say this places Blackbird in the same value tier as Crofton or graham elliott.
OVERALL: 4
Most dinners I have had here: Amazing food and nothing healthy on the menu. No attitude amongst the staff or clientele and no need to wear suits and ties. Love it. Bring on the butter and bacon baby! -
NOTE: I was asked to give RIA another chance after a lukewarm first visit on 5/6/2011. I agreed, and went again last night (6/14/2011). I am editing my original review of 5/7/2011 to reflect both experiences as it would be unfair to create a review based solely on the "make-up session". Thus, this review represents my assessment of RIA overall based on the two meals.
Short Version:
The great service, relaxed atmosphere, understated but elegant decor, fairly simple menu, and fantastic sommelier Dan make me really WANT this restaurant to be a 5 star restaurant. And, I must say that this place is definitely better than Boka and Sepia and MUCH better than Sixteen. And based on the relatively better value and ease of actually booking a table, I would also put RIA above Alinea. However, I must still hold back that final star as overall, it's the food that gets this Foodie excited and the food still does not astound me.
Longer Version:
Continuing on my Michelin star restaurant quest and admitting up front that this review is biased based on comparison to the other Michelin star restaurants at which I have dined. See all reviews of the list here:
yelp.com/list/michelin-s…
Overall Verdict: I get why Michelin would give this place two stars. While I do not necessarily agree, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone wishing to have a meal guaranteed to have great service, a comfortable environment, and good high quality food. This is where to go for anniversaries (instead of Alinea) and business meals (instead of Catch 35, Sixteen, or Boka). I would still prefer Takashi or Graham Elliott at the lower price point for most meals.
Food: Very good but not great. Reminds me of Boka and Sepia, but my second experience was better than the first. Lukewarm food last time was hopefully a fluke as food this round was appropriately served warm. They still have lots of purées, mousses, and sauces. Not exceptionally flavorful.
The chef sends out an amuse bouche at the start of every meal. On my first visit there as a green blob in a small bowl, over which the server scooped out two globs of "gin and tonic" foam. Our entire table tried to be open-minded but it was just gross. #FAIL! But during my next visit, a halibut mouse with a flavorful green sauce was actually quite good.
First Courses include sea scallops with turnips and flavorless octopus, with consistant quality during both meals. Others seem to enjoy Foie Gras "It was ok. The wine with is was amazing" and the duck egg dish that looked kind of like a soup. My second visit I tried the Squab with chaterelle mushrooms. That was quite good.
Main courses include stuffed quail (cold and mildly slimey during my first meal), lobster ("best lobster ever"), and a lamb dish that was "flavorful though unidentifiable". Nothing was hot during my first visit, but the kitchen and server staff fixed that problem the 2nd round and everything was well prepared. I had the St. Pierre fish course which was AMAZING, and easily the best thing on the menu. Everyone at the table wanted what I had. The least impressed guest had Wild Striped Bass, which I admit bored me tremendously.
Service: The serving staff is interesting. All incredibly friendly and attentive but with very different levels of understanding of the menu. Explaining a dish is more than simply reading the words on the menu. The singing waiter was silent during my second visit. Honestly, he does have an AMAZING voice and the occasional Happy Birthday song would be welcomed. Dan the Somolier was fantastic both times and helped us perfectly pair wine with the meals. I want Dan to do a party at my home! He rocks!
Decor: Beautiful, peaceful yet comfortable room. Decor was fantastic and you could have a conversation.
Value: So So. Similar to Boka in the value category. About $150 per person including tip. We had great wine, enough food to reduce my after eating to a few cookies and yogurt, and a few extras thrown in by the Chef.
Bonus: Not pretentious at all. Dress is comfortable chic. Some had on jackets but the restaurant stresses they want guests to feel comfortable. Love this!!!
Tasting menu (6 course) with wine is great for trying out the restaurant but pricey and this time we opted for a la carte. Tasting menu was $110/person for the food and an additional $75/person for the wine. Boka tasting menu is a better value. Given people at our table tried everything on the menu, we feel we had the Tasting Menu experience and can judge the restaurant fairly comprehensively.
Between my two visits, I would say that the majority of the 8 total unique guests would come back to the restaurant. Everyone felt that it was very good though we still would not consider it one of our favorites. We would recommend people try it, however, and see for themselves.
You will have a good meal, with great service and fantastic wine. And Dan. -
Framing: My partner and I went to Alinea for our 10th Anniversary. This was a special occasion so we opted for a special restaurant. The final bill was around $700 including a 13 course tasting menu with wine.
Arriving at the restaurant, initially we thought we had the address wrong because it is about as nodescript as they come. Walking in, however, we were transformed into a truly magical experience with decor that was stupendous.
We had the 13 course tasting menu and enjoyed every minute of it. The presentation of each course was amazing and the food really good. If there is one thing both of us questioned, it was the sheer volume of pureed or "foamy" foods. I did get a feeling much of what we were eating was prepared earlier, which is a bit disapppointing.
Service was better than I expected. I can afford, thank God, this kind of restaurant and pretty much any restaurant in Chicago. Yet, I don't feel I have to act like I can, nor do I feel the servers must be snobby to make me feel special. I KNOW this is a special restaurant and I know that only certain people can afford it. But SOME (not all) of the staff were a bit pretentious. Could they afford to eat there if they did not work there?
My particular server was really good, and I liked the fact that the entire staff worked together to ensure your meal was always moving.
After the meal, we took a peak into the kitchen with our waiter and about a week later we received an autographed copy of our menu, which really meant a lot to us.
Would I go here again? Probably - maybe for 15th Anniversary. Would I take friends? Not likely. I would rather have a nice dinner at a reasonably priced restaurant with friends where I can treat the whole crew for the price of one meal at Alinea.
Great food. Great ambiance. Great service. Great presentation. REALLY REALLY EXPENSIVE. And I don't feel like less of a person for saying that! -
SHORT VERSION:
After a few rather disappointing meals at this and other Michelin rated spots, first I must say that a restaurant may get great reviews by critics but the best way to truly judge a place is to go for yourself. Alas, Michelin thus far has proven itself unreliable in my book. Under no stretch of the imagination could I see L2O deserving all three of the stars it received. MAYBE two stars. It merits a return visit but ONLY because there is no way service could consistantly be as bad as what we experienced.
LONG VERSION:
Continuing on my Michelin star restaurant quest and admitting up front that this review is biased based on comparison to the other Michelin star restaurants at which I have dined. See all reviews of the list here
yelp.com/list/michelin-s…
Most relevant comparisons: Alinea (cost, presentation, length of meal), Ria (Chef from L2O plus staff from Ria would be a PHENOMENAL restaurant), Spiaggia (personality of the staff), Naha (decor)
Food: 4.5
- Bread was awesome, especially the milk bread and bacon filled yumminess they served (Note: bread is better at Girl and the Goat)
- Food was really amazing. Every course of the 8 course tasting menu was fantastic, well prepared and presented. Good looking plating but not so much emphasis on appearance that the food is crappy or cold. The chef rocks (but the house staff fails)
- Wine pairings ok but definitely not stellar. Better wine pairings for less at Ria and sadly, we never even saw the somollier. Further, our server not only did not know how to pronounce the wine but she really did not have a clue why the wine worked well with each course.
Service: 2
Abysmal. Amateur. SOMEONE IMPORTANT was off that night. Honestly, there is no way this place could be this amateur on a regular basis. The four of us have been to dozens of the world's best restaurants ... Le Bernadin, Le Bec Fin, Ria, etc ... so we know good service. And this was not good service. Out of 8 courses, only one was clearly explained. We sometimes waited ages for water refills and replacement linen napkins. For desert, one of my friends had cheese while the rest of us had the souffle from the tasting menu. Her cheese arrived with our desert wine. We waited and waited and drank the wine and shared the cheese. then the souffles came out. It was the TASTING MENU. Were they surprised we were having the dessert on the tasting menu?
Sommelier was absent and server could not begin to describe wines
And NONE of the staff seemed to have a personality. There was nothing friendly about any of them. (Actually, the two women at the host station were very friendly but besides poiting me to the restrooms, that did not do much for me.)
Decor: 3
Felt like I was in a hotel lobby restaurant. Boring with a few hanging things to spice it up and give semi-privacy. Clean and elegant, but boring.
The Tatami room concept was ODD. At around 10pm, after we had been there for about 3 hours, we started seeing women in kimonos. They were greeting people at the host station and taking them to tables right near us. And occasionally they were taking them to a side room. We finally asked and they explained this was a private dining experience in the Japenese style. I dont get that AT ALL as there is no link to the restaurant.
Value: 3
Same price range as Alinea but overall package nowhere near as memorable. For 4 people, our bill including tip was $1300+.
Overall : 3
I suspect that this was a very off night for L2O and the food alone would make it worth you trying it out. It merits a return visit because there is no way service could consistantly be as bad as what we experienced. However, it is too expensive for what you get and there are at least five other restaurants I would go to first before returning to L2O. And under no stretch of the imagination could I see L20 deserving all three of the stars it received. -
So this review is tough, as it is very difficult to rate this restaurant without two important peer groups.
1) Against ALL Chicago restaurants at a similar price point
2) Against all Chicago restaurants that similarly received a Micheln star in November 2010.
Against the 1st group, Sepia would certainly merit a 4, a weak 4. Food was pretty good, the decor nice and while loud, the restaurant was still enjoyable.
Against the 2nd group, however, Sepia merits a 3. It is not even close to as good a restaurant as Graham Elliott, Takashi (yum), or Blackbird. In fact, we left the restaurant googling the place to confirm we had not simply messed up. This could NOT be a Michelin restaurant. We even wondered whether it was in the special "Value" category. Perhaps a bit cheaper than th eother restaurants, I would consider this place a good value for "close to Michelin" quality.
For consistency against my other ratings, I will stick to the 1st peer group for my final rating.
Food: 4
Decor: 4 (almost 3 for placing us at a crappy table in the middle of traffic)
Service: 3 (good, but nothing special)
Overall: 4
I would recommend a visit if you're a foodie. But visit the other places first if your dining days are limited. -
Continuing on my Michelin star restaurant quest and admitting up front that this review is biased based on comparison to the other Michelin star restaurants at which I have dined. See all reviews of the list here
yelp.com/list/michelin-s…
Overall Verdict: This place does, in my opinion, deserve one Michelin star and it merits a return visit. I would recommend it to friends as well as colleagues or clients.
FOOD:
signature crabcake - mango butter, thai chile vinaigrette
wild mushrooms - house made bacon, cracked black peppercorn, brioche
Very good food but strangely, I have now been here twice and can't remember anything.
DECOR:
A bit dark, but I like the bold red wall. Quiet enough to have a ocnversation, which is key.
SERVICE:
Good but not great. Unremarkable and at times the server seemed a bit distracted.
RECALIBRATING - I think I would give this place 3.5 stars if that were an option. Compared to the others on my list, I am downgrading this from 4 stars to 3. -
Continuing on my Michelin star restaurant quest and admitting up front that this review is biased based on comparison to the other Michelin star restaurants at which I have dined.
Overall Verdict: This place does not, in my opinion, deserve the Michelin star.
Food: very good but not great. Reminds me of Sepia.
Service: very good, well trained and attentive if not overly friendly.
Probably perfect for the typical guests which were a bit older and less "urban" than me.
Decor: crap. Time for an upgrade. really bad
Value: not so hot. Takashi and Sepia are much better values for the food. But still better than Sixteen and Spiaggia in the value category.
Not pretentious. Dress is mixed though I would err on dressy. A couple of folks looked out of place in more casual garb.
Tasting menu (6 course) with wine is great for trying out the restaurant but pricey. I paid $85/person for the food and an additional $35/person for the wine
VALET PARKING IS SHITE. slow, careless jerks that gave my car a flat, likely hitting a curb while parking and not having the decency to tell me about it. Thank goodness for mercedes benz tire pressure monitors and my wheel and tire coverage! -
Overall Verdict: This place does, in my opinion, deserve one Michelin star HOWEVER it does not merit a return visit by me. I would recommend it to tourists or acquaintances if they are fans of Latin American cuisine and want to say they went to a Rick Bayless restaurant. I would not recommend to friends, colleagues or clients.
LONG VERSION:
Continuing on my Michelin star restaurant quest and admitting up front that this review is biased based on comparison to the other Michelin star restaurants at which I have dined. See all reviews of the list here
bit.ly/nGR9Vc
Most relevant comparisons: Takashi (very casual restaurant, cramped space); L2O (unexplained spotty service), Spiaggia (REALLY dry and boring personality of the staff), Naha (decor), Sepia (good but not Michelin worthy food).
FOOD: 3.5
Quick note for vegans and vegetarians - stay home or go elsewhere. You will leave starving. There was an AWFUL salad that without the cheese and creamy dressing was tortuous to eat. But, since I only play vegan temporarily, I base my evaluation on all of the food that I and my guests consumed.
Food was rather flavorful and well prepared. A la carte portions are fairly small so don't think you'll be better off doing that instead of the tasting menu. Do the Tasting Menu! You'll think you are ordering more than you think you should, but if you try a la carte with appetizer and entree, be ready for after dinner meal.
My biggest problem is that I felt like it should be a high-end tapas place. The timing was odd, sharing was not really encouraged despite the casual family-style atmosphere, and the portions were small. Again, maybe the Tasting Menus would have made the experience better.
Drinks were good.
SERVICE: 3
Timing is awful. Host guy told us to order everything at once to avoid long delays between courses. Didn't work. There was a period of about 30 minutes where there was not a morsel of food on the table; no bread, salsa, chips, nada! It was odd.
Also, the servers are just not very enthusiastic. Quite a contrast from the ambiance of the restaurant, the staff is bored and dry. They are, however, friendly and do seem interested in customer service so this is not a knock on them.
DECOR: 2
Reminds me of Brazzaz; a colorful mess. And it's loud and cramped. I think it is interesting that this place has a sister attached but don't really understand why. Throughout the night I was thinking maybe we should have gone to the sister place instead. The website and opentable said "business casual" and most reviewers seem to say the place is kind of dressy but on our night, we saw shorts clad tourists. -
Framing: My good friends took me and my partner out to dinner at this restaurant. I did not see the final bill because my friend was paying and that would be rude. Thus, my comments are based on pricing from the menu. We went here while construction on the building was still underway, as I believe it still is.
The good: Great food with wonderful flavors. Amazing view, if you can get somewhere near the windows.
The bad: The smallest bar ever for an upscale restaurant. EXTREMELY overpriced. Snooty service at the hostess stand, bar, and some of the waiters.
My question is whether Trump will give up on the restaurant before he gives up on the building.
I think they need to try again. Chicago typically does not tolerate bad value food and ok service for a very long time and I'm not sure there are enough tourists in this neighborhood for this restaurant to survive.
One of the worst values for the money in the City of Chicago in my opinion. Because it is pricier than North Pond and the servings much smaller than a normal restaurant, I give it two stars to North Pond's 3. Sixteen has really good food and decor, but is just way too pricey for the uber small servings.
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