Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Overview:

A fan of the BOKA Group restaurants, I was excited to go to Balena. Service was top notch, wine list amazing and appetizers were tasty!

I didn't come on an empty belly so we only ordered a few apps. First we ordered the Seafood Salad with Golden Raisins, Arugula - a large portion, great to share. We then had their special fish (the waitress compared it to tuna) which you could tell was wild caught after taking the first bite. Lastly we had the Tuscan Kale Salad, tonnato, sardines, croutons which I loved despite being weird about eating sardines. I would love to come back and try more dishes from the dinner menu and also The Balena - a large platter of meats and cheeses for $30.

Special Dishes:

Seafood Salad

Elizabeth

Overview:

If you have not been to Yusho, make a reservation immediately. I was so happy with my meal here - EVERYTHING we had was delicious. We came on a Saturday night and sat at the counter so we could watch the cooks in the open concept kitchen.

The cocktail list is on par with other Chicago restaurants. I had the New Culture: redemption rye, rhubarb, lemon, vermouth di torino, abbott's bitters - yummy! Then I switched to a dry Italian wine when the food began to arrive.

For dinner we had the special grilled oyster - it was HUGE. I forgot the name but there was enough meat for two to have a few bites each. Chicken liver - came two ways, mousse and sauteed liver on top. It was really good if you dipped the liver chunks in the mousse. The octopus (enoki mushrooms, haricot vert, egg yolk vinaigrette) was cooked perfectly and awesomely seasoned. I was really impressed with the Maitake mushroom (egg vinaigrette, dashi gelée), bursts of flavor with each bite. We also had the pork belly which was 3 pieces of pork with kimchi on top.

I can't remember what we had for dessert - probably because they didn't last long.

So happy with everything Yusho had to offer. Will be back!

Special Dishes:

Maitake Mushrooms, Chicken liver, Pork Belly

Elizabeth

Overview:

My whole dining experience at Telegraph was amazing but first things first, the SQUAB was delicious! My friend and I nicknamed it Squabalicious, Squabtastic, Squabtious. If it is on the menu when you go you must order!

We went on a Saturday night around 8:30 with no reservations but thankfully they reserve a section of their communal table for walk-ins. We ordered a medium priced bottle of red which was delicious and exactly what we wanted. My favorite thing about wine bars is no matter the price point, all the wines are top notch, they really take the time to select some great varietals.

We had the foie gras mousse and cheese plate for appetizers. They both were delcious and went well with the wine.

I really liked the vibe of Telegraph. I live in Logan Square and I've been meaning to visit for awhile. I will def. be back when new friends want to go out in my hood! :)

Special Dishes:

Squab, Foie Gras Mousse

Elizabeth

Overview:

We came here on a Thursday night for a birthday dinner. We got here a little early but they take resos for the bar seats (walk-ins) so you can't really wait at the bar. They do have a small space up front you can wait - which is where we went. The cocktails were well-thought out, you could tell when you tasted them. Kudos to the mixologist behind the bar, he was really friendly!

We were a group of five so we ended up ordering a bunch of different dishes from the menu and sharing. We started with the steak tartare which was perfectly delicious - it went fast! We also got the cheese plate, mussels, black eyed peas, salami plate, polenta fries, gnocci and asparagus. The asparagus and black eyed peas are a must!

We finished with dessert (buttermilk panna cotta), which I couldn't even take a picture of because we pretty much inhaled it.

This spot reminded us of somewhere you would find in NYC, it was def. a cool vibe. The chefs were pretty cute too ;)

Special Dishes:

Steak tartar, asparagus w/ truffle butter, panna cotta

Elizabeth

Overview:

I came here on my birthday with a table of 8 - we had a few people show up unannounced and they were happy and quick to accommodate. We each had a drink at the front bar while we waited for a larger table. They have a really fun and delicious cocktail menu- most of their drinks are made with tequila.

For dinner we ordered pretty much half the menu and split everything. It was enough for everyone to have a bite of each dish. I was most partial to the foie gras mousse (SO GOOOOOOOD), the hamachi carpaccio appetizer and the octopus. I want to go back soon and try more of Chef Poli's dishes! Also, I just saw on Facebook that they do half off on Mondays - score!

Special Dishes:

Foie Gras Mousse, Hamachi Carpaccio