November 21, 2011
- Food:
Italian
- Decor:
very open, view of lake michigan, slightly dated
- Service:
impeccable
- Cost:
$$$$$
- Wine / Cocktails:
Extensive Italian wine list
Overview:
I will start this review as I have started several others... I really wanted to love this place. My expectations were probably higher than for most. You see, I've worked in the same building as Spiaggia for about 6 years now. I had a one time disaster experience with the cafe at lunch, combined with a rather hefty bill and sort of wrote the entire group off.
Several years later, my partner decided this is where he wanted to go for his 35th bday. I made the reservation complete with my credit card to promised we'd show up and it was decided.
We had fully intended on doing the tasting menu, our usual "M.O." with a place of this caliber. But upon review, the eight course (7 with white truffles) had a $295 a head price tag, sans wine. I hate to compare apples to oranges, but I instantly revert to my 20 course Alinea menu for $210. We decided to not have my in-laws go into cardiac arrest and opted for the a la carte menu.
We all went along with the program and ordered 3 courses. They allowed me to do my antipasto off the tasting menu (Fried Vandeboom Farm red egg, with Moser Cornish hen sausage brioche and crispy skin vinaigrette), tasty, but I wish the truffles had come forth a bit more. My pasta course was the Veal filled pasta with fennel pollen and crispy veal breast, my favorite of the evening. I could eat this everyday! The entree was the veal chop. Tender, juicy, very tasty, but I've had this before in other places. The one slight twist was the chop was still on the bone, not just any bone, a 12" bone that was so big it caused problems with the other items on the table and well off my plate! Very Flinstone's esque!
Overall, the food was very good. Very good, not excellent. If the entrees were half this price, we'd be singing praises up and down the aisles. $70 for a veal chop and you better not have me thinking about the last time I drooled over the chop at MK.
Now for the praise. The service here is absolutely amazing. A "well oiled machine". The birthday boy was greeted immediately and every other person that then talked with our table knew who he was and wished him a happy birthday. Our server was one of the best I've ever had in find dining. Absolutely knowledgeable without being overbearing. He chose a wine for us based on our price request, which was marvelous (we had 2 bottles!). He made confident recommendations that were spot on for each guest.
This review seems to be teaming with comparisons, I'm aware. But, I can only go with my heart (or my stomach) and think of my several meals at Babbo in NY. At about 1/3 of the price (our bill was over $1K for 4 at Spiaggia), it was better food than what we had this evening. As I then think through my experience, if Spiaggia was charging even 1/2 of what they are now it would be well worth the money and someplace I would want to frequent on a more regular basis. I hope the restaurant takes the amazing operation they have and modernize things a bit to be more relevant to the current Chicago dining scene.
Recommended Dishes:
Veal filled pasta with fennel pollen and crispy veal breast, veal chop
