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Clinton (Pink, Green)
Mon-Thu. 3:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 3:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 3:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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Avec is the perfect place to wine and dine. You can save or splurge accordingly bc their wine list ranges from $25-to the upper 100's. Yes, $25 FOR A WHOLE BOTTLE of vino and champagne starting at $35.
The bacon-wrapped chorizo stuffed dates were even better than how I remembered them. If there's one dish you have to try, this is it. The dates were bigger than golfballs. It was the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy.
The taleggio foccocia reminded me of a gourmet grilled cheese. The metled cheese had the consistency of hot cream cheese, but there's something different about the flavor. It went sooo well with the wine & dates!
The pork shoulder was good, but not as good as the other dishes. It was extremely tender, but lacked flavor. I think I would have preferred the sauce from the dates. The hearty dish was bathed with tripe, beans, and mussels. We're not the biggest tripe fans, but Avec has a way of transforming organs into really appetizing dishes.
After 2 small plates, 1 large plate, and a bottle of wine, we left stuffed. I think the bill including tax/tip was about $100.
You're going to wait, so go as early as possible. But the food is worth the wait.
Avec is the cream of the crop. A perfect place for tapas style dining. When it gets crowded, the sound level is a little too high, but the food makes it worth it.
The chorizo stuffed dates might just be the best thing I've ever tasted in my life.
I also think it's great that they have reasonable wines, like a delightful Portuguese Vino Verde.
I'm going to have to figure out how to make those dates in Houston!
Avec, oh Avec. I was going to leave Chicago thinking that the town had nothing to offer in the culinary aspect. I mean, I went to a Spanish tapas place people raved about and found it quite disappointing. I went to Top Chef Rick Bayless's restaurant and left thinking it was good but didn't amaze. I had the world famous hot dogs and pizzas but I've had better dogs and pizza in LA. But Avec, oh Avec, you've got a hold on me. You've really got a hold on me.
Enter the elongated room where they've definitely made the most of their space. Behind the counter you have the chefs, the bartender. There are a couple seats at the counter and long tables from the entrance to the exit. Get comfortable with not having personal space because you'll probably be sitting next to strangers that can hear everything that you say, so you should probably save the illegal business and family drama for later.
I ask the waiter for a white wine that isn't too sweet, mildly fruity, and crisp tasting. He brings a vinho verde which was actually perfect for what I wanted. Then we look to the "tapas-like" menu, where everything is made to be shared.
Everyone raves about the chorizo stuffed dates. And I will add to that raving. The dates add a subtle sweetness to the chorizo and the bacon wraps all of that up in a perfect, tidy package. The tomato sauce encompasses the meatballs in perfect harmony and adds a great spicy kick. This comes with fresh baked rustic bread that pairs very well with the meat.
We also had the sunchoke (root of a plant similar to sunflower, we were told) crostini (little bread) with shaved Brussels sprouts, radish, in a light delicious truffle vinagrette. This was absolutely amazing. It has a very nutty flavor as the sunchoke is some sort of flower root that they mash up and the consistency tastes almost like hummus --served on crunchy bread. The shaved radish and Brussels sprouts on top added a great crunchy texture.
And this not being enough, we also felt compelled to order the wood-oven braised pork shoulder which is a large item (as if the 2 small ones before weren't already big enough for two hungry girls). This comes complete with mussels, tripe, and grape tomatoes. This dish actually had a very Asian inspired taste to it. Maybe it was the tripe. Maybe it was the spices. Either way, the pork just melts in your mouth and every bite is better than the last.
And then, as if all of that wasn't enough, we had to order the pear tart. It was almost like a crumble tart and it tasted pretty good with the spiced pumpkin-y ice cream on top.
Thank you, Avec. It was truly a delicious culinary experience. Oh. P.S. One of the chefs is totally good looking and I couldn't help but stare. He was making awesome focaccia and the crostinis. :)
Food is fresh, creatively prepared and features wonderful flavors. A must-hit if you're ever in Chicago. The founding chef is now the Obamas' personal White House chef.
Fantastic wine list and the interior is very minimalist, which I like. They don't take reservations, so be prepared to wait, especially if you go on a weekend night. The waitstaff were great. Our table ended up tipping way over and the waitress was kind enough to point it out and give us money back, so we just ended up giving her a little bonus.
Try the bacon wrapped dates, focaccia and crostini.
I know people LOVE this place and DIE when anyone says a less than positive thing about it. Well, brace yourself.
1. Front of the house staff was great. Nice and friendly. Umm..that's where all things positive end.
2. Our server BLEW. The restaurant is small enough that I can see who got seated after we did etc. Umm..why did it take 15 min for the server to come over, got irritated when we asked her questions, and then took the order from two other tables (who were seated after us) before us? Yeah...not sure either.
3. It was so bad we left before finishing our meal.
For me, service is a huge part of the whole overall experience. I understand when you are busy, and I will be patient, so long as you are courteous and somewhat attentive. When service is this bad, it makes my blood boil. My blood now? Boiling.
Seriously when someone tells you it's a 2 hour wait on a Saturday you go ugghhhh. But when 2 hours turns into 4 hours they can keep it.
The place is not that special folks...
Ordered four scrummy small plates, one delectable big plate, and four boozy bottles of wine for three people (too much wine, obviously). I ate with a real wine snob and apparently, Josh, the waiter, knows good wine. Avec, the restaurant, also knows good food. Really f---ing good food, let's not kid ourselves.
The fact that they don't take reservations (and eat holes in my wallet) is the only thing stopping me from going back every other week night. And then some.
Like the brazen food "connoisseurs" we are, we ordered : chorizo-stuffed medjool dates with bacon & piquillo sauce; saffron marinated chicken thigh; crispy sweetbreads; flatiron steak; and braised pork shoulder with mussels, tripe, tomato and savory streusel. The dates are insane. Seriously. I've made dates stuffed with camembert and wrapped in bacon before (gourmet party trick), and my dates look like a skinny, sad-eyed comparison to the voluptuous sweet and spicy roasted mess that got delivered to our table. Everything else was really good, you know, by anyone's standards (and at any other dinner would have been a highlight). Then came the pork shoulder--with mussels--in the most savory, finger-licking stew (or broth, or brew, or something). Technicolor food FEST!
I kept calling Josh by his first name and demanding he try our food (I may have been rather intoxicated by the time the final course arrived; hard to say). He didn't oblige such demands, but did drink a fair bit of our wine. Good chap, that one.
The dessert--well, to be frank, I'm sure it was good, but memory gets a little hazy at that point.
I do recommend the restaurant. I've tried Blackbird and Sepia (same owners) and love them too. Sepia, in particular, has ridiculously good cocktails, and some of the best front of house I've ever been party to. But Avec has the best food, hands down. I just hope they eventually start offering reservations, so I don't have to freeze my ass off for an hour the next time I want good cookin'.
Cool sleek space that makes the eater the decoration.
Communal feel with a long simple/straight seating area.
AMAZING! wine list with an unheard of selection of affordable choices;
I'm a wine geek and love to just pour over thier list.
Food is fantastic; small plates, Rustic French nouvo.
Music is eclectic and good.
Crowd can be questionable. -but then again, who isn't a douche from time to time.
When I think of pork, I think of Avec. I looooooooove Avec.....it's one of those places you dream and drool about. Yes - it's that good. Now this was not my first time at Avec (or my last) and I was a little scared to return. Did fame and notoriaty ruin the place? Am I going to like their new menu? Will it taint my previous experience? But being the food trooper that I am (and armed with several friends and cocktails) I waited for a table for an open seat in their communal dining room.
And the five stars tell you everything there is to know.... the food is great. There wasn't one bad dish (and we tried most of their items). If you are a foodie - it's a must do if you are in Chicago. The negatives (which I am willing to put up with for the experience) are the non-reservation policy and no waiting area (sidewalk bar - cute the first time, annoying the second time). If these are deal breakers go to Blackbird next door. Owned by the same people - different style (BB is a more formal) but great food nonetheless.
My friends always shake their heads in disbelievement when I tell them I have not ever eaten at Avec. "Why not?" they would utter "You've been to every place in town and not Avec? How is that possible?"
How was that possible, I wondered. And then I knew the answer. Avec takes no reservations and has communal seating. Two things that don't bode well for business discussions and since about half of my eating out is work related in some way- Avec just fell to the side until I could make a personal visit on a night (Monday) at a time (6pm) where I thought the wait might be minimized. And it was.
We were seated immediately at the very back table right in front of the kitchen area. We started with some of the cheeses from "the cave" and the assorted salami plate. Terrific. And the bread that came to the table was so tasty as well. A friend had told me about the chorizo stuffed dates so we had to order those. And he was right. They were exceptional.
For entrees- we split the the pasta special of the day which was angel hair pasta with squid. Delicious. And finally, we tried the turkey meatballs with orzo. Perfect as well.
While several of that day's desserts sounded tempting- we decided to forego more food for an after dinner drink as we brought the evening to a close.
While the food was great- service was a bit off. Our server acted like she didn't know the menu and was slow to come up with suggestions. Also- we shared everything which seemed to again throw her off. But the food made up for any inconsistency in the service, that's for sure.
Will communal seating ever be my favorite? I doubt it. And not taking reservations? I'm a girl who hates to wait. But those two things aside- the food makes up for any hesitation I may have had in visiting Avec. And you can bet I'll definitely be back. There are definitely more of those dates in my future!
I'd give this place a five if I wasn't such so claustrophobic. It's a very small space and we shared tables with other patrons. No big deal, just an unexpected surprise considering this is one of the best restaurants in Chicago according to friends.
The wait wasn't as long as I thought it would be-- we waited about 30 minutes on a Sunday night and had some amazing libations at Meji Sushi restaurant next door (hit that saketini).
I was looking forward to their blood sausage pasta and was disappointed that they did not have it... Fortunately, everything else I ate blew my mind. Especially the bacon-wrapped dates. A few other highlights: Saffron-marinated chicken thigh with cabbage agridolce, crimini mushroom and frisee salad and caraway creme fraiche vinaigrette, and the crispy sweetbreads with roasted beets, watercress and goat cheese bechamel.
I tried the pork shoulder, but I wasn't a fan. It was good, but all of the other dishes seemed to outshine the Yelp favorite.
Overall, it was one of my favorite spots to eat in Chicago-- but there were tons of mini gems in the wonderful city that stole my stomach.
It's definitely annoying this place doesn't take reservations... but I completely understand why! I sat at the bar and was able to watch everyone preparing meals... i LOVE that sort of thing, so I was highly entertained throughout dinner.
I have to admit, I crave the Chorizo-stuffed Medjool dates. Not to mention, I hate dates. The waiter bet me the dish that I'd love them and he was VERY correct! They are amazing! TRY THEM
Wine selection was great! I love the atmosphere-- it's different and I don't mind sharing tables or when things get loud... it's a restaurant, if you wanted peace and quiet, stay home!
I'd recommend going to this place with a group of 4 max-- otherwise it can take forever. Perfect date spot
can't wait to go back!
I've been three times. Once completely sober with a lady friend for her birthday, once pretty hammered around 11pm on a Thursday, and again on a Monday to show a friend how amazing it is.
First time, there was a VERY long wait, we hung outside and had a beer. The manager took our drink order. Love to see a place that is totally hands on.
We were sat in the middle of a communal table and at first it was very hard to get acclimated to the noise. Two drinks down and that was all in the past. We had a handful of different options with beer to boot. We left with a full belly and money to spare in our wallets.
Second visit I went with a few grown ups, yes that's right, I am 25 and don't consider myself a grown up. We went very late, almost midnight? I now think that is the perfect time to go, we had our own table! There were 8 of us and one guest did all of the ordering. We had a few bottles of wine, the truffle flat bread, dates, and whole fish topped my favorites that night.
Third visit, we went on a Monday, about 30 minute wait at 9PM, tried to order a few different beers. Note to beer drinkers, they get their beer delivery on Tuesday, so they were out of almost everything we tried to order. We sat at the bar for dinner, and this has probably been my favorite experience. The kitchen is small and in your face, it's amazing the volume of food these guys put out every night. We ordered the dates, meatballs, truffle flat bread, chicken, and two others that are escaping me at the moment. WAY too much food, but props to the server for letting us know that ahead of time. We didn't care, we wanted to be glutenous and stuff ourselves.
Avec gets it right every time and I will continue to rave and recommend it to everyone I know!
I'm surprised I'm giving this three stars, and I think it has potential, so I will probably go again and hopefully raise the rating. However, based on my first visit, I can't go any higher.
The chorizo dates were indeed really really good. But they're also HUGE. Which normally is a good thing, but I was literally full after them, and they were our first small plate. Next we had the brandade, which we had to ask for a description of. Basically it was like a crab dip, only made with cod and a few other classier ingredients. It was served warm with croistini, and it was pretty tasty. Then they forgot to bring out our order for sweetbreads and skipped right to our desert. That was my least favorite part - some sort of chocolate bar which was very boring and blah tasting.
The service was pretty good, except that they missed one of our orders. The set-up is a little strange and unnatural, but I guess that's what they were going for. And although the wait is crazy and there's no waiting area, at least they offer to call your cell when your table is ready, so you can go get a drink elsewhere.
My dad and I try to get together for dinner every so often, and we decided to try this place last night. I have mixed feelings because I enjoyed the service and the food, but the environment was a bit much for us. I think it would have been different had I been going with a bunch of friends, but this was not the place to go for a quiet dinner with my dad to talk and catch up.
The funny thing is, the communal seating and echoing walls wouldn't have even been that bad for talking and catching up if there hadn't been an obnoxiously loud, raucous group sitting at the front of the restaurant. My dad and I kept having to yell at each other to be heard, even repeating ourselves several times because the women had those high-pitched cackles that the wood walls did nothing to absorb. Every single person in the restaurant was staring at them, passive-aggressively trying to get the wait staff to say something. I'm not sure if they did but the group eventually got up and left and the restaurant was quite pleasant after that.
As for the food...we started out with the chorizo stuffed dates as an appetizer thanks to the recommendations I found on Yelp. They were pretty delicious, though they stay with you for awhile so don't order them if you're there on a first date. Then we each had two more small plates as our entrees - my dad tried the turkey meatballs which he liked and I had the flat iron steak, which was delicious and perfectly cooked, though a bit salty. The veggies they served with it were perfect too.
All in all, a pleasant experience, we probably just went at the wrong time.
Tried Avec twice. Tried so hard to like it. The gf loves this place and comes here to relax with a nice dinner surrounded by people who love to enjoy good food.
I have been working in a family run restaurant since I was 11. I have extreme amounts of patience when it comes to a lot of things that customers usually get irritated at--waiting for a table, waiter incompetence, an empty water glass, wrong orders, etc etc. What most people would complain about, I can deal with.
Both times - 2 hour wait. Not a big deal. Ordered the non traditional pre dinner drink of white port bc I can't find it anywhere else in the city. Drank that while we waited. Oh, and thanks to the girl who passed the bar...she and her husband bought my lady and me another round of drinks the second time we went. Much appreciated and they were adorable. :)
First time - the food was so so and the infamous dates were so spicy, I could taste nothing but fire in my mouth. Ordered a couple of salads...nothing memorable. Got the bill....what I expected for a restaurant in that area....maybe just a bad night. Waitress was friendly but managed to overtip herself by $10 when I had already left her 25%...hey, not her fault I didn't like the food but don't charge me an extra $10 for it. My fault I ordered it. The admin was great about it though and my credit card was refunded within 2 days.
Second time - Autumn spiced pate...not good. Infamous dates....were ok; I wasn't that impressed. Less spicy than the first time...but a little too much even still for me. The gf said they were ok, better than last time. Ordered a white fish entree and turkey meatballs, both were hearty but not very flavorful. Meatballs were a little dry...even for turkey. Waitress again was very kind and pleasant.
Saving grace? Staff is nice though a little slow; it's kind of understandable since they're always ridiculously busy. The hostess...I have to say...hats off to you for not socking the guy in the face who keeps throwing f-bombs at you bc he had to wait an extra 15 min. I'm sure that happens a lot.
I would have given it another star if it wasn't so overpriced. ($125ish for 2 drinks, 4 small dishes, 20% tip.) I'll stick to my neighborhood for a nice dinner...it'll definitely be worth the money more.
I know I'm in the minority, but, Avec, I'm sorry. For the sake of adoring my gf, I tried so hard to like you....but I'm never coming back again.
Avec is an amazing wine bar that shines as a restaurant with truly top-shelf food, easily 5 stars. A tiny little joint with large communal tables and a bar nestled next to Blackbird, done in all light woods, is a loud, raucous community event in every visit - you can't help but talk to people near you, and I've had some awesome experiences with just meeting random people on different visits.
Yes, the hyped dishes are All That: the bacon-wrapped dates are utterly sumptuous (and I don't like dates) and the current preparation of hangar steak (no matter what it is) tends to be juicy and flavorful in the extreme. The small pours of many different wines keeps Avec true to its wine bar roots and moniker. So many neat things to try, and a great complement for the food. The cheese selection is nice for a wine pairing and you can get a plate of accompaniments that includes Marcona almonds, panforte, and quince paste (which makes it all worthwhile for me, *dreamy sigh*).
You can't go wrong here, unless noisy and cramped bothers you. If you see it as social rather than negative, you've gotten the spirit of the place, and you'll be all good. Please try it. You owe yourself that much.
Ummm.. Avec totally missed the mark for me. I ordered everything that was suggested to me by friends (pork shoulder, chorizo bacon dates, brandade) and more (focaccia, saffron chicken), and sadly the only dishes I remotely liked were mostly bread (brandade & focaccia).
The focaccia was like a round panini with taleggio cheese in between (mildly bitter). It was decent but not worth $14. The brandade is a creamy dip that sounds boring but was probably my favorite item. The pork shoulder was stewed well and was a light dish considering it was pork. The rest of the dish didn't impress, though. The dates would have been great had it not come sitting on top some sauce that resembled ketchup, which made the dish have way too many dimensions: salty bacon, sweet dates, spicy chorizo, then tangy ketchup?? And lastly, the saffron chicken - the most disliked at our table. The chicken itself was dry and smoky, and the vinaigrette just overpowered the rest of the dish that I only picked out the chicken to eat.
Came in at 6:30 on a weeknight, and it was already full. Was with a party of 3 and didn't get seated until past 7 PM. Tables and plates are meant for sharing, so if you're claustrophobic or anti-social, request to be seated at the bar.
Lastly, there was one of those tiny outside spiders crawling on my plate as soon as I got it. I killed it with my cloth napkin, notified our waitress and asked her for a new plate setting. She just smiled like a robot and said, "OK." At least look concerned, hello???
So I thought this place was supposed to be the cheapest of the trio of Paul Kahan restaurants. How did we spend $30/pp then? Haven't been to blackbird, but Publican is way better than Avec for the same money spent.
We went in on a Sunday night at 9:30, a group of four girls, and had a 30 minute wait which was just fine as we enjoyed a few cocktails over at Meiji sushi next door.
We finally sit down in Avec and it is packed, tho about 30 minutes into our meal the place had emptied out a bit (keep that in mind: sunday night 10:30 no wait). They had a very small open kitchen with attractive line cooks and lots of great smells wafting thru the chic and streamlined dining room. The communal seating is great because you can see the food of other diners and ask question about what they love so far.
We started out the meal by asking out server Josh to just send out a few plates to get us started while we looked over the menu. Soon after, an olive plate and a truffle-taleggio hot foccacia arrived and our full trust was in Josh.
When you go here, be adventurous! Pork Shoulder with tripe and mussles? DELICIOUS. Fried Sweetbreads? EXCELLENTE! Flatbread with Bonito and Apples? ONE MORE PLEASE.
Avec was really affordable for the portions and flavors- You could literally order one of everything on the menu for under $300, and between 4-5 people that would be no problem. The four of us had about 10-12 dishes ourselves.
The wine list is Old-world centric, which was slightly disheartening because I could really imagine some of the spicy flavours pairing well with a Columbia Valley dry Riesling or matching some rustic game with a Walla Walla Merlot, but at the same time it pushed me out of my comfort zone and i went with a modest $40 bottle of Chateau de Caladroy, a fruit bomb of syrah, grenache, carignan, and mourvedre from Cotes du Rousillon. The wine list is VERY AFFORDABLE as well- the priciest at about $120 but most within the $35-55 range. It really si designed to go with the food, so I understand why it is only italy/portugal/france/spain. When we were finished with the bottle and on to our dessert cheese plate, a few complimentary glasses of a different wine of the same varietals came to the table along with a plate of chocolate. He said, 'i figured you'd need something to drink since you finished the bottle'. Now that is what separates good service from great hospitality. (As a restaurant server myself, I was impressed).
All in all, a wonderful meal and a great memory. Next time I come, I will take advantage of the late hours so I won't have to wait!
Atmosphere: A+
Service: A+
Food: A+
Value: A+
Wine List: B+
Hours: A+
Simply put: Avec lives up to the hype.
I had heard all the wonderful things about Avec ("Get the dates! You MUST get the dates!!!!) but I did not have the opportunity to personally partake until this past Thursday night. The fiancee heard some good news on the work front so we decided to heard to Avec to celebrate. When we arrived at around 6:30 PM, we found out (much to our pleasant surprise) that there would be no wait. What? No wait on a Thursday night at Avec? Sweetness. Right then I knew the stars were aligned for us tonight so we were undoubted going to have a most excellent meal.
The meal itself was terrific. Service was friendly and pleasant and we lucked out in sitting next to a family visiting from Dallas. (On a side note: how many tourists do you know go eat at Avec? Color me impressed.) But to be honest, it was the food that won us over. Our feast for the evening:
* Salumi Assortment - Three slices of four different salumi's. I don't recall exactly what we got but it was excellent, especially with the awesome Avec bread.
* Turkey and Guanciale Meatballs - If you haven't heard of guanciale before, it's basically pork cheek. And as we all know, any sort of cheek (beef, cod, etc) is bound to be tasty. These meatballs were no exception to the rule, as they were absolutely juicy and flavorful.
* Chorizo-Stuffed Dates - Ah, the infamous dates. The first thing I noticed was how ginormous they were. By my guess, one date was the equivalent of a child's fist, which sounds small until you try to put one in your mouth. Ok, that sounded slightly disturbing but you catch my drift. Anyway, the dates were as good as advertised. Stuffed with chorizo AND wrapped with bacon -- come on. How can you go wrong?
* Braised Pork Shoulder w/Clams and Tripe - Believe it or not, I actually liked this dish better than the dates. Perhaps it's because I'm a sucker for anything braised. Seriously, braise any type of meat and I'll happily eat it (same goes for deep frying). While the shoulder was moist and tender as expected, the real surprise was the tripe. I like tripe at dim sum and in pho but that's about it. However, the tripe that came with this dish was wonderfully prepared and absolutely delicious.
In conclusion: Avec is as good as people say it is. For reals. Hands down one of the best restaurants in Chicago. So go already.
One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. Get the figs!
They have a new menu this season. We ordered 5 dishes for 4 of us and it was plenty!
First, I'd like to mention that the wait time never gets shorter. We got there around 7:30 and were told the wait was going to be 1 hour. Fine, we went elsewhere for drinks and came back an hour later. The wait time was now 45 minutes. Wait...yes. one hour, fourty five minutes later we got our seats.
In our party, there was one person who has never been to avec before, so we ordered the mandatory stuffed dates. They were much spicier than I remember. I went through a couple of glasses of water just to eat one date.
The next dish that was brought out was prosciutto with ricotta with peaches and mint. Honestly, after eating the dates, the prosciutto tasted bland, almost flavorless. It could be because my mouth was still on fire, or it could be because the prosciutto was, in fact, nothing more than slices of (very fine) meat paired with ricotta and peaches.
Then we got Focaccia (flatbread) with Teleggio cheese and truffle oil. Oy. The smell and the taste of the truffle oil (first time for me) was overwhelming. It reminded me of someone with really bad breath. My friend (who's had truffle oil before) said that they might've just used too much.
We had pan-friend fish which was really really good. Usually, I never order fish because I'm not really a fan. But I ended up eating most of it.
BLT. Well. It was the best dish of the evening. Pan Roasted Foie Gras - melts in your mouth. Heirloom tomatoes were really fresh and extremely flavorful. Tomato Bacon vinaigrette was the "cherry on top". The bacon came in tiny pieces, crunchy, cooked to perfection. I highly recommend this dish.
Four of us went to Avec on a Sunday night for dinner. We got there around 7:30 and were seated by 8.… Read more »
I was so glad finally to make it to Avec. The cuisine has intrigued and enticed me for several months. It really helps to have a guide who knows the menu, as I did, because there are so many great choices that an indecisive orderer like me could probably end up spinning my wheels until they kicked me out. I wish that I had tried one or two more dishes (particularly the hanger steak, boar sausage, or pork shoulder) but that's easy to say sitting here with an empty stomach. I'll just have to return again soon...
We started with the dates (hold that thought) and a newer menu item, the potato/cauliflower salad with sun-dried tomatoes, green beans, and anchovy vinaigrette. I really liked the earthier flavors of the potato and cauliflower together with the more traditionally salad/"green" flavor of the beans. Do not fear that the anchovy vinaigrette will overwhelm the other flavors--it did nothing but nudge and accent. Well done.
The bacon/chorizo dates have quite a reputation, and deservedly so. I notoriously do NOT eat fruit and meat together. It took a lot of arm-twisting to make this exception, and I have to say that this dish came very close to making me forget about my rule. The date flavor comes in late, and the sweetness is strongly handled (almost banished) by the savory/spicy chorizo. This sausage, made in house, is flat-out amazing. I could eat it plain with bread and be very happy. Probably the weakest aspect of the dish was the texture, not the flavor, of the dates. They were just a bit of mush being crushed under the weight of the meats. The red-pepper sauce is a perfect complementary touch.
We intended to order a fourth dish, but as it happened, the brandade was our last of the evening. They brought us extra bread, and we practically cleaned the bowl. If you are thinking "What--pureed fish and cheese dip?" please don't skip it for that reason. It does not taste overly "fishy" and was really sort of...delicately rich? Is that a paradox? None of the flavors are too heavy, but it is very flavorful. The brandade would have been a great "in between" course, except that we filled up on it and didn't feel like eating more meat.
Oh well, I'll just have to make another visit when I am feeling more carnivorous (i.e. days ending in "y"). Come early to get a seat!
Hip, young, and casual.
I think they share their kitchen with Blackbird, so they already have that 'good food' gene.
A 5 star place to share a meal with your 5 star friends!
We arrived here around 6 with another couple on a Saturday night. We'd heard about the no-reservations policy and understood from an earlier phone call that the wait could be "at least a half hour." With no movement in the waiting list after an hour and 45 minutes (and few servers around to keep our wine glasses full), we gave up and drove out to a more welcoming place in Oak Park.
We hear the food at Avec is very good. But unless they come up with a more hospitable business model, we'll never know.
Flat out amazing dining experience. Our waiter was a smart foodie and gave great recommendations.
The family-style seating potentially makes it the wrong place for a date, but is fun if you don't need an intimate dinner. The primary topic of conversation at our table was, of course, how freaking delicious everything was.
A great experience. I went on a date and had the best time. You have to be open to giving up some personal space and like a lively crowd. The food was out of this world.
UNBELIEVABLE.
First, and most important: believe everything you've read about those chorizo stuffed dates. Well, except for the name, because in reality they are chorizo meatballs wrapped in dates and bacon. When you see an item with that name on a menu for $9, the picture in your head is not what you're going to get. Here I am imagining these little dates with a nibble of chorizo inside... instead, this is main course kind of food. I went so far as to save one last bite so it could be the last thing I ate before leaving. I will remember that dish forever.
Luckily for us, Avec offers so much more. And from our tiny sampling of the menu, everything delivers in a surprising way.
My girlfriend and I went on a Monday night, just before 6, and our timing couldn't have been better. I had assumed it would be crowded and we'd be sitting at the bar (if at all), but we were promptly seated and began enjoying a couple of beers almost immediately as we looked over the menu.
The dishes at Avec are designed and portioned to be shared with others, which was perfect for us because we always wind up splitting entrees. We decided to go "light," which meant we only chose 4 plates and an appetizer of house marinated olives, while skipping dessert.
The starter plate of olives and bread was a perfect beginning, with a variety of olives each having a unique flavor (the smallest ones had a chocolaty note, while another kind definitely had a gorgonzola/blue cheese element).
Our next plate was the roasted sunchoke crostini. It was so unexpectedly flavorful that it rivals the aforementioned chorizo-stuffed dates for favorite part of the meal. Perhaps it was the truffle vinaigrette that added the perfect amount of saltiness to the fluffy, bitter greens, but whatever it was, this was the moment we really knew we were in for a special meal.
Our third dish... did I mention the chorizo-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon? I can't stress enough how amazing this dish was. I told my girlfriend that I wished I lived in Chicago and worked nearby, just so I could make a weekly visit for this dish. The pequillo pepper tomato sauce was really what sent this into the stratosphere, with just enough acidity to tame the sweetness of the dates and the spice of the sausage.
Since we were unaware of what we were getting into with the chorizo-stuffed dates, we followed this meatball feast with a second meatball feast -- the turkey and guanciale meatballs with orzo. These were fantastic, but I'm sad to say that I could barely pay attention to them because I was still savoring the previous plate. Still, how can you go wrong with meatballs made from delicate bacon made from the jowls of a pig? The orzo was perfectly cooked as well. If you fear the spice of chorizo, perhaps this would be a good alternate choice?
Finally, we capped our meal off with the roasted swordfish. It was delicious (I had never had swordfish). I was especially thrilled at how well the smoked ham hock complimented the fish, and absolutely stunned at the flavors in the braised chana dal. There was this wonderful lemon/citrus flavor that burst out after a few moments, turning the whole concoction into this wonderful mix of tender and crispy, smoky and sweet.
Best of all: the price! This is top notch, gourmet dining at a pretty affordable price. Our tab (4 beers and 5 dishes) came to almost $80 before tip, and we could have (maybe should have?) trimmed one dish from our list and still remained absolutely stuffed. Of course, we regret not even glancing at the dessert menu, but one more bite could have ruined us.
For those who don't like to rub elbows with others, be forewarned: the seating at Avec can be tight, as everyone basically sits together. This was actually kind of fun for us, because you get to ask people about their food or even give recommendations to a new party seated right next to you.
The service is quick and impeccable, and the setting is more of a dinner party atmosphere than I would have expected. Avec was completely without pretense or the snootiness one would expect from a 5 star establishment. My girlfriend and I were absolutely thrilled to be eating our meal to the sounds of ELO, and we were glad to get out as the sounds of ambient techno crept in.
Thursday , 7:30 , 2 for dinner
Was told there would be a 30 minute wait but was seating in about 5 minutes. Minimalist décor, a trendy spot. No TVs! Though perhaps not the best choice for a first date. Seating is commune style so there isn't much privacy as you're seated shoulder to shoulder with other diners. Could be fun, if you like to chat up strangers.
I only have 2 minor complaints: (1) It's a little on the loud side; I found it hard to maintain an easy conversation. (2) the chairs are hard, check out the restaurant pics, its like sitting on a coffee table, without a back. Tough for a 2 hour dinner.
A + Chorizo-stuffed Medjool dates w/ smoked bacon and pepper-tomato sauce you've heard it 100 times, and here it is again. Get the dates. Wonderful spicy delicious tomato sauce
A + Nichols Farm potato and cauliflower salad with haricots verts. A surprise star for me. I didn't think I'd like potatoe salad but again there was this wonderful spiciness
A Pan-roasted mackerel with mint-cured bacon, garbanzo beans. Nice presentation, easy lemon flavor and of course bacon makes everything better. I love garbanzo beans.
B Wood-fired flatbread with Spanish bonito tuna, celery root, pickled Melrose peppers, egg and market apples. Maybe not the best choice. A crisp crust, and meaty tuna taste. Not over fishy, but the apples didn't add much to this dish. And I wasn't as delighted as I was but everything else.
C+ Service. Our waitor was maybe a little overworked? I wanted to like him because he was pleasant and brief. But one of our orders didn't make it in and he forgot about us halfway through the meal : we waited about 15 minutes for another round of drinks and 15 minutes for the check.
Very reasonable pricing here and a good find. The quality of food, sincere preparation, creativity & thought going into each dish; quit a treat I think.
A super spot, with some minor logistical issues: solid food, solid seating.
I never know how to begin writing about places that already have gagillions of reviews, but here's hoping my experience adds a little something to the already vast ocean of information.
A double birthday celebration brought us to Avec on a warm summer night, and despite getting there fairly early (on a weeknight even!), we still waited 45 minutes for a table, and even then ended up eating at the bar. In the meantime, a well-poured manhatten on the rocks kept me going in the cute little waiting area out front, and the service at the bar ended up being very personal and attentive, so it all worked out.
It's been said over and over, but the chorizo stuffed dates - holy mama they were a)huge and b)amazing! The small plate of boudin sausage was probably our least favorite, just a little too soft for my liking, but the rest of the meal was divine. I highly recommend ending your meal with a cheese course, it was absolutely delicious. One of the servers talked us through our choices of cheese, helping us pick what we'd like best. Heaven. Not to mention the warm wood interior is so inviting and cozy!
We did order a bottle of wine, which was more expensive on the check than on the menu, and which they apologized for saying that the new price hadn't been updated. It would have been nice to been offered to fix the difference, but we had such a good meal until then that it just wasn't worth making a stink over.
So here's what I learned about Avec. Go early. Prepare to wait. Offer to sit at the bar for some great service. Get the chorizo stuffed dates. Get lots of things really, there's so much good stuff to try! End with a cheese course.
Relish the amazing meal as you stroll along Randolph street afterwards. Man what a great food town we've got!
One of the nicer places we ate dinner at on our trip. In fact, it's so fancy they don't want any cell phones out while you're there. It was pricey for not that much food, but the atmosphere and experience made up for it. My favorite were the coffee braised pork ribs. They were delicious and tender...melted in my mouth and fell right off the bone! The chorizo stuffed dates w/bacon were also pretty good. Sweet and meaty.
The place is much smaller than I expected and I think it looks way cooler in the pictures than it does in real life. The kitchen closes at midnight and the bar closes at 3am. We thought there would be an area to hang out at all night, but it's not really that type of place.
All in all, I'm glad I got to have at least 1 nice sit down dinner on my vacay and I enjoyed the food, but I still left hungry.
This was my favorite meal during of the 4 or 5 restaurants we tried in Chicago. The best dishes were actually the veggie dishes. the brussel sprout salad tasted like butter, and that is obviously a good thing. that was the highlight of the meal. Everything else was very good, the chorizo dates were delicious and I loved the blueberry flan even though it made me feel like I was eating something "healthy". Also really enjoyed the cheese plate.
I also promise that I was not swayed by the fact that the chef was wearing a dodgers baseball cap.
I'm not a wino, but it seemed like the staff was pretty knowledgeable, and I personally enjoyed the sparkling wines (we were there on a festive occasion) that they served.
After a long long day sightseeing chicago on a rainy cold night we took a cab to Avec a small bar bistro which had more people waiting outside for a table. Persistent me insisted we eat no where else and we had almost finished half bottle of wine while waitingby the rain when we got bar side seats.
Out order:
Chorizo-stuffed Medjool dates with smoked bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce
Pan-fried lake trout with pain perdu, lemon aioli, cornichons and watercress
"Deluxe" focaccia with Taleggio cheese, truffle oil and fresh herbs
THe food was delicious and perfectly portioned for me. But I wish they'd have a bigger place or maybe take reservations coz after waiting for 30 mins in rain you really dont get to enjoy the food as much and we definitely felt rushed.
Avec is only open for Dinner they have a decent wine and cheese menu. with a tiny place and even tiny kitchen they do an amazing job on the food.
Went here on a rainy Tuesday at it wad still packed wall to wall. They take no reservations so expect to wait if you have a large group. Service was excellent food was good. Bacon wrapped dates were good as advertised. Our server recommend the pork shoulder entree but that was a miss for us. If I'm having pork shoulder I'd rather have it smoked for hours and slathered in BBQ sauce ( at Smoque BBQ) The menu is more exotic than I'm used to and maybe I'm just not adventurous enough to enjoy the cuisine.
I will be back to give it another try but for the $120 we spent I could name many other spots I'd rather go to.
Chorizo-stuffed Medjool dates. Salumi assortment. Prosciutto with peaches. These are a few of my favorite things!!
It's a cozy, contemporary space. We shared a table with two other groups but it's easy to forget that you're rubbing elbows with a stranger. Great food in a laid back atmosphere. What more could you ask for?
Hands down one of my favorites!!! The wine and food are delicious. I do feel like you get better treatment when you know people that work there and if you don't and they feel you don't fit the "type" to dine here, they will overlook you and the service goes out of the window. I have had complaints from friends I referred there, but when they went we me they enjoyed.
Everything is always great, all of the time, PERIOD! Try anything they are offering, and it will be great. The service is always good, no matter who is waiting on you. I really don't need to write a dissertation about this place. Just go eat there and you will have a great experience. Avec is, and always will be, one of Chicago's best.
Be ready to wait about 1 hr for seats, but I'd say it's worth it. I walk in and I immediately feel 10x more hip and trendy already! The whole place is decked out in wood and with the glass bottle wall in the back I feel like I'm in a giant wine bin.
True to form, the chorizo wrapped dates are pretty amazing. If I was pickier I would say that there was too much chorizo and I would've liked to taste more date-ly sweetness and crunchy pork fat. Next came their version of the BLT which included probably the smallest piece of foie gras I have ever seen. Again if I was picky I would gasp at how the delicacy of the foie gras was overwhelmed by the bacon dressing. Then we had the Brandade and finally finished with the pork shoulder. The pork was amazingly cooked and fell apart in my mouth. However our waiter forgot about our order so we had to wait 30 min just to try it, and there was no apology for how long it took.
So all in all I would give it 3.5 stars. Good thing I'm not picky...
I love Avec. The concept is a little annoying (shared tables, no reservations), but the food made me not care. We went on a cold Sunday night, and the delights inside were the perfect thing to warm us up.
We tried the duck confit, chorizo-stuffed dates, and the marinated hangar steak. Each dish was sinfully rich and punched us in the face with flavor. Those dates are one of the best things I've had. Also, the people sitting next to us gave us their last piece of pizza because they were full. See? Communal dining isn't all bad.
This was several months ago, and their menu rotates. You'll always have new things to try at Avec.
Let's make this simple. It's all about those bacon-wrapped chorizo-stuffed dates. I must admit, I was extremely intoxicated the first time I tried them (spent the hour and a half wait drinking soju at Nara next door) and I woke up the next morning and remembered having the most amazing BBQ meatballs imaginable. It was that good. And then it's all about the focaccia, it was ridiculous. They must have put something illegal in there. I've also had the pork shoulder and whole roasted fish, which were both good but definitely overshadowed by the dates. I'm usually a hater of the more expensive, trendy-type restaurants (basically whatever my girlfriend likes), but this place won me over.
In addition, Avec has a solid beer selection for relatively reasonable prices. As I mentioned before, there is a considerable wait if you arrive later in the evening. The restaurant itself is fairly small, with long communal tables and simple, modern decor. Everyone working there was extremely nice (even the time we clearly had too much to drink beforehand). What an awesome place.
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