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Categories: American (New), Lounges, Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Wicker ParkDivision (Blue)
Mon. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tue. 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Wed. 6:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Thu-Fri. 6:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sun. 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I get nervous when a restaurant has a change in chefs. Obviously, everything was still amazing because it's still a 5-star place to me!
I dined here with my wonderful man friend a few weeks ago and we had a great evening. Menu highlights included the Ahi flatbread, fried rice mariscos and spicy mantou burgers. If they bring back the lobster trifecta, I'd be dining at Between weekly (hint, hint!) Sadness came at the sight of the dessert menu: where is my beloved Betwinkie?!
If you were once an avid Betweener, I recommend returning. Their savory menu did not disappoint, they keep the drinks flowing, and the vibe is still rockin'.
An all around great restaurant/lounge. It's kinda hidden on a stretch of Milwaukee, but don't let… Read more »
After work drinks and some bites to eat on a Friday. Sounds good right?
Hmm... not open until 6pm? Okay, we can wait 15 minutes, I guess.
I guess happy hour at Between is out of the question for the future.
We're the first people in the door and select our spot in one of the couch, loungy areas surrounded by pink stringy curtains. Very fun.
We begin perusing the long specialty drink menu and are a bit sad that the only drink specials start at 10pm. Say whaaat? Oh well. I'll have the hot and dirty martini and she'll have the guavarita. What kind of vodka would I like? Oh, um... Ketel One should be fine. (No mention that I'll be getting the $3 top shelf charge added to my already $11 drink on our bill... thanks.)
Both drinks arrive a short time later and by then, we've picked four plates to share as the recommended amount to order from our server.
We order and I take my first sip of my jalapeno/dirty martini. I swallowed with some difficulty. My friend hit it right on when she said it tasted like spicy pickle juice. Where was the vodka? Yeowch! This was gross. Her guavarita fared better, but not much. Later, I noticed that they didn't have a dedicated bartender, so servers were making their own drinks. As the place filled up, the service really suffered, as I'm sure the drinks did as well. For a lounge to have such awful drinks? Unhappy = me.
Just when I'm getting over the martini catastrophe, order a beer and start to relax into my plush couch, our food arrives. ALL FOUR PLATES at the SAME TIME. Three of these plates are hot food items. In what world would you bring 4 shared courses to two people all at once? Elementary serving mistakes all over the place.
The food was actually pretty good and I'd give it 4 stars standing on it's own without the awful drinks and bad service. We tried to get to most everything while it was warm, but failed. Here's my thoughts:
Quinoa salad: Very good, and one of the more reasonably priced items for what you get. It was large and easily shared, though I could have done without the cucumber gelee. It was too firm and I had to chew it. Weird for the sake of being weird.
Sweet Potato wrapped Shrimp in Passionfruit sauce with Green salad: This was very good and the shrimp weren't overcooked at all. I would have liked to see 4 shrimp rather than 3 so the item could be more easily shared, but overall, very nice flavors.
Spicy Mantou Burgers: Everything you've heard is correct. These were awesome. Soft buns, juicy, spicy meat and some amazing fries on the side.
Peruvian stir fry dish: Beef and a few veggies stir-fried with french fries. Huh? The meat was very tender and tasty, but the limp french fries were confusing. Also, this one was pretty chilly by the time we got to it, so maybe it's better when served properly.
Dessert: Chocolate Soup. Decent, but considering we were offered dessert then told that half the items were unavailable, this was our 4th choice. I wouldn't order it again.
From the time we mentioned we were ready for our check to when it came was 35 minutes. Only three servers for the whole place as far as I could tell and none of them seemed to be very efficient (especially since they were all making their own drinks).
Overall, the atmosphere is fun, but I feel like it could be pushed even further and be more girly and luxe. The food was good, but the bad drinks, high price tag and sad service turned me off. I won't be back.
This place is weird and would get more stars if it wasn't so darn expensive.
First they lost our reservation, and although the place was empty were rude about seating us, saying they were full??
The atmosphere was almost sleek and cool, but missed the mark. The floors were dingy, some of the carpet was coming up, some walls were only halfway painted and the place looked like it just wasn't quite finished, or poorly furnished. If felt oddly empty at 8pm on Sat night.
There's pretty much only one veggie option on the menu.
My favorite was the potato dish, and the ahi flat bread was ok. Everything else was entirely un-memorable. Except the LuLu cocktail with prosecco in it, that was horrible.
Nothing else was particularly memorable. Except the weirdness of it all.
I've recently moved back to Chicago and went here with some of my friends. I loved the atmosphere! I loved the plate sharing! I was a little alarmed of how empty the place was. It looks like more promoting needs to be done. My friend mentioned to me that she has bee there before and the menu has changed which upset her because she came back specifically for that plate. I think that is unfortunate for that restaurant because it' doesn't promote loyal clientele (if they can't count on having their favorite meal).
It was a little pricey for the small plates but, I will definitely be back.
Good food and drinks but for the price i've had better. Atmosphere is on the verge of being cool but seemed a bit under construction.
I enjoyed the ribeye steak the most, well marniated and cooked perfectly, and came with some tasty layered potatoes (like au gratin), asparagus, and mushrooms. Mmmm... also enjoyed the mini lamb chops with potatoes, ahi tuna flatbread. Ceviche was good, but was almost all fish (which for me is not good), as was the salad (could have used more mixed greens). Could have skipped the salmon on top of cold mash potato thing. Overall the food was creative, mostly balanced, but a bit too much into meat dishes .. i think they had zero dishes without meat, altho the server said we could request a vegetarian version of anything on the menu. Desserts looked tempting but they were out of the chocolate and apple crisp ones .. so we skipped it.
Cocktails were interesting - I had a tasty rob roy (bourbon, port wine, bitters), my friend had a hot'n'dry martini (jalepeno kick balanced the booze and the dry quite well), but my girlfriend didn't like her champagne thing.
Our server was very attentive but the hostess was confused when she couldn't find our reservation. I was like .. do you want me to play the voicemail i got confirming our reservation? Luckily some dude (the bartender?) hooked us up with a table. I only mention this as being weird because there was like only 4 people total in the entire restaurant when we arrived there around 7pm saturday night.
Went here with friends and was immediately confronted by an odd reservation issue (they didn't have our reservation) which was corrected but put the evening on strange footing right from the get-go.
Food was okay but a little too salty. If you're a vegetarian you're kind of out luck as there were very few veggie options. Drinks were good, service was attentive. The decor feels both overwrought and unfinished at the same time. Overall it just seems like it was trying too hard to be hip and trendy.
After a successful Tuesday GNO (Girls Night Out) dinner at Bristol, we came over here for some cocktails. I had seen a review of this cafe on 190 North (I guess it was taped a year ago and they just recently replayed it). Good thing too, beacuse I saw it and just had to come in to check things out.
The decor is SO SUPER COOL! Ladies- round up a group for your next GNO or bring a man to makeout with in the sexy curtained off seating areas!! This place was decorated with us in mind! It is dark and sexy. There is bar seating and on the opposite wall there are seperate seating areas sectioned off with red fringe from floor to ceiling. They literally use the red fringe as a giant floor to ceiling curtain to partition off these special seating areas.
Our waiter was cool and fun. He was prompt with the drinks too, which is extremly important to a GNO. I had the martini they talked about on 190 North (it's called the hot and dirty- vodka martini with jalapeno olive juice, garlic, blue cheese and habanera stuffed olives). Yeah- all that in one glass. It was FANTASTIC! I had two of them and let me tell you- I was done for after two!!
We got to meet the owner who was so sweet to us! He even sent over a couple of complimentary scoops of ice cream for our GNO sweet tooth! I will absolutely return- and next time I want to try the food!!!
Two enthusastic thumbs up!!! I can't wait to return!!
For a place this swanky, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. Their fall menu is full of interesting choices with a lot of seafood and Asian influence, including a spicy shrimp soup which, alas, we did not order.
Here's what we did have:
Ahi tuna flatbread--the fish was very good but somewhat overwhelmed by the mango and tomato components, and even more disappointingly, by the flatbread itself. If they shift around the balance of the ingredients, this would be an excellent little plate.
Spicy mantou burgers--very interesting, lively flavors in these little sandwiches; and the bao buns are a great touch--tactilely delightful! The fries were standard thin-cut, tasty but a bit oversalted, served with a wasabi aioli.
Fried rice mariscos--the star of the meal! Shrimp, scallops, octopus, and squid with delightfully still-crisp onions and green and red peppers...delicious. Just slightly too oily, but it tasted great, so who cares.
They had drink specials, too: $4 Stella Artois and Stolichnaya cocktails, and $5 guavaritas. $4 Stellas got me through dinner, after which I tried the "Rob Roy Between" which was curiously much closer to a Manhattan than a Rob Roy--Knob Creek, port, and blood orange bitters. I can understand if "their" Rob Roy swapped in port for the vermouth and kept the scotch, but this drink should be called a "Manhattan Between." Anyway, misleading naming aside, the drink was pretty good.
Everything that's been written about the atmosphere is true. This is a great place to linger over post-dinner cocktails and lean in close across the table. On Friday there is a DJ, and it does start to fill up around 11pm, but in the right company, you'll be utterly oblivious.
My girlfriends and I came here to celebrate a birthday, and it was the purrrfect place to do so! We came when it was still light out.. so it was empty. The decor=very sexy and modern. It was a lot smaller than I had imagined it to be. We went past these stringy curtains to sit down on the couch.. it was like we had our own little space, which was really nice.
I've always wanted to check this place out cause it looked so modern/sexy from the pictures.. and their former chef was that girl from Top Chef!
Anyway, we ordered a lot of food.. and EACH AND EVERY DISH WAS PERFECTION. We were all "mMmMm-ing" nonstop. I was really amazed/surprised that the food was executed so amazingly well! Wow.
We ordered:
tiger shrimp
kiwi, hearts of palm, coconut, lime
(succulent)
tuna
ahi tuna, avocado cream, bay scallop ceviche
(BTW, BEST AHI TUNA I EVER HAD. MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH)
ribeye
red potato, shrimp, asparagus, curry
(Hm, I didn't eat the ribeye. Had the shrimp, though. Still good!)
salmon
fingerling(potatoes), goat cheese, tomatoes, mustard
(omg, I loved all the ingredients composed to make this dish!)
& the girls shared the.. ( I didn't have any dessert.. was avoiding dairy).
chocolate bombe:
belgian chocolate mousse
milk chocolate creme brulee
dense chocolate cake
& the
betwinki:
golden baked sponge cake
white chocolate ganache
3-chocolate soup
They were having mouthgasms, so I'm sure the desserts were as good as the entrees. I need to come back here. It's very good food. The plates are more like small plates, so it'll probably take 2.. or maybe 3 dishes to make 1 person full.
Plus: Our waitress was super cute. She fit in perfectly with the ambiance of the restaurant.
I came here with a person I casually date after a particularly long absence. He had bought one of those 52 card restaurant coupon packs, so we decided to check this place out.
In terms of a good place to go on a date, this place is kind of good and kind of not. We were there on a Wednesday night, and were only 1 of 2 couples there. Not good. We sat in one of the little private couch areas that are surrounded by fringe/beads which are only slightly classier than an 18 year olds dorm room. The couches were uncomfortable, and the tables too low, as is customary in this style of set up (also prevalent in the upstairs of SushiSamba.)
Now for some real talk: I'm picky about what I like. I can't really eat peanuts or dairy, I hate garlic, shrimp, chinese food and water chestnuts, and I don't LOVE to booze. Basically, I'm a terrible person to date. That being said, I should probably give my man friend the heads up that I don't do restaurants with "shared plates" well, but he picked this one and I was game.
We got the spicy mantou burgers which were overseasoned and over salted. I didn't even touch the fries for fear of the same, I hate the bao buns that they come with--a nice pretzel bun never hurt anyone!
Next were the lamb chops, which were again a little too salty, and did not have enough mint on them to really have a serious flavor. The potato/green onion/bacon side this came with was tasty, but the cook with the heavy salt hand of course struck again, and as the waiter was not around to refill my water for the 3rd time (a bad sign when I also had a diet coke). The one highlight of the meal was the tilapia ceviche---It was citrusy and light and not fishy so I was very pleased with that.
Overall, I think this place is overrated or has probably gone down hill since the Radhika days. I will not be back.
I stand corrected! "It's not owned by a former top chef contestant; it's owned by Carl Anderson, a non-chef. The former executive chef was on Top Chef - Radihka Desai. She no longer works there," states fellow Yelper Heather M. in an email to me.
I appreciate the correct information and still think this place rocks!
For a while, we have been getting together with another couple for date night on Thursdays. It was… Read more »
A place like this can only exist in the Midwest -- I mean that in a good way! This is a perfect example of why Chicago is the greatest city on Earth! Between Lounge has that NYC-chic vibe minus the pretension.
Owners Carl & LuLu are two of the sweetest people I've ever met. Hang out at their restaurant and they'll talk to you all night like you've been friends with them for a decade.
Also, if you're an audiophile you're in for a treat. I've heard them spin Massive Attack, Portishead, LCD Soundsystem, and a handful of other five-star downtempo artists.
A year ago when I came to this lounge they had a future Top Chef contestant cooking in the kitchen. She has since moved on, but I assure you that Between is still cooking up some of the most adventures and delicious food in the city.
This place is a gem. I hope more people catch on and come to this place. It is unfortunate that it is a bit off the beaten path on Milwaukee Avenue because it is being over-looked.
Between Lounge is one of my favorite places in Chicago. Everytime I am in town, I would stop by and and have some of my favorite dishes in the world.
While there is a new chef working now, my favorite dish of Mantou Burger with spicy fries is still on the manu! The perfect cooked meat and the asian bun is just pure heaven. I am a huge fan of chicago style deep dish pizza, but when people in Cali ask what food I miss most, it's without a doubt the mantou burger.
I also enjoy the new Peruvian dishes, especially the one with the sweet potato with salmon on top. It's the perfect size and you can taste each individual ingredient. I will def come back for more of it.
Lastly, there is nothing but great things to say about the staff, I always gotten top service and never had any complaint. My date last Sat really enjoy the place and It was def a set a nice romantic mood for our first date.
I am very sad. I fear Between is dying.
We went Saturday night at about 9pm. The place was about 2/3 empty. This didn't get any better by the time we left at 11pm.
Radhika left, and I understan they've had a couple chefs since then. They've been playing with the menu, and maybe not for the better? I understand they've changed the Betweeni recipe (why? it was so perfect!) as well. We tried this potato thing with smoked salmon and avocado on top. The potato balls were cold, which just seemed wrong. The whole thing was too salty and not exciting.
We also tried two desserts... they were out of the creme brulee I wanted, so we tried the chocolate cake (fine but standard) and the blue cheesecake (you had to think hard to taste the blue cheese).
I still like the place, but it just doesn't work when it's empty. And the food has definitely declined. Service was still very good, and the people there are very nice, but I guess I have to find a new spot. Bummer.
Fun place that does get VERY crowded. It was half empty at 7pm and packed by 8:30.
We snuggled on…
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I absolutely love Between Lounge. I've eaten there on a few separate occasions. Its a great date spot, and both times I've been there (a few months apart) they had a different chef, so delicious but different food each time. Their drinks are great, staff is friendly, and they will continue to get my repeat business.
They have a good selection of food and drinks, and now they are getting into the nightlife scene as well. Its a great location, and you can find me there most Friday nights for SOSODISCO.
P.S. I love that every time I go there the place is filled with women... I would call that a benefit.
What a gorgeous, gorgeous space. I've been here a few times, and it baffles me why Between isn't more crowded. Walk a little farther down Milwaukee and see what you've been missing.
Between is a cozy little lounge, all decked out in red and black. There are a few private booths with velvet couches and chairs that are separated by red fringe curtains. The décor is minimalistic, with a few beautiful chandeliers that look like wings lighting up the bar area. Music is a nice upbeat mix of cultures and genres, never too loud that you can't talk to your table. Service is wonderfully attentive, and martinis are perfect.
Select martinis are $5 on Wednesday. I've never dined here, but I did have a delicious flight of desserts once that's worth going for alone. It's not too pricey for the area, and everyone who works here has been more than friendly each time. They're happy to host and help organize parties, too.
This place feels like a complete rarity in Chicago. It's swanky and nice, but it's not pretentious at all. I felt nothing but comfortable when I walked in wearing jeans and nothing super fancy. It's a place where you can hang out with friends or a perfect place for date night. I will have to come back for dinner since I was here pretty late just for drinks. The music was good when I was here, too. I will definitely be back.
You almost never know if this place is open or not. It just looks dark inside when you peak in the windows. But if you don't see anyone sitting at the tables give the door a tug, you might be surprised to find them open. Thats at least what happened to me and the only other people hanging out in there seemed to be Radhika and some of her friends. Between isn't too big but its not tiny either; it just has a really neat cozy vibe. Service is laid back but still good. As far as the food, it is small portions that are kinda expensive but it's really good. I would hope that the food would be good since Radhika was on Top Chef and did fairly well durning her season. I think I'd go here more often if I remembered (I only live a block away), but sadly it's just one of the those places I seem to forget about.
What really lured me into Between was that it's one of the restaurants in this year's a la card deck (52 cards with each granting $10 off at a different restaurant).
I had made a reservation, but upon entering... clearly, it wasn't needed. It was very quiet, with maybe 3 other tables occupied. We opted to take a couch spot to change things around a bit. The red stringed curtains around the 3 select couch areas were amusing, but maybe not so amusing for the waitress when she brought our entrees because the string curtains kept getting in the way.
Between's thing is "small ecclectic plates". Of the 4 we tried, the ribeye was the star and the only one I'd order again. The plating was sleek, and it was accompanied by shrimp, slightly fried potatoes, and asparagus over a mild curry sauce. The scallop (too salty), venison carpaccio (ecclectic alright), and tiger shrimp (the cabbage addition was too tangy for the dish) were okay.
Service was very attentive, but I don't have any compelling reason to come here again.
I really can't say enough about Between. I'm in love!!!
Carl, the owner, was so helpful in planning my large party dinner. The staff handled our thirsty, hungry group flawlessly. And their new chef Noah? He's going to be a star soon... young, adorable and cooks up absolutely divine cuisine! His lamb chops and scallops were out of this world!
If you're looking for a spot to host a dinner party, I recommend Between. The space floats between a restaurant and a lounge, so your party can mix and mingle with each other without feeling like they are disturbing other diners.
What else makes it great? The lush, sexy red walls and furniture, crazy light fixtures and fringe curtains separating seating areas. Perfect for some privacy... or just a hot make-out sesh with your date.
Love you, Between!!!!
Looking for a sexy, sleek and sophisticated location for your next date? Look no further than… Read more »
Oooh, brunch at Between! Perfection.
My only gripe? It was EMPTY! Sadness. People, try out their brunch. It's seriously fabulous!
All the menu choices were yummy sounding, but something about the BLT made me gravitate towards it. Avacado mayo, perhaps? I kept reiterating to my friends that I don't even LIKE BLT's, so I was hoping not to be disappointed.
But, alas, it was amazing. Tomato confit, arugula, crisp bacon and avacado mayo - like wow. Olia H. and Kris B. ordered the duck eggs benedict...and enjoyed it, of course!
And, yes, I was attempting to avoid liquor at 11am, but the Morning Between ($8) sounded so good! Pear vodka and guava juice? I'm sold - and would definitely order it again.
Love the service, love the decor and love the food. Between has a little piece of my heart.
1/2 priced bottles of wine on my birthday?!
What could be more perfect?
After reading all the great…
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I finally tried their food, and fell in love.
My favorites were the Oxtail Flatbread, Duck Breast with Lingonberry Sauce, Scallops and Spicy Shrimp dish. The service was fantastic, drinks were flowing and we had an overall grand time.
One more note - I am in love with Steven the bartender, the most adorable Korean boy ever.
I have a fantastic time at Between the other night. A group of seven girls came in to imbibe before… Read more »
This is a hot, hot, hot spot! I came here for a birthday party Saturday night and I had a wonderful time. This is what I loved from the dinner portion:
spicy shrimp, oxtail flat bread, the roasted chicken and the beef tenderloin. For cocktails, I was stuck on the guavaritas and the blonde ambition. I have a soft spot in my heart for tequila so I mainly stuck with the guavaritas all night long.
I left very happily buzzed because our server Micheal was very attentive to our party and none of us had an empty glass. He worked really hard and he was a gem. All of the people taking care of our party were awesome!
Between is very sultry and it's a good place for a date. I loved the fringe curtains, unique lighting fixtures and the warm colors in the space. I can't wait to go back!
5-star bump.
Not only does Between do small plates right, but their drinks are actually spelled like another 6-letter word: HEAVEN. I admittedly do not like shots, but when Carl's mixing up pie-flavored concoctions and the like behind the bar, I become a shot lover. Thanks Between, for literally filling in a void in my life.
Oh, and the word is out because it's deservedly crowded now. About time.
Shame on you.
What I mean is, you haven't been here yet. A lounge this sophisticated, warm and sexy…
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I could have easily passed by. Between is in between a number of boarded up doors, furniture stores from by gone times and across the street from a grocery store. Not a great location by any stretch of the mind.
But push open the door, and you enter an oasis. A respite from the hustle and bustle of Milwaukee Street. You are immediately surrounded in a "womb" of red with long fringe curtains separating the seating areas.
I was drawn to the bar- only for the reason of the Icarus lights You know the story of Icarus. He flew too close to the sun and his wax wings melted and he crashed. The Icarus lights were hung from the ceiling above the bar and descended just like Icarus to portray the story. Their white, feathery outlines softened the space as they fluttered above.
We met both Carl (the owner) and Radhika (the chef). Both were delightful and really appreciated our visit. While we only drank on this visit- I will be back as I want to try some of the foods that Radhika was tempting us with (she actually offered to bring us out some tastes of her food for us to try! Loved that) Unfortunately- I was stuffed from an earlier dinner so drinks were all I had the room for.
They have a speciality list of drinks with the Betweeni being one of my favorites- made with pinot noir and vodka- it was delicious!
If you drive- parking is actually possible on this stretch of Milwaukee which was nice.
The Between Lounge is a little oasis for this neighborhood. Far enough from the craziness that goes on down the street with the more popular hangouts- but close enough when you know you don't want your evening to end- but want an adult cocktail served in an adult place.
Unlike the fate that befell Icarus, I hope this place continues to soar.
this update is solely as a brunch spot (I still highly recommend it for dinner).
I just paid $10 for a piece of french toast cut into four strips with a teaspoon of vanilla whipped cream and a few blueberries. It was tasty, but my friend (who ordered an omelet) and I were both left feeling still hungry. I was pretty underwhelmed. I have heard of small plates for dinner, but not what I wanted for brunch. I also tried the honey ginger screwdriver, but I the honey vodka (or was it the ginger? or the combination?) tasted weird.
Apparently we are sexy for dining with them, however-- at least it said so on the check. That was pretty funny.
I had planned on trying out Between 6 months or so ago with some friends but couldn't go, and never… Read more »
The Betweeni (vodka and pinot noir) makes my soul sigh...sweet, sweet, smooth relaxation, shaken and served. Velvety crisp with a hint of sublime, overtones of luxury, and a certain sultry nature only provoked by a deep red.
Did you know they are half off on Wednesday? I dare you to find a better $5 martini on a Wednesday night. (regular, $10)
Now that I'm chilled, please...bring me a spicy mantou burger....yes, that's it. Two little chunks of burgers on soft, chewy bao. Large slices of cheese and a heft portion of crispy cut fries. $12? Maybe I'll get two...no, ok, not so much. I don't need to be like that.
Oh, and a glass of prosecco...finish with sparkle.
How can you not love this place? I do. I do. I do.
To tell or not to tell...
Well, fine. I'm a big mouth...I shall spill the Between secret. The…
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As much as I love my previous review for Between, I MUST update! I went back for dinner this time with the handsome Rob L. and Between did not disappoint.
I arrived a bit early and sat at the bar (where a couple of other super Yelp friends happened to be sitting, yay!). I ordered the famous Betweeni. A very interesting flavor, loved it. The very cute bartendress came over bearing complimentary shots for us, a honey vodka creation that was sinful.
Once Rob arrived we were seated right away and the food orgy began. We had planned this outing forever ago and I had such anticipation that when our very sweet server brought the menus I was too overwhelmed to choose anything. I told Rob to order for us since he knows his Between stuff, and order he did! Tuna Tartar, Lamb Chops, Oxtail Flatbread, Ocean Trifecta and for desert, the chocolate Bomb and the Betwinkie. OMG. Soo good. Each dish had amazing taste and interesting flavor.
Radhika and staff each stopped by our table several times to make sure we were happy and that everything was good. Such a relaxing environment, so much so that my above analogy (food orgy) really is appropriate...ahhhhh, sigh.
Between is not a place to be shy with your appetite...order..eat and enjoy!
Sexy, sexy, sexy. Swanky vibe, romantic colors, booths with curtains..damn, I almost made out with… Read more »
Finally made the trip here last night for my mom's b'day and I gotta say this place was really nice. Our server Anna from LA, who has only been in Chicago for 5 weeks was really great and made our dining experience more than worth while. She broke down the size and great taste of everything we asked about. She kept the water coming and was very attentive.
I had the Tilapia and sauteed spinach, which I recommend with the highest regard and my mom had the lamb chops which smelled great. With each bite I had great regret that the meal was disappearing at a rapid pace. IT WAS SOOOOO GOOOD! For dessert we had the chocolate cupcakes with ice cream. Delicious!!!
This place is awesome! They have the very chill decor with the red silhouette curtains and couches. The music was nice and set the mood. Very nice bar as well. I didn't have any drinks, because eventhough I am 28, it is hard to drink in front of my mom, since she doesn't drink. I guess I still feel ike a little boy around her, LOL!!!! I hear on Mondays or Wednesdays they have have priced martinis. I will definately have to take advantage of that soon!
Bring your wallets people, because the menu can be a bit pricey in these economic times, but it's well worth it. Its sad that I live close by, because now they are going to see me quite often. Definately a place where I will start bring close friends and associates very soon.
Definately recieves the 5 stars from the AW!
It's taken a long time for me to come to Between. Not b/c of any particular reason, but I just don't get out to Wicker Pk very often. It would have been very easy to miss Between too. As Carol K has described, Between is lodged b/w some not-so-great retail gems on an odd stretch of Milwaukee Av.
Decor
Entering Between, I immediately got a sense of Moulin Rouge. The stringy curtains secluding the booths of plush velvet sofas, the chandeliers, the (Indian headdresses?). The bar was simple, but elegant, but didn't seem particularly stocked, perhaps b/c Between is more a place for cocktails and wine, than, mixed drinks. The back wall was an impressive one piece of what looked like, for lack of better description, the inside of a whole lotta speakers. One bathroom was a bit odd; clearly there had been some work done to decorate it, but the wall with the door seemed to be forgotten, it was left as a nasty pink that didn't fit with the rest of the ensemble.
Food
Sadly, I couldn't make it here before Radhika left, but I was aware that some of her dishes remained on the menu. The menu itself wasn't particularly long, but it did allow us to try most of the popular entrees. Prices appeared reasonable (wine was very reasonable), but some of the portions were a bit small considering the "medium-plate" moniker other Yelpers have used to describe them. We tried:
Mixed greens - an unoriginal name, but with a nice mix of ingredients, including among other things, mini cucumber jellys (thumbs up!) and quinoa
Lamb chops - these really deserve all the praise heaved on them and more. Everything about them was phenomenal, from the sauce to the scallion and bacon bits to the potatoes. Only complaint: were these chops from ant-sized lamb (ref: Zoolander)?
Duck - Maybe it was because it was breast meat, but it just wasn't that tasty, despite being very tender and juicy. My friend thought it was better where the duck skin was left, but even so, didn't have that extra bit of flavor you expect from duck.
Mantou burgers - I'm a fan! Gourmet spicy patties, with a slice of cheese and its own excellent sauce. I had suspicions about the mantou, but the buns worked. The chili-pepper seasoned fries were good too, but more b/c of the pepper than the fries themselves. Beware, only 2 burgers come per order.
Fried rice mariscos - Perhaps the least impressive dish we tried. Was kinda watery, and the seafood lacked pizazz. Tasted like a bad paella.
Chocolate cake - nothing special here, pretty much ice cream on top of a brownie.
Service
We were truly taken care of by (who I think was) Lu lu. We were lucky to have come on Tuesday, when wine bottles are 1/2 off. My friends were also offered their glasses of prosecco at 1/2 off upfront. She was very willing to talk about the food and drinks menu. Lately it has been my (semi) misfortune of dining at places when they are empty. There wasn't much of an ambience with only one other table to boot. Later, I read that Between is more of a later-night spot, so I suppose 8/830p on a Tuesday isn't quite the happening hour, but we definitely received a lot of attention as a table. Due to the lack of noises though, we took in a good lot of the music, which was an eclectic mix - sometimes very nice lounge-beats, but other times just straight up strange.
Overall I like Between and would definitely come back, but probably later, and on a weekend date to get a better sense of the vibe. I think Between does the balance between restaurant and lounge well, but suffers lack of exposure due to its location.
Do you like Top Chef?
How about beef, lamb, or lobster?
Indian / Asian influenced flavors?
Smooth, sensual music and mellow scenery?
And how do you feel about incredibly attentive staff, to the point of having your own heater at your table, a genial host, sweet servers and a famous executive chef that comes out to graciously thank you for coming?
Then Between is a perfect fit for you.
We came here to try Radhika Desai's food, and after dinner, when she came to say hi, I had a million things to say:
Not all TC followers think she should have gone home last week. She rocked the Quickfires, which was impressive - not many can think so well on their feet!
She made the best burger the boyfriend and I have ever had. I grew up eating mantou with peanut butter, and I'd never seen anyone use it as sandwich material in meals. It's brilliant - especially with that patty, which was incredibly rich, moist and delicious. Seriously, this burger makes Kuma's seem like a McDonald's. Her lamb chops (and general cooking chops) rocked. In Tom Colicchio's words, she knew how to honor her proteins.
We would be honored to have her cater our wedding, which is jumping the gun, seeing as how I don't plan on getting married for another 5-6 years at least, but hey, with rising stars, you have to catch them before they're too famous to cater (a la Grant Achatz)!
I ended up not saying a lot of this to her because I was a little star-struck when she came over, and because Rad actually took the time and effort to ask us questions about ourselves! What a down-to-earth girl. The server came over afterwards to ask about our meal too, and told us that she was best executive chef to work for, no ego at all.
So fine, she's not on Top Chef anymore, but you know what? Rad Desai's Top Chef to her staff, her patrons, and everyone in Between, which is my new favorite restaurant in Chicago.
This Top Chef really knows her stuff! When my husband and I heard that Radhika had her own restaurant in the Wicker Park area we were excited to dine in on a Saturday night.
The decor is inviting, cozy, and has a wonderful loungy feeling. The couches and private areas surrounded by red fringe looked like a lot of fun for big groups.
Our waitress explained that the dishes were meant to be shared...so we ordered 3 to share. We ate:
1. Wild mushroom flatbread leek fondue, goat cheese, asparagus, and
mushrooms
2. Blue-corn crusted tilapia with sweet potato puree and sauteed
spinach
3. Spicy mantou burgers with bao bread, camembert cheese,
romaine, tomato, mustard jam and moroccan spiced fries
Delicious!!! Each plate was brought out separately...and I secretly felt like I was on Top Chef. My favorites were the flatbread and tilapia, which I ended up not wanting to share. The flatbread was filled with multiple flavors and was a perfect appetizers. The tilapia melted in my mouth and sat on a delicious bed of sweet potato puree. We skipped out on the dessert, but next time we will order the cupcake for sure.
We were happy with the food, service, menu, and ambiance, but somewhat disappointed that Radhika only left the kitchen to hand the plates of food to her waiters and waitresses to serve. Also, the food a little pricey, but won't stop us from dining there again!
I'd been meaning to come to Between for a while now. I'd walked by it hundreds of times, and received a lot of recommendations, and it did not disappoint. The ambiance in there is really awesome. It's very well-decorated. The drinks are pretty good; some are better than others. The food is excellent! The staff are really, really nice. I'm not sure what it's like Mon-Thurs, I imagine it's pretty chill. I went twice this weekend and it was definitely more on the club side. Which musically was fine; the DJ was good; but it definitely attracts some of the douchebag contingent. But overall, a really cool place.
I loved this place! Went with some friends and sat at a table, although those couch areas were pretty cool looking. Its got a great lounge vibe so even if you didn't want to do dinner but wanted some cocktails and a few bites to eat this is a great spot. We however went for dinner. We ordered about 8 or 9 different dishes and a great bottle of french wine recommended by our waitress.
The flatbread was probably my favorite item on the menu. So many flavors! I wanted to fight everyone for it. The trio desert was really good too! The menus is great, I loved every dish and we all walked out of there talking about how good it all was. Next time I think I want to get some cocktails and sit back and relax with some good bites. Highly recommend.
I went here last night with my fiance and our friends. There were 5 of us along for the sexy, delicious ride that was Between.
We sat down in one of the booths hidden away by the massive amount of fringe. At one point, the meal, one of the fringe chunks became untied and fell on my fiance, which was really, really funny. Anyway...
We all started off with some drinks, I chose the Rioja. It was tasty - nice and light and fruity. Me like.
For food, we started off with the Manchego Crepes, the Mussels with chili aioli and the burgers with bao buns.
The Crepes were great. They were vegetarian, light, sexy and came with a nice cream sauce. They were filled with chutney, potatoes and brown butter. Very good - had a definite indian flavor to them. The mussels came with shoestring fries that had Moroccan seasoning and the truffle aioli. SO GOOD. I could have eaten them all by myself, but that would have been selfish. The burgers (which I did not have) were well received by everyone.
I had a glass of Pinot Noir between food rounds. Mmm. Favorite wine of the night.
The next round of food included the Mushroom flatbread and pork skewers with BBQ sauce and mashed potatoes. The flatbread was UNBELIEVABLE. I could just eat that by myself and be a happy clam. It was probably the best part of the meal for me. The bread was crispy and hot, it was covered in button mushrooms, goat cheese, leek fondue and asparagus. Everyone enjoyed the BBQ pork satays. I tried the potatoes - they were super buttery and delicious. Mmm.
For dessert we had the Betwinki (we all laughed when we ordered it) and the french toast. The Betwinki was a sponge cake filled with white chocolate ganache and had a 3 chocolate soup on the side. SO GOOD. The name makes me laugh. The french toast was of the Grand Marnier variety, and it was covered in cinnamon and had a Grand Marnier carmel orange sauce. Cinnamon/Vanilla ice cream came on the side.
I like the Betwinki best myself, but I don't know how much of my love for it had to do with it's name.
My advice for this place: The food is served tapas style, so if you really like something you may feel...unsatisfied if you are only able to eat a little bit of it. That is just me. I was left wanting more, which I guess speaks to the caliber of the food. The less people you bring, the better, imho.
Sorry to everyone who gave Between fantastic reviews, but I'm just not buying all of the hype about this restaurant. I was probably not impressed because I don't believe in the concept of small plates, especially expensive ones that do not challenge or leave a lasting impression on my taste buds.
I came here for a friend's birthday in April and my first thought was that the place looks much better in its photographs than in person. As much as I was looking forward to the primarily red decor and the string curtains, the in-person experience almost reminded me of the red lighting at the Reagle Beagle (70s throwback more so than modern chic). I did like their unique lighting over the bar area, although one spiry light near the front corner looked a little out of place.
For a group of six people, we took advantage of the Saturday 3 for $30 entree special. Among the six plates we ordered were the lamb chops and shrimp (glazed with something good that I unfortunately cannot remember). Our server also insisted that the salmon plate accompanied with noodles would be a sizable and fulfilling plate to share among us all.
The shrimp was the best of the dishes and the lamb chops were not bad. The biggest problem for us though was that we were a group of six sharing small plates with portions that normally came in fives. Therefore, I had half a shrimp.
The salmon plate was not inspiring. The noodles were also a joke to split because they were in a soup broth and we were not initially provided spoons, nor did we have bowls. One of us succumbed to using the serving spoon and bowl as his personal portion.
Despite the food, I do commend Between's drink menu. I had the Spring Lu Lu and it was excellent! (st. germain elderflower liqueur hendrick's gin topped with Adami sparkling prosecco). As Between describes on their website, it was truly "magic in a champagne flute".
Our servers were also very nice.
I might come back for drinks if my friends choose to, but I cannot see myself coming back for the food.
A friend of mine recommended the restaurant to me and had been looking forward to it! You will not be disappointed - if you are seeking a great space to hang with friends or even a place to propose to that special someone - this place is for you!
The ambiance is romantic, sensual and fun. The booths are surrounded with red long fringe - so if you would like a little privacy, reserve a booth. Please try the lobster trifecta (with lobster mac & cheese) was amazing, so were the lamb chops. The duck samosa's were ok - not my fav though. To end the evening we split the chocolate molten pomagranite cupcakes-sinnnful!
Radhika the executive chef was warm and engaging, Amy our server was as sweet as apple pie - so if you go and have her, treat her well!!!
I had a great time and look forward to my next visit!!!
Have only been to the SoSoDisco on Fridays. Thumbs up. I reccomend the guavarita! Great music, cool crowd. It's even better if you can get a little private booth.
Forget the drinks, the food here is absolutely amazing! I had the lamb chops and the sirloin. The sirloin was good but the lamb chops were seriously the best thing i have ever tasted...ever! To die for.
If anyone knows a place in LA that has food half as good as this please let me know because I am dying for more.
Oh and those of you complaining about the portions, if you want to get full for 14 bucks go to Dennys- you get what you pay for.
Wow!!! Went for dinner last night - my first time to In Between - based on the great reviews here. The food was absolutely fantastic!!! This is the best meal I've had in a long, long time. The sauces, the spices, the presentation are top notch. I would HIGHLY recommend the ribeye, lamb chops, and fried rice mariscos. I can't wait to return to try the other items on the menu, if I can possibly resist ordering the same things over again. The ambiance and decor are great. We had a private couch area with a table, so it was like VIP treatment. Great place for a date!!
3 Course Thanksgiving Meal!
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Weekend Specials
Neighborhood: Irving Park
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: French
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