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Categories: American (New), American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Lakeviewevery wednesday night @ HB Home Bistro
Announced 1 week agoAddison (Red)
Belmont (Purple Express, Brown, Red)
Wed-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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i've heard the hype, even the oooooo-s and the ahhhhhh-s when this place gets mentioned in casual conversation. not sure what took me so long but i finally gave HB a try for myself. it was spontaneous and somehow i managed to ban that last reservation for a friday night...friday morning.
i was charmed from the moment i made that call. they'd shift things around and we could most certainly have the last 7:30 reservation. i like to think my dazzling personality had something to do with that streak of luck. truth is, they are probably just the nice guys they appeared to be in person.
so what did we get?
we started with some incredible bacon and walnut wrapped dates and one of the best beet salads to have ever graced my lips. next up - those mussels which lived up to everything i had heard from their admirers. the broth had a perfectly light beer base and they weren't fishy in the slightest. then it was seafood bouillabaisse filled with a variety of meaty creatures. mild, but tasty.
then it was the dinner all-star. BRISKET. sounds very pedestrian at first. then you hear that it was soaked in ginger ale overnight and served with a parsnip/potato mash and drizzled with a jalapeno glaze. ummmm, yes please!
with a menu this unique, there was no way we could turn down dessert. lemon and brown sugar bread pudding and a comped salted brownie which i believe came from my enthusiasm and wide eyes and its description.
oh food. i love you. and HB, i'll be back soon.
--
ps - its BYOB and the dishes are priced completely reasonable. so that means you get an amazing meal and appropriately sauced up for less than most places. perfection.
I planned a dinner for my husband's 50th birthday with some friends we hadn't seen in ages, and looked through all the yelp reviews for a special (but not too $$) restaurant everyone might like. I narrowed it down to four BYOB restaurants and called each (last minute, sorry) to see if was possible to make a reservation for that Saturday night. HB was the last restaurant I called, but after the great vibe I got from the guy I talked to on the phone, the decision was easy.
They were able to squeeze us in at 9:30, and when we arrived we were seated immediately, even though a few of our party were late. The restaurant is small but chic with warm, toast colored walls, dark floors and white table cloths. We ordered a variety of dishes and shared off of each other's plates.
Here are a few I remember: Crunchy artichoke and edam fritters, pan roasted pork loin with apples with caramelized onions, mussels in an herb beer broth, a tasty roasted grouper and a lovely duck breast à la Flamande (my personal favorite). To be honest, it was all a blur of succulent, sensual, deliciousness.
The service was as good as it gets, and the chef, Joncarl, came out and chatted with us like an old friend. There wasn't a single member of staff, from the busser to the chef, who didn't come across as a genuinely nice person. They even brought out an unprompted bread pudding with a lit candle. I can still taste the heaven that was that bread pudding. When all was said and done, there wasn't a scrap of food left.
We couldn't have had a better time and we spent about $40 per person which included a lavish (and well deserved) tip. HB made what could have been a mediocre event, something really special that won't be forgotten for a long time.
Dank voor de frieten!
Everyone knows how I crush on HB, how I was had at hello with their amazing almond stuffed dates and such. Well my last visit no different. Love how each visit is like the first time because there's always something new and seasonal on the menu. My honey ordered the lamb sausage dish with white beans, which was plated so beautifully, I wish I had taken a picture. My duck was both moist and tender, with perfectly tender root vegetables.
I'm a savory loving gal, so understand what I mean when I say... BEST DESSERT EVER! The bread pudding is not to be believed. Brioche bread in a sweet, but not too sweet baked custard, apples freshly whipped cream, and caramel. I shared, but not a lot.
I enjoy HB so much because they provide such a complete experience. Food, decor and service are warm inviting and cozy. I honestly can't imagine anyone not having a wonderful time here.
You know how sometimes things just work beautifully? Well that was last night at HB Restaurant.… Read more »
Yum yum yum. I love places like this... a small yet eclectic menu of specialty meats and plenty of seafood choices. The ambience is great, and best of all, it is byob! The owners are so nice, and even the chef came out to mingle among the patrons.
For appetizers, we ordered truffle fries with garlic aioli sauce. Delicious and you get tons of it with the order. We also ordered the artichoke and edam fritters, which were seriously delicious.
My dish was the baked grouper with clams, chickpeas, in a great moroccan flavored sauce. The flavors are really great. This is a place that uses fresh ingredients and lots of spices and herbs to flavor their food. Most of the main dishes are twenty dollars, and this is actually a great deal for fresh seafood, great portions, and meats like lamb, duck, quail, etc. It's really a great deal for the type of specialty dishes you get here.
My fiance had the deep fried haddock, and although I'm not a fan of deep frying fish, this was delicious. It was not too greasy, and the breading was awesome. Also, unlike many places that uses sub par fish when deep frying it, the haddock was quite delicious and of great quailty. The haddock came in a little pool of split pea sauce. The combination of the flavors were quite genius.
I didn't try the pork chops that my friend got, but it looked quite delicious. We were all incredibly satisfied with our meals, and the experience was truly awesome. It's been a long time since I have been to a restaurant that I found innovative, delicious, and a good deal all at once. I'm so glad to have tried HB!
I have been wanting to try hb for a very long time but it's not close to where I live and I rarely venture up that way. Well, I finally found myself up north and close enough to try HB and it was so worth the wait. For apps we had the almond stuff dates wrapped in bacon, and let's be honest, anything wrapped in bacon is awesome. We also had the crab cart...it was like a blue crab cake only baked in a tart pan. Both were delicious. I had the chicken in phylo dough which I was hesitant to order but the server said it was one of his faves. It was really good. The phylo dough was perfectly cooked and spiced to perfection. The husband had the beef stew which was so yummy and tender. We really wanted the chocolate dessert but of course they were out of it when we were ready to order so we settled on the appled crirsp...perfect fall dessert.
HB is byob with no corkage fee...the restaurant itself is very smalll and perfect for a date night. We had a reservation and were seated right away. I usually get to a restaurant and know what I want to order, making a decision here was hard...everything looked so damn good!!
I had a wonderful meal at HB with a large group, which can be difficult to accomplish. Even in the small space of the restaurant, the group was seated in a way that gave us a little bit of privacy from the rest of the crowd, and the service was no less attentive (one waitress even sat down with my vegan friend to discuss her special menu). They get major points for their BYOB policy as well.
As for the food, my only complaint is that some items were overly salty, including the polenta that was served with the rabbit entrée. The bacon-wrapped dates, however, were a little explosion of heaven in my mouth, and a definite crowd-pleaser as well.
I'd love to try HB for an intimate dinner soon to compare the experience, but overall it was a good choice for a small group event.
So HB, you and I both already know how much I absolutely adore you. But last night, that love was taken even a step further. I went with 2 friends for the Wednesday night Prix fixe. We were silly to think 1 bottle of wine would be enough for the 3 of us after a stressful day at work. We'd pretty much finished off the bottle after the first course. Lo and behold, the chef comes out to chat it up with some customers, notices our empty bottle and volunteers to run across the street for us and pick up another bottle!!!! IF THAT'S NOT GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE, I don't know what is!!!!!!!!! That's absolutely realizing your customers needs, and going 10 steps beyond what's regularly expected.
HB-you've once again proven why you're my favorite restaurant.
also p.s. the whole fish-FABULOUS!!!! Love any restaurant that's willing to serve whole fish WITH the head!
What an awesome place! My boyfriend and I went for a really low key anniversary dinner. He brought… Read more »
http://jimandbrittneye.../
Home Bistro was our first go at the Á la Card deck we bought for ourselves as inspiration for the restaurants we'd be patronizing in 2009. Without going into too much of a sales pitch, let's just say this... 52 chef-driven, owner-operated restaurants, $10 off at each, and the deck cost us $30. That says it all, really.
As for Á la Card, we say, "So far, so good." And we'll probably stop at good for HB this time around. The food was decent, with some high points here and there.
We started with the escargot.
I've been a pescetarian for less than a year, so I knowingly maybe-possibly-sort of-most likely broke the rules here. And I paid for it. The escargot had an almost gamey flavor, which I attributed to the broth. We ordered the escargot because Jim had never eaten it, and I was hoping it would come out in an escargot dish, all steamy and delicious. Instead, the presentation was only so-so, and the dish ended up a little too meaty and watery.
For our second dish, we ordered a beet salad.
We both love beets, love goat cheese, and love walnuts (so much so that we often include these items in our salads at home), but this salad almost missed the mark. It was over-salted and lacked something special or unique to HB. But with ingredients like these, it's hard to say it was all wrong. Again, a bit more finesse in presentation may have helped.
Brittney's entree was a special that night, salmon on top of clam chowder.
Attention Chicago restaurant owners, chefs, and staff: Add clam chowder to a dish, and I will order it. It was so obvious that this dish was one of the night's specials, as can be seen by the presentation alone. Although the goodness of the chowder overshadowed the fish a bit, it's hard to fault someone for phenomenal chowder. The chef took great care with this dish, and it paid off. It was special indeed.
Jim ordered the pork.
For dessert, we went with caramel bread pudding. The pastry chef was vacationing in Europe, so the only options that night were whatever the not-so-pastry chef could conjure up. It ended up being pretty tasty, but it's rare that either of us would have anything negative to say about dessert.
The ambiance of the place was pretty great. The servers and chef appeared to be cut from the same mold. They were all burly men in flannel shirts, which likely serves them well in the heart of Boystown. Overall, the space was pretty quaint and dim. The candles were all lit atop old wine bottles, which was a nice touch.
By far the best moment of the evening occurred when the music shifted from poppy-whatever to "Jizz in My Pants" by The Lonely Island. We were apparently the only diners listening to the music, because upon looking around to catch a few other smirks and giggles, we caught nothing! We either have impeccable hearing, are extremely immature, or are more in the know about pop culture and dirty SNL skits.
You say I'm premature. I just call it ecstasy.
Overall, we'd suggest HB to anyone looking for a good dinner in the area, but it's not at the top of our list to revisit.
I am happy to report that the owner, Joncarl, contacted me to apologize for my experience at HB. This just goes to show how hard they work to ensure customer satisfaction.
I too apologized for not saying something immediately that night. But HB really does have a wonderful atmosphere and team that it can overshadow the food (bad or good)!!!
I look forward to trying HB again and experiencing what it really is.
Saddened to rate 2 stars because I have experienced better at HB.
I tried the Amish chicken, which…
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Five MOTHER F'ING STARS for HB. Personally, I think it is the best food in the neighborhood. Amazing and delicious. Food, service, atmosphere. All just makes me scream YES YES YES.
I came here specifically for the lamb burger. No matter what the special was or what was recommended, this is what I wanted.
I was with my boyfriend (and another couple) and we started with the bacon-wrapped dates and beet salad. I thought the dates were average, and possibly better in some tapas restaurants. They didn't come with any sauce and I think it needed it.
The beet salad was wonderful. I honestly don't even know what a beet is. We ordered the salad for the feta cheese, which was as delicious as expected. The beets had a nice smooth flavor that complemented the salad well. The salad was big enough to share for an appetizer.
I ordered the lamb burger and it did not disappoint. AMAZING. OMG. This was by far one of the greatest things I have ever eaten IN MY LIFE. The burger was GIGANTIC and so rich and juicy. I could not stop licking my fingers. The fries were borderline orgasmic and would be included in my last meal on earth. They give a mayo dipping sauce, which would normally be a turn off, but it works. And works so well! My boy got the chicken wrapped in phyllo and he LOVED it. I had a bite and all I could think of was "Boy this really does taste Moroccan." I don't really know what that means, but if you try it, you will understand.
As for the other couple, they started with the heirloom tomatoes which were salty. They also ordered the mussels and the lamb burger. Burger was a great, but the mussels were average.
Here are some tips: Make a reservation! Bring your own wine (I splurged for the Trader Joes Charles Shaw. Classy). Dont get there too early because there is not to much room to wait.
Please go ASAP and invite me for some truffle fries.
This place is phenomenal -- a BYOB with 5-star cuisine, which you gotta love. Though I must confess I did experience two blunders on my last visit that remove 1/2 a star. The food is really well-prepared and delicious, with so many mouth-watering options it's always hard to choose. The artichoke fritters are delumptious and the risotto fantastically creamy and well-seasoned. I've also enjoyed salmon and once a vegetarian version of another special, which the chef happily prepared. My only complaint was: stale focaccia, which they serve instead of bread...why? And, my friends had ordered the lamb special which neither was happy with. But...the server joyfully replaced it with the lamb burger which brought them both to near ecstasy. Desserts (if you have room) are always a treat.
My friend recommended this place to me and he said it was the best meal he has had in chicago. So I checked the place out. First off, the restaurant is very nice and the wait staff was very good. However, everydish we had was unimpressive. We ordered 2 appetizers (artichoke fritters and fried haloumi cheese). The fritters were ok and the haloumi cheese was way too salty. For our main dishes we got the braised chicken and lamb. again, both were very average. for dessert I had the bread pudding which was very very good.
So, the staff and chef are simply sublime. Wonderful, funny, and welcoming. I ordered the whole fish special. Tasty but overdone. The presentation was over the top with sauce filling every empty space of the platter. The man had the lamb patty and loved it.
HB is not an intimate restaurant though the facade makes it appear to be as such. The noise level is just terrible. You'll literally find yourself shouting to you dinner partner and unable to carry on a decent conversation. Sadly, though we had early reservations, we were given the worst table. You guessed it. Directly across from the entrance to the kitchen. UGH! The wait staff have no choice but to knock into tables and chairs since the seating is extremely cramped.
Kafka wine store is directly across the street. Bonus for a BYOB restaurant. Perhaps if we had had more to drink, HB would have been easier to take.
This is my new favorite BYOB. Candlelight and completely satisfying cuisine. This reminds me of a family-owned cafe in Tuscany where the owners cook, and come to chat at your table. Order the fish of the day for two people. It arrives as the whole fish, stuffed with fresh herbs. And, how many reasonably priced restaurants can you find in Chicago serving bouillabaisse? If you're looking to go Dutch, there's several good choices from cheese to main courses.
And, apart from the food, and friendly staff there's a really talented photographer posting his black and white photography around the room. If you're a photo lover the bathroom is worth checking out.
I remember I first spotted this place when I was eating at the Chicago Diner. It looked so cute from the outside. I was also allured by their menu online(specifically? the "Amsterdam style" mussels + truffle fries).
Loud, tight space, but I guess it's still a pretty cozy/cute space.
I got the "Amsterdam style" mussels, which were accompanied with truffles fries and a garlic aioli sauce. They had no ketchup or tabasco sauce. Huh? The dish was a lot more stew-y than I'd imagined. It tasted okay, but too stew-like. Fries were pretty okay--kind of good. I love me anything "truffle" affiliated.. so if it says truffle _____ .. I'll probably order it :x
My friend got the lamb burger. I realized she was forcing herself to eat it since I was buying dinner. LOL. I told her if she didn't like it, she didn't have to finish it. She said it was really gamy for lamb. She's had lamb before, and this wasn't the taste she had imagined it to be. Bummer. She loved the fries, though.
This place is clearly amazing. My fiance and I were looking on Yelp to try and find a new and good restaurant in our area, and this one was so highly rated, we wanted to check it out.
First of all, the service was great. They give you bread to start, and we did not have to wait very long for our food. We got to meet the chef, and he often came out to check and see how we liked everything. We liked supporting a small business.
Even more importantly than the service, the food was wonderful. We started out eating those almond figs wrapped in bacon, and I almost died they were so good. Then, we ate the crab cake with this really great hot pepper sauce. For our main dish, we split the grouper in red sauce with oysters, and there was more than enough for the two of us. To finish off, we split the bread pudding, which is my new favorite dessert ever. They put heavy cream on top and the whole thing just melts in your mouth. We will definitely be back!
Yuuuum. Truffle fries truffle fries truffle fries! Each nice crunch oily bite was a tiny explosion of truffle flavor. I'm not faddish with food and had read a while back that truffle was no longer in fashion but who cares, if you like truffle and you like fries, HB does it well. And their focaccia with balsamic roasted garlic vinaigrette is amazing. Not the best place if you're on any diet of some sort because they really do serve some might hearty fare!
Came here last night for two others on a nice Sunday evening. The restaurant was busy but not too loud or claustrophobic. The service from beginning to end was nothing but friendly and happy and general niceness. Prices may be on the higher side but portions are HUUUUGE.
We shared the beet salad--thinly sliced roasted beets with TRUFFLE vinaigrette over greens. Yuuum. I got the braised chicken in phyllo with yogurt sauce over couscous. Yum. It was a nice big baked present with generous portions of tender dark meat and some melted cheese (which unfortunately I did not catch the name of but it on the lighter side). My friend's lamb burger was juicy, topped with melted brie all on a big bad pretzel roll.
Unfortunately no free desserts here for bday. They charged us for the dessert a la candle on top (and we didn't even get to choose...boo). Their chocolate hoho wasn't overly sweet so I appreciated it. It was basically soft and fluffy chocolate cake with lots of fluffy whipped cream and some hardened chocolate over it.
OH MY GOD!!!! This restaurant is amazing. We went last night for the $30 prix fixe menu. We arrived a little late, but the owner, Johncarl, was there to great us and let us sit while we waited for another member of our party. An hour later, we were still sitting there waiting for our friend, but our waiter was gracious and continued to poor us our BYO wine. We had the almond stuffed dates wrapped in bacon, edamame fritters and fried cheese to start. The dates were out of this world fantastic and far superior to the dates at Avec (which I love). The fritters were pretty amazing too. Next I had the beet salad. The flavor combinations were perfect and I could eat that beet salad everyday for the rest of my life and never be tired of it. For our main courses we had the mussels, the beef stew and the amish chicken. Everything was cooked to perfection and super fresh.
The food was great, the service perfect and I have absolutely no complaints. If you cant tell, I love this place! GO!
Five stars...not just for food, which is at a nice price point and absolutely delicious but, for service. These guys bend over backwards to make sure you're happy. I have been there more than a handful of times and I guarantee that I will be back time and time again. My absolute fave is the bread pudding dessert. I literally get teared up when I eat it...so amazing.
Thanks guys, you have a wonderful place! I love it and I let everyone hear about it too!
The Food: Fantastic. I had the rosemary crusted Amish chicken breast and it was some of, if not the best, chicken I've ever had.
The Prices: Prices ran a lil' higher than I expected. Most plates are in the $15-20 range.
The Atmosphere: The place is very cozy and, while it looks like a nice place for a conversation from the outside (dimly lit, candles on the tables), the patrons were all absurdly loud. Obviously I wasn't here for a date, but it's certainly not the kind of atmosphere I'd expected. That's the main reason for the star deduction.
Bottom line: Definitely a great place to go to for great tasting food, though I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for a quiet date spot.
Wow. By far the best restaurant I've BYOB'd ever.
I came in town for a wedding as with some others. My friend and I decided to come here for a little classy dinner style. We somehow got a table with 11 on a Friday night and had a fantastically drunk and tasty 2 hours. The waiter was patient, helpful and energetic. The prices were reasonable and the food--awesome.
With at least 4 other people, I got the quail, which was one of the best meals I've had at a restaurant... ever. With ratatouille, to add. We were the last people in the restaurant and drunkenly walked out for an even drunker late evening.
The food was really a 3.5, but feels good rounding up considering everything together.
We had an 8:30 reservation, but thankfully we called in advance as our table wasn't ready until 9:15 (which in this case was fine because we were running late...but if we there at 8:30, a 45 minute wait, with no waiting area/bar, would have been aggravating).
Once we were seated, service was very accommodating and quick. As they are a BYO, expect to bring your own booze (which everyone seemed prepared with -- including individual cocktail shakers at the next table). In our case they were nice enough to offer to run across the street to 7-Eleven to get mixers for the booze we carried along.
For apps, we tried the artichoke/cheese fritters, which were heavy and dense, but excellent. We also tried the baked crab app, which most everyone liked. Both were generous and fresh -- neither the most healthy.
For dinner, beef stew was had by two, and Moroccan style chicken in phylo by another (and the crab again by one). Both dishes were excellently flavored, but for the chicken, definitely be prepared for serious Middle Eastern seasonings. The beef on both plates seemed like it could have spent some more time cooking as there was some toughness. Otherwise, again, the quantity was generous, and the ingredients super fresh.
As the truffle fries came highly recommended, we tried those, and they do NOT disappoint. Nobody could get enough, and we had ask the server to remove them from the table as we would have kept going on the seemingly bottomless basket.
One shortfall might be seen in the offerings for vegetarians, or for those that enjoy fish, as both seemed somewhat short in supply, but otherwise, this is a great neighborhood bistro, run by ownership that is eager to provide a gracious meal in a welcoming setting. Then, getting out the door for $122 (for a party of four), got everyone to agree they would gladly go back to try some different things on the menu.
I went here with great anticipation last week, with a college friend in tow. I have to say I was underwhelmed, given all the lavish reviews on here. Are restaurants just getting more mediocre, or is my palate getting more refined? Or am I just getting to be an ol' picky beeyatch?
It's BYOB, which we love. Our waiter was cute and charming . . . which we love. However, in the HB neighborhood, "cute and charming" is in great supply, nay, a girl trips over "cute and charming" all the way up and down Halsted.
The food. I was so excited to try this place and I have to say it was a bit disappointing.
My college friend's SO ordered the trout. That was probably the best entree, and his exclamation "this is the moist-est fish I've ever eaten!" was accurate. Or maybe I just like saying the word "moist". Mmmmmoist. However, I thought there should have been an offer to filet the fish at the table - if for nothing else but to admire the server's arms. Hey! No! Because of the many tiny bones that made it a bit hard to eat.
Mine and 7star companion's food was just kind of meh. Overcooked. Sort of mushy. I had the catfish over gumbo and he had the pork special - which *sounded* delicious at least. But . . . meh. Just . . . unimpressive. And I don't like a giant bill for "unimpressive".
I'd probably give this place another chance, maybe for their weekday special. It was also REALLY CROWDED and a bit claustrophobic and LOUD.
Yes, good food. But we had to wait way too long for the bill. And it was really loud, tight, and claustrophobic for me.
I have an open mind for more stars on a week night when I hope it's not such a zoo.
Well, Joncarl, you did it again...
A few recent events necessitated a celebratory dinner (new employment PLUS birthday means we celebrate in my world!) so I immediately thought to HB, one of my favorite meals of recent memory.
New stuff I got to taste? A gouda tasting with three different kinds of gouda, apples and candied almonds. The five-year gouda was amazing. The loins of pork with sauteed apples, potatoes au gratin and collard greens were fantastic....and the Amish chicken with macaroni and cheese made several of my dining companions swoon.
Top all of that off with chocolate yodels (yodel-a-hee-hoo, so rich and chocolatey) and some candied pineapple bread pudding, which was quite possibly the best dessert I have ever had, and we were floating out the door with rounder bellies, pinker cheeks, and completely satisfied.
After last night, it is firmly cemented in my mind that HB is in my top two restaurants in Chicago. Bravissimo, Joncarl, you create an amazing dining experience each time I come here.
After last night, I'm convinced that HB stands for heavenly bistro. Cuz everything about this place… Read more »
This is truly a little hidden treasure on North Halsted. The room is decorated in dark colors and vintage mirrors. Mixed greens in balsamic dressing and special
gazpacho with corn were large and pleasing starters. The Amish chicken breast with pasta and asparagus was crisp and juicy. Pork tenderloin consisted of two large boneless chops on a bed of au gratin potatoes. Yum! Service was excellent and friendly Chef Johncarl is happy to meet diners. This is BYO so bring your best vintage and enjoy an excellent meal.
Mike's Hard Lemonade, Mussels, Hugs and Snails.
All things that comprised of my delightful Thursday night. This bustling tiny restaurant ravished my taste buds and practically blew kisses with the service.
My dinner companion and I brought a lovely white and red wine to pair with whatever we decided to ordered. And the staff was swift in bringing glasses and uncorking the wine.
We had the almond stuffed dates, wrapped in the crispiest of bacon and then seductively rolled in brown sugar and the escargot.
Escargot= Perfect texture and savory
Dates= A pleasant surprise of the meaty and the sweet-y (hehe)
Then onto our main entrees:
The "Amsterdam" Mussels and The Pork Shoulder C-something.
The Pork was a pulled pork dish over a bed a coarsely cut saurkraut with mussels on top. It was pretty heavenly. Like a German or Polish dish but updated and perfected.
All this time the service was impeccable. I was not for want. And at the very end while we were swimming in the Chocolate Bread Pudding, the chef/ owner came over and offered us Mike's Hard Lemonade and apologized it wasn't exactly lemoncello but refreshing.
And it was, just like the dining experience. And to really top it off, I got a hug from the chef.
Here's not having to spend a fortune to be treated like king and eat like one.
Prix Fixe'd it last night for a special night ;)
It was a last minute decision, so at 6:30 I called up to make reservations for 8:30, which they complied with...step 1 complete.
The host did mention that it was BYOB, so I went and got my favorite lambic beer...step 2 complete.
I got in the taxi, made it to the restaurant and gave my name to be seated at the table...step 3? Nope, not complete yet. The tables were all full and people were taking their time, which didn't bother me because I understand, plus the place is so small. The host did take the beer I brought and put it in the cooler, which was fantabulous. The weather was nice so we stayed outside and talked, since it's terribly loud inside. The wait was longer than expected so we were given complimentary bacon wrapped dates while waiting outside (not bad at all). Finally, the table opens up...step 3 complete.
We order the prix fixe menu - an appetizer/salad, main entree and dessert. The escargot appetizer was very delicious and had a great flavoring to it. The duck and plum plate I ordered was interesting and definitely not my thing. It was looked like cat food, but I guess some people like this stuff. For me, I'll pass, though I'm sure it was cooked great for those who like it. Then the food arrived; I had the haddock, she had the pasta. Both were tasty and filling - not the best, but very good. Then the end of the meal came, which was dessert. We both had the bread pudding, but with different toppings. Yummy! Step 4 complete.
All in all, a good place to chill, drink your own liquor with no extra fees, have fantastic service, and eat new foods...step 5 complete.
The perfect restaurant for my family to celebrate my graduation.
I loved the atmosphere of the place, the staff was super friendly -- I had to push my reservation back a bit since we were running late and they could not have been more nice about it. In fact, when we arrived and while we were eating, the owner came over and said, "Emma Olson, are you happy?" I was so impressed with how easygoing they were.
Of course, the food was delicious. The lambburger was excellent, the truffle fries were unbelievable, and there was plenty leftover for a late-night snack. My brother could not believe how good the Philly Cheesesteak was, and he tends to be picky with his steaks. Also, get the bacon-wrapped almond stuffed dates. Absolutely heavenly.
HOLY CRAP. This is the easiest 5 star rating I have ever given. Absolutely everything I put in my mouth at this restaurant was unbelievable. I don't even know where to begin when recommending dishes; I went with a party of 8 and we ordered well over half the menu. I guess if forced to pick standouts: fried artichoke appetizer, bacon wrapped date appetizer, mac n' cheese part of the chicken entree, truffle fries which they let us order as a side when we asked, hoho dessert. But honestly, everything ordered was amazing.
Other notes, the portions are generous, considering it's not Italian or Chinese, or some other typically big portion cuisine. The service was great, even with a party of 8. They take reservations. Prices are reasonable - apps just under 10, entrees between 15 and 20. AND as if it's not heavenly enough already, it's BYOB with NO corkage fee!!!!! They didn't even seem put off by our group's ability to split 10 bottles of wine between 8 people. I will SOOOOOO be back, and not soon enough.
"HB Restaurant embodies flawless execution in every sense of the notion" - Brett D
I could wax poetic for days about my love for HB, but I think just one sentence in Brett D's review captures the essence of HB perfectly.
Umm. I probably shouldn't announce this publicly, but...oh, here goes. I would whore myself out to eat here and to experience HB's exceptional service, even if I was penniless and broken. I might even be convinced to donate a kidney to a total stranger, if only I was given the chance to have some of Jon Carl's caramel bread pudding once a week for the rest of my life. It's that good, that lovely.
Everything I tried I loved. Some dishes, I loved a bit more than others perhaps. But, I was never disappointed with a single plate that emerged from HB's kitchen. I can't say much more, put I will leave you with some food porn photos so you can drool at the thought of eating here as well.
Practically perfect in every way. Food was amazing, service and ambiance excellent, and priced right.
My husband and I went to celebrate his birthday. I called to make a reservation earlier in the week, left a voice message, and received a nice callback to confirm. The staff was friendly, very into the food and gave great feedback on the specials and regular menu items.
We really enjoyed the bacon wrapped dates with almonds, a special of fried soft shell crab with watermelon and mint, entrees of shrimp and grits (to die for), and braised pork shoulder with sauerkraut and mussels. Flavors were bold, perfectly executed, and right on.
We'll absolutely be back. The place was crowded, so make a reservation!
How does it feel to come to a quaint, comfortable, byob bistro, where the chef himself comes to your table to present your meal. It's awesome! Some friends and I came here a few Wednesdays ago, the portions are generous and the food was delicious. A couple of us ordered the pri-fixe and our third member ordered off the menu. For starters, we tried the fried cheese and date appetizers. The strawberry jam on the cheese sounds odd in theory, but the sweetness compliments the saltiness of the cheese. The dates...how can you go wrong with bacon, very tasty. For entrees, I had the 'whole fish', which is exactly what it sounds like. A roasted whitefish with vegetables in broth. I also sampled my dining companions entrees, the mussels and chicken in phylo. I liked the chicken in phylo better than the mussels, but I'm not really a mussels eater in the first place. The chicken was wrapped up in phylo and served with couscous and a tangy sauce. (side note: all of the staff were very friendly and it was obvious that they take pride in their work.)
The finale was shared carmel apple bread pudding and a chocolate ho-ho dessert. The table argued about which was better, either way it's a win-win. This place rocks.
I loved every minute of dinning at HB. If I could give 6 stars for the people that work there I most certainly would. They were terrific and so nice.
The food was perfect and sooo scrumptious. The group of us could not resist all getting the lamb burger and it was massive but just delicious - I'm literally counting down the minutes until I can have my leftovers.
I plan on coming back very soon and very often !
What a fantastic restaurant. We called on a Saturday afternoon to make a reservation for four. They asked for my number and promised to call back after checking the reservation book to see if we could be worked in. We were called back immediately and worked in at 8pm, as requested.
Our waiter was amazing (Joncarl's partner, if I recall correctly). We ordered everything under the sun that has been praised in reviews; bacon wrapped dates, artichoke appetizer, truffle fries and mussels, flank steak with risotto, and the whole red snapper (which they even beheaded for my mother who could not stand the thought of the fish looking at her). After all this, we obviously had to have desert and the bread pudding was amazing!! I think it was key lime bread pudding...drool!! Sooo good. All this and BYOB-this place is great. Such a laid back atmosphere, but still very classy and we never felt rushed. The waiter even complimented our rendition of Taylor Swift's love story (I can't help it-I love it!).
I really liked how laid back this place felt. It was strange that the restaurant was so nice, appearance-wise, and yet it was also comfy, laid back and welcoming. It makes a great date place in my opinion. The staff were all dressed casually in attire that looked like what they probably wear when they're going out with friends. They didn't seem to mind that my +1 was running extremely late, and they constantly came to see that I was happy with everything. The owner also came to see that we were satisfied.
On top of everything, it's BYOB, and they tell you that when you call to make reservations so that you know ahead of time to pick something up if you'd like. There was no corkage fee either if I remember correctly.
I left feeling like the cooking was incredibly similar to anything I might have at home, and at first this was kind of disappointing 'til I remembered that it was the whole point. It definitely is home cooking, and I guess delicious with that said. The only thing I didn't care much for was the dessert. I had a bread pudding. It was WAY too rich and there was nothing particularly good about it. It also tasted a lot more like American Dulce de Leche desserts than it did bread pudding, and I really like bread pudding.
Great service and interesting flavors! My wife and I have been trying to find the time to go to Home Bistro for months. We ended up getting a last minute late (9:30pm) reservation on a Saturday, and we could not be more happy with the place. Initially, due to an event on Halsted, we ended up waiting 15 minutes for a table. The host apologized and made sure that we had glasses for our wine while we waited. The good service continued with our waiter offering helpful suggestions, when we had trouble deciding. We had the artichoke and edam fritters and the fried haloumi cheese to start. The fritters were good sized and tasty, and the fried cheese was paired with a strawberry jam and baby greens to make an interesting treat. For entrees, we ordered a braised pork belly special, the salmon, mussels and the red grouper. The grouper included 5 short-neck clams, chick peas and a few olives for just a touch of brine counter point to this well balanced dish. The pork belly had tasty onion jam and was served over a cheesy polenta (only negative was that the pork was a little salty - not an issue for my polish blood). The mussels looked good, but I only got a taste of the truffle oil fries, which I recommend if you enjoy potatoes at all. The salmon was served over lentils. We finished with a wonderful apple crisp with caramel and whipped cream (not too fluffy, but still light). After the meal, the wait staff made no effort to hurry us out. Overall, I applaud the service and would come back for the food - perhaps for the Wednesday price fix menu.
Great decor. Great ambiance. Friendly staff. Great food.
I'm not really sure what else to say. The four of us that went enjoyed it immensely.
A BYOB gem in Lakeview. This is definitely one of the best meals I have had in Chicago (close tie with the suckling pig at Mercat a la Planxa). I'll start with the setting - friendly waitstaff and unpretentious atmosphere. Relatively small restaurant by Chicago standards but cozy. Table was ready and set at our reservation time. BYOB without corkage fee - you cannot beat that!
As for the food - we did not indulge ourselves in appetizers as we had met with friends beforehand. However, we were a party of seven and we were universally impressed by our entrees. Several of us got specials (weekend of August 8th, 2009). Slow-roasted pulled pork was one favorite (served with bacon baked beans and collard greens); the other was the softshell crab with a watermelon salad. I woke up this morning wanting more of both. Off the regular menu, friends loved the Philly steak and cheese as well as the Crabcake sandwich. Entrees ranged between $14 (burger) to $23 (gourmet aforementioned Steak & Cheese).
For dessert, we split several orders of brownie and bread pudding. Now most women like to go for the rich chocolate (and don't get me wrong, the brownie was decadent), but the bread pudding was phenomenal and the crowd favorite.
We are making our plans for a return ASAP!
Amazing food, fabulous service and BYOB!!! What more could a girl ask for?! I've been here twice and both times the food has been amazing. It seems like their menu, although not very extensive, changes often and everything looks so good it's hard to choose! Great atmosphere for date night, a double date, or even a fun girls' night out!! And if you end up drinking the one bottle per person you didn't think you'd get through, you can stumble to Roscoe's afterwards for some fun dancing and a pitcher of pink vodka lemonade!
Six Bucks Before Six
Neighborhood: South Loop
Free Aperitif On Arrival!
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: French
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: French
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Category: Italian
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