one sixtyblue
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Near West Side160 N Loomis St
(between Adams St & Lake St)
Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 850-0303
- Nearest Transit:
Ashland (Pink, Green Lake)
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Valet
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
123 reviews
Neighborhood: Near North Side
"First I have to say that I agree with the person below, their NAAN rules!!!! SO GOOD!!!! This was my first time trying Indian food and I was…" read more »
58 Reviews for one sixtyblue
Aww, I accidently deleted my last one. I went for Restaurant Week. It was a great deal. Honestly though I probably wouldn't have ordered all that food anyways, so the bill would have come out the same I think. So it actually means more time at the gym :(. Anyways, food. AMAZING!! The white fish was awesome. Like better than awesome actually. One of the best entrees I've had, which says alot. The gnocchi was delish. My boyfriend had the soup which was really good. Pork tenderloin that he was actually disappointed in. We both had the cannolloni. Whole lot of stuff happening on the plate. I would recommend eating all the things individually. I think it tastes better that way. All in all. I thought it was a great deal and great way to try their menu.
Can't wait for next year's Restaurant Week :)
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (3)
Cool (2)
We came here after glowing recommendations for my mother in law's sixtieth birthday. They had been pleased with French choices before, so we figured it was a safe bet. Wow, were we impressed. From the moment we arrived the service was impeccable. Our waiter put up with countless questions and actually had meaningful and helpful responses (unlike most restaurants where you can pretty much count on the recommendation for the more expensive items on the menu).
Although the four of us were tempted by many of the same dishes, we all tried something different and tried each others. My cod was perfectly cooked and, although it appeared to be a small portion, I was more than satisfied without feeling overly full. I heard rave reviews about the veal tenderloin and the beef tenderloin as well.
The cheese appetizer was also good. This is definitely the place to go if you're a stinky cheese fan. I'm not particularly but could still appreciate the dish.
Dessert was also incredible. This sounds strange but the coconut dessert tasted like the most amazing granola bar I've ever had - AND I LOVE GRANOLA!
One recommendation - if you're heading here and have a car, you really should drive. It's a little ways out and the valet parking will be much less expensive than cab fare.
My husband and I heard about One Sixty Blue through online reviews, and after receiving a recommendation from the host at Vie (in Western Springs - another of our favorite restaurants), we made a reservation.
Being unfamiliar with choosing a French wine to accompany our different entrees, we asked the waiter for a suggestion. What we were served perfectly complimented each of our dishes, and we loved it so much that we asked him to peel the label for us so we could buy some for our home supply.
We had zero complaints with this restaurant. The service was excellent and attentive, the food was delicious, and the ambiance was great for "date night". Our only complaint is that catching a cab after dinner can require a bit of a wait as it's a little off the beaten path.
We'll definitely be back - just wish we hadn't waited so long to try it in the first place.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Stunning, I have been to one sixty several times and it is certainly one of my favorite restaurants in the city.
The decor is chic and modern without being stuffy, a blend of formal but casual where you can arrive well dressed but never feel snobby.
The service is very good and the wine selection is more than adequate but what really sells this place is the food. There are many nouveaux-style french-american restaurants in Chicago, but none execute as perfectly as one sixtyblue. I have never had a dish here I did not absolutely love, and the mashed potatoes (you'd think a trivial aspect right?) are unbelievable.
A great place to take a date without breaking the bank, while the cuisine is on par with some of the top restaurants in the city (Tru, MK, The City (Cite)), the slightly more casual atmosphere indicates you wont need to take out a second mortgage and accurately so. While it is by no means cheap, it is reasonable enough where I have no qualms about dining there somewhat regularly.
Note: If you are not planning to drive, I suggest you take a cab as the location is somewhat off the beaten path.
Cool area (Greektown, I guess), and a remarkably upscale restaurant. It was billed on Chowhound as casual fine dining (unlike Tru or Alinea), so I thought it would be more hipster with a pedigree. It was just fine dining. We went entirely fish, which all was good but complicated. The tuna carpaccio was on a parmesan shortbread, while traditional carpaccio has just the parmesan shaved on top, and the simplicity of the traditional would have been just as good or better and way less complicated. The halibut had a pea terrine, and a pureed pure green pea reduction would have been simpler and maybe better. The scallops were on a coconut milk risotto, which was good, but an even more austere Asian-style risotto would have been easier. So the chef is working hard, but could serve amazing food with less work. I do think less is more. Gary Danko, while not always perfect, achieves that simplicity a fair chunk of the time. The chef seemed like a really nice guy, actually, and the food was inventive, but slightly lighter would achieve a more sublime result. But it was good. I guess I just prefer simpler and less complicated (see my review of Avec).
The wines we had were delicious. The server was the nicest guy, really sweet, but the service was so erratic. I didn't mind: it was sincere and nice, but let's just say that Gary Danko wouldn't like that either. (It's not the server's fault. I liked him. He had the same nice-guy quality of the folks at Gary Danko, but that seamless quality? Nope.)
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Loved it. My date and I went on a Saturday and were seated at the beautiful bar for a few minutes waiting for a table. When I ordered a rather frou-frou cocktail (the bluetini, with blueberry syrup and champagne), my girlfriend made fun of me the bartender quickly jumped to my defense, noting that a member of the '85 Bears orders it whenever he comes in. When our table was ready, the maitre'd carried our martinis to the table for us! Just a couple of examples of the awesome service here.
Our server immediately arrived at the table and suggested we start with a pot of cheese warmed in the oven. The camembert with honey, pear and almonds was awesome, much more satisfying than any amuse bouche.
For dinner we started with a citrus crab salad (I couldn't guess at half the ingredients in it but it was tangy and the big chunks of crab were super fresh) and sea scallops (some of the best I've had, although the vanilla risotto it was served over was a little overcooked and not exciting). Then two awesome main courses. The pork tenderloin was cooked perfectly and was obviously real high quality, but the star was definitely the bed of warm red cabbage slaw it came on. I took one bite and made a little involuntary orgasm noise right away. The tangy sweet cabbage had little bits of crispy pork belly cooked right in and I am still dreaming about it. My date's filet was not only HUGE (it would easily have been 50-60 dollars at a big downtown steakhouse), it was cooked and seasoned to perfection, and draped with some succulent braised beef short rib. Kick ass.
For dessert, we shared the one dish I had seen mentioned in the Timeout review I'd read, which was a strawberry rhubarb tart. Expecting something like a little pie, I was pleasantly surprised by the presentation: a butter cookie like bottom, topped with poached rhubarb, an airy strawberry marscapone, an icy cold sorbet, and a little flake of caramelized sugar resting on top. Then our server poured tasty fruit syrup all over it right at the table. Fun, and addictively tasty. Our meal ended with some complimentary truffles and cookies, and a huge, but not undeserved, bill.
We had a great time and there were just a few things keeping this from a total 5-star experience. The wine list was enormous, and featured an impressive selection of rare and cult wines, magnums, and funky new world selections. But our server offered no guidance or recommendations, and there was scarcely a bottle under 80 dollars in the whole 15 page book. We opted for some wines by the glass, and our server tried to sneak a recommendation for a $25 glass of meritage past me, even after I had noted that we were a bit budget conscious. Overall, our main server was pretty inattentive, perhaps because we looked like a couple of poor young college students (we are, but we know how to splurge), but the host, bartender, maitre'd, and lovely backwaiter made up for this one lapse. If I can ever pay off the credit card tab from this first visit, I'll be right back here!
I would have liked to give this place five stars. It's a beautiful restaurant, with lovely food and refined service. But the ambiance, mood, vibe, whatever you want to call it - just wasn't there for us. Usually, I love soft music and the secretive hush you often find in classy restaurants... but this place could have stood to up the volume a little. It was so quiet, it was almost eerie... and everything about the place felt sort of dead (on a Friday night, nonetheless!). Maybe it just wasn't our style but I was hoping for more of a lively vibe at a place so talked about.
But on to positives. The food was a delight. We started with a cheese plate - terrific, bold flavors that paired nicely with our server-recommended wine. For entrees: try the beef tenderloin. Amazing. Perfectly done, with a fabulous espresso crunch topping that gave just the right amount of zing.
Service is top notch here. The manager and chef both visited all the tables that evening, which was an extra nice touch.
I'd like to go back for one of their special wine nights, and see if the crowd is different, maybe more upbeat.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
This place is excellent. Had the delmonico steak which was pretty good although my cut was a little fattier than I had hoped. The mashed potatoes were wonderful. Had the dessert sampler which I highly recommend.
More importantly the service was great. Our waiter and waitress were really attentive and did a great job timing when our appetizers, entrees, and dessert came out. Not at all pretentious but still polite.
The only downside that I found was that we ordered some chocolate truffles to take home. They weren't cheap either. They gave us the truffles in a aluminum take out box; the same type of box they put their leftovers in. That just seemed a little unprofessional, but overall I would try again.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
What a high caliber restaurant should be. Perfect service that balanced friendliness without being annoying. Amazingly creative food, whether it was seafood or meat or vegetables. Flavors exquisitely combined. Great room. nice view of the kitchen. nice level of volume - you could talk normally at your table but you didnt feel like you were in a loud environment or in a library.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Ehhh...I was expecting amazing and what I got seemed, well, flat and contrived.
We did the Chicago Restaurant Week menu. We started, though, with some herbed goat cheese that was supposed to have been warmed in the wood burning over. The cheese was delicious and served with garlic, lemon confit, and sundried tomatoes. However...the cheese was still cold when it arrived.
For my first course I had the potato leek soup...it was easily the best thing I had. It was smooth, creamy and delicious! I loved it. Brian had the parm gnocchi, and he thought it was okay.
We both had the white fish with suckling pig for our entrees...they were okay. The fish was piping hot, but the skin was soggy, which told me it had either a) been reheated or b) had been sitting for a while. Additionally, the sauces that were served with the entree had skins on them (from exposure to air), so my guess is that they had been sitting.
Our desserts were fine too, B had the sorbet trio (mandarin, coconut, and raspberry). They were all pretty good. I had the cannelloni with bananas. Eh...
Overall, I would have been terribly disappointed to eat there at the regular price. I just didn't think the meal had the quality I expect for that price.
On a side note, our waiter was very knowledgeable, but he talked to us as if it was our first fine dining experience. And, when we asked for suggestions, he only suggested things that weren't available on the Chicago Restaurant Week menu.
Overall, there are many restaurants that offer a better meal in Chicago.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
3.5 stars for one sixty blue
I had dinner at one sixty blue last night for Restaurant Week. After reading everyone's enthusiastic reviews, I was anticipating an AMAZING dinner! Maybe that was my problem, my expectations were too high. I'm not saying it was bad, it was very good. Solid. But nothing blew me away. I will not find myself dreaming about anything I ate for weeks afterwards, which is what usually happens to me when I eat something unbelievably delicious.
Now, it might be because of the prix fixe menu. Obviously your choices are limited. We looked at the a la carte menu as well, and there were some very tasty sounding dishes on there! (Including their specialty Delmonico steak, but $42?! That's kinda crazy.) Actually, they had special prices for some of their a la carte items, in case you wanted to switch one of the prix fixe choices out for another item on the menu. The appetizers were an extra $8, and the entrees were an extra $15. Except for the aforementioned Delmonico, which is an extra $25. I thought this was a nice idea, but I'm too cheap to actually take advantage of it!
The first hurdle to overcome was ordering--my boyfriend and I wanted all the same things, so we were fighting over who got to order what, and who had to order their second choice. Here's what we had:
Appetizers
Belgian Endive Salad--My boyf couldn't bring himself to order the soup, so he got this. Actually, it was a pretty big salad! Blue cheese, candied walnuts, a nice vinaigrette. It was topped with this lil wonton-like "cap", which was cute. And tasty! His only complaint was that the walnuts were a bit too bitter, like they were not cleaned properly.
Parmesan Gnocchi--Yay, I won the appetizer round! The gnocchi was quite good, I loved the big square of parmesan on top! I always forget that I am not the biggest fan of butternut squash, I find it a bit too sweet sometimes. Plus the amaretto cookie crumble just added to the sweetness. I could never eat a whole plate of this as an entree, but it was nice as an appetizer. Creamy and tasty.
Entree
Duck Breast--I let the boyf get the duck, since I got the gnocchi. We both thought the duck was a bit tough. I thought the presentation was very pretty though. The duck also came with roasted persimmons. Mr Man didn't care for them, but I thought they were delicious! The roasting really brings out the flavor and aroma of the fruit. I was happy to take them off his hands!
Pork Tenderloin--I am slowly becoming a pork eater, I never used to order it! I was having trouble deciding what to get, and the waitress said this was her favorite of the 4 entrees. I thought it was really, really tasty! When the pork arrived, it was pretty pink in the middle. Everyone says its OK to eat pork a bit more rare these days, but I guess it still scares me! The pork was VERY tender though, MMM. It came with a sweet potato puree, and I LOVE sweet potatoes, and a red cabbage confit, which I liked, but I see how some could find it too tangy. I really liked the sauce too, I think it was a berry sauce?
Dessert
Coconut Crunch--I got most of this to myself, since Mr Man doesn't like coconut. MMM, yummo. White chocolate-coconut mousse, so creamy and delish. On top of this macadamia nut crisp, which was toasty, nutty deliciousness. The lime foam was SO good too, a great compliment to the coconut and macadamia! Not so much a foam as a cream, really. There were also little wafers on top of the mousse--as soon as I put it on my tongue it was like a ZING! of lime! Woo! It surprised me, but it was a nice extra bit of flavor to cut some of the sweetness of the coconut.
Banana-Mascarpone Cannelloni--Mr Non-Coconut Eater ordered this. It was good, but I thought mine was better. I loved the caramel sauce, and the carmelized bananas were really yummy too. It was a different, unique dessert.
A pleasant evening. I like the decor of the restaurant. Sleek, classy. The bar/lounge area looks cool too. We sat right in front of the wine cellar, and it was interesting to watch the servers climb the ladder to fetch bottles. :) I thought the staff were all very friendly and accommodating.
Again, everything was solidly good. Would I come back? Maybe--I want to come for their "dust off the bottle" dinner, where you bring in a bottle of wine, and they create a menu for you, based on what kind of wine you bring in! COOL!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
after reading all of the great reviews i was totally excited about giving one sixtyblue a try. unfortunately, i didn't have the same great experience that everyone else did. actually i found it mediocre and well mildly annoying.
first of all can you say HOVERING! i was with a girlfriend meeting up for dinner after work one day and so the place was not all that busy. perhaps that's why we could not say 2 words without someone coming to ask us how we were or if they could take our plates (although we only took 2 bites). i wish i was exaggerating...but i'm not. it really got to the point were it was irritating. i appreciate good service, but there is a line and the busboy, waitstaff, hostess, and manager all crossed it.
as for the food....it was ok. not bad, but definitely not amazing, and definitely not worth the price. i do have to admit that the carrot ginger soup was really good. my striped bass was served lukewarm and really lacking in flavor. overall the bill came to $130 and we were really disappointed.
the space itself is really nice. beautiful colors and great design elements.
if you do decide to go, i hope your experience is better than mine.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
We had a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner here last year. The food was delicious. Portion sizes were generous. My only complaint was the my side of mashed potatoes tasted like pure butter...bleehh!
I absolutely LOVED the madeleines they gave us to take home. Then when we were heading out, they offered to chauffeur us home in their limo! How sweet is that?!?!?
This place was excellent. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it is too damn expensive for me to visit frequently and the service was pretty slow.
We had a celebratory dinner at 160 Blue on Friday night. Our table of 10 started with a a cheese course and a round of drinks. The cheese was really good although served with about half the toast needed to eat it all.
I started with the sweet potato soup, which was amazing. Everything from the presentation to the aftertaste was unbelievable. I was able to scam a taste of the salmon and gnocchi appetizers also, both of which were really good. The brought us out tastes of some other items on their menu. I had a seafood tartar and a mini mug of a chestnut soup. While the little samples/tastes came out with no explanation and caused mass confusion, they were so delicious it didn't matter.
For my entree I had the Poussin, but quickly traded dishes with my boyfriend. He had the Ocean Trout - which was really tasty. Melts in your mouth good...
For dessert I had a hazelnut truffle... which was really good, but not the way to go. The special coconut mouse was so good it was crazy. The banana dessert was awesome too.
Overall, from beginning to end, I had a great time and a great meal. This place IS slow, but not in a disrespectful way. When spending as much money as we did on dinner, you want it to last. Our server was very good, the host actually walked me to the bathroom when I was walking around aimlessly looking for it, and the bus boys were quick and efficient. I recommend this place highly for an excellent, decadent meal.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Me and a foodie friend of mine happened upon One Sixty-blue on a Friday night around 5pm looking slovenly in our sweatshirts and jeans--- but had heard good things about the place. Granted--- we were also the kind of sweatshirt & jeans wearing guys who wouldn't really care about forking down $200 for a good dinner.
So considering we were able to jump in and sit right down at a table without a wait, it was a score.
The Joint
This place was one of the best in its class of upscale-yet-not-ungodly-expensive. The menu seemed playfully experimental without being unapproachable. With items like Sunchokes and Sweetbreads, one could definitely try out new slants on dishes. We were up for solid basics of meat and fish. Appetizers will set you back $12-18 but given the flavor combos, they're worth it. Main courses are late twenties to late thirties.
The Food
The starter appetizer included an oven-warmed goat cheese crock filled with a few tasty morsels of olives (I counted three kinds) and beets. It was a good sized portion that we spread on toasts the waiters served seconds and thirds of.
My buddy got the Belgian Endive Salad with blue cheese mixed greens and candied nuts. To call this an appetizer salad would be unfair. The portion of his salad was definitely meal-worthy. On the other hand, I had the soup du jour: celery root with bacon and homemade croutons. It was about 2 cups of warm, smooth, layered goodness.
For the main course, I got the Kona Kampachi--- a whitefish farm-raised off the coast of the island of Kona. It's a hearty fish that the chef pan-seared to rare and placed on a bed of rutabaga puree with toasted peanuts, macadamias, and dotted with chunks of flageolet. It was rounded out by two leeks and drizzled with a gooseberry vinagrette that was WHY I LOVE SAUCES. Complex and concentrated with flavors that I swear included ginger, grapefruit, lemon and vanilla. The roasted gooseberries thrown onto the plate were a great final touch.
However great my Kona was, it paled in comparison to the house-specialty: the Prime Delmonico Steak. In fact, if you have a steak-lover in your midst who swears by only eating steak in its simplest form, without sauces or toppings, you ought to have them try this out. Why? because this 12 ounce BONE-OUT cut of meat is dry-aged for a week and then cooked to perfection. Some might call it sacrilege to cover a steak with anything, but One Sixty-Blue found the right formula by blanketing the meat with a thin layer of carmelized shallots and roasted shallot sauce. Each slice of the steak held flavors that rivaled those of the great steak halls around this town. Some slightly sweet, then salty/savory and juicy. One could eat it plain, but it came with a cup-sized saucepan filled with potato puree (and doused in another kind of gravy- this one more traditional).
We had to finish with some dessert--- in our case a couple different sorbets (mandarin orange and cranberry). And our check was brought to us with a couple samplings of their homemade candy & homemade madelines.
IF YOU THINK that you should leave them with the check, given that you've just gorged yourself on a hefty meal, think again. I grabbed my madeline and he left his-- and I damn him for doing it. The madeline was one of the best I've ever had.. and it left me completely shocked that I'd even care about a simple french cookie left as an afterthought. I'd have eaten a dozen of those little jewels.
Our Waiter
Cordial and attentive without hovering. He was extremely knowledgeable about the food and intelligent enough to recommend a wine to complement the Delmonico-- although I'm sure that's come after plenty of experience with nightly recos. We gave him a hefty tip for guiding us through the meal and having a good time with it. I'd tell you his name if I had remembered it.
Just look for the dude with the mohawk (that's right) and steel-rimmed glasses. He'll have you covered.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
Yes, the service is impeccable. Perhaps overly attentive to the point that you may feel like a dreaded royalty followed by endless entourage. Note that, if you're going on rendezvous to this establishment, expect to flaunt at least 30 dollars on entree and french dining is usually never limited to prime steak. There is cheese platter, wine selection, and of course dessert you would feel ashamed to pass.
PS: read your bill attentively. If money matters to you, I advise you not to transfer your cocktail charge from bar to dining bill. You will be charged service fee.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
One Sixty Blue is the Chicago restaurant one would never find in New York City. On the periphery of a pocket of "cool" establishments along West Randolph Street, the restaurant is an unassuming building painted in a pale blue and white with large windows that peer into a small bar and lounge area.
The thing is, nothing on the exterior will prepare you for the shock of the dining area, where massive columns of dark mahogany paneling support a twenty foot high ceiling with curled parchment muting the light from above. The tables are fairly large, and the spacing is so that one would not automatically be privy to the conversations of the neighbor. We were a good three feet or so from the next table. This is something that could not be done in Manhattan, where real estate would be too valuable. The food preparation area is open for viewing, and one could spy the sous chef and pastry chef frenetically preparing dishes for the well-heeled clientele. She and I were the youngest diners at the restaurant by far, but to be honest, I don't know why there weren't more diners our age there. It was a Friday night, and given the clean, muted decor, the sufficient spacing between tables and the pleasantness of the staff who served us, it seemed like The Perfect Date Restaurant. Now the setting was perfectly romantic, but it was the extraordinary food that has me perfectly willing to jump on Oprah's couch declaring my undying love for this place.
There is a massive, massive wine rack that separates the bar and lounge area from the dining room, and they have a fair selection of wines to choose from. We went with a modest bottle of syrah, which was surprisingly good. The red wine glasses, I'd like to mention, were massive and lovely to look at - so opulent. If only I remembered the brand, I would buy a set.
Now we had selected a red, but our appetizers were both seafood. If ever there were an example of how much cooking matters as an art and as a science, the Maine diver sea scallops served with mascarpone pumpkin puree, chanterelle mushrooms, pancetta, frise and sage would be it. The scallops, perhaps not the full size of her fist, but close enough, were exquisitely prepared - the precise application of fire to the heat-sensitive protein flesh of the mollusk left the meat so tender as to cleave smoothly to the knife, so juicy and gloriously absorbent of the flavors of the chanterelle mushrooms, pancetta, and sage that formed the base of the sauce, and all so complimentary to the mascarpone pumpkin puree and frise. Then there was the rock shrimp gnocchi, the tiny shrimp floating amongst gnocchi so incredibly light and fluffy as to put marshmallows to shame. The asparagus and shiitake mushrooms were well-selected compliments to the textures of the meaty shrimp and airy gnocchi, all in a truly delicious emulsion of lobster and tarragon. I would say that these appetizers were fairly close to crack in terms of how addictive they could be. I would possibly kill someone I didn't like too much for more of those scallops. And really, never has gnocchi ever been so phenomenal.
She selected the Colorado rack of lamb. Now they listed "eggplant caviar / pulled lamb shoulder / oven-dried tomato / tomme de brebis / thyme sauce" on the menu, and to be honest, I don't quite remember much of that, but I do remember that it was all rather delicious, and the lamb was perfectly prepared. The meat was simply so tender, in a sauce that tasted so good. And I did have a rather good rack of lamb at Salpicn only four days or so before.
I went for the duo of free-range veal - a pan-roasted striploin and crispy sweetbread, served with spinach mousseline, bacon lardon, pickled white mushroom, mustard-honey sauce. The veal was incredibly delicious, the striploin as tender as Kobe beef without the marbling fat, the crispy sweetbread well prepared and rich. It was just all so good that I was sorry to see that I had finished everything on my plate.
Only there was more to come. The desserts that I write about, I can still taste in my mouth when I close my eyes and think of heaven and heroin.
Her crme brle was beautiful to look at, and the layering of the mousse and crme was rather pretty. The candied shell crackled as our spoons crunched through. The chocolate was decidedly rich, and the vanilla just so good, the entire dessert was fantastic.
The souffl was definitively spectacular. Richly chocolately, but just so airy, this dessert was fantastic. As you punctured the risen top layer of moist cake and made your way down into the dense molten center, your tongue was kept from being overwhelmed by the clean, cold, sour-sweet raspberry sorbet, elegantly perched above the white porcelain in its phyllo dough cone
As we finished our desserts, and finally made our way down to the end of our bottle of syrah, I don't think I've ever been as happy after dinner as at the end of that meal
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
We dined at One Sixty Blue over the weekend - having won a free dinner from a wedding website. We had a wonderful experience - service was excellent, the decor is warm and the food was phenomenal. We ordered from the "tasting menu" offered for the United Center events, which included a cocktail, appetizer, entree and dessert. My fiance ordered the scallops and I ordered the chilled asparagus soup - both were amazing. We were also brought an amuse-bouche, which was a rabbit fritter and delicious! Normally I would not eat rabbit, but I didn't hear that part initially, so it just looked like a tasty fritter to me ;) But it was really, really good. For an entree I had the pork tenderloin, which was seasoned perfectly and had a delicious sauce and slaw (reminded me of pulled pork) - so good! My fiance had the delmonico and named it in the top three of his best steaks. It was so tender and just amazing. For dessert I had the coconut crunch - tasty combination of white chocolate & coconut on a macadamia nut crust and my fiance had the homemade sorbet - very refreshing. We had such a nice evening and were thoroughly impressed by the service & presentation. We'll definitely return for a special occasion.
As a side note, we had expected to have a "free tasting dinner" for both of us, and ordered a half bottle of wine on the side as the rest of the dinner was to be comped. To our complete surprise and shock, the entire bill was taken care of...including gratuity (which of course we added on to). Just goes to show the level of service you can expect from One Sixty Blue - really amazing.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I found my favorite Chicago restaurant. My boyfriend and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day at one sixty blue this year. After reading several positive reviews, I was very excited to finally experience this place. We started our meal with a small goat cheese platter heated from the wood oven. The goat cheese was delicious - my boyfriend likened the cheese's silkiness to butter. They only gave us a few pieces of crostini to eat with the cheese, but one of our waiters was kind enough to give us more once we ran out. My boyfriend had a salad as a first course, which was presented nicely with a wonton-like dome that he had to crack to get to the salad. For our main courses, I had the yellow tail snapper and my boyfriend had the pork tenderloin. The snapper was very soft and also had some toasty skin. The texture contrast was a delight! I tried some of my boyfriend's pork, which was very flavorful. It was so soft I don't think he needed a knife to cut through the pieces. We also ordered pommes frites with truffle oil and gruyere cheese. WOW. I think I actually loved the frites more than my snapper. It's definitely a must-try. To wrap up our meal, we split a Grand Marnier souffle. I always equate souffle with chocolate so I was a bit shocked when the waiter showed up without chocolate in the ramekin. Nonetheless the lemony souffle was delicious. The souffle came out piping hot and I ended up burning my tongue a bit as I gobbled down all its yumminess. And just when I couldn't take any more food, our waiter gave each of us lemon meyer madeleines to take home with us. The madeleines were a perfect way to end the meal. I couldn't have asked for more. I have to admit the dinner was a tad pricey, but the entire culinary experience - from the decor, ambiance, service and food - made it all worth it. I'd definitely love to come back for another special occasion.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
My boyfriend and I went here for my birthday on Saturday night. It was truly perfect.
First, the service was impeccable. We had a British waiter, I think his name was Steve, who was funny, friendly, and obviously really cared about guiding us to the best meal possible. I allowed him to completely decide my menu, and I was so glad I did -- everything was perfect -- which leads me to the food.
This was absolutely, without reservation, one of the best meals I have ever had. We started with a cheese course which was wonderful - a light tangy goat cheese with garlic and olives. Then Steve recommended I get the salmon appetizer. It was to die for. The combinations of flavors -- little leek whole grain pancakes topped with house-cured salmon, carrot shavings, creme freche, and onions -- was AMAZING. It was like sushi in that the various flavors were so unexpected and so perfect. Bravo. For appetizers, I got the vennison with pears and celery puree and my boyfriend got the steak. Both were heavenly. Finally, the deserts were fantastic. All were paired with a bottle of dry red that our waiter picked out -- perfect pick as well.
The restaurant itself has a great ambience -- my only tiny little micro-complaint is that we were next to the kitchen, which was a bit loud. But -- I think my boyfriend liked watching all the food prep, so it turned out to be a plus anyhow. :)
Last year the Sun Times gave 160 Blue the honor of "Restaurant of the Year." It's definitely deserved. While 160 Blue might not be the newest or trendiest spot, it's definitely one of Chicago's absolute best dining experiences. Go!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I went with my friend to their champagne tasting and was very happy with the event. The samples were all very good (there was one food pairing that my friend and I both did not like - but it provided some humor for the evening) and I learned a lot about champagne that I didn't know before. I would definitely go back again.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Was here on Monday for the monthly wine tasting, which was very enjoyable. The atmosphere is nice - open, yet warm, with a very cozy lounge area in the front. The service was excellent, as was the food. My only regret was that we didn't get more of it, but paired bites literally means that. I look forward to coming back for dinner sometime, but I certainly plan to be at the next wine tasting. Three stars is not meant to reflect negatively on this location - I'll re-rate it when I've actually dined here.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
if you don't like this place, you don't like food. really. i pass by this place all the time but never thought twice about dining here-- i don't even think i realized it was a fancy restaurant and affiliated with michael jordan until i saw it on check please.
well of course i wanted to try it out but didn't want to burn a hole (a bigger one, anway) in my pocket. so when i found out we could go here for restaurant week, i was thrilled. it is, so far, the best value for restaurant week. i enjoyed the food so much -- it had layers of flavor, depth, texture, and perfect combinations of all the elements. the potato leek soup is so comforting and homey, yet elegant and surprising. mmmmmmm, i will have to finish this review later but all i can say is i'd rather eat tuna fish and ramen all week to save for one great meal a week here.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Excellence all the way around! Great ambience, impeccable friendly service and food. Seafood was excellent one of the best Ahi tuna meals ever! Wonderful for a birthday celebration.
I agonized over what rating to give this place because the food was, actually, quite delicious. But, alas, after tossing it around in my head for a bit, I have decided to give this place NO STARS, and here's why:
We arrived promptly for a 9pm reservation and had to wait for 1/2 hour at the bar before finally inquiring about our table. We were then (finally) seated. That I could have forgiven.
The waiter came over promptly and was engaging and knowledgeable about the menu. We ordered a cheese course and waited 22 minutes for it to arrive. Now, I know that they don't ferment their own cheese at 160 Blue and it was not terribly busy, so the kitchen wasn't slammed. All they really had to do was slice and plate the cheese. But 22 minutes later it finally arrived. It was decent cheese, about the quality of cheese I get at Whole Foods, but not bad. Anyway, all this I could have forgiven.
My husband ordered the "Boneless" Squab but kept picking the bird's ribcage out of his mouth throughout the meal. I ordered the Halibut and it was good, not great (but does halibut every really get great?). The squab, despite the millions of tiny little bones, was quite tasty. The food took incredibly long to come out. All this I could have forgiven.
The dessert took forever as well but was amazing. I had the brioche pudding, which was heaven on a plate and my husband had the truffles, which were good.
So, now we have been at this restaurant for THREE HOURS, mostly wondering why our food was taking so long, and the bill comes. We noticed that our entire bar tab was transferred onto our dinner check, which would have been fine if we hadn't closed out our bar tab before being seated.
I was a high-end server in college and have seen this trick used a hundred times, almost always with great success. Bartenders and waiters do this to pad the bill to increase their tip. It's an old trick and it left a bad taste in my mouth. After we complained the hostess come over and gave us some half-baked excuse about the bartender's forgetfulness; it was obvious that she hardly believed her own story. This was the final and inexcusable straw.
I do not go out to dinner to get swindled by the staff. Furthermore, the lax attitude of the management implies that they condone this treatment of their customers. If you go, check your bill very carefully because you just might find an added surprise.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
I don't get too many opportunities to go to Chicago's swankier restaurants, so I jumped on the chance to try one sixtyblue during Chicago Restaurant Week. The space is absolutely beautiful; warm, impeccably decorated and really unique. I loved the glass wine cellar that separated the bar from the main dining area. Our servers were consistently attentive and helpful. Now for the good stuff.... the food!
We tried the prix fixe menu and between everyone in my foursome we had almost every option. The endive salad wasn't particularly special, except for the yarmulke-like crisp it had over the top. The combination of ingredients could be had at Cosi or any other lunch chain in Chicago. The potato leek soup, however, was to die for. I would go back there just for the soup.... and the presentation was fabulous (they presented a bowl of leeks and bacon and then poured the creamy potato soup over it). Those who had the fish said it was excellent, and the duck with fennel was really tender and tasty. I was, however, disappointed in the pork tenderloin with crispy pork belly and some sort of cherry compote... the fruit flavors seemed to overpower the pork, which was well cooked but not flavorful or seasoned enough. Dessert was fantastic; after sampling the sorbet, coconut crisp and banana cannelloni, I couldn't decide which was my favorite.
I probably can't afford to return to one sixtyblue very soon, but I definitely plan on going back and checking out the rest of the menu sometime. If it's within your budget, you pretty much HAVE to go. :)
Have you ever wondered why there are so many restaurants out here in Chicago with the word "Blue" inserted in their name? I have, but I also call for "gun shot" every time I want to sit up front during a car ride, so go fig.
A couple of friends took me to 160 Blue for dinner on my birthday this year. I liked the ambience, with soft mood lighting and simple but modern dcor. We decided to sit at the bar while waiting for our table and order a couple of cocktails. I don't remember who the bartender was or if he/she is still there, but I would suggest to not order any type of mixed drinks from there. I ordered a simple apple martini to begin with and it was horrible. I'm still convinced that they served me straight-out vodka with green food coloring. My advice is: Stick to the wines.
Unlike some of the reviewers, the rest of our evening wasn't as painful: Our table was ready within minutes of us sitting at the bar, our appetizers and entrees came out promptly, and our server was as pleasant as can be. I'm not sure why, but I was obsessed with the bread they served us with first. The cheese/fruit-tasting platter we ordered was pretty darn good. As an appetizer, I got the bouillabaisse - don't you just love that word? Bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse. I could say it all day long! The main dishes were phenomenal - the meat oh-so tender... pardon as I drool.
I wasn't happy with the dessert though. To be brutally honest, I don't even remember what we got for dessert! Though I vaguely recall a birthday candle on mine. Yeah, it was that unimpressive - the dessert, not the gesture =) I give this place 3.5/5 stars (because of the drinks and dessert, two important components of any meal =), but I'll round up to 4/5.
Would I go back? Totally. But I would have some of the wine and go somewhere else for my dessert.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
I am only able to write a review from my one visit to OneSixty Blue which was during the Monday Night wine tastings they offer. It was an awesome deal..If I'm correct we, my guy and I, paid $15 per person for four flights of Champagne/Sparkling Wine/Still Wine..During the tasting, they offer app's at a discounted price..The braised short rib in the individual stueben pots was awesome..Succulent and tender...The staff was great! Not at all pretentious or overbearing. They didn't hover over us...didn't try to preach/lecture us about the wines. All in all, I will definitely go back for a full blown meal...but I highly recommend checking out the wine tastings..if they still offer them.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Fantastic meal (I had steak, my wife had Grouper), great cocktails a SUPERB cheese appetizer, topped off with a chocolate souffl with raspberry sorbet. A delicious experience from start to finish!
(Parking sucks.)
I went to 160 Blue last night with a group of friends and wasn't disappointed! It actually validates the Yelp concept of honest, personal reviews. I checked out the restaurant on Yelp and with the exception of one bad review - mainly for a few service issues, the reviews were positive.
Anyway, we tried the prix fixe dinner menu which consisted of gnocchi with Parmesan cheese as a starter, pork tenderloin medallions for dinner with a wonderful cheese and potato puff and a wonderful warm chocolate flour-less cake in wonderful sauce.
The service was attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. I would definitely return and may try one of the monthly wine tasting dinners.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
One of my favorite places in Chicago by far - and judging from the mostly positive reviews from the yelp community, I'm not alone.
Beautiful restaurant, very modern but still a comfortable dining experience. Everything from the food (fantastic), to the wine (large list, rotates fairly often), to the service (excellent) makes this an easy return for me. You will drop some cash on this place, but keep an eye out for their many dining and wine events during weeknights that will help the wallet.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Cool (1)
simply sublime. great food in an unprententious atmosphere.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
We stopped over because the upstairs room was closed across the street at the Tasting Room.
Altho we sat in the crowded bar area, the service was great. We had a round of wine and decent-portioned desserts.
Bonus: Michael Jordan stopped in for a glass of wine at the bar.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Great french/game cuisine by mr. jordan and co. Our waiter was so incredibly with it, turning food around so quickly, there wasn't a lonely fork at