Kith & Kin

FIRE(place)!

::::rubs hands together, requests table nearest fireplace, thaw::::

(ok, now that we've gotten THAT out of the way).

Kith & Kin is in Lincoln Park (though a much more tolerable portion of LP than others) and is rarely a dining destination for me, but come hither, my dears. Kith & Kin is bringing it strong...and the people are showing up to see what all the fuss is about. (Nearly full dining room on a MONDAY night).

Blink, you'll miss it...there's NO sign/awning, but it inhabits the old Gracie's/La Canastas spot, walking distance from the Fullterton el stop. Directly east of Strand (has an awning and large letters)....muted hues, dotted with bright red door. Welcome. There is also non-metered, non-permit street parking on the west side of Clifton after 430pm (In front of a school).

Service: bright eyed and bushy tailed. Well versed on a menu that literally, changes daily. Take that, preservatives! Great knowledge of beer/wine/cocktails lists (all of which are more than adequate), and overall cheery disposition.

Glass of Sangiovese, $8.
French Onion Soup (crock). Small, but quality. Perfectly browned. $6
Wild Mushroom Ragout w/ homemade parpadelle. Fresh. $12
Whipped, moussey-light vanilla cheesecake with graham cracker crust. A delight.
Mini-French press coffee (so cute!) + real cream. Heaven.

A safe bet for a first date, out with the girls, triple dates, double dates, dates with your parents, dinner with your parents, etc. Most definitely. Classy without pretension and quiet without the bore. Good low lighting, aforementioned fire place, great cocktail list. Bar could use some cozying...seems a little stark, but I'm sure it'll be improved upon.

Dinner in Lincoln Park? I just solved your quandry...check K&K.

Kith and Kin (wasn't that a line spoken by Clark Griswold in the movie, Christmas Vacation?) meaning "friends and family" is a welcoming, homey spot for that perfect date or to catch up with friends.

It is a bit hard to find as there is no exterior signage (it's next door to Strand, which has good signage) but worth the effort to find. Once you pull open the door- you are in a warm room with linen topped tables, lots of dark wood, and a fireplace in the back to warm up to.

I got there early for our reservation so I pulled up a stool to the bar and spent a little time talking to the bartender. They have a list of speciality cocktails but even if you order an "old favorite" it will be different as they don't carry the mainstream brands (no Grey Goose-pout)- but smaller boutique types of liquor which also make for a good drink.

We were seated promptly by the fireplace and began to look over the menu. They have a number of "crocks" on the menu as starters. The server explained that they don't do bread for the table so these starters are meant to stay throughout the meal as a bread replacement. We ordered the chicken pate and the pimento cheese spread. Each came in a little crock, with the chicken pate "capped" with hardened butter on the top which is supposed to be eaten with the pate- but we enjoyed it without. The cheese spread was simple but very tasty. Both come with crostini on which to enjoy the various spreads.

For our entrees- I had the pink trout filet over garbanzo beans and my friend had the lamb. My fish was amazing- so much so the description that the server gave me prior to ordering didn't do it justice. Perfectly cooked with crispy skin on one side,and no bones, the tender fish was delicious! My friend's lamb was also good but the fish was clearly the winner of the evening.

For our side- we ordered the poutine. What is poutine, you ask? Usually some type of fried potatoes (in this case french fries) smothered in gravy and cheese curds. These were great- not too much gravy as is often the case.

While we were just going to end with coffee and tea- the banana pudding with sugar cookies sounded like the perfect end to our meal and it was. Oh- and who wouldn't love the little french press that the coffee comes in or the tea pot that steeps and strains the tea before pouring. Nice touches.

Our server was delightful and other than her mis description of the trout, (she didn't mention it was a boned filet-it sounded more like a whole fish) was spot on in all of her other suggestions from wines by the glass to that wonderful dessert.

Dinner for two with dessert and a couple of drinks was right around $100. Street parking can be tricky in this area but look over on Clinton or if you can walk a couple of blocks- there is usually space on Racine.

So for a taste of some french country cooking- check out Kith and Kin. For it's the perfect place for your friends and family to enjoy a night out.

I met a few friends from another life here last Saturday, as one was on her way back home to the MidEast. Lively company, and - full disclosure - the owner of the restaurant was one of our group. Maybe that's why my experience was so enjoyable, but the food was delicious to boot.

Shrimp grits. Mmmm, just mmmm. Salad - very good, and a nice size portion for sharing. All the food was great for sharing. The main dish was a giant fish, covered with garbanzo beans, I believe. Our handsome and friendly server whisked it away for filet-ing after we had a chance to oohh and aaahhh over it.

Speaking of handsome and friendly - well, my dining companions, yes - but the server! Cute! And the chef - cute, charming and amusing!

Now, the delish part. The dessert. Peanut butter cheesecake with a scoop of chocolate ice cream on a pretzel crust. Whoooaaa.....

The interior is simple and minimal, but still warm, with a giant fireplace. Very serene, nice colors, elegant bar. I'll be back again, insha'allah, habibi, nahm! Fheekraton hasenaton (good idea)!

Quaint place on Webster Nice beer list and wine list too. Started with the egg and olive salad witch wad basically egg salad with chopped olives on top? Didn't work for me. Next we had the tomatoes with curds and whey. Delicious! Great juicy and flavorful tomatoes with some greens dressed with a lite vinaigrette. Next was the crispy chicken thigh It was 2 pieces the top one was perfectly dine nice and crispy. However the one stacked below it was a little soggy I'm assuming being stacked
He should of not stacked them it would of fared better . We also had the potatoes with chicken gravy and curds This was good. Except the potatoes were fries and didn't think they were house made but it tasted good.dessert was a peanut butter mouse Skip it It wasn't good at all
All I'm all not bad. Worth trying it

I'll get the gripping out first, I didn't realize a "homey" and "neighborhood spot" serving "comfort" food would entail an hour and half dinner for two. This too at 8pm at night, I was surprised by how slow our service was considering we ordered two drinks, two pasta dishes and a starter. The place was busy, and the hostess even mentioned that she was surprised, but overall it appeared (and executed) as if they were un prepared for a full house on a Wednesday night. Fortunately, that is probably the only real negative from our experience last night.

The design and decor are quite interesting. I've been told that many bars and restaurants have tried this same space but to no avail. You can tell that they did not try to build out anything new, and made the surrounds fit their needs. Which, at the end of the day, I think works very well. There is wood paneling and coat hooks throughout the place, a fireplace and large bar by the front. We even ended up at one of two tables in the back that are located up a few steps. I felt like I was on a perch overlooking the place, and I really enjoyed the vantage point and seclusion. Erica even mentioned that she felt like this could have been on the side of a mountain, highlighting the faux (made of wood) deer head mounted over the fireplace. The servers were even wearing aprons on top plaid button downs. The mood was set and it worked with the concept.

Aside from the service, the meal itself was just fine, no fireworks but good choices from an interesting menu. I agree that they serve comfort, easy to understand dishes. A few pasta, sandwich, fish and meat dishes to choose from all reasonably priced between $11-18. And you're not just getting pasta with meat sauce or steak frites. Along with a typical burger, you can order an open-faced fried egg. There is a bone-in ribeye, but also buttermilk fried chicken thighs. We were both in a pasta mood so Erica had the wild mushroom ragout and hand cut pappardelle while I ordered braised veal rigatoni. All pasta is made in house.

To start the meal we ordered the creamed spinach ($5). It came with toasted challots and pieces of toasted bread. I really enjoyed this dish as I prefer my creamed spinach light on cream. It was also fun to eat it like I eat spinach artichoke or bruschetta, placing small bites on tasty toast.

Our main dishes were nice, but nothing to get too excited about. The pasta was as good as you expect for homemade, no complaints there. My veal was hit or miss, some pieces being very tough, others nice and soft. The flavor was good, but I found that it got better as I found the bottom where most of the juices and sauce were hiding. I found myself going after the little pieces of veal and stayed away from the tougher large chunks. Again, good dish (for $14) that I couldn't do at home so I don't mind ordering it out.

Our overall experience was mixed though. The food was fine, nothing exceptional, and the value reasonable. With service being as bad as it was, I'd say it all adds up to a 3/5. Maybe the beer-battered cod or braised beef short ribs are better dishes, and maybe the service was overwhelmed on a Wednesday night. But that wasn't my experience and I don't know if I will be running back when there are many other places to check out. If you live in the neighborhood it's worth a look, otherwise stick with your own local spot.

Walking in the ambiance is delightful. Delicately decorated with antique fixtures with leather-backed chairs to compliment. A secret table for two resides in the back lending a great dinner for two. Our party on the grand opening night had 6 who were promptly seated near the front after grabbing a drink at the bar. However our reservations were not on record after calling in that same day.

The busser greeted us at our table which was unexpected but very appreciated. The waiter greeted us shortly after welcoming us and explaining their vast quantities of poutine.

We ordered two helpings of the poutine. It was good however we expected the gravy portion to be thicker (twas almost broth like texture).

Received entrees at 9:12pm and ordered at 8:40pm for party of 6.

When asked about our service we said it was "sporadic" which prompted the owner to offer us all free cheesecake. We accepted but the cheesecake never came after waiting 20 minutes. So we asked for our check and upon receiving it noticed we had been overcharged for items we never ordered.

Overall food was terribly slow but tasted fairly good. Waiter said we would receive greens for a meal but neglected to mention it ever again. For grand opening on a Friday night there was no line yet the wait for food (looking around nobody had food before us) was too long. Faster food would make this place a great change of pace from the rest of the eateries in the neighborhood.

Breakups are very similar to marriages. Both have the words "special occasion" written all over them. Both require you to be strong, loving, understanding, and accommodating. Most importantly, both require you to respect each other and act civil.... like the adults that you are.

Why am I telling this? Because this is where the ex-husband and I had dinner just hours after breaking up. He suggested we go to Kith and Kin because it has the perfect atmosphere for a romantic date or a post-breakup dinner. It is also the perfect location because the food will divert your attention from the pain of going through a breakup.

I needed a vesper martini after crying my eyes out all afternoon. He ordered an old fashioned. They might have/ have not helped ease the pain. But they were good. We sat at the bar instead of a table, we were not on a dinner date. Felt odd after 5 years of being together. Well, snap out of it V, this is your new single life. Accept it, respect it, and move on.

The menu changes constantly. We ordered the chicken liver pate for an appetizer. Wait, it's only $5? Holy hell. Somebody tell these people to charge more. I am used to paying anywhere from $12-18 for a similar pate appetizer in a similar restaurant. Sweet deal. We shared the pate while discussing next steps in our life. How to handle the parents? How to handle the baby (our dog)? How to handle ourselves?

For the next course I ordered a salad - endives, blue cheeese, and prosciutto. Excellent! He ordered a French onion soup. Either he must have really liked it, or he was avoiding conversation with me... because he finished the soup within 2 minutes.

We decided to split an entree. I ordered the lamb. We got a side of Anson Mills grits with mascarpone as a side. Perfectly prepared lamb, succulent, and tasty. Big enough for sharing if you are not starving. The grits were a little lacking. I know grits are bland to begin with, but I was expecting to have a hint of the mascarpone flavor. Didn't find any. Good, nevertheless.

We did not order dessert. Instead, we ordered another round of drinks. I perused the wine list, it is decent.

Service was perfect, even though we sat at the bar. The ambiance is ideal for first dates, consecutive dates, girls nights out, taking parents out, and, as in our case, post-breakup dinner.

We ended the night as two good friends, which we will always be. Thank you Kith and Kin for providing the right food and atmosphere to deal with our issues.

Here is to R E S P E C T !

Service off the hook!

Bar tenders Rye suggestion when I first walked in, stellar! Rittenhouse Rye 100 I believe, I love whiskey and I will be adding this to my home bar when I can find it!

The night turned out to be very wet, I mean deep and wet, we virtually drank every cocktail on the menu and even had some surprise sips off some very special bottles, and left feeling like we were cruising at 35,000 feet...

Everyone, and I do mean everyone needs to have the oysters, I have consumed oysters all over this great country, and I am still in aww-days later-at how off the map amazing this oyster experience was, they come on the half shell atop hot coals, and the smokey intense flavor and texture is sexy to say the least! I could go back for drinks and plate after plate of these and not stop until they run out of these perfectly prepared bites of the sea!

We got fully involved with both foie gras and chicken liver pate, both served traditionally under a crust of clarified butter, they were so rich, such a texture and flavor experience on the tongue is almost indescribable... I will have to try it again just to see if I can come up with the words that would be worthy...

We both waded through a lobster bisque, although I would not describe it as such, it was still chuck full of lobster and quite good!

We had both the fried chicken and char grilled shrimp, some of the largest shrimp I have ever seen! I will say that both were very good, sadly though over shadowed by all the rock star openers! I feel like if I go back it will be all about the off the chain cocktails and dreamy small plates!

My only disappointment was dessert... I am all about dessert, and if you have dined with me over the last decade or so you know more often then not I take my dessert up front (not having room for dessert is not ok), thank goodness I did not do that here because it would not have set the mood where it needed to be... I would strongly suggest taking dessert at a different spot in the city, however don't throw out the baby with the bathwater, the drinks and savories trump all the short comings of the dessert... We shared the Key Lime Pie, and it may not have been the worst I have ever had, sadly-darn close... Rich, creamy, thick, heavy, sweet, all things that Key Lime Pie really should not be, try light, tart, refreshing...

I will be back, maybe next time the dessert will be amazing, in which case I will come on back and give them another star for sure!

This meal was very tasty.

Item by item:

French Onion Soup: Pretty delicious. Just don't be expecting a bowl or a cup of soup. This is really a double shot of soup. In fact it's small enough that breaking through the cheese without spilling all over your saucer was far more challenging than usual. Still, god damn if it wasn't some of the best french onion I've ever had.

Bibb Lettuce Salad: Eh. Pretty much as described. Literally 7-8 pieces of bibb lettuce with a nice delicate vinaigrette that I enjoyed, but regretted paying $9 for.

Shrimp & Grits: These were fantastic! The shrimp was well cooked and flavorful, but what really hit me were the grits. The texture was light and fluffy while still being thick and flavorful. And all was permeated by a delightful shrimp broth that kept me eating til the last drop was gone.

Root Vegetables: Cubed root vegetables (mostly carrot and parsnip?) are presented in an extremely pedestrian way, but well seasoned and cooked with plenty of butter. This was a great side dish.


The server was absurdly quirky and well-informed about the menu. He did a fantastic job.

All in all, a delicious meal for a not-too-exorbitant price. I would definitely come back here, although I don't know if I'm going to come running. I am still slightly miffed about the size of my french onion soup.

I'll admit. I was a bit bummed after my recent return visit to Kith and Kin. The food was very good, don't get me wrong. However, my friend and I felt like our original visit was better.

Win some lose some. Oh well.

The important stuff:
-Tomato soup--truly the highlight of the evening. The table side presentation was a nice touch. I also loved that they used aged cheddar.
-Spring pea salad--very fresh and light. I enjoyed the vinaigrette, but felt the dish was lacking something.
-Buttermilk biscuit w/ honey butter side dish. Oh man, this could have been incredible! The biscuits were dense and tough. It made me sad.
-Fried chicken thighs-I loved that they were boneless. They were crispy, flavorful, and most definitely another highlight.
-Scallops with red beans and rice. Why do some places insist on searing scallops only on one side???
-Peanut butter pie = :(

Service was attentive and not at all intrusive. I also think their wine list is really great. Remember to stick with the fried chicken and soup, as both were dream worthy.

super special side note: I loved the music they played!!