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Category: American (New)
Neighborhoods: West Loop, Near West SideWednesdays enjoy a fried chicken dinner, add some fizz with a glass of champagne.
Chicken Dinner $8
Brut Imperial $8…
Ashland (Pink, Green)
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Chili's® Grill & Bar is as bold and flavorful as the food it serves. The energetic, fun atmosphere makes it the perfect spot for a... more »
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If you are visiting Chicago for a short amount of time, make your way to this place on a Wednesday or Thursday night.
My partner and I had heard about the amazing dinner specials and decided to give the Thursday $8 burger and beer special a try. This was my first burger in 3 years and yowza it was worth the wait. The 21 day aged Wisconsin beef had an amazing flavor. I topped mine with smoked cheddar and T topped hers with aged Wisconsin cheddar. The burger comes with thin shaved fries and a deep fried pickle. The beer was great as Ale always is.
We went with the sticky toffee cake and you should too, wow. Magic in your mouth.
I was a bit sad when my plate was clean, I didn't want it to end. We walked 45 minutes to this place and I would do it again and walk in 5 feet of snow up hills both ways.
The bathrooms were super clean and the paper towel was so nice and thick, nicer than some hotel shower towels I have seen.
I'm giving it five stars, and all I had were appetizers. 'Cause I'm cheap like that.
The lovely former New Orleans resident Elizabeth R and I met in the bar for some fried pickles. I ended up getting the crab, apple, and cranberry salad, which was dressed with tarragon. I love crab, but I was hesitant to order it because I have never eaten it with such bold flavors before. I went for it on the recommendation of their excellent sommelier. I let him pour me a glass of excellent kabinet Riesling to accompany. Daaaang. It was quite good together.
Also quite good? The scallops. The giant scallops the size of my fist. Granted, I do sort of have carnie hands... Anyway, totally tasty. Elizabeth R got the fried pickles - a nice treat with garlic tartar sauce - and the roasted squash. That squash was perfection. It's roasted with olive oil and brown sugar, then pureed. Simple and delicious.
We finished with a spiced cake with poached pear. Poached pear is my favorite dessert in the whole world! I was so excited to see it on the menu, and paired with the most fantastic autumnal spice cake at that. Lovely. I got a glass of a nice spicy red zinfandel to go with it.
I will be back - hopefully soon.
File this under: Quick hits to revisit.
I spent roughly two hours at One Sixty Blue this evening. I went for the fried chicken and champagne special ($8 for a dinner of the best fried chicken your mom never made, drop biscuits, slaw and potato wedges, and $8 per glass of Moet Brut Imperial.) I yea'ed the chicken, nayed the bubbly, opting instead for a dirty Hendricks martini or two.
Three things:
Food--That chicken deal, only in the bar, is amazing, and well worth the pittance you pay. (To be fair, I'm easy. My people come from the South, but my Nana married young, bred early and often, and worked 10 hour days to boot. She didn't have time to be some stereotypical hereditary repository of culinary excellence. Her fried chicken? It was cooked through, and may have involved salt, possibly pepper. Nothing to write Frank Bruni about.) Crisp skin and juicy meat. Those birds were clearly brined. Excellent chicken, slaw that's just the right blend of fresh creaminess and tart crunch, fluffy little biscuits with honey butter. Honestly, the potato wedges weren't special, but what potato wedges are?
Staff--From hostess to servers to manager, were attentive and courteous from start to finish, and accommodated our divided checks without complaint. Nothing but praise for them.
Drinks--So the food is good, and the martinis were, too, though the dirtiness I requested (very dirty, blue cheese olives) must have completely nullified the typically herb-heavy Hendricks. I'd try those again, dry, with plain pimentos and Hendricks just to see how they'd fare with tougher 'tini 'teria. Or I'd go for another cocktail. The signature list is okay, the whisky selection is very good. Think Oban, Lagavulin. Plus a grappa, some sherry, the usual mix.
If I lived in the 'hood, I'd be be well pleased by One Sixtyblue and its neighbor across the street.
It'll likely get the final star next time I return for a la carte dining.
Apparently I have unknown treasures of patience.
I took me 8 months to go back for a REAL dinner.
I must be busier than I thought...or more broke...not sure.
Well it must have been all for the better because last night was a perfect time to enjoy the fall bounties the kitchen had to offer.
Chilly, windy, drizzly.....just warm me up and bring the goodies please!
I arrived early and sat down in the lounge room for a seasonal cocktail....Bacardi limon, Frangelico and black mission figs did the trick. Definitely on the sweet side (usually not my thing) but this time it hit the spot.
I had to share the room with a bunch of loud and obnoxious businessmen who thought they were the kings of the world, or at least the floor. Standing there, laughing at their lame jokes and blocking all access to the bathroom. I was looking at them with a fixed intensity, hoping to make them:
a. disappear in thin air
b. fly across the room thanks to my Wonder Woman super powers.
They must have been scared after a while and chose to leave for the dining room on their own.
We followed them in after a little while but were lucky enough to sit at the opposite side of the room.
Sometimes it does help to have a killer stare...
Our meal was nothing short of fantastic:
- Pork belly carbonara: potato gnocchi, caramelized red onion, cracked black pepper. Crispy belly. Good and creamy, super yummy (even for me - the non-porky gal)
- Alaskan King Crab salad: honeycrisp apples, cranberries, cinnamon, crispy rice chip(s). Good and refreshing. A nice autumn dish with a very strong crab taste that might unsettle some but just seduced me. The apple julienne was just delightful.
- Braised pheasant: savoy cabbage, wild mushrooms, stone ground grits. Two preparations for that winner of a dish: the tender breast was rolled in the cabbage and cut in slices; the thighs were confit duck style. Black trumpets, creamy grits - perfection on a plate.
Really.
Of course we also tried two of their staples: the onesixtyblue hashbrowns with caramelized shallots, duck fat powder and parmesan cheese (yummy when you get everything in one bite) and their luscious sticky toffee date cake that comes with sesame brittle and frozen yogurt.
I tasted fall the other night, and it was definitely delicious.
Great job Michael.
Caution: this - is not what what you think it is.
I didn't have dinner at One Sixty Blue.
I actually…
Read more »
After looking at the menu online for the past two months, we finally decided to go here. It's super close to where I live and the food sounded really great. So we went this week for the fried chicken and champagne dinner special, it's every Wednesday and it's ONLY $8!
You get three huge pieces of fried chicken, potato wedges and two biscuits (the butter for the biscuits is SO good.) I didn't get the champagne because I felt that beer and fried chicken would be better, so I got the Goose Island Harvest Ale which was $4.
Everything on the menu sounds really good and although it is a little pricey I think the food is well worth it and the atmosphere is really cool too. It's a little fancy, but you don't really have to dress up.
Whoa. I can't believe I never wrote this review! My friends brought me here for my bday dinner and it was GREAT. Granted, my friends are super cool and fun, but the food was also very delish.
We did the fixed price menu and it was a great value. We all ordered a bunch of different things, and did the whole swapping bites off each other plates thing, which I LOVE.
We were there in the Summer, and they had seasonal ingredients (ummm hello morel mushrooms- I will have you with everything!) and like other ppl said, their sticky toffee date cake was DELISH.
I definitely want to go to this place again, maybe for the Winter menu?
I went to their Playdough special a while ago. This was back in early spring, so I managed to snag a $5 pizza with ramps! It was fabulous. I was there with my boyfriend and a good friend, so we all ordered different pizzas, and they all turned out fantastic! Unfortunately, the Playdough special is over..
But, they have other great specials now! We went a few Thursdays ago for $4 burgers and beers. I thought that for the $4, we were only getting a burger (I mean, organic, grass fed beef... for only $4?), but I was wrong... it came with string fries and a deep fried pickle! You have to pay extra for the cheese (and they have some great cheeses), but it's all so worth it. A great burger. I couldn't even finish it because it was so big.
I can't wait to go back for fried chicken and champagne!
The foodie in me loves loves loves this place. I went for restaurant week, which was quite a while… Read more »
Probably more of a 3.5
I don't know what everyone else ordered here or if I just have different standards for a $75pp dinner, but I was not impressed.
I am not a picky eater...well, not really... but almost every combination on the menu seemed too over the top. You don't need 15 fancy flavors to make a wonderful dish and I despise that this is the direction New American dining is taking but, I digress.
Anyhoo, I started with the scallops followed by the pheasant, the hashbrowns and lastly, the date cake. The scallops were quite tasty but, the garnish was too sour for the mild scallop flavor. The date cake was AMAZING. It was sticky, it was sweet, and was perfectly spiced. The pheasant and the hasbrowns were a huge let down. As my mom put it, the hasbrowns were greasy and tasted like...regular old hashbrowns with salty onions. The pheasant was very tender but was bland and the only discernible flavor it had was mushroom. The grits it lay on were "meh" but at least helped to dial down the darn mushroom. Ironically, my waitperson said this was the best dish on the menu. If that's the case I may never go back.
One thing I will say for one sixty, it's a hot date spot. Great ambiance and staff. However, if my hunny bunny brought me to this spot, the only thing that would keep me from doing a one eighty right out the door is that damned date cake.
When I first heard about One SixtyBlue and that it was Michael Jordan's restaurant, I pretty much convinced myself that it was going to be a gimmicky experience. Oh how naive I was...
I don't even know where to start. I can go on and on about everything I love about this place. The food is superb! I did not try a single thing that I didn't absolutely love (especially the ceviche, and the ahi tuna---and PLEASE treat yourself to the chocolate souffle!!). My friend said it best, "This food is so yummy I never want to leave." I totally agree with her. There is a wonderful wine list that takes an eternity to skim through. I half expected our server and the staff to be pretentious, but they were as nice as can be, and very helpful. Despite our pricey bottle of wine, our bill was much lower than I anticipated. I am definitely ready to go back. Like now.
I'm sorry I doubted you Michael. BRAVO MAESTRO!
Go here.
I had dinner here with an aunt who had been before, and she has been raving about it ever since, it turns out with good reason.
We came on a Thursday night, so it was pretty empty, outside of the bar, where a DJ played what I consider obnoxious music. I could probably put that aside, however, since they were peddling what looked to be amazing $4 burgers and fries. A great way to grab a bite, not spend any money, and look cool listening to techno. But, on to the dining room it was for us.
I started with a salad of roasted pears, spring and bitter greens, bleu cheese and black walnuts. Extra points for having black walnuts on the menu - most people don't even know what they are, but the sharp taste complimented the greens and cheese perfectly. My companion had the shrimp dumplings, which had delicious strong shrimp flavor in a very nice wrapping.
My dinner was Sonoma duck breast, served with summer squash, black kale, and a sort of maple syrup reduction. The combination of perfectly medium rare duck with the sweet squash and salty greens was sensational. Not so sensational was the slow cooked duck egg yolk, which I thought was something else...I don't do eggs, so i could have done without this. It had a...bizzare texture that was not much appreciated by either of us. The other entree was Wisconsin pheasant, wrapped in cabbage and served with a pheasant leg and thigh confit. All delicious, with a very strong flavor in the confit. It may have been a tad on the salty side, but I didn't think so. We also had a side of braised radishes and golden raisins, which I could take or leave - they weren't offensive, and were in fact very mild tasting, but with the other options on the side dish menu, I think we could have done better.
For desert, we split the "sticky toffee date cake." Not much date flavor, but between a very nice, moist piece of cake drenched in caramel, sesame seed candy wafers, apricot coulis/sauce/something, and a poached pear - wow. Just wow. Would order again, needless to say.
On top of all of this, service was spectacular. Extremely friendly, very helpful. Yes, it was very quiet, but we were well attended to without being bothered, and the manager (or something) recognized my aunt and sent complimentary champagne. A nice touch.
After all that, I felt the price was pretty reasonable given how good the meal was. No alcohol (outside of complimentary items) but the meal for both of us, two appetizers, two entrees, a side, and a desert was barely $100. No, I can't do that every day, but I will certainly be back.
I have to give one sixtyblue the benefit of the doubt. I would easily say 4 stars on the quality of the meal, but between some more unique menu items (black walnuts FTW) and what I feel was a good value for a great meal, we'll go with 5 stars today. Highly recommended. Don't miss the take aways - while I assume they change with the season, as does the menu, we got little tiny pumpkin cakes, and root beer caramels (awesome) as we left.
I have to admit I was impressed with their Thursday night burger special. $4.00 for a burger that comes with fries & a fried pickle? No way. But YES WAY!
Ryan and I went straight from work, so there wasn't anyone there. I was a bit hesitant, but decided to give it a try anyway. We ordered $4.00 oberons & 2 of their burgers. I got mine topped with some sort of truffle cheese & mushrooms, while Ryan got the burger topped with truffle cheese & caramelized onions.
The mushrooms were not your typical button mushrooms, but meatier & more organic mushrooms. I had no idea what kind they were, but I did enjoy. Ryan liked his as well. The truffle cheese didn't really taste like truffles, but more like blue cheese. I'm not the biggest blue cheese fan, so this was kind of a disappointment. I didn't stop eating. I don't give up.
By the time I ate half of my burger (these baby's are HUGE!) the place had filled up. I mean pretty packed. By the time I ate the other half & the delicious fried pickle & shoestring fries, it was even more packed. I will definitely be back on Thursday to try all of the different burger toppings. Next time I'm thinking brie with Asian pear coleslaw. Yuuum!
I am so thrilled that one sixtyblue has picked up a new, more vibrant crowd to fill the bar/lounge area on Thursdays and Fridays. Their $4 burger/ $4 beer special on Thursday night can't be beat! They give you thickest, high quality beef in between the best pretzel bun I've ever had. I'm not a fan of pickles, but as they do in the south, once you fry something, you can't not eat it! The $5 pizza/prosecco special on Friday nights is the best way to start out the weekend. I've had all their pizzas and they're all great. Be careful with the hawaiian pizza. It has jalepenos on them and sometimes you get a few seeds - but no worries, nothing a glass of prosecco can't wash away! I cannot wait to go on Wednesday now when they have the friend chicken and champagne special. The chicken comes with asian pear slaw, potato wedges, and a biscuit - all for 8 bucks! Unbelievable.
I've been to one sixtyblue on several other ocassions - the first time was a full out romantic date with a boyfriend of mine back in 06. We ended up spending over $200 on 4 glasses of wine, the baked goat cheese, two appetizers, tw entrees, and two desserts. I've been back every year for restaurant week - a great value! Even better though is the American Table menu. It's a $28 3-course pre fixe menu. I went with Cindy K. who reviewed the evening after we dined there. The food was great and I thought the service was great too. I think the reason why service tends to be slower in the main dining room is because they want their guests to pace themselves and enjoy a nice night out.
one sixtyblue definitely has a lot to offer for guests. Anything for the budget diner to the diner who wants to impress a date or a group of friends. Truly worth the visit!
Ok this place is way nice....
I loved the food, the service and the atmosphere.
Right when we walked in the hostess was super nice, very friendly and not snotty whatsoever. I had almost 10 people with me so it was pretty bustly...Our waiter was so nice not stuffy at all...he joked around with us and was still able to do his job properly once again not even an ounce of stuffiness.
Our food was fantastic! It had something for everyone. I don't eat meat and I was even able to find something yummy to nosh on. I had a different variety of people with me....all of us came from big cities, had 2 people who were married to chefs, 2 foodies, and alot of people who have very picky palettes...
Everything was wonderful and I would highly recc. My friend are still talking about the awesome dinner.....
Take yourself and a good friend to munch on some foodie worthy food :), and no snotty people in the bunch way good.
Excellent meal!! The one sixtyblue hashbrowns were SOOO good.
Dessert was yummy too!
Who knew Michael Jordan owned this place (rhetorical question)? And what better way to draw in customers than a $28 prix fixe menu?
I haven't had a meal as good as that in... like a week, but the point is the food will win you over! The salmon appetizer was light and refreshing, even though it was served atop hash. We decided we needed more of the hash, so we ordered a side of it, and it came extra crispy and with duck fat powder(!) on top. Looks like feta, but dissolves fattily in your mouth.
The steak hit the spot and was served with mushrooms and buttery potatoes. My plate lacked more than one piece of chopped sausage, but I probably got enough fat from the duck fat powder. For dessert, the sticky toffee date cake was tasty, but overly sweet (and I like sweet things).
And who doesn't like having individually wrapped send off treats? Though I'm sure we were supposed to take them home, we polished off the milk chocolate nougat and blueberry cornbread after paying the check and left the wrappers on the table. Yum.
The restaurant felt a little pretentious. The food was the highlight for sure, as our waitress had nymph-like qualities and kept disappearing throughout the night. As for parking, there's $10 valet, but I just parked outside the gym next door.
My best dining experience thus far in Chicago after over a year of living here. Food was amazing and more than enough.
Service couldn't have been better. When making my reservation over the phone, they asked if it was for a special occassion, and I told them it was for my girlfriend and my 1 year anniversary. After our meal, we declined ordering dessert, but they brought us a complimentary cake (which was amazing) with a "Happy Anniversary" chocolate thingie on it. Very descriptive, I know.
If you need a special occasion restaurant, GO HERE!!
If you're looking for a nice first-date restaurant, One Sixtyblue is the place to be. The space and decoration is really modern and trendy.
If you're going to try the $28 prix fixe menu, note that you can only choose from a limited list of entrees from the full menu.
Overall, very nice restaurant and really good cocktails.
Special day means a special meal. So for my favorite guy's birthday, I knew I had to treat him right.
Having done one sixtyblue with my ladies, I knew the ambiance and the menu would please my date. So the reso was made. Tasting menu, wine pairings, the works. Why not? We're celebrating, let's do it right.
This fabulous restaurant has the understated coolness of restaurants that perpetually make you feel like you're too young to dine there. That is until the sommelier greets you warmly and invites you to your table close to the kitchen so you can check out the action.
Service is impeccable: very friendly, yet unintrusive, the key to a special date night. Plus it let us focus on the shining star of the evening, the food.
Best meal of my life. Ever. Truly. There I said it, now we can move on.
Seven courses means I'm not going to reiterate everything I had, but I will highlight my favorites:
--Spicy peekytoe crab...served with melon and mint pesto, it was heavenly.
--Smoked BBQ pork belly...they smoke this in-house. Fantastic.
--Seared main sea scallops...perfectly sweet, perfectly seasoned. I should know, I'm a scallop gal. These ones are top notch (served with a fennel citrus salad, it was obscenely delicious).
--Colorado rack of lamb...lamb-tastic in several different ways.
--Berkshire pork chop...found out that we both dig turnips. Who knew? Served with pickled peaches, it was heaven on a plate.
And now that you know I'm a total glutton, I'll add that these courses were all perfectly paired with a wine tasting. Honestly, if you're doing a tasting menu and you enjoy wine, this is the way to go. The sommelier knows his stuff, and the wines are fantastic, really the perfect compliment to each decadent morsel you put in your mouth.
The food reaches all of your senses here, and makes for a memorable dining experience. And, I might add, earns major brownie points for a significant other picking up the tab.
Thanks to one sixtyblue (and special thanks to Wil!) for a fantastic dining experience. We will definitely be back.
Thoroughly impressed by this West Loop gem! My meal consisted of:
- bbq pork belly
- rack of lamb
- childhood favorite dessert
All of my dishes were well presented and tasted amazing. The atmosphere is swanky but the service is casual, which I appreciated. Great place for a business dinner or a first date.
I look forward to coming back.
Made reservations for 7:30 but when we walked in it looked like they weren't needed...No one was in the bar and I think we were the 4th table seated-
The kitchen is wide open, so you can see what is going on, we were sat right against the kitchen area and I really didn't want that; I hate being seated near kitchens, bathrooms or busy walk ways-But I kept my mouth shut b/c it's wasn't that horrible...I could make it-
I opted for the American Meal special, 3 course for $28, I did it mostly to sample other parts of the menu I would have never tried-
I learned I am not too fond of gazpacho, it was a large amt and very strong-The Saffron Linguine was good, the chanterelle mushrooms and roasted tomatoes gave it a great taste, but it did have a decent amt of oil as it's base and the dessert I got was the Sticky Toffee Fig Cake, different from what I usually order, it seemed to be more of an item for fall/winter than summer-
Husband got the Berkshire pork chop which was really good-He left only the pork chop bone on the plate, great pairings of flavor that was served with the pork-
It was a good experience yet a long one, we were sat at 7:30 and we left at 9:15, we waited in decent intervals for our food and it wasn't packed at all-I mean we should have been out of there by 8:30 at least-
When we left there was one couple sitting at the bar, and still many open tables, so I don't know why it took forever to get our food-
I'd go back, but not for a while-Since it's on the opposite end of town for me, I'm way over on the Lake/River and it's on 1400 W. Randolph, so nothing I'd want a long cab ride for...but I'd recommend it to someone-
Recession blues? Not at one sixtyblue. The summertime Thurs special is $4 burgers, $6 kobe dogs/brats, and $4 beers (choice of amber or oberon, a summer ale). A similar special on Fri, with $5 pizzas.
Not the most convenient place to get to, 160 is at the end of W Randolph, but it's rather swanky inside. Decor was upscale trendy, but tasteful and not overdone. The rows of couches in the bluebar give the semblance of a hotel bar, very W-like. I had the foresight to call ahead for a group of 10, the manager was kind enough to "save" us a sectioned off area in front of a plasma tv (only thing here that seemed out of place), complete with ottomans used as tables. I felt important at MJ's restaurant, but definitely a bit under-dressed in a tshirt, jeans and chucks.
As part of Sonia C's party, I had no issues with my burger - medium is always a safe choice. I approved of the buttery bun, the patty was juicy, and it was perfectly sized in terms of manageability. For 4 bucks? I dare say I liked it better than the aged burger at David Burke. Huge fan of the lightly salted frite-like fries too. The fried pickle got raves, but I don't like pickles.
I had the pleasure of also consuming the NY Kobe dog (noticeable upgrade on a regular dog), but the Wisconsin bratwurst was the star of the specials menu. Looked kind of puny compared to the Kobe dog and the grilled peaches on top looked questionable, but once I popped it in my mouth, there was no stopping. This was accompanied by a fried donut of sauerkraut, which while interesting, paled to the brat.
Summary: Great place to do a cheap group meal on Thurs nite! 160 definitely sold me for a return trip, maybe next time I'll even venture to the actual restaurant.
If it's Thursday and if you're on a budget, then this is the place to be. $4 burgers & fries, $6 kobe dogs, and $4 beers. What's not to love?
Ok, the burgers are slightly undercooked and I get a little squeamish when my medium rare ground beef is so bloody that the bun is soggy red. Ask for it a cooked level above what you would normally like. The big Chicago kobe dog was excellent though - excellent snap to the casing and super juicy to boot. I am also a fan of their fried pickles. I was less of a fan of the shoestring fries as I prefer meatier fries, but my friends seemed to like them.
All in all, a great value for the quality. Service is decent considering how busy it was. Seating is comfortable. Would definitely go again!
We ate here during restaurant week.
We ordered the pork belly app, a special foie gras app, berkshire pork chop, seared ahi tuna, and the sonoma duck breast.
All were good but not outstanding. None of the dishes were extremely creative or uber-tasty. Everything was seasoned well but not memorable. I won't be back unfortunately.
A beautiful summer night.
and...
My four bestest friends.
and...
A Veev Southside (perfection over ice)
and...
$32 Chef's Table Prix Fixe (Thursday):
-Gazpacho (super cold, but refreshing)
-Amish chicken with morels with corn flan (delightful)
-Sticky pecan, bite of chocolate souflee (heaven)
-Bonus goodies at the end, a brownie and carmel to go. (mmmm!)
and...
Lovely service, attentive, quick.
and
Beautifully tucked away in the West Loop
and
A mature, classy crowd of minglers, barflys, diners and dishers.
and
I'm a fan. Obvs.
Their beer and a burger promotion is also quite enticing (from website):
BURGERS, BEERS & BEATS
Every Thursday, 6-10pm @ Blue Bar only.
$4 signature burgers, $4 craft beers and a live DJ starting at 6pm.
A nice excuse to return. I was wholly impressed...not quite 5-stars just yet, but definitely potential after a few return visits. Sometimes due diligence is so tough, eh? :)
I ordered from the American Table menu-- 3 courses for $28 special. Three hungry & lovely ladies.
First of all, the Pomegranate cocktail was really delicious and hit the right notes.
Course 1: We all got the salmon. It was soooo good. I loved the hash under the smoked salmon and the tart flavor from the drops of fruit gel.
Course 2: We got all three options.
-Flat Iron Steak = medium-rare goodness. I cleaned my plate and barely restrained myself from licking it clean.
-Roasted Chicken Thigh = very tender and moist, good flavor (although slightly oversalted in the block of dark meat).
-Saffron Pasta = bland. My two friends liked this pasta a lot, but I thought it lacked flavor unless you bit into a veggie. I'm not a huge pasta fan, so keep that in mind. I usually find pasta dishes too creamy and rich but still oddly bland.
Course 3
-Chocolate souffle: mmmmm. How can you mess up chocolate and ice cream? Decadent and delicious.
-Sticky date cake: also very good, I liked the ice cream especially. The cake was slightly too sweet for me.
Other great touches:
-They gave us this little glass of sorbet with tapioca balls as a palette cleanser. I love little amuse bouche items.
-Bread was nice and soft. The butter was standard, nothing interesting. They had these light, thin crackers with chili pepper that were addicting.
Minus one star for slow service. There weren't even many people around, so I'm not sure why the food took so long to come out. Also, my server didn't refill my glass of water for the last 20 minutes of my meal.
I'm definitely returning for their Thursday burger special and Friday flatbread pizza.
This used to be one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago ... went last night after a long hiatus and was very disappointed. The food tried to live up to the expense of the place but just didn't deliver -- the plating was a complete mess and the flavors didn't come together. Ordered the halibut with brussel sprouts and some sort of puree which was cold and just so-so. the steak had a great smokiness to it but should have been offset by some other flavor. The drinks were just awful but did the trick in liquor content.
I will say that the service is awesome! Our server replaced a drink we didn't care for immediately and my food was re-heated. The chocolate cake was delicious although the hazelnuts were over toasted and tasted like bacon! If I were going to spend that much on dinner again would probably head to another location.
One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. Everything I have tried here has been very high quality and enjoyable. Service is always top notch.
My favorite dish here is the sticky toffee date cake for dessert. Make sure you get it!
If you want a gourmet experience at a great price, visit http://Restraunt.com to get a discounted gift certificate, and then visit One Sixty Blue for the prix fixe!
We noticed One Sixty Blue was in our neighborhood and had http://Restraunt.com gift certificates. I'm glad we did find it, because it was amazing.
The prix fixe menu was a great way to get an amazing gourmet meal at a great price. I absolutely loved the open air kitchen and watching the chefs from the dining room. Almost every seat in the dining roomis like having a private kitchen table experience. In my mind they are the perfect execution of fine dining.
I had huge expectations for this place, with a Charlie Palmer alum in the kitchen, swanky digs, and a cool location. However, I felt let down. Somewhere between entering the sleek space and downing the hip "childhood favorites" dessert platter something went amiss.
The dining room is pretty cool, with an exposed kitchen and a modern minimalist feel throughout. A mix of techno, jazz, and pop is coming out of the speakers. You feel cool just sitting there. The service is attentive and refined and very knowledgeable about the menu. Our waiter had a bit of an attitude, but I guess that's expected where you can blow through c-notes like they were Kleenex.
Now the menu, where to begin. First of all, there is a three course prix fixe, which is somewhat hidden and available only if you know to ask. Basically, you get an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $32, from a selection of the lower-priced regular items. Its a major deal if you like whats on it, and a few in our party did.
Among us, we tried the key lime vegan ceasar salad (did not taste any lime...) and the gazpacho soup (eh...I don't really like cold soup so that's on me) for starters. The bread basket and sweet butter are awesome - don't miss the homemade flavored toast crisps.
For entrees, we had the berkshire pork chop, the flatiron steak, and the saffron linguine. This is where things really fell apart. The pork chop was half fat and mainly inedible; the kitchen never should have sent it out. The linguine was mushy and overcooked - with little trace of flavor. The flat iron steak was the best among them. The sides - grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes - were pretty standard. Nothin' special.
Desserts were better than the mains. The chocolate souffle tarts were right on the money, decadent and creamy smooth, while the "childhood treats" was whimsical. The "treats" were miniature renditions of the following: an orange julius milkshake, candied popcorn, a small cupcake, a smore, and a peanut butter ice cream sandwich. Very cool.
So, basically everything was above average except the entrees, which were below average, and for the price that just cannot happen. I will not be back for the full price menu, but I will come back to try the $4 burgers in the bar on Thursdays.
Oh, and on the way out as a "special gift" for you they give you a postcard that you redeem on their website. After giving them my personal information, I "won" a $20 credit to Wave - one of their affiliated restaurants. Not totally sure, but that seems kind of tacky.
Check the address-- that's right. One sixtyblue is definitely a destination restaurant, there's no walking from the Randolph Street Corridor to here! Well, at least not in my skyscraper heels.
The space is open, spacious and elegant. I was a bit embarrassed smuggling in 2 wine bottles in a huge handbag, but it was the last Friday of the month which means... BYO* at one sixtyblue! It's so rare to find a restaurant of this caliber offering a BYO option so of course we had to take it. Yes ma'am!
The sommelier is such a knowledgeable man, and quite charming too! We talked organic wines, sulfites, soil (so we wandered a bit off track) as well as his suggested pairings for our selected courses.
Food: I had the smoked chicken chorizo gumbo to start. So different than a gumbo you'd find in New Orleans (our server agreed), but I really enjoyed the depth and the complexity of the flavors. Rich, smoky and spiced relevantly. A win.
For my main course, I selected the blue crab ravioli (ricotta, spinach and lemon brown butter). Based on the description alone, I just knew I had to have it. Simple yet rich but not excessively so.
My dining companions had the Wagyu short ribs and the grilled hanger steak. Now the Wagyu is the definite star of the show (hint, hint!), but the hanger steak was surprisingly tender! Both were cooked perfectly... and the Wagyu's accompanying creamy grits were dreamy.
We passed on dessert but were still treated to one sixtyblue's signature mini poundcakes and housemade vanilla caramels to take home
Presentation was gorgeous, service impeccable... and affordable especially given the quality of the food! And, most importantly, my two 'San Francisco foodie/weekends in Napa' friends loved it. If that's not a test, I don't know what is. Thanks one sixtyblue for making me look good!
*Note: Please ask them if they're still offering the BYO on the last Fri. of the month when making a reservation... I'm not sure if it's a short-term promo or if it's here to stay!
So, we went a little wild this past Friday night..... We were celebrating a special event, so money did not matter (like it does most other nights). We selected a $76 bottle of Pouilly Fuisse. (The Sommelier actually tastes the wine to make sure it is ok.. never seen that before). We noticed the prices are mostly in the $20's, which is lower than we expected given the raves we had heard. But alas, after our waiter saw that we wanted to 'sample' so many of the menu items, he suggested the $75 (per person) chef's choice. So, we justified the price as part of the special occasion excuse and just did it.
WOW!
I wish I could tell the readers all the items that they presented to me and my wife (most times we did not actually get the same item, so we could taste 1/2 of our own and switch so we could taste/experience each others). But they were all so amazing, that to tell you to get one versus another would be inappropriate. Now catch this! They actually brought us a list of everything we had eaten, so we could have it for posterity or tell our friends exactly what we ate. Nobody does this!
As they brought (the first) dessert, we commented that is was "so-so". The only "so-so" of the evening. They responded by bringing two more desserts for each of us; The chocolate cake being beyond words.....
As a final 'treat', our waiter Carlos (this about 10:00 pm) says to us, "looks like you'll get to 'see the boss'". Well, the 'boss' is Michael Jordan. There he was, just chit chatting with his CFO at a table 10 feet from us. No crowds, no annoying fans asking for autographs, just MJ doing what he does these days. Trust me, I will get a lot of mileage bragging to my friends about my 'close encounter' with THE MAN.
Wow! Wow! Wow! I can't believe food can taste this good. My girlfriend and I went here for my birthday and the food was out of this world. First, the restaurant itself is beautiful. Very modern, but not in the stark minimalist way. Also, it's an open kitchen so you can see the chefs run around making all the meals.
We had planned ahead of time to do the tasting menu with the wine pairing. If you decide to do the tasting menu, save the time and energy picking out a bottle, and just go with the wine pairings. You won't regret it.
The courses:
Amuse: Spicy Tomato Gazpacho, perfectly flavored, with a wonderful spice, but not to much.
First Course: Seafood Ceviche w/ squid, octopus and rock shrimp and Spicy Peekytoe Crab w/ galia melon and mint pesto (amazing)
Second Course: Rice crusted Gulf Shrip (I barely remember this one, because the other dish was...) and Smoked BBQ Pork Belly (honestly, I actually died and went to heaven during this course, it's smoked there, and is so flavorful)
Third: Seared Ahi Tuna w/ vegetable salsa and wheat berries (Very good) and Seared Main Sea Scallops w/ fennel citrus salad and pine nuts.
Fourth: Free Range Chicken w/ chanterelles, apricots and hazelnuts (might be the best chicken I've ever had) and Colorado Rack of Lamb w/ lamb tortellini, mini ratatouille and tomato emulsion (This is the best meal of the night. I wanted to cry while eating this meal)
Fifth was Berkshire Pork Chop w/ baby turnips (who knew I liked turnips) pickled peaches (hate pickles, love pickled peaches, grilled asparagus, and bing cherry balsamic sauce (This was so good).
Sixth: Sticky Toffee Date cake (Best desert there)
Seventh: Michigan Cherries w/ cocoa cake, whiskey foam, clover honey ice cream, and a fudgecicle.
By the time this meal ended almost 3 hours later, I was stuffed w/ some of the best food I've ever tasted. Each dish was better than the dish before it. The staff was beyond helpful and nice. The wine pairings were very long on the pour, the sommelier had matched each meal with a perfect wine that really seemed to open up the flavors of both and compliment them well. Our waiter, Nate, was helpful, and available, and explained every dish perfectly.
Writing this today really makes me wish it was my birthday tonight again.
I am an avid fan of the Blue!!!!
The blue certainly is not an environment for the faint of heart, as its cuisine is "Foodie-centric".
You must enjoy, a combination of flavors and textures to truly appreciate the passion that is exuded in its presentation.
The service is knowledgeable without being obtrusive.
The ambiance is romantic and sexy chic!
The wine list is ooooooh sooooo impressive as it possesses a worldly charm, offering many selections from both sides of the equator, old world and new world and cult faves. The wine guy, Richard, truly has presented a worthwhile list to be enjoyed by all! Many selections are offered at approachable prices to serve as a nice complement to any meal.
This is destination dining for sure.
I do recommend highly!
Be sure to ask for Lawrence as your waiter, as he knows his way around the wine list, especially when you are looking for a great old world Riesling to begin your festivities!
Really? Did I come on an off night? I was expecting at LEAST a 4 star experience based on all these awesome Restaurant Week reviews.
Alas, it was only "just ok". Service was great. No complaints on that. We intended to order off the RW menu, but my husband didn't see anything else he wanted after I "called it" on the Hangar Steak so he ordered off the regular menu.
The leek gnocci: good, but not awesome. slight hints of truffle. Gnocchi texture was very good, done perfectly.
Tuna tartare (from the reg. menu). Good & fresh, but boring. No exciting flavors, just alot of sesame oil and some chives on top. I guess Michael Mina's tartare spoiled me.
Hangar Steak: Ordered medium rare. came medium well. SOOOOO disappointed. I hate sending things back. Nice reduction on the sauce. Perfect creamy whipped potatoes.
Braised short ribs (reg. menu)- somewhat tender, but stringy. Not enough fat content for short ribs. Tasted more like a pot roast (like braised chuck or brisket). Taste was ok. again, not exciting. For $35, we expected it to be WAAY better. I had that perfect braised short ribs once over at Deleece and it was half the price and three times as good...
Dessert: Definitely the highlight of the evening. Date cake was really really good. I wanted more. Kudo's to the pastry chef.
Maybe I'll come again, but on another night when it's NOT Restaurant Week AND $5 burger night because our food wasn't great.
Holy cow, the food here is ridiculous! I swear I was about to lick the plate before the server took it away. I told him that and he said, "it wouldn't be the first time". Funny...and true.
We went last night for Restaurant Week. I had pretty high expectations after hearing all of the rave reviews. I was preparing for a let down after our server greeted us and said (in a monotone voice), "You here for Restaurant Week?" I was kind of bothered because it seemed like he was annoyed that people would be there for the promotion. Maybe it was just the way he talks or trying to be professional, or maybe an off night? Not sure. He was not too keen on giving recommendations either. Fortunately, that was the only thing about the night that I didn't love. The service ended up being attentive without being overbearing and the meal was paced perfectly.
I decided to start with their monthly classic cocktail offering, the sidecar. It was so delicious, I contemplated ordering a second before I realized I would most likely end up on the floor. My bf offered to carry me out. Sweet, but I decided to save my "that girl" moment for another time and go for a glass of pinot noir. Our second server recommended the Loring over the Oyster Bay. The Loring was almost twice the price, but I was really happy after my sidecar so I caved. It was good, but I probably would have been just as happy with the Oyster Bay.
So now, the food. We started with the leek gnocchi and the chicken chorizo gumbo. The gumbo was very good, but the licking of the plate came into play with the gnocchi. OMG, it was unbelievable! For entrees, we went with the hangar steak and the chicken & biscuits. Now, I'm not a huge chicken fan, but when they put biscuits and foie gras sauce with it, I'm sold, two of my favorite things all in one place! Also, bonus chicken nuggets on the side. Brilliant. Both entrees were amazing. The hibiscus tapioca served before dessert was also very tasty. To top it off, we went with the chocolate panna cotta and the sticky toffee date cake. The cake was incredible, especially paired with the clementines, mascarpone cream and pear. Yum. I was so full but couldn't stop eating.
So now that I've used about every word in the thesaurus for amazing, I will say that this is one of the best meals I've had. Can't wait to go back!
So the four dollar burger is pretty dang tasty... pretzel bun? Delicious. Fries? Yum. Its on the smaller size though... I kinda wanted to eat two..
They offered like 2 bottled beers at the 4 dollar price otherwise you're stuck with their 10 dollar concoctions
It just sucks to get a seat though, such a small space... you wait for a while.
Almost gave it three stars based on my first time during restaurant week but upgraded it. Here's… Read more »
I went here awhile back and forgot to write a review! We had a private event in back. The waitstaff was extremely nice (in a good way, not a bad way) and they helped us make decisions on the prix fixe menu we were being served. The options all sounded good and I can't possibly remember them all! I do remember the scallops, as those were amazing.
The atmosphere is sexy. Yes, an atmosphere can be sexy. I'd recommend to go here on a hot date or reserve the room in back for a special event.
This place is on my top 5 list. I've been here a least 3 times. The service is spectacular and every time I go it gets better and better. They have a great seemlier who is very friendly. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu.
I think this place used to be a little stuffy but recently the vibe has change to more casual and friendly. It's even worth a casual visit in the bar.
Try it for yourself!!
Favorite was the dessert: sticky toffee date cake. Soft yet texturized (the name deceives, I didn't find it sticky), well paired with pears, and itty bitty pieces of clementines decorate the plate. Our friend selected the chocolate and just a bite of it proved too heavy. End your dinner on a good note, choose the toffee.
Entrees:
-Yellowfin tuna was seared very well. They could've been more generous with the wasabi, though, because I really needed more to balance out the sweetness of the pineapple sauce underneath. I thought the heart of palm went very well with the fish.
-My friend's porkchop was slightly overcooked making it tough and chewy. I wasn't a fan of the crisp potato noodle, either. It was slimy.
-Nearly all the guys ordered the rack of lamb and raved about it. I didn't try it but it was also recommended by our waiter so I think it's a safe bet.
Wine: Rebenhof Riesling 2007. Light and sweet. Perfect with a seafood entree.
Surprise "freebies": tapioca flour grapefruit concoction in shot glasses (nonalcoholic), house made mint oreos, and a small slice of lemon pound cake in take home plastic bags.
Great romantic atmosphere although I despise dim lighting. Spacious seating. I agree with others, it's good but doesn't deserve such steep prices.
Restaurant week: a good way to guarantee that the waitstaff is going to treat you condescendingly and to spend more money than you expect.
With that in mind, I set out to find a restaurant week experience that would still be worth it. thanks, one sixtyblue, for a lovely and worthwhile evening overall.
We were seated by the window, with a view of...the occasional passing car. Even the waiter pointed out the unremarkable nature of the view. He also mentioned that the Denver Nuggets were in the night before, which I'm pretty sure was supposed to impress me. I'm guessing they didn't have to sit by the the cold window. It does have a lovely atmosphere--not too dark, not too loud (in fact, I could often hear a little bit too much about the economic woes of Dubai from a nearby table...good to know that we both read the same New York Times article.)
I was pleasantly surprised by the flatbread, which is almost always disappointing as a bread basket selection. Don't be afraid of the pickle butter, which does not taste much like pickles.
The leek gnocchi was the standout starter--delicate and delicious. The chicken chorizo gumbo was tasty as well, but mostly I wished that I was still eating the gnocchi.
Chicken & biscuits and hangar steak were the two entree selections. I started with the chicken and biscuits. Overall, the dish was a bit on the salty side, but the chicken was tender and moist. By the time I swapped dishes with my husband and got the hangar steak, it was a bit...on the cold side. He says that it was warm when it was served...I find it likely that it had been sitting a bit (another peril of restaurant week). Temperature aside, it still was pretty delectable. I appreciated the portion sizes of both plates, which seemed reasonable for a normal (hungry) person to enjoy.
Our waiter recommended the sticky toffee date cake, so we ordered this and the chocolate panna cotta. I can't emphasize the excellence of the date cake strongly enough. If you're going with a friend, forego your rule about not ordering the same thing and order two of the date cakes. Order one to go, or distract a neighboring table and take theirs. (The panna cotta was fine or maybe even good, but simply couldn't compete with the surprising awesomeness of the date cake.)
The night ended with some pound cake to take home (a nice touch) and a medical emergency at a nearby table (to which the staff responded quickly, and the diner was OK.)
Valet is super fast as they have their own parking lot...feels a bit ridiculous to pay $7 to watch the attendant move your car 5 feet, but options are limited.
3 Course Thanksgiving Meal!
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