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Belmont (Purple Express, Brown, Red)
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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I visited Socca on a Sunday night with an incredibly artistic set of women (between the seven of us, we covered acting, creative writing, theatre management, firedancing, playwriting, graphic/web design, swing dancing, yoga, and music ranging everywhere from musical theatre and singer-songwriter to Balkan and jazz - it's something of a miracle that none of us had to work that night) for their $25 prix fixe. Oddly enough, our waitress - who was fantastic - actually knew some of the actors at our table. Hey, it's cliche, but it really is a small world.
The prix fixe, which runs Sunday - Tuesday, offers your choice of salad, entree/pasta, and dessert. (Entrees normally run $20-25 each.) The only downside to this deal is that I'm a voracious carnivore. But it's a great way to sample the menu, as there aren't any restrictions besides refraining from ordering specials.
The salads were nothing special - they are just salad, after all - but we were all pleased with our entrees. Amongst the table, the favorite dish by consensus was the gnocchi (fall squash, escarole, chicken, smoked mozzarella, and parmesan sugo). It was amazing. I've had excellent gnocchi at various restaurants in Chicago, but this was the best.
Dessert is good. When you have a table full of women unmitigated by men, you end up discussing dessert even before you order drinks. With so many of us there, we ended up ordering almost every dessert on the menu, which gave us a great opportunity to try everything. My personal favorite was the chocolate hazelnut crunch crostata, which surprised me. But it was excellent.
I met a girlfriend for dinner on Tuesday night at Socca, it was a great spot for catching up over a good dinner and a glass of wine. The service was good, the food was good, the atmosphere was good; what more can you ask for?
The only drawback I see with Socca is that the menu didn't have too many varying choices. I have an allergy to dairy and tomatoes (not a lethal one, but bad enough for me to go out of my way to avoid them) and I had a very hard time finding something on the menu that didn't have either in it. I finally gave it up as a bad cause and had the risotto without the tomatoes. Still had cheese, but it was worth it, so very good.
Not really a bad thing, but our food came super quick. We were chatting quite a bit and still had ordered and eaten within an hour. We were there for much longer than that and I did appreciate that the server didn't make us feel rushed to leave. They weren't busy at all though, so they didn't need the table.
Would probably be a great date spot.
We came here for my boyfriend's 30th birthday. He had originally wanted to try a Top Chefer's restaurant, but decided we wanted to get a filling, yet still delicious, dinner instead. Boy, Socca did not dissapoint, in fact, I think it went above and beyond what I expected.
Our server, Constantine, was the best. Funny and genuine. Four of us split the antipasto plate. It was a perfect starter, little bits of cheese, meats, crosstinis and some strange side bowls. Egg salad? Pickled oninons? Tuna salad? We tried each individually, yuck. Now that I think about it, maybe we were eating it wrong. Note: Duh, use the crosstinis as a base, and build your canape from there. Must have been the cocktails we ordered that had our brains not functioning. Btw, their Sidecar is on point with Signature Lounge's. Not any easy accomplishment. Sidecar may be an old timer's drink, but it's my fav. And few know how to make it right!
As I sit and think about the entrees, my mouth begins to water a little. Now I thought I had been introduced the best pork chop in the country at Vic's in Savannah. But when I saw the double pork chop Socca was offering up, my jaw dropped. This thing is massive. Think Fred Flinstone. Not only is it huge, but equally delicious.
The Allen Brothers steak special was also a winner. You cannot go wrong with juicy medium-rare succulent steak. The Gnocchi was fresh homemade and might just be the lighest I've ever tasted. The garlic butter sauce it swirled in reminded me of my father's. To die for.
The ravioli special was ok, but couldn't hold a candle to the other dishes that surrounded it.
Oh, did I forget to mention the embiance? Very much a date night spot.
I love that Socca is a short walk from my house, but hate it for that too. How can I not resist coming here!
It was good. Nothing crazy to bring me back, but I'm glad I tried it. Best part of my meal was the bacon pizzette. A thin flatbread with caramelized fennel and onion. That was delicious!
This is a great date spot-- it's not too loud, the tables are intimate, and the food is delicious.
We started with the mussels in a white wine broth for an appetizer-- awesome. I am a huge fan of mussels, and these were fantastic. I especially loved that they served them with extra buttery garlic bread for dipping. Unfortunately, they only served them with two little pieces, so we had to ask for more, which they were more than happy to give to us.
I had the lamb chops crusted in pistachios, which was served with a delicious, creamy risotto. My boyfriend had a giant pork chop with some sort of fennel/apple/bacon side-- the whole dish just tasted like fall. It was great!
For dessert, we had this amazing chocolate concoction served with peanut butter gelato. I meant to only have a spoonful, but pretty much cleaned the plate.
I have been really excited to try the prix-fixe at Socca as I moved down the street last month and I finally made it last night.
The restaurant has a lovely interior that it elegant and yet casual at the same time. Our waitress was very friendly and quickly had bread sent over, however we did not receive olive oil or butter for the bread.
The prix-fixe menu was not listed on the menu, but once we mentioned it our server was more than happy to inform us that it consisted of a choice of salad, any entree off of the menu (but not daily specials) and any selection off of the dessert menu that she would bring at the conclusion of the meal.
We both started with the spinach and arugula salad with apples, pears, walnuts, and a gorgonzola souffle. The greens and fruit were very fresh and the souffle was served in a small ramekin on the plate. The serving was very large and could almost serve as an entree.
For the main course we had the pan seared scallops and the rabbit risotto. Both items were a generous servings size and tasty, but they were too heavy on mushrooms for our personal preference.
The dessert we had the chocolate and hazelnut tart that was served with coconut ice cream and caramel sauce as well as the pumpkin bread pudding. Both were amazing.
The meal was enjoyable and we will return.
THE FACTS:
$25 three course meal
Choose any salad, entree, and dessert on the regular menu
Offered Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday all night
Have to ask for the prix-fixe as it is not mentioned on the menu
I came here on Wednesday night with some girlfriends and the place was packed! My friends ordered the Wednesday burger special (huge burger on pretzel roll with pomme frites and a beer) for $8. Since I am trying to be, um, healthier on dinner club nights, I ordered the chicken poulet. It was tender and came with a huge serving of mashed potatoes. The mark of a good restaurant? Homemade mashed potatoes! These guys were even a little lumpy, the way I like 'em. I had a taste of the burgers and they were delish, too. The server was great and brought out some butter rolls to start.
Overall, the atmosphere is a friendly boisterous, warm environment. There was some kind of special event going on, which if I would have realized beforehand, would have loved to participate in. It was a beer dinner - food dishes paired with beer. The only negative of the evening was the debbie downer hostess. Grumpasaurous didn't ruin our night though and I'll definitely come back.
I was really looking forward to dinner at Socca because of the great reviews on Yelp and it came highly recommended by a trusted foodie friend. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed.
While the atmosphere and location are great, it's very loud. Not the place to take a date or have a good conversation. On the plus side the decor is cool, comfortable, and they have outdoor seating.
I'm convinced our server was an out of work actor. Why is he out of work? Because he sucks at acting. When he realized that the four of us weren't going to be ordering alcohol you could clearly see the disappointment on his face like he assumed we were going to be cheap or bad tippers. I was not pleased. At the end of dinner when we wanted to split the check evenly four ways we got another thinly masked grimace which annoyed me to no end.
The food had highs and lows. My filet was amazing but the bed of risotto and asparagus was way too salty. I tasted another dish of rigatoni with shrimp which was good. The others at dinner seemed pleased with their dishes but no strong feelings either way.
The biggest disappointment of the evening was dessert. Several of us ordered creme brulee which is usually my favorite. Unfortunately I only had a few bites before I had to stop eating. It was very "eggy". It had a bad consistency almost as if the eggs started to scramble when they mixed the hot cream with the eggs and sugar. Bad, very bad.
So while I wasn't thrilled with dinner it wasn't a complete disaster so I could end up going back and giving it another try at some point. But I won't be wasting my time with dessert there again even if I do have another round with entrees.
So I got the couponbook from http://alacardchicago.com which is $10 off every $25 worth of food at 52 Chicagoland restaurants. This has really given me an opportunity to explore places, I'd normally wouldn't/haven't gone to. Last night, it was time for Socca in Lakeview.
I'll first say this..this is a great date place, it was romantic and nice decor. The setting is great for groups or couples. We saw a birthday, a first date, group of friends, and dates here.
Our server was super friendly (at the beginning) and we took her recomendation for cucumber gazpacho..which was delicious (though I thought that was more of a Spanish dish..not Italian/French - but that's besides the point)
next we ordered what we thought were the vegetarian pizettes Soprasata. The description said caramelized onion, mozzarella and cesar salad on top (sounds vegeterian to me). I was obviously wrong, because it came with salami. I told her, I think I may have misread the menu. She told me the description doesn't say salami, but that's what soprasata means. Not knowing how to read Italian, I would have appreciated it being in the menu description - saying there was salami in the dish. Then she said...oh it happens all the time. If it said Salami-sata (then it would be my fault for not reading in between the lines)
Her friendlyless turn a downturn after that. Not sure if something happened behind the scenes or was upset we didn't know what soprasata meant. but that being said..the food was delicious and it's a nice atmosphere, I'll just bring an Italian dictionary the next time I return.
Despite living just around the corner, have only been to Socca a handful of times. I like it, but don't love it; only reason it's top-of-mind is that I ended up there on a Monday night when Deleece was closed. The service was pretty good, the food was pretty good, the wine was yummy, and the price was OK. A decent backup plan if you're on that block (Clark between Aldine and Buckingham) and Mia's and Deleece are otherwise unavailable.
Really enjoyed dinner here! Our waitress was wonderful and she made some great recommendations. We started with the fries that came with truffle dipping sauce (YUM), but the best appetizer was the fried artichoke that came in a pesto sauce. It was sooo tasty!
We also had the Funghi pizza, tomato basil pizza, Gnochi and the rigatoni with sun dried tomatoes. Everything was excellent and had a lot of flavor. Also great wine list with something for everyone.Cute atmosphere and they also have outdoor seating available. Will definitely be back.
Very good food, and accomodating to both food allergies and vegetarian diet. The vege socca dish mentioned by previous poster was not available, only lamb socca, but they made me a custom vege entree. The meateater said his steak was excellent and mussels were best he had eaten since Tizi Melloul several months ago. Waitress was also good, nice, fast. It is a little crowded and a customer at table behind us literally knocked me out of my seat when he got up. Nice wine list and reasonable prices, but I was later a bit bummed because I did not see the drink list and apparently missed out on a really good sidecar. Next time!
Great set up with huge windows surrounding the dining room. Small menu but a collection with some great dishes. Great wine selection.
Update from last night: the sea scallops entree is a perfectly light dish to start off a long night, but the real highlight is the double pork chop. Service is always great and there's plenty of room for a big party.
I love the pastas and steaks and chops here! A fancier pre-nisei spot, but worth it.
i had to go here tonight. My gnocchi was overcooked and not good, but everything else was surprisingly excellent. Next time I'm looking for a gourmet meal after drinking 9 Old Styles at the Cubs game, I'll totally head to Socca.
Oh, postscript, I had my first Gumballhead ever here. I thought I wouldn't like it because it's a hweat beer, but I was wrong. I liked it. Pwnd.
Croissant bread pudding with carmalized bananas, peanut butter ice cream, and caramel!!! AMAZING! *sigh*
Bread: Too chewy but good for soaking up the sauce from the mussels.
Appetizer: mussels - A generous serving of plump mussels in a flavorful garlicky broth. This was a delicious starter.
Entrees: Rabbit risotto - This was a rich, creamy, delicious risotto with a lot of ingredients and large pieces of rabbit. The rabbit kind of tastes like dark chicken meat.
Halibut special - I really love halibut and order it almost every time I see it on the menu. The pan seared halibut came with some fresh scallops, squid, and shrimp on a bed of greens. I thought the fish could use a bit more salt, but overall it was a delicious dish.
Dessert: To think, we almost passed on dessert. That would have been a huge mistake. We got the croissant bread pudding with caramelized bananas and peanut butter ice cream. AMAZING!! This was rich, decadent, and calorie-worthy.
All this, minus the alacard $10 gift card for $72 including tax and tip. I will definitely be back for the prix fixe deal.
My Chicago A La Card deck is taking me to restaurants that never would have been on my radar. Despite its highly visible location at Clark and School Streets and its generally good reputation, Socca is one of them. Because we were choosing from among a few different places at the last minute after a theater matinee, I hadn't done any research before leaving the house. So for the first time in quite a while, I was walking into a restaurant "blind," with no information other than the blurb printed on the card. That factor probably contributed to my ultimate opinion--pleased and delighted.
At 6 pm, they could offer us almost any seat in the house. I expected it to fill up quickly but it wasn't quite to capacity when we left around 7:30. Sit by the windows for great people-watching up and down Clark Street as the Saturday-evening scene begins to coalesce.
Our server Konstantin had a few interesting quirks, but nothing unpleasant. He paid us just the right amount of attention, was friendly, and answered our questions capably.
The unique little thick and oily rolls with which they started us were good. I wanted to try an actual socca--a thin chickpea-flour pancake native to southern France--so we ordered the grilled shrimp and socca appetizer, along with the grilled calamari. Capers, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and a sort of herby dressing complemented the calamari, but I felt that this dish was lacking flavor. I also would have appreciated if the calamari were hot rather than room temperature. Good news--that was the only misstep of the meal. The socca and accompanying chickpea aioli (tasted much like hummus) were delicious. To the side was more arugula with a balsamic drizzle and a thick piece of roasted red pepper. Forget the shrimp--they just got in the way. They were fine, but I would rather have had two or three more of the soccas with that scrumptious aioli.
I had intended to order a lighter entree, because I'm trying not to be such a glutton these days and I knew that we would be sharing two appetizers. However, Konstantin's description of one of the specials nearly knocked me out of my chair: an Allen Brothers ribeye steak, topped with crispy red onions, served over a gorgonzola/bacon/wild-mushroom risotto, with a red wine and thyme reduction. That's about fifty awesome flavors and ingredients packed into one dish, and I had absolutely no power to resist the temptation. "So what size is the steak?" "About 13 or 14 ounces." "Damn, it couldn't have been eight or ten? [sigh] Okay, I'll take the steak special."
The whole dish was astounding. The steak itself was one of the best I've had in recent memory. It's a ribeye, so I had to carve off a bit of fat and gristle, but it was cooked perfectly and would have stood well on its own. The risotto was impossibly rich, but delicious. I took one bite and knew that I stood no chance to finish my entire plate. Gorgonzola, bacon, and mushrooms--yes, those flavors work very well together. I concentrated on eating the steak (you can't reheat steak, don't even bother) and took most of the risotto home.
I also tried a bite of my friend's gnocchi with lemon chicken and spring asparagus--a lovely, tasty dish which would have fit the lighter-profile meal that I was trying to have before Konstantin dropped the steak bomb on me.
Dessert? Why not just show us the menu. You have bread pudding? Done. Bread pudding is one of my three favorite non-chocolate desserts, and this was the best that I have ever had. Please take me seriously, as I do not make these statements lightly. Red Rooster makes a truly superior bread pudding, but they cheat by putting chocolate in it. Socca's comes more traditionally with sliced apples, a caramel/cinnamon sort of sauce, and a scoop of vanilla gelato. I nearly wept. Actually, I'm nearly weeping right now. Seriously.
So other than the calamari, the food was a resounding success, but I am going to nitpick a couple of things which detracted just slightly from the atmosphere. First, the paintings on the walls: besides being seriously ugly, they don't match the color of the rest of the wall. Second, the wait staff wears jeans, which I think are too casual for the ambiance in here.
Whatever. You're not here to eat the walls or the servers' pants (I hope). They have a $25 prix fixe Sunday through Tuesday nights, and although it's very rare for me to say this after trying a new place (Urban Belly, I'm looking at you), I want to come back very soon and try some more of the menu (sticking with the bread pudding for dessert though).
This is waaaayy overdue! So I will use my 300th review, a place of honor, in hopes of redeeming my slacker self. I hope all is forgiven!
Socca is one of the most underrated restaurants in the city. Always full, always good but yet it flies under the radar on the Chicago dining scene. Which is fine by me. The last thing I would want is to have that Check Please phenomenon ruin this beautiful little place for me.
Gorgeous bar with a wonderful cocktail list. Anyone who adds Champagne to a Martini is in fact a genius in my book. Very accommodating staff (especially when my guest count changed every five seconds and they just rolled with it), knowledgeable servers and very patient host. (I swear, they will be here any minute!). Really fabulous, well rounded wine list featuring some interesting and unique offerings at decent prices.
The food is divine. I often dream of the pork chop here. The pizzettes are to die for, especially the goat cheese! The curried lamb sloppy joe is tender and flavorful and barely sloppy at all. The pastas are wonderful and the seafood offerings are plentiful and innovative, without being insane. I am a huge fan of the Chef, Roger Herring, after I found out he toured with Phish as their personal chef. The man has some mad grill skills thats for sure!
This is a perfect place for a first date or large group gathering. They are very accommodating and the food is fantastic. Oh and they have awesome valets who pushed me out of a snowbank even though I didn't valet park.
I hadn't heard of Socca until it was recommended by another incredible nearby restaurant who didn't have a table that night.
Super friendly staff, nice list of glasses kept us occupied until they had a table for us. Our chatty, knowledgable waitress was very helpful. Their fresh pasta is really great, pizette was a delicious shared app, incredible specials. I'm going back for more pasta and the pork chop asap, more then.
Socca deserves a round of applause for immediately seating our party of 10 with no reservations on a Friday night. Originally, we were planning to eat at Mia Francesca. After being told that the wait would be about 45 minutes, we found spots at the bar and had wine and apps. After an hour of waiting, we were told that it'd be another 45 minutes. In the words of Liz Lemon, "what the what!?" We forgave Mia, paid our bar tab and headed next door to Socca.
In a matter of minutes, we were seated, presented bottles of vino and served deliciously hot, salty rolls. I love me some sodium in carb form!
I ordered the gnocchi with asparagus, lemon chicken and parm. Perfect. I also had some prosciutto pizza. It immediately took me to my days in Italia. Thin, seasoned, delicious.
I'd highly recommend Socca. The only reason why it's missing a 5th star? The server was a bit of a jerk. Not very patient, annoyed when we requested more bread rolls... not. nice. The food, quick seating, ambiance filled in the remaining 4.
Very delicious food. The food was also very reasonably priced, and the wait staff was fantastic.
I ordered the gnocchi and my date had braised lamb chops. As appetizers, he got pomme frites and i got the french onion soup. Everything was delicious and I was so incredibly full. Our dinner was around $70. It was also his birthday, and I surprised him with a cake with pistachio ice cream on the side.
Perfect date night spot!
I was having a really crappy day. My boss decided to throw a temper tantrum after work and my car got high centered in a snow bank, both of which were making me very late for a Yelp-date at Socca.
But, the minute I walked through those heavy curtains at the door my bad day just melted off. The deep colors on the walls, the candlelight and soft clinking of glasses helped me to relax instantly.
I walked over to a jovial table of fellow Yelpers, who all looked mighty sexy, and joined a table in full swing. Drinks all around, some of the best goat cheese pizza I have ever tasted and a server at the ready.
I had a spaghetti dish with garlic, basil, sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella..it was so good.
By the time we left the place was jammed so I'm glad I made it when I did.
On a snowy, cold Saturday evening, I met some fellow senior citizens - er, Yelpers, for an early dinner here.
We started in the bar as we waited for the stragglers to arrive. I was met with a smile and a glass of vodka from the lovely bartender. So of course, I was already in heaven. But while I sipped on my cocktail I looked around and kind of fell in love with this place. I'd passed by it so many times, but had never been inside and am now kicking myself for not coming sooner. From the second you walk past the curtains in the door, you're transported into a cozy, warm restaurant. The kick ass Chicago pictures hanging in the bar? I'm totally stealing them when they're not looking.
We took our seats at our table, and were greeted by our server who was friendly, funny, and attentive all night long. He was even patient with us when it became obvious we weren't giving him our full attention during the specials.
We ordered some appetizers - the goat cheese pizzette and curried lamb and garbanzo sloppy joes. I only tried the pizzette and it was delicious, as was the sea salt bread they put on the table.
I ordered the poulet - sauteed chicken, chive mashed potatoes, and haricot verts. When my plate appeared in front of me, I just got happy because it looked SO good. Luckily the taste lived up to the appearance, and I proceeded to eat myself into a food coma.
But then *someone* decided that it was time for me to wake up from my food coma and forced dessert on me. *cough* Carol J *cough* Soon we had coconut creme brulee, croissant bread pudding, and chocolate hazelnut crunch crostata before us. I sampled the creme brulee and the bread pudding, and they were both heavenly, though I must say the bread pudding was my favorite.
Overall, I had a great time and a fantastic meal here and am looking forward to coming back. Though I have to say, I'm glad we decided to be senior citizens for the night and ate an early dinner because as we finally made our way out the place was PACKED. Clearly everyone in the neighborhood (and beyond) has caught on to how good this place is.
Socca is a solid Italian meal. My friends and I enjoyed a great meal, good wine, and pretty good service.
I had the caesar salad. My friends had another salad that they both liked.
I also had the caprese pasta, which was great, although the caprese pizza was what originally delivered.
This place fills up pretty quickly on most nights. We made a reservation, were seated quickly and had a nice table. Can't wait to eat outside at their patio.
French/Italian cuisine? I'm intrigued.
Bread here is really great, good wine selection, food is solid. Appetizers: grilled calamari, which I recommend especially if you've only had fried. Here you can actually taste the calamari. Date had escargot - very delicious. I had the gnocchi with asparagus and chicken, while my date had the rabbit. Really tasty.
However, I felt like the place was a tad over-priced. The quality is there, and the service was great, but the Italian food at Mia Francesca is so much better, and it's much more reasonable (and it's only a few doors down). Socca is a good choice if you're in the neighborhood and want French food; if you're craving Italian, head to Mia's.
I went there on a Friday night at about 8pm, so it was pretty crowded. We sat at the bar and grabbed a drink before being seated. First of all, the Fly Me to the Moon cocktail is delicious. If for nothing else, I'll be back for that. The ambiance in the place is very nice. Great for a romantic date. After we were seated, we ate the very yummy bread and then ordered appetizers. My boyfriend and I shared the tomato and basil pizzette, which was really good. I'm glad I didn't order it for my meal, though, because it was too small for a meal. Our friend ordered duck confit, which was different. For dinner, I had the pasta special. It was a ravioli with a tomato sauce, and it was excellent. I'm sad it's not actually on the menu because I would definitely order it again. My boyfriend had the steak special, which was a New York strip. His was also excellent. Our friend ordered the goat cheese, pizzette which was VERY strong. I like goat cheese, but that was too much for me.
The service was a little slow, which would've been fine, except we had a show to catch after dinner. Once we let them know we were in a hurry, our waiter was great about getting us everything we needed.
Overall, I'd say that Socca is a great place for an intimate meal with a date or good friends. I'd definitely go here again.
LISTEN HERE! I'm about to make a pretty definitive statement here, which unlike my pregnancy scares, doesn't come often
Socca is my favorite restaurant in Chicago.
Oh no he didn't! YES HE DID!
I said it! I don't have a favorite in NYC, but I do have one in Chigetto.
Socca serves the most deeeelicious menu! In this past trip to the Windy City, I returned to Socca to have pommes frites laced with truffle oil and a cheese fondue sauce that was so yummy, I told my whackjob dinner mate that I could just lay in a bed of these french fries and eat until found cold and dead. For a main course, I ordered a perfectly prepared salmon with asparagus and a chick pea puree that had a delicious curry hint.
The reisling I ordered was nicely sweet and floral. I wanted a bottle for myself.
This was a perfect follow up from my first and previous visit where I had an AMAZING risotto and a cabernet sauvignon that was pleasurable in a way that only a sexual encounter with many people paying attention to ONLY YOU can compare.
It's a great romantic spot with dim lighting. A great place for groups, particularly smaller ones because they have a few round tables that lets everyone see everyone face to face. One group of five actually had 10 bottles of wine on their table. My theory about them (2 younger people and 3 older gentlemen) was that the two youngsters were a straight couple and the three others where their gay uncles. There was SERIOUS eating and drinking going on there!
And for good reason too! Because the menu is top notch, and wine selection fantastic, and because in it is Boystown, if you think the correct dessert would be getting plowed in a sling (with Steamworks being so close), it has the most perfect location!
Finally went back here to eat. Very nice! The bar area, warm, inviting and elegant. Dishy, cute bartender.
The food - yum! I got the Barracuda (yes, that Heart song was totally running thru my head) over seafood risotto. The fish was excellent - very good flavor, and a nice generous chunk of it. The risotto - I say this only because I am the Risotto Ninja - I wanted it to be creamier, it was a little too watery, but the flavor was very good.
True to form, I sampled around the table, my companion's entrees. RR's pork chop was magnificent - very well done, and I don't mean overcooked. Juicy and flavorful. KO's scallop entree was very good - giant, juicy scallops over sweet potato risotto - this risotto was very creamy and the flavor - yum. Unusual, but I loved it.
Our server was fantastic - cute, charming, flirty, knowledgeable about the food. He really made an effort to make sure all the food we ordered was to our liking. Great service makes me recommend and come back!
Ohhhhhhh, dessert - Pernod and coconut cream brulee! *mmmm*
Review for the bar area only.
Hmmmm . . . this place has a great bar, that is very elegantly…
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French/Italian cuisine? You had me at hello.
The moment I we walked in, I was surprised by the size. I hadn't imagined such a large dinning area, surrounded by natural light in it's corner location. I almost felt like the room swallowed us. I wonder what the room sounds like on a busy evening. We clearly had beat the dinner rush and were one of only three active tables in a room that clearly held several dozen tables.
First up, the bread. Yum. It was perfectly moist and buttery. In fact, they do not even provide butter on the table unless you request it.
Next, appetizers. I really enjoyed the shrimp and socca dish. It was certainly a refreshing break from the standard appetizers. The chickpea ailoli with arugula and roasted peppers was delicious and paired perfectly with the dish. We also ordered the calamari but I have a series of odd food phobias -- I don't eat meat still on the bone and/or still resembles what it once looked like alive. I can do fried calamari if my dear friend whisks away the squiggly bits first. But the grilled calamari dish they placed before us at Socca was just a little too visual for me so I took a pass.
For my entree, I had the gnocchi with asparagus, lemon chicken. I had prepared for a heavy dish, as gnocchi can sometimes be but was pleasantly surprised to find the dish light. My only complaint was that the asparagus was overpowering. Otherwise, the portion was perfect for the average appetite.
We couldn't pass up an opportunity at the Croissant Bread Pudding -- and were certainly not disappointed. It was everything we could have wanted out of a dessert. The portion was idea for splitting, especially after a filling meal. A perfect conclusion to dinner.
By the time we left, the restaurant had filled up a bit more, though there were still several open tables. There also appeared to be an area where a simple pull of a curtain would provide a private dinning area for a group. Upon leaving, we stood for a moment in the bar area to catch the end of a March Madness game. The bar has a different aesthetic than the main dinning area which I found to be a bit odd. While the restaurant portion's decor was heavily focused on faux finishes and heavy painted canvases, surrounded by natural light from the windows, the bar area was dark and had modern photography and kitsch accents.
A solid 3.5 stars.
The food was good (potato leek soup; pork chop; special v-day dessert) and our server was nice. He had this great bassy voice that was perfectly easy to hear in the din of a busy restaurant.
So then why not 4 or 5 stars? It was slow. Every table around us was waiting a LONG time for food. In fact the table next to us waited so long they got an apology. I understand that service is slower when places are busy, but this was noticable. It took 3 hours to eat and most of that was us waiting between finishing the soup and waiting for entrees.
Then there was the ambiance. So yeah, it was fine. And yeah, they have big picture windows that look out on to Clark and it's pretty...but half the seats in the place put your back to that window, so that isn't really a redeeming quality. And it was Valentine's Day so you know, I kind of hoped for a little something extra like a rose on each table or a red candle or something. But there was nothing and it looked just like any other night, really. They didn't even do anything cute with the specials menu.
So Socca, you were yummy, but you didn't do anything to stand out. Just remember a 3-star review means I did like you. Really I did. I just didn't love you.
Ok, so if it says "truffle" on the menu, more than likely, I'm gonna get it.
So when I saw that the pomme frites were served with a truffle fondue, done & done. The sauce was "don't drip! don't drip! don't drip!" worthy & I swear, I could've drank it from the cup.
I went with the pasta special, which I was a bit leery over once I heard it had a hint of Pernod. I hate hate HATE anise, fennel, black licorice, etc. But the ever-wonderful waiter (he was seriously awesome) assured me it was so slight, it wouldn't bother me & if it did, we'd figure something else out.
He was so right & it was delicious.
For dessert, I had the creme brulee, which was very good.
Everyone at the table had a good time & enjoyed their meals thoroughly. I would definitely be back.
PS: They serve Delirium Tremens as well. Good deal.
delicious food if a bit over priced. nice waiter.
enjoyed the calamari and the scallop dish.
nice atmosphere
Love Love Triple Love This Place! It's got it all going on. Ambiance. Great wine list. Fabulous eats. The Allen Bros. Steaks are cooked to perfection. The risotto is sublime. Best of all Mike 1 and Mike 2 (1 and 2 designations go to whichever Mike happens to be serving on any given evening) are hospitable, welcoming, but not fussy.
Gordon Ramsey there's nothing for you to do here. No changes needed. Never ever ever.
We went here on a Saturday night after a Cubs game. Our group was about 20 people, so we took over the place quite a bit. The experience was so great and classy! Everybody was raving about their food (I had the whitefish which was cooked perfectly). Our waiter was friendly, funny, quick, and attentive despite our huge group. This place would also work well as a romantic date night spot!
I enjoy Socca a lot: fun atmosphere, yummy food, good service, diverse crowd. I rate less than 5 stars b/c I strongly feel it's significantly overpriced for almost everything. I appreciate fine ingredients, the cost of the location, the overall dining experience; but it still rates overpriced for the neighborhood.
The staff has always been very accomodating. They were flexible when we were exceptionally late for our reservation on a Sat. night and we didn't have to wait at all for a table.
When the music isn't blaring in the bar (seriously - they need to check themselves on this) it's a cool place to relax for a cocktail or glass of wine. Pretty noisy in the dining room.
By far my favorite resteraunt of all time.
I have been numerous times with all different types of people. By types I mean people who read the menu and know exactly what they are getting and people who read it and have no clue what half of it means. Everybody I have taken there has had an absolutely wonderful time and enjoyed every part of their meal.
The service has always been very good. In fact one night, I believe it was a friday, the chef (and owner I believe) came out and talked to every table. My boyfriend and I happened to be leaving while he was by the door he took our valet number and ran it out for us because it was cold that night!! The chef practically got us our car....pretty down to earth if you ask me.
Socca is a north Chicago neighborhood treasure. Regulars groan when you tell them how much you love the restaurant - they want to keep it their secret! I've eaten there several times over the past year, and have never been disappointed. Last week I had dinner with my most high-maintenance foodie friend (allergies, bizarre demands, etc.) and our career waiter was gracious, understanding, and indulgent. Let me tell you, this is not the reception my friend always gets!
The food is solid, generally delicious, if not always inspired. You'll never go wrong ordering a steak here, but I've found the seafood rather hit-or-miss (it IS Chicago after all). I would love to give it all five stars, but the kitchen is just a little erratic. Some nights it's smooth sailing, other nights you'll find yourself checking the watch between courses. If you're going to the theater, just make sure to tell your server first.
It's small, but that's one of its greatest charms.
I hadn't heard of this place, so when out of town friends found it on Zagat, I was excited to try a new place. Although the cab dropped us off on the corner and we had a bit of a hard time finding the entrance (its a bit north of the main dining window on Clark), the staff ushered us in.
The atmosphere was great: muted red walls, dimmed lights, and candles on every table. Very homey but comfortably busy. Our server was a bit animated for me, but really nice. She gave very detailed descriptions of the specials and was patient with us through custom orders and changed minds.
Our meals were as follows:
We began with the escargot with puff pastry.
Group special with lobster and shrimp with butternut squash filled gnoche in a brown butter sauce.
Large mashed potatoes, braised beef, and truffle filled ravioli with a truffle sauce.
Braised rabbit with spinish, red pepper, and tomato risotto.
Dessert was an apple cinnimon bread puddling with vanilla gelato and carmel sauce.
Everything was wonderful and we weren't rushed at all through our meal. i will definitely be back.
After eating at Socca last night, I'm obsessed and want it in my mouth right this second. Our waiter Michael was amazing. Very attentive and extremely helpful in wine and menu selections. We ordered one of the pizzas for the table and everyone raved. The mussels and the spinach and aragula salad were my personal fave. All of our entrees (hangar steak, filet, salmon) were absolutely perfect and presented beautifully on the plate.
I really can't say enough good things. Great service. Quiet, cozy atmosphere. Amazing food. 5 stars, hands down. I can't wait to go back.
Update: We continue to go to Socca for all the reasons above. My husband and I share the delicious goat cheese pizza and an entree and are always so happy with the food and service. So good. Just go.
Socca is right on Clark Street in the busy Lakeview/Wrigleyville neighborhood, so I walk by it all the time, having yet to try it. I finally made it there on a hot Thursday evening. We opted to sit inside but liked having the option to sit outside in the small patio. The interior of this restaurant is exactly what is trendy now... contemporary and clean, yet still cozy. It is an upscale, yet casual, dining experience where you can enjoy a pleasant meal with a group of friends or a nice date. It is also the typical price point for this type of restaurant... about $20 per entree, which is very reasonable for the quality of food you get.
Okay, now onto the food and drink! Socca is Contemporary Italian/French cuisine, which gives many options! For the drinks, we opted to go with red wine flights. We each tried 3 different wines, which were poured very generously. For the appetizer, I had to try the pomme frites. I knew they came with a yummy sauce and they were skinny... so I had to try them! Sadly, I was a tad disappointed. However, I will have qualify that with I am VERY picky when it comes to fries. I really liked their size. The shoestring potatoes are always my fave. I also appreciated how there was chopped up parsley in the seasoning AND that it came with a nice aioli sauce. Now... here was my problem: they were either coated with something or double fried. I don't like any kind of coating on my fries... they were like the Burger King ones, which I cannot stand. Luckily, they were still edible as they were so skinny. But then came my entree: I got the seared sea scallops with a leek broth. AMAZING! There were 3 or 4 huge scallops placed atop polenta with a leek broth. The flavor of the scallops was perfect. It was SO good and so meaty. I thought it was nice eating it with something but I didn't think the polenta was quite right. It was a tad bland and I was trying to decipher what would be a better companion for it. However, since the scallops were so flavorful, really, the polenta pairing wasn't bad. I also tried my boyfriend's entree, which was a special that night of halibut with a side of mixed greens w/bay scallops. The halibut was also prepared perfectly, I will have to say. But the side was just ok... the bay scallops had absolutely no flavor. (But I didn't know if it was more that I had just eaten these wonderfully flavored scallops and then tried the little bay scallops.) My entree was definitely better! We were so full we didn't even try the dessert, so I cannot comment on that.
As far as the service goes, it was a bit slow. It was busy that night but not totally full. Our waiter was very nice, but seemed a bit flighty. I don't know if he had too many tables on his plate or what but it seemed to take awhile for everything and his mind seemed to be somewhere else. So overall, not the best service but nothing that bad either.
I would definitely recommend going to Socca for a special dinner. It is a very nice atmosphere with fresh, flavorful food!
$28.50 Prix Fixe and 1/2 Price…
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Neighborhood: Wicker Park
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Category: French
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Lakeview
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Neighborhood: Lakeview
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Neighborhood: Lakeview
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