Sandra G.'s Profile

How many restaurants can you go to where you can request a table in the kitchen?  Or where the savory, fresh bread carefully rises and bakes right next door?  Where the chef prepares what's fresh for the day, and has plates to cater to every person's taste preferences?

My bf, his parents, and I visited Café Levain on Jan. 8th for dinner with a couple of friends while visiting the twin cities.  Nicely nestled away, back behind the big-brother Turtle Bread Company, this little gem of a restaurant superseded our expectations.  I'd like to start with the warm and inviting ambiance that embraced our arrival with the hostess gracefully taking our coats to the coat hangar.  The infamous old, worn red door that carefully disguised the sultry establishment behind it for years, now hangs from above; and perfectly selected lighting is enhanced by the reflecting mirrors on the west wall.

Having done a little research prior to our restaurant visit, we visited Café Levain's website in anticipation of what was to come and had our carefully selected dinners pre-determined.  Unfortunately for us, the website was out of date for a couple of months, so the plates we were looking forward to enjoying were not being served that evening.  I did however find a suitable replacement to my Coq au Vin, which was another chicken dish plated with perfectly cooked asparagus and seasonal vegetables.  The food was delicious, however ranting over a specific plate would be invaluable to you as they change their menu constantly.  

Service was excellent and the fact that they allowed us to be the last ones standing, without any indication of the close of business, was the icing on the cake; thank you for the total experience.

A hidden gem of the city, snuggly located in Lakeview, with a gratuitous offer of parking in the back, you can't help but fall in love at or with Coobah's.  If the ambiance alone doesn't make everyone feel like cuddling up for the night with the person sitting across the table (provided attraction), the food, at the very least, will make your heart palpitate at an increasingly faster pace with every tantalizing bite.

We couldn't have selected a more perfect restaurant for our 6 month anniversary and on a Sunday night after the Bears game, we almost had the entire place to ourselves.  I don't know if this analogy works here, but I'll give it a try...  You know they say pets often look like their owners, and in this case, our restaurant similarly resembled the two of us late Sunday evening.  At home in Lakeview, with Latin food offerings, warm décor and a cozy, intimate, setting I must say I felt personally reflected in the surroundings.

As an opener, we began each with a small mojito, only to end up wishing we would have each ordered the large.  And as an entrada, we selectively chose the pan seared diver scallops (a personal favorite of mine), which I might add arrived nothing short of perfect beautifully accompanied by butternut squash relish, brown sugar-miso-glazed bacon (wow!) and lime vinaigrette.  

For the main course, I requested the Zarzuela which turned out to be a savory mix of chicken, sausage, shrimp, and mussels all bathing in an exquisitely prepared tomato-based chile broth. My bf ordered the Tilapia entrée and was greeted with a perfect blend of lightly breaded tilapia, sage, ginger, cranberry, and oranges; the convergence of flavors on this particular dish, were to me.....exceptional.

The service was great, but then of course there were only three tables occupied during our visit, and the private room in the back makes me want to invent a celebratory occasion that would thus require the use of a private room.  

Pricing is what you would expect for a specialized dining experience and on-par with our complete Sunday rendezvous there, though if I may add, not for the price-weary.  Hopefully the fulfilling of my duty to comment on my positive experience at Coobah's will not adversely affect my future dining experiences there.

You've gotta love entrepreneurs with great ideas, who appreciate the non-extravagant, and can produce a great product.  

Cozily situated in a quaint, simple, non-pretentious part of the city is one of Chicago's must haves--Hoosier Momma Pie Company.  Not only does Hoosier Momma produce sweet pies, they have an offering that extends to quiches and pot pies, for those on-the-go who appreciate the taste of home-cooking.

My favorite is the Peanut Butter pie.  Peanut butter? You ask, yes peanut butter.  My eyes widen just at the thought of it and a smile encroaches on my face as the memories dance about in my mind.  The taste is subdued, the texture, beautifully creamy, and a concluding bite ending with a graham-cracker like crust that is so indulgent, it makes you wish there was enough crust for every mouthful.

If you're lucky enough to arrive with no one seated at the home-inspired window table seat, hop a sit, relax, and enjoy the movement of the Windy City through your own looking glass.

If you have an appreciation for art, and even more importantly, an appreciation for Latin American art, Las Tablas is a must see and must eat.  The cleverly done Botero-adorned restaurant will leave you wanting to see more of what this Colombian artist has chosen as inspiration for his pleasantly-plump imitations of highly regarded paintings.  

Admittedly, we arrived without reservations and after this experience, I don't advise going without them, unless you can alleviate your hunger pains with oxygen.  We were told 20-40 minutes, and were seated after 55 minutes, though, what else should we really have expected on a Saturday night.

If you want to begin the night and remember how it ends, avoid the caipirinhas and margaritas; though visually appealing were the sangrias and mojitos.

In the winter months, request seating in the back left area of the restaurant, as the bitter Chicago winter winds will slap you every time someone walks in or out of the restaurant if you're seated within eye's view of the entrance.  Nonetheless, the romantic glow of the latin-inspired colors will fill you with warmth, as the rich Colombian flavors dance on your palette.  

For a group of 3-4 smaller appetites, I highly recommend the Empanada Combination Plate as a starter and then the Picada Colombiana for an entrée.  Even though the latter states "serves 2 people," that would be two people with very large appetites or two people who really like leftovers. The entrée itself provided a splendid array of chorizo, ribs, entraña, rib-eye, chicken, yuca, potatoes, plantains, and arepas, while the opener of empanadas prepares your tastebuds for the flavorful Colombian fare to follow; and I must say all for under $50.00.  

Overall, a great representation of Colombian cooking, with an ambiance that transports customers to the furthest corners of Medellin, where the comforts of socializing, romanticism, and family are ever-present.

My bf, friend, and I decided to go to Lovely for lattes and sweets, a first time visit for all of us.  The atmosphere of Lovely is as to be expected, plenty of seating with non-matching tables and chairs, with a clientele varying from teachers vehemently grading papers, to friends catching up over foam-stylized lattes.

Since I am a person of simplicity, I ordered a typical large vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing that was visually enticing; however after taking a bite, I admit that I was left saddened at the thought of not meeting my sweet-tooth craving for the afternoon.  I know that winter can be vicious and dry, but I don't think winter can be blamed for the dehydrated cupcake-imposter I was served this Sunday afternoon.

On a brighter note and moving on from the cupcake that left me desiring much more, my vanilla latte, was absolutely perfect!  My bf's "not-your-momma's-apple pie" was also awarded a gold star along with the moist banana bread my friend ordered.

Overall, try the pastries, however if you must try the cupcakes, get a mini version to test before you take the financial plunge into the larger version.  As for the lattes please note that small=large and large=really large; no matter the size though, these lattes are some of the best flavored we've had in Chicago, by far.

Went here with my bf on Sat. Nov. 7th for dinner with another couple.  Happily we were seated at the time our reservation was at.  The décor was the perfect setting for conversation, food, and great company.  After squeezing uncomfortably between two tables to perch myself in a corner seat, we began our 4.5 hour social meal.  

While my tastes in food vary, and I appreciate everything from tripe to fast food, I don't often (maybe ever) have Greek food.  Luckily, one person in our group is Greek and happily provided recommendations in my direction and began our dinner extravaganza with the Selection of Spreads appetizer.  I love food that provides for options, and this appetizer certainly does, allowing you to choose from a creamy mayo-textured sauce called yogurt, to hummus, to eggplant and all delicious!

For an entrée I decided to play it safe, as duck and lamb are not tempting to me, the Roasted Lemon Chicken, Potato, Garlic and Dill entrée provided the perfect alternative for my comfort-dictated food choices.   Flavor was what this entrée was expressing, and it did so successfully; not dry and perfectly seasoned, accompanied by well-prepared, baby-red potatoes, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Although the squeezing-between-the-two-tables stint did result in the neighboring table tipping the table and dropping a glass of wine on their way out, the atmosphere was comfortable and catered to our tête-à-tête exchanges.   The Kefi staff was hospitable enough to allow to continue sipping vino tinto and immersing ourselves in conversation till almost 1am.  

My only gripe is that I don't live closer so I can't go to Kefi often to expand my newly-acquired Greek cravings.

Went here with boyfriend for dinner on Nov. 8th, who came here 1+ year ago.  

Loved that Ed's Lobster Bar actually offered a bar for seating!  Not-so-understandably when we arrived, which was approximately 7pm on a Sun., they were out of several lobster items:(    Nonetheless, moving on, I ordered the clam chowder and the seared scallops.  

The clam chowder was deliciously light and not too creamy in consistency.  The scallops I am happy to report were seared perfectly!  A seafood I indulge in and have come to enjoy on most sea-faring opportuntities.  Portion size was perfect and I unfortunatelty left with a 1/2 scallop on my plate that I could find a space in my belly for.  Prices were right on for food quality, portion, and service.  

I look forward to going back on my next visit out to NYC.

Went to De Cero for a late lunch on Nov. 17th.  I see how this restaurant would cater well to a "lite dinner & have a few drinks crowd", however if you're in the mood to have a meal for two at a reasonable price and leave with your appetite satisfied, this is not the place for you.

If you can get over the price shock of the $4.25 tacos, whose portion sizes, by the way, are not made up for in size, here's my take on the palatable.  Cudos on the guacamole, my favorite indulgence yesterday afternoon and 3 of 5 stars on the green pozole, good but not quite authentic.   The tacos al pastor, though not authentic and rather sweet in nature, were good.  The skirt steak tacos however were delicious.  

I say, a place to try, but not one to frequent.  Will I go back?  Probably, but no guarantee.

I post this hesitantly as I do not want Gus's to become so popular and ovewhelmed with demand that prices increase and turnaround time elevates.  Nonetheless, due to my very positive experience, it is a duty of mine to share with others.

I decided to try Gus's Shoe Repair after Yelping the recommendation and dropped off 2 pairs of boots and 1 pair of dress shoes.  My overall first experience with Gus's Shoe Repair was deserving of a bouquet of flowers, a bouquet that I could have sent them with the money I saved by going here to begin with!  Not only was Gus's able to revive the life in my water-stained light-brown leather boots, they also repaired a pair or black boots whose stiletto heel looked like someone had gotten hungry and taken a bite out of one of them.  

Delivery was critical and even though they offered to have them ready 4 days later, I asked for 3 days delivery due to a trip, and Gus's came through for me.  Price, quality, and delivery were excellent.   I will forever be a loyal customer.

Atmosphere: If you're looking to impress, not only with classic, elegant, high-end dining, but a comfortable and intimate setting, you've found your match.

Food: We ordered the Chef's menu which was a 9-course meal, each of the 9 courses differing for the two of us.  Not only was the food absolutely exceptional, every detail, including the shapes of the plates the food was presented on, changed according to the course.  The server asked about our specific palattes and the chef catered beautifully to each of our tastes.  I had never had fois gras, quail egg, quail, or caviar before, however this experience was the 1st of many to come, as I was probably left with an incomparable impression of each dish.  Future chefs have some rather large shoes to fill.

Service: The service was exceptional, all very catering and beautifully trained.

Go Back?: Absolutely.  I lack the words to explain how wonderful an experience this was.  If you're looking for food and service quality, The Dining Room will always be set apart, in my mind, as one of the greatest dining experiences I've ever had the pleasure of.