David "Zandmaster" Z.'s Profile

Though I'm not much of a drinker, I was inspired by ESS's cocktail menu. I had the Autunno Notte, a delicious drink whose excellent taste concealed its heavy alcohol content.

For some reason our server forgot to bring us out the bread/butter plate, so I had to request it. Anyway, my friend and I each ordered an appetizer--he the oysters, I the parsley root soup. Both of us enjoyed our choices.

As an entree I had the bass, which was good but not excellent. We also shared the kimchi rice (kind of a spicy risotto) and the curry chow chow (good snack).

No room for dessert, but it looked quite good!

Came in again for lunch, and was re-disappointed. I had the Turkey, Apple and Brie sandwich ($8). It came with no side, and the size of the sandwich was shockingly small. Plus the two employees seemed to be having a spat as my party ordered our food.

Really more of a 4.5...there was nothing at all wrong with my experience, just not quite worthy of a 5. Anyway, I had the Kooksu with chicken. The dish is a heaping portion of cold soba noodles, veggies, and hard boiled egg, topped with a spicy red Korean sauce. It was super yummy.

Decor was very welcoming, service was amiable and helpful. Given that I work very close by, I will certainly be returning soon for another lunch.

Craving some Polish food on my business trip, I discovered there was a popular pierogi place just 2 minutes away from my office. I ordered the 9-pierogi plate, and chose spinach, sweet cheese, and mushroom/kraut. On top they slathered a yummy sweet onion sauce (and would have also added bacon, but I declined).

All three flavors were excellent, and the ample filling made the meal quite...filling. At only 8 bucks or so for the meal, PH is a place I'd return to regularly if I actually lived in Chicago. Pity!

Utter culinary transcendence.

I visited Chicago recently for the first time in 13 years, and I had only one possible night to eat at next. After obsessively following updates on their fb page, I sent a creative samenight@nextrestaura... email. No luck. Not willing to give up, I came to the restaurant around 9pm, practically begging for chance to eat. They said to hang around for an hour, and they'd call if something opened up. Lo and behold, despite my entirely pessimistic outlook, they called! Ha-cha-cha, I thought, what a glorious day.

I won't go into the details of the meal..there are plenty of other reviews and blog posts that do just that. Suffice it to say, the food was exceptional. Beyond exceptional. It was part art/part cuisine--with a dash of science thrown in. Each course was imaginative, colorful, and, of course, delicious. The Winter Scene was by far my favorite--22 ingredients delicately plated with tweezers atop a glass plate, resting upon a hollowed out log and a nest of juniper branches. The earthy flavors and crunchy textures perfectly evoked the desired "walk in a winter forest."

The service was friendly and entertaining, with each dish accompanied by an amusing explanation/description. Even the food runners were aspiring chefs!

I didn't do drink pairings, but I definitely wish I had...I wasn't aware of the non-alcoholic pairing option, but it sounds really good.

At $130 (tax and automatic 18% grat included), the meal was worth every penny. Don't listen to the naysayers, next was an experience every food-lover should have.

I've lived in O4W for several months now, but hadn't yet ventured this far down on Edgewood to eat. But the other night, prompted by Scoutmob, my friend and I went in for dinner.

My immediate impression was that everyone in the room--employees and customers alike--knew each other. It felt like a friendly (yet upscale) neighborhood hangout. As a previous reviewer wrote, service was a little odd. We ordered two waters and a sangria, and the drinks literally came out one by one: my friend's water, my sangria, my water. The sangria was atypical--with fruit blended in rather than mixed in. It had good flavor, but I didn't taste much alcohol.

I ordered the Pastelon de Carne, a plantain lasagna with beef sauce. It certainly sounded unusual and tasty, but turned out to be fairly disappointing...the portion tasted like it had been premade and microwaved. My friend got the yucca fries and mofongo, and I think he was somewhat happier with his selections.

Apparently they also do salsa lessons some nights.

Came here for lunch with a coworker.

Service was reeeeeallly slow. And our server didn't know about Groupon. Or Scoutmob. It was weird. But she was friendly, so you know, whatevs.

Anyway, I ordered 3 tacos (Seta/Veggie, Salmon, Chicken Mole) and the Quinoa salad. All were good--and the quinoa in particular was a creative and flavorful dish.

I dug the upholstery made from indigenous textiles, and the decor in general was pretty cool.

Cocktail menu looked good, but I unfortunately cannot comment on the quality :)

I guess I was expecting something a little more gourmet...but Erbert and Gerbert's was basically Jimmy John's with different branding.

The sandwich had good flavor, but it seemed to lack substance....although I did appreciate the "guts" on the side--the scooped out doughy part of the bread, useful for dipping or eating.

They do also have a Coke Freestyle machine (lets you mix your own drinks from dozens of flavor options), which is pretty cool.

Cool location too, but not somewhere I'm dying to return.

Why is this place not swarming with people?! Atlantans clamor for Blais's burgers, but his hot dogs and sausages are for some reason not as popular.

HD1 was honestly one of the best culinary experiences I've had in Atlanta. I tried the sous vide carrot with the Tuscan preparation (the carrot can be substituted for any hot dog or sausage) and the Drum Chicken sausage, as well as farro salad to start. All were excellent, with complex tastes and textures unlike anything I'd ever had.

My friend and I also tried two of the softserve flavors for dessert which, for $2, are an absolute must.

Our dishes strangely came out one at  a time, but rapidly enough that we were still both eating together. Ambiance is very relaxed, with several long communal tables, as well as a handful of private tables.

Definitely returning soon to try more from the menu!

I am shocked by the poor reviews--my experience was excellent.

I came in solo for a late lunch, and sat at one of the hightops near the bar. Armed with a Scoutmob coupon, I ordered the guac appetizer. The guac itself was good, but the tostada underneath was stale. I then ordered three tacos--the Spiedie (weird name, pronounced like "Spidie" apparently), the Veggie and the Pink Taco.

Normally three tacos is just right for me, but theirs were enormous, overflowing with filling. All 3 were delicious, especially the Pink Taco, which had blackened salmon and slaw.

Food came out fast, but service was a bit slow at the end. No big deal, though.