Kelly W.'s Profile

Hm, Kanela. How do I put this? You made my clothes smell like brunch. And not like yummy brunch but like stale brunch. Is this weird? Dos anyone know what I'm talking about?

Regardless, the layout in this place is a little weird-- mostly one main wall of long bench seating with a bunch of 2-top tables. This is logistically design flawed as my party of four was stuck waiting a long time for 2 couples, who were taking their sweet old time, to get up. Basically there was an open 2-top table to the left of each occupied table and all we needed was one couple to get open so the tables could be pushed together so we could be accommodated.

Now the menu is actually really yummy sounding and the food is good. They did however, have a bit of a kitchen mix up and provided only 2 of the correct 4 dishes we ordered, causing my other two friends to have to wait. The waiter was very nice though and gave us some donuts on the house for the trouble. The coffee was not the good either, too strong and bitter but they do have really good/fresh juice so go with that.

Overall, decent experience and I may give it another shot. However, seriously, wtf is with this place making my clothes smell like a greasy diner?!

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Longman & Eagle may be my new favorite dinner spot in Chicago and I suggest you join me on that limb.

The 1.5 hr wait estimation is not a lie but I can tell you it is well worth it. The sweetbreads was by far my favorite thing I ate the whole night followed closely by the open-face ravioli with scallops. The other dishes we sampled (the pretzel, the meatballs, the chicken, the pasta) were are yummy as well.. but honestly the pasta leftovers were not very good day 2, as a note.

The interiors are warm and moody.. if that makes sense. And it doesn't hurt that it is accessorized with some attractive waiters.

I happily acted as my friend's date so she could cash in her bloomspot. Let me break down the food.

Cheese-- Cow through the ages. Good. Would have liked more spreads or things to accompany the cheese.

App-- Oysters. Pleasantly surprised here. I was unsure about getting these here but they were quite good. Only one type though, so not much flavor variety but I happily ate them all.

Main-- Swordfish. AMAZING. I would come back just for this. The mashed potatoes were so creamy and the wine-type sauce around the plate was a wonderful complement to the dish.

Dessert-- So sort of berry/nectarine pastry. Good. Not the best dessert but fine. I like berry flavors so it was refreshing in that sense.

Wine-- The Bin 36 Flight. Awesome. One white, three reds. The first was the chardonnay. I never thought I liked chardonnay but this one was really good! The reds were smooth and robust.

Great waiter and experience overall. Without the bloomspot, no way I would have done that. A bit overpriced, in my opinion but 4 stars so how great the wine was and the powerhouse swordfish dish.

A salon with my name? Must be good.

Could not have been more pleased with my experience here. From the moment I walked in the door, I was treated with welcoming respect and warmth. Not pretentiousness, nothing but smiles and helpfulness.

Dani was awesome. Listened to my haphazardness thoughts of what I kind of was looking for and then totally rocked it out doing her thing. I was so (still am) happy with my color and cut and have received tons of compliments! Oh and not to be overlooked, the awe-inspiring 20 min shampoo-- only thing I was say, the water was a little too cold (which the guy shampooing me apologized for after the fact as the water was acting up).

It was truly a refreshing experience in all aspects and will definitely be back!

I have been trying to find sushi I really like in the Ravenswood neighborhood and finally I came across Fin.

Honestly, this place is way better than Tank, IMO, which is overpriced and not as friendly. Fin is warm and inviting with clean and fun interiors. They have all the classic types of rolls you would expected plus a whole backside of interesting and delicious specialty rolls-- I recommend the Snow Burn.

BYOB dine in or delivery, I will definitely be having again.

(as a sidebar, I accidentally posted this as a review for nano-- where I have never been, whoops... sake must have gotten to my head!)

Somehow, by stroke of luck and timing, I got to visit the Office.

If the Aviary is exclusive, then the Office is some super secret mobster stuff.

An unassuming door downstairs among the restrooms ushers you into a small cozy nook of a bar that packs one hell of a punch. Having visited the Aviary a few hours before (then taking a break for dinner at Publican) I found the office to be not all like its big sister up stairs. Fundamentally, both venues are about the cocktail-- the difference is upstairs is about flash, show, presentation whereas downstairs is about highlighting cocktail craftsmanship. The decor upstairs is slick, modern, loungey and downstairs is small, intimate, warm like a library-- much more the speakeasy you picture.

The Office delivers on every level-- wonderful, gimmick -free drinks, exclusive while still being inviting. The gin, honeydew etc etc is one of the best cocktails I've ever consumed, hands down. The $25 sundae with the wagon wheel of topping options is fun and playful for a group.

I only hope to make it back in the near future. Oh and don't forget to take the key from the monkey on your way to the bathroom.. don't want to be locked out of this one....

I've been to La Madia 3 times in the past 2 months and it has yet to disappoint. I have tried probably 6 or 7 of the pizzas on the menu and have really enjoyed all of them. You're asking me to pick a favorite? Hm, the goat cheese and pancetta is divine and of course you need to try the triple pepperoni. Also, don't skip the pizza fondu-- you can use the extra sauce to dip your crusts :-)

Very solid-- good vibe, helpful waitstaff, wonderful food.

The Cold highlights: Tuna Poke, Shrimp Bruschetta, Sunfish Ceviche (probably my fave-- bright flavors, so tasty!) Lobster Roll (I could have eaten 3 servings of this myself)

Oysters: I love oysters-- the best there in my opinion were the misty point and sunset beach. Also, ask for the house made hot sauce-- the green has good, flavorful heat.

Hot Highlights: Stuffed Squid was better than I expected.

I preferred the cold dishes much more to the hot ones. There was some crayfish dish that I would definitely skip and replace with the clam chowder, which I am kicking myself for not trying.

Also to note, good wine list, My table did bottles of this great greek white that our server recommended once we narrowed down our tastes. Speaking of tables, the one we were at was very wide and sat more than one party so it was a little weird but we managed.

Overall great experience and look forward to coming back,

OH, and don't you dare skip the cheesecake panna cotta.. I'm still dreaming about it.

I have discovered how much a taste of heaven cost and it's $4.12.

My seriously delicious #4 Lemongrass Pork sandwich cost a mere $4.12.

Get everything on it. The veggies are crunchy and fresh. The bread is INSANE... like a pillow holding the flavorful pork.

Damn it, I should have bought 2.

This is a poor girls dream.

I always pass this place up and thought it kind of looked like a hole in the wall. Then I stepped inside and discovered its glory...

First of all, this place is actually nice inside-- clean, not sketchy. The guys behind the counter are friendly.

I went with the fried shrimp and hushpuppies and waited with bated breath. This place was seriously snappy and 3 minutes later, I had my food.  I had a 10 minute walk home and I couldn't wait so I popped a hushpuppies.Oh it was fantastic and I proceeded to eat 2 more before I got home. However, I should have waited solely for the fact that they are 90% better with honey butter.

The shrimp were glorious-- plump and flavorful. I got a 1/4 of a pound an that was the perfect amount for me.

Can't wait to go back and try more!