Dane K.'s Profile

This place is awesome.  The drink menu and food menu are both fairly short, not overly extensive, but what they do they seem to do very well.  The menu is perfect for going out for a few drinks and some nosh, or eating to your heart's content. You could make this a $25 meal out, or a $100/person meal out depending on your whim. The atmosphere fits perfectly with the could-be-casual-night-out or could-be-fancy-dinner as well.

I went with the sazarac to start, it's fairly traditionally made with a lot of attention to detail and delicious.

I like that they have glasses of house wine for the low low price of $3, perfect for me to switch to on my 3rd or 4th round. I tried the house red and it was drinkable.

The chicken mousse and foie gras pate are both served in a similar fashion... I wouldn't necessarily order both like we did, maybe try the foie and then something entirely different. Both were excellent though.  Also had the French onion fondue... not to be confused with soup! It's excellent and you'll want to lick the bowl. Fries are good.

I thought they could do no wrong until on my most recent visit I ordered the cassoulet... I'm a huge cassoulet fan and their version was probably the worst I've ever had. Ever. Duck and/or duck confit was promised, but I think they left it out, there was very meat of any sort to be had. A few bits of sausage but nothing else.It was nowhere to be found. It was like getting a cast iron skillet of beans with some over-thought bready crunch. Almost more surprising than the lack of meatiness in it was definitely didn't seem like any "slow" food was in progress, it seemed like it was a few ingredients tossed into a salamander and thrown together ad hoc. Even holding it to an amateur expectation of cassoulet, it would've been considered bad. It just didn't work, there was no flavor there at all. I would've sent it back if I wasn't with out of town company. The peasants would probably find it pretty offensive.

The creme brulee is one of the best I've had.

The place can get very busy, expect a wait of an hour on your average night as a walk in without a reservation. I think last time we went it was almost a 2 hour wait, we went to La Sardine to kill time at the bar on the wait.  Street parking can be difficult on weekends, but the side street going towards Lake St has non-metered spaces.

it's annoying to have to wait past your appointment time after you show up... it happens every time.  and i wouldn't say "every time" if macs too didn't frequently have problems.

it's even more annoying that they "check you in" on an ipad and you have to find just the right person in the store to do it when you walk in, there is no desk to just go to.

it's even more annoying when that designated person whose job it is to "check you in" says "oh, my ipad just died, I have to go to the basement to get a different one" ... You work for the Apple store and you can't keep an iPad charged enough to not break down in front of customers?  That's pretty sad.

A welcome addition to the neighborhood, but way, way overhyped.

Their quality of product is just not that high. I would say it's the same as Jewel/Dominicks in terms of quality of product offerings, and everything beyond that is hype.

Their meat department selection is atrocious.  If you're looking for non-mass-market-factory-farm food, go elsewhere. If you're wanting free range, organic, grass fed, or anything with similar adjectives that alude that the food might be something more special than your average factory farm meat, you'll probably be pretty unimpressed. I was pretty disappointed in fact, given all the hype Mariano's has gotten about how they're going to be higher quality. They aren't.

Had a "lobster bisque" that was full of obviously fake lobster meat... I don't know what anyone would expect for $3 for a cup of soup, but they could at least be up front about what it really is and not lie.

They sell no toilet paper made from recycled paper... do people realize what an environmental disaster that is? (it's been studied: it's worse than driving a Hummer as your primary vehicle)

Their bakery ingredients are pretty average supermarket. I was pretty unimpressed when I saw the ingredients on their cake label.  Please people, stop comparing this establishment to Whole Foods, they would never serve up such crap.

Their standard baguette is not a baguette at all, it's a spongy bread that's about twice the width it should be. They do have a sourdough baguette that is more like a true baguette, but that's sourdough.

Had a sandwich there once... it was OK. Not remarkable though.

I can see the value of having Mariano's around if you happen to live in the New East Side, but I was hoping this could be my during-lunch or after-work shopping trip, but it's not worth going here too frequently to me.

Their wine selection is decent enough for a grocery store, and their beer selection is extensive and inexpensive, perhaps the most redeeming quality of their whole downstairs floor.

They definitely seem to be aiming for "quantity" over "quality" though with most, unfortunately.

I can't believe anyone would ever suggest going out of their way to go to this place as if their burgers are anything special. They aren't.  Mine was as boring as any second rate bar burger.. but aside of that, the burgers are FROZEN meat, and certainly not grass fed. Sure, it was fresh before it was frozen. (And from what the menu reads, shipped cross country from their franchise headquarters).  You could go into two dozen bars in this city and get meat that's of equal or higher quality, and the burgers would probably taste better too. (And if you do think they're something special, tell me what farm the beef is from and it's address)

Aside of the inferior quality of their beef, I was surprised to see a "burger bar" that offered no bison (/buffalo) meat as an option.

And last, but certainly not least, I'm ANGRY that they did an outright BAIT AND SWITCH on the drink I ordered.  The menu advertises Flor de Cana rum (which happens to be close to my #1 rum... I have and would go out of my way to go to a bar with it). It's not even that expensive, but it's good stuff.   I was sitting at the bar so I watched as she poured CHEAP PLASTIC BOTTLE RUM into my drink instead of the advertised Flor de Cana.  That likely explains the lack of having an actual bottle of Flor de Cana on display with the other bottles on the bar.

If they're taking such desperate shortcuts right in front of my very eyes, what are they lying about in the back of the house?

The "special" burger of the day was chicken with different sauces on it... they already have chicken, and frankly it's the last thing I'd consider ordering at a burger bar.

The burger was devoid of any flavor.  The fries were first forgotten, then totally cold and limp.

Service from the bartender was very indifferent...

For what you get (a $11-13 corn-fed burger with no side), I would consider it to be overpriced as well.
Way better burgers in this city.

The elevator to my apartment has a double sided key that we took to about 8 different actual "locksmiths" most of which were unable to even attempt to copy because it's double sided, and the one that did produced unusable keys... Security Shop whipped up these keys in no time.  And the keys work.

Prices seemed very reasonable.

Friendly guys working...  Very busy place, several people working and several people getting keys on an otherwise quiet weekday morning when I went.  They have one of the most extensive lock stores in the city that I've seen, too.

Clam chowder soup from a can. It includes MSG and a number of unnatural ingredients.  It tastes fine, but I can get the same pre-made clam chowder just about anywhere so I wouldn't call it anything other than what it is or go out of my way to have it.

I got it in a bread bowl and found it to be acceptably OK, but maybe not fresh made "today" and overall the bread bowl was too much ..

I left wondering if the soup shop two windows down had fresher/real clam chowder.They claim fresh made, and their menu had a number of sustainable/organic options, so by that alone I'd give them the merit badge. Or is it the same? Anyone, anyone?  Next time I'll try theirs instead, it was the same price.

I can't imagine anywhere having a more extensive beer selection.  The beer list is a clipboard of what seems like dozens of pages of beer selections, organized by type. There are probably genres there you've never even heard of.

Jessie the bartender was friendly and knowledgeable.  Just ask him for a recommendation or three.  He suggested some of the most unique beers I've ever tried.

Patrons were friendly. Sat at the bar and ate... I had the mussels, they were good too.  Complete strangers were very social.

They also have cocktails.

Don't go here if you're expecting white table clothes... I don't think a date would be offended but it's decidedly rustic inside.

You couldn't pay me to go here. Literally. You cannot. My work offered me a free 100% paid membership here and I turned it down.  I went here on trial and that was enough.

The reviews here are all true... they had no towels clean in the locker room, none on the floor.  You have to trek about 4 flights of stairs each way to get to/from the locker room.  That's a 15 minute return trip just to go to the front desk and ask for the only clean towel left in the place.

The men's locker room has the attributes to be nice, but they don't clean it. Further more, they have a basketball facility that seems to attract a more urban, less caring customer. Lockers aren't for shoes and socks, no that's what the benches are for.  That dry sauna is the perfect place to dry your sweaty basketball shorts while you shower (seriously, that happened.). I was surprised to learn there is no steam room. *Be aware when you're reading the reviews here that the experience of a female is probably widely different than that of a male, since I don't think there are too many "urban" female basketball players dirtying their locker room.

I attempted to use the men's locker room urinal but there was no availability so I waited until out on the floor... I used the upstairs men's restroom instead. That sealed the deal. The bathroom is dirtier than any college dorm I've ever seen, piles of pubic hair sitting on top around the handle that had obviously been there for some time. There was stuff other than liquid in the urinal, including a swarm of what I thought could be maggots, but could just be some other annoying bug that was trying to bite me while using the facility.

Sales staff are pushier than any other gym I've been to. They knew outright that it was a corporate account so there was no need for a hard sell, I was either getting it through my work account at a pre-negotiated price or not... Yet they still gave me the hard sell and even followed up with naggy calls.

The facilities themselves are all very nice on paper... They have a lot of cardio machine variety (though the one thing I use is the Precor AMT, which they don't have and had never heard of when I asked).  Some of the weight machines had a funky smell to them. Probably because they don't have sanitary wipes to encourage patrons to wipe them down between uses, like most gyms have (If they had these, they weren't abundantly available).

Unfortunately it seems this is a really nice facility that's not kept up with and much of that probably relates to staffing issues.

There's an old saying I've heard some non-gym-goers throw around, something to the effect of "every minute spent in a gym is a minute of your life you won't get back" ... Never in any gym is this more true.

The menu is very similar to XOCO. The problem is the menu is very similar to XOCO, but you're in an airport. EVERY SINGLE ITEM on the menu has either beans in it, jalapenos, green chile, or other spicy items. Think about it Rick, do you really think people should be loading up on spicy food and beans before hopping onto an airplane?  I know you're all off in your executive business suite farting away, but I'm not always unfortunately. Sure keep the classics, but how hard is it to come up with a flavorful torta that uses your main proteins but doesn't need beans, jalapeno peppers, or other spicy items? Tortas Frontera would totally be 5 stars--especially as compared to its competitors in ORD--if it weren't for this issue, which to me borders on a deal-killer.

I realize the quality is probably higher than nearly anything else available in that concourse, so I was determined to find something suitable for "about to get on a plane" Dane.  I studied the menu for a good 15 minutes in total, leaving in the middle and coming back, literally trying to find the best option... I somehow decided that tortilla soup with chipotle chicken added was the best option.  The chicken add on was a ripoff, they put three tiny pieces of diced chicken in it.  There were maybe 8 strips of tortillas in it too. I don't know what Rick's recipe calls for, but at the Messy's location they put a generous handful in.  The broth itself was flavorful and good, but there was a thick layer of grease throughout.

On another visit I had the bacon and cheese open face torta (Molletes).. it's an warm sandwich with a black bean sauce, a spicy chipotle sauce, awesome bacon, and two varieties of mexican cheese. Great stuff.

A tip on foursquare says to just go sit at the bar and you can order your food there, without waiting in the line...  I assume this to be true as I saw a few people doing this.  If you're sitting down anyway, may as well do that! There's very limited seating though...

The pricing is the same as at XOCO, which for the airport feels like a deal... Would you rather pay $10 for a sandwich here, or a sandwich from the kiosk? The answer is very simple. Though I get the idea that the ingredients at XOCO are higher end, and here a mix of Sysco meets farm; I imagine the logistics of serving food in an airport have a lot to do with it.  I know they have a cute sign exclaiming where the food comes from, but I'd be doubtful that everything on that sign board is actually what's in the food. (A friend who worked at his downtown location actually told me to be doubtful of the ingredients there ...)

My favorite thing about this place is the awesome painting that's on the wall... It's like a Rick Bayless acid trip, he's floating in the air of a Chicago themed whirlwind.

They have a full bar; I didn't try a margarita, but wish I had. If it's anything as good as Frontera/Topolobampo, it'll be the best margarita you'll ever have.

There's now a second location in addition to this location at Concourse B there's one in terminal 3, gate K3.

I'll go back, but the lack of airport-friendly food will certainly weigh in on how often. Think of this as your "Top Chef" challenge, come up with airport friendly food.

Twelve is a nice and modern property, but the service is lacking. I'm fairly convinced that the staff at the desk was constantly on a party line to their friends, every time I walked in/out they were on the phone and if I approached would hear them whisper "hold on a second'

The biggest problem I had is their Internet just didn't work well or at all. In 2011, this is as big of a problem as if the toilet didn't flush. The wireless signal in my room was extremely weak to the point where I tried it on four devices and it only even saw the network on one of those 4. I asked to be moved to a room with better Internet, but at no point did they seem organized enough to just move me into another room at that time. The one time where it seemed I had a chance it was still not certain so I needed to check back. The other 2 days I was told they were completely booked and there were no other rooms available. The problem with this is 20 minutes later there were people checking in, presumably getting a room somewhere in the hotel. This means there were unoccupied rooms at the time I asked, and their failure to move me was a lack of ability to turn-around rooms because they're understaffed.

On the one computer where I did get a decent enough signal for it to work, it worked fine for 2 nights but on the third night kept disconnecting and/or was just entirely too slow to even use (think 1998 dial-up slow). I called to the desk to ask, she said it was because they were so full that everyone was using it. Well, you're in the service business so maybe it's time to upgrade instead of thinking this is normal. It's not normal.

I was on 15(1508) and the engineer said their wireless access points are "in the center" of the hotel floors, 8-10 etc. This is absurd if true, that's totally inadequate for such a large property.

They do have an actual wired Internet port, but only at the desk, not in the bedroom area. I asked for an Ethernet cord, and they gave me a laughable 3' cord that would leave me tethered to their nasty chair at the Internet terminal. I've stayed at enough hotels and seen enough "stains" to know not to sit at the desk chair, especially in a hotel where they have an in-room Internet terminal at said chair. Don't advertise you have wireless Internet if it's not really that functional.

How can you run a hotel that's 100% occupied and not have a single housekeeping person on staff that comes in at any point between 4 PM and the next day at 7:30 AM?  What if one of those gazillion people supposedly checking in has an issue? You just tell them to fuck off until the next day, like you did to me? You've failed.

The room stank of B.O.- when you walked in (or maybe wax or a cleaning product), primarily by the kitchen.  I'm not sure what it was but it didn't go away for the duration of my stay.

There were 3 clocks in the room, and all 3 had different times. One was an hour fast, one an hour slow, and one was about 7 hours off. Lazy.

There are two TVs in the room. One I could not get to work, it just sits on the home screen like a frozen computer (and you can't even power it off). The other TV in the bedroom was extremely slow and almost unresponsive, you had to keep hitting the same button for anything to work. Very annoying.

I arrived at 8:30pm Sunday and was told their restaurant Room was slow and there probably not open for anything other than drinks? Despite that their posted hours say until 11. I guess the W's restaurant was probably still open at 8:30PM, should've gone there.

This hotel is part of the Preferred Hotel Groups association, but they offer no miles or points so it's completely irrelevant. This hotel seems to attract a lot of foreigners who probably don't care about loyalty programs with the other American hotel chains.

The non-frozen-TV reverted to the ad-infused home screen which oddly kept advertising adult movies. I've stayed in hundreds of hotels but never rented an adult movie, but "a variety to suit all tastes" was promised, which I would assume would mean gay titles, but alas no it did not. It was just Cum Sluts 12 and so on. Tacky.

The hotel name references Centennial Park, but don't expect to actually see a park. It's not near. The side where the park is has been built up so if there ever were a view, the "W" hotel blocks it. This hotel is sandwiched between a major highway and on the other side the same major highway's exit ramps. And it can be somewhat loud if you're not used to city noise. I'm from Chicago and live equally as close to a highway but this was by far twice as loud. Windows lack soundproofing. It's loud outside and there's nothing too much to look at but a concrete jungle of somewhat ugly concrete buildings.

And I'm fairly sure this is the first hotel I've stayed at with a balcony where they didn't provide a chair to sit on. Did they not intend the balcony to be used? Makes it seem even more like an abandoned condo project gone hotel.