Review: May St. Cafe, Chicago

Note: This also appears with my reviews over on Yelp

Overview:
May St Cafe was pleasantly unusual. It's dark, snug, lively, loud and idiosyncratically laid out. They serve worldly dishes with a uniquely local feel. It's urbane, yet unpretentious - haute cuisine, neighborhood style. The food is delicious and the presentation is excellent.

Highlights / Lowlights:

What was great

- Food. We tried some classic combinations (pork chop, black beans and rice) and some clever innovations (two types of quesadillas to start: mango & shrimp, and brie & pear - both really well done). The salmon entree was also very, very good.



- Seasonal touches. The kitchen demonstrated a bit of its range and imagination in the way they incorporated pumpkin into the menu on the night we visited. The pumpkin mashed potatoes were subtle, not sweet like you might expect - very nice. And the pumpkin flan was excellent, with good flavor and balance, not overpowering - really well done. It surprisingly overshadowed a very good 'warm lava cake', in my opinion.

- Service and attitude. Welcoming from the moment we approached the restaurant. Pulling a quick u-turn on Cermak after we passed the parking lot, we saw someone give us a friendly wave as he pointed us to an open spot. Later, when the Executive Chef, Mario Santiago, made the rounds of the dining room, we realized it was him whom we had seen in the parking lot. Somehow I don't picture Mario Batali doing that, but maybe I'm wrong. In addition to Chef Santiago, we also had good experience with our waitress, who was very on top of things.

- The kitchen. Kudos to those in the kitchen on this night - they turned around high quality food very quickly.




- Ambiance. Two things about the ambiance in particular are worth noting. First, the very interesting artwork on the walls that evinces a hand-crafted, personal kind of expression - a nice complement to the spirit of the restaurant. Then there is the lighting, which is very dark and intimate. The house lights are dimmed to nearly off, and you're left with a combination of the flickering votive on your table and the light of the street lamps diffused through the window treatments. I'm still kind of new to Sweetest Day as a holiday, but for a smoothly romantic setting on Sweetest Day, this was good.

What wasn't great

- Space and acoustics. The dining room is by no means large. Seats 50 people, tops, in one relatively small room. And on this night there was some party of 10 or 12 stretched across two perpendicular tables. Their presence unmistakably impacted the layout and the atmosphere, offsetting some of the positive ambiance points. But I am willing to chalk that up as a one-off. I'm guessing it isn't common for ~25% of their patrons to account for ~85% of the noise. We were fortunate enough to get a 4-top along the south wall of the restaurant, near the window onto Cermak. That felt like the best place to be in terms of space. Even there, though, we couldn't escape the drunken cackling of this large party's doyenne hostess, who seemed to believe she was entertaining in her own private salon, either completely oblivious or unconcerned about how her idiotic bleatings might detract from the enjoyment of her fellow diners. There was a tangible difference in the room's vibe once she finally left, but unfortunately her stay coincided with most of ours. At least we had dessert in peace.

Scorecard:

The 2 critical questions

- Would I eat here again? Definitely. Just wish it wasn't such a trek, as Edgewater to Pilsen isn't a casual jaunt.

- Did it seem like good value? Pretty good. Our bill for two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts was $86 before tip. It's byob, which is nice. It isn't inexpensive, but the quality merits the price.

Essentials

Food - Excellent

Service - Very good.

Amenities

Space - Nice, but small

Bathrooms - Pretty cool - I envied them their stone sink and counter tops.

Parking - Excellent. Couldn't be any easier.

Review: Whym, Manhattan

Image Source: JoonBlog New York

Note: This also appears with my reviews over on Yelp

Overview:
Maybe it was the company, maybe it was the context, but Whym felt "just right" when I ate there with some business colleagues in late September. It was sophisticated, yet not stuffy. Classy, but not fancy. Intimate, but not cramped. It has an approachable feel. Aspirational, yet familiar - and maybe the fact that it has sort of a Room & Board or West Elm kind of aesthetic has something to do with that. Over the course of the evening I felt more like I was at a dinner party hosted by a friend of a friend rather than at a restaurant.

Highlights / Lowlights:

What was great

- Service. Very good across the board. The hostess, the bartender, our server - everyone was friendly, competent and comfortable. I didn't get a sense that they would rather be somewhere else or that they would prefer we weren't there at all (I know this might seem like a low expectation, but in a world of indifferent service simply being present and friendly can be a nice experience). There also were no hints of dining-as-performance carried out by actors in training using your meal as an opportunity to polish their articulation and projection exercises. Just nice people, not putting on any airs, serving you some good food.

- Dessert. The Smoreswich had some ingoing hype as someone in our party had tried it before. Even with the advance billing, it delivered. Good stuff.

What wasn't great
- Nothing stands out as needing comment here - they had a good night.

Scorecard:

The 2 Critical Questions

- Would I eat here again? Gladly

- Did it seem like good value? Yes. Appetizers, dinner/wine and dessert for 5 people under $400 in Manhattan - pretty good indeed.

Essentials

Food - Good / very good. Entrees at our table included tuna, pork chops, short ribs and roasted duck breast and everyone was happy.

Service - Very good.

Amenities

Decor - Solid. Smooth and comforting. Stylish without feeling like it's trying too hard. Nothing deliberate, distracting or over the top. Just a nice setting for a good meal.

Random note:
The Hudson Hotel is nearby, which could come in handy for either pre-meal or post-meals drinks and people watching. Certainly a 'scene' kind of place, and pricey (~$15 for odd drinks with hip names), but if you're expensing your trip and need some visual stimulation, check it out.

Review: America's Dog, Chicago

Note: This also appears with my reviews over on Yelp.

Overview:
America's Dog was more than I expected, yet didn't seem to be trying to do too much. The menu struck me as a nice balance of focus and variety. Hot dogs are obviously the main event, but there are at least 17 different ways to order one (including a veggie dog). Beyond that you've got burgers, sausages, chicken sandwiches and 4 different salad (!) options.

The restaurant itself is clean, well-lit and features a full wall of photos depicting various American slice-of-life shots. The pictures serve as a nice thematic complement to the menu of wide ranging dog styles hailing from Atlanta to San Francisco with multiple stops in between.



Sure, it isn't the healthiest lunch option, but at least the portions are reasonably sized (talking about the regular hot dog here, not the jumbo). It won't be an everyday affair for me -- although it would be interesting to do a Morgan Spurlock-esque month through the America's Dog menu -- but this will be a nice change of pace when the Quizno's-Burrito Beach-Potbelly's troika seems a little old.

Highlights / Lowlights:

What was great:

- Variety. If you like hot dogs at all, you will have no problem finding something here for you. And even if you don't like hot dogs there's a good shot you'll find something you like.

- Atmosphere. Good colors, good layout - just feels like a good, comfortable place to grab a quick bite.

What wasn't great:

- To-go packaging insulation. I had about a 4 - 5 minute walk back to my desk once I had dog in hand, and by the time I dug in it had cooled just a bit, to the point where you notice but you'll still eat it. It was tasty, and I suppose I could have microwaved it to bring it back to hot. But maybe they could go with a foil-based wrapping technique rather than the kind of skimpy styrofoam dog sleeve they use (which might be more Earth-friendly too, no?).

Scorecard:

The 2 Critical Questions

- Would I eat here again? Yes. Not all the time, but occasionally, yes.

- Did it seem like good value? Yes, it's decent value. I suppose in some ways $2.86 for a regular hot dog might seem a little much. But when even the small sub at Quizno's is north of $5 and a large will set you back $9 or $10, $2.86 is a relative bargain.

Essentials

Food - Good. I got the Kansas City dog (melted swiss cheese with sauerkraut and yellow mustard)

Value - Good.

Amenities

Decor - Very good. Clean, welcoming.

Mini Review: Angel Food Bakery, Chicago

Image Source: faerybliss48

Note: This also appears with my reviews over on Yelp.

Overall Impression:
Angel Food Bakery is pleasant enough, I suppose. My wife somewhat liked it (but honestly, she is not the toughest critic in the world). To me, however, the atmosphere felt a bit contrived, like they were knowingly trying to be quirky-quaint in the annoying "Ace of Cakes" kind of way.

We tried them for lunch one Saturday afternoon. Our lunch orders had highs and lows for an overall average kind of feel. But the desserts were very good.

Highlights / Lowlights:

What was great

- Reading materials. Having the Reader and The Onion on hand was much appreciated.

- Soda options. Despite their old-timey label I don't think Stewart's is really a mom-and-pop soda company (at least not anymore), but it was nice to have some flavor options other than cola, lemon-line and diet cola. Beware the ginger soda, though. Tasty, yet not refreshing.

- Mac and cheese. This was the one lunch item that would be worth ordering again.

- Desserts. We tried a couple there and took a few more home with us. Definitely liked some better than others, but that's a matter of personal taste more than quality. All were good. At $3 - $4 per item they aren't cheap, but for made-from-scratch stuff of this caliber, it's fair.

What wasn't so great

- Music. Their soundtrack was an assortment of less popular 50s music. No one could like this stuff. It felt very deliberate. Like, look at us; we have eclectic musical tastes.

- Decor. Walls were empty except for a shelf of deliberately selected oddball knickknacks. The shelf was probably at the 11-foot mark on a 12-foot ceiling, leaving the rest of the wall conspicuously bare. Would be a good place to display local artwork (maybe they do and we were just there during in the midst of a switch?).

- Food. A nit, perhaps, but the cabbage side dish served with my wife's chicken sandwich seeped all under the bun, leaving it soaked and purple. Probably should be served in its own little dish or something to prevent that.

Scorecard:

The 2 critical questions:

Would I eat there again? Yes, but only for dessert.

Did it seem like good value? Yes, but again, really just for the dessert.

Essentials:

- Food: Good / okay. Mac and cheese was solid, shoestring fries got mixed reviews. Desserts were damn good.

- Service. Good, pleasant.

Amenities:

- Music: Horrible

- Reading materials: Excellent.

Review: La Taqueria, San Jose, CA

Note: This also appears in my reviews over on Yelp.

Overview:
La Taqueria felt like a family run place that takes pride in what they do, has a strong point of view on how to serve food and a staff that knows how to execute the vision. [Yes, I know I'm talking about a taqueria here, but good business is good business, whether you're serving burritos or running a country club.] I was glad to find this place as I wandered around downtown San Jose during a conference break.



Highlights / Lowlights:

What was great

- Food. The chorizo burrito was delicious, with the salsa verde available on the table providing some good flavor and kick when needed.

- Drink. Pineapple juice on the menu - nice. If you're a connoisseur of fresh Central / South American pineapple juice this won't quite match that caliber, but still it was refreshing and a great surprise to see it on the menu.

- Atmosphere & Attitude. Seemed like a no-nonsense lunch place for nearby office folks, but it was neither hurried nor frenzied. The staff were pros at turning around orders. Quick, yet applying some nice small touches. For example, the burrito itself was wrapped tightly and appropriately sized, unlike some of the loosely rolled, rice-filled Nerf football-esque monsters that collapse in your hands upon first bite. Plus, there was a hard to describe foil wrapping panache in the presentation of my burrito. Not a huge thing, but made me feel like my burrito was in good hands and well cared for before getting onto my tray. Not just a big ol' man-handled lump of beans in a tortilla.

- Music. The jukebox was playing some authentic Mexican music, as it was actually being used during a lunch rush on a Thursday. Not something I see during my semi-regular Quizno's runs back in Chicago.



What wasn't so great

- Grease factor. My burrito was a little greasy, but even that was manageable.

- Price. Maybe a little steep for a burrito @ $5.75, but I'm nitpicking here - I really liked this place.

Scorecard:

2 Critical Questions
- Would I eat here again? Yes, no question.
- Was it good value? I thought so.

Essentials
Food - very good
Drink - very good
Price - Fair
Cleanliness - Good; tables were clean and during my 15 minute stay someone did multiple laps of the dining room tidying up.

Amenities
Jukebox - Great; felt authentic - could easily have been in Mexico City
Bathrooms - Quite decent