Quick Review: Ñ (Chicago)

Got here early (~7pm on a Saturday) for some food and beer before a party. Quilmes bottles. Nice.



Had the place to ourselves.



Quiet. Good light. Liked the exposed brick walls.



Great empanadas ...



... and chorizo chunks you grab w/ toothpicks. Also nice.



Later for more drinks and music. Cool crowd having a good time w/o losing their sh*t. Very nice.

Quick Review: Il Villagio (Boston)

Il Villagio was exactly what we were looking for.

Strolling with my wife around the North End one 90 degree night in late June our wish list was this:

* A/C
* Good food
* Not crowded
* Not some cavernous money minting operation
* Not too far away from the main action and energy of the neighborhood

I'm pretty sure we walked past every restaurant in the neighborhood as I searched for the exact atmosphere I was in the mood for. But Il Villagio nailed it.



Pleasant service, low key atmosphere, eating with only a handful of other tables, really good food. The wife loved her shrimp & scallops linguine and I enjoyed the risotto with prosciutto paired with a couple glasses of the house red. Solid meal.