Henri Opens Its Doors

Posted by Bridget at 7:29 am

Aug 232010

Torchon of foie gras.

Henri, the elegant sister restaurant to The Gage officially opened Saturday, but we sampled the menu in advance last week, as owner Billy Lawless and Chef Dirk Flanigan took their new restaurant concept out for a test drive.

Owner Billy Lawless pulls out a chair for you.

Henri is located across the street from Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue right next door to The Gage, one of our favorite gastro pubs. I’ve been excited to see what Henri will bring to the Chicago dining scene to complement and expand upon the menu I already enjoy at The Gage, and I must admit that I wasn’t above curiously pressing my nose to the glass during construction to peek behind the sheers hanging in the window.

Dover sole meuniere.

Peel them back now, and you’ll find a chic dining space decorated in comfortable sage tones and over-sized upholstered chairs pulled up to tastefully set tables — ultimately creating a place that is fancy yet approachable and a menu that is reasonably priced for what you get (entrees range from $15 to $38).

The menu has Flanigan’s distinctive stamp and features a variety of meats that run the gamut — from duck and rabbit to chicken and steak — and all are prepared with French American influences. The Thursday special, rabbit from the oven served with house bacon, English peas, baby carrots and a natural reduction as well as the dover sole meuniere both deserve a shout out. It’s dishes like that that make us look forward to watching Flanigan continue to flex his culinary muscle.

Garlic soup with braised short rib.

We will find our way back to Henri for a complete review once they’ve settled in, and until then we raise a glass in honor of a successful opening. Now, get over there, check it out, and let us know what you think.

Henri
18 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603
312-578-0763

We dined at Henri free-of-charge during a private tasting.

Also check out our review of The Gage.

Neopolitan dessert.

Pazzo's - Midweek Food P0rn

Posted by Tammy at 8:00 am

Jul 212010

The caprese pasta is loaded with fresh mozarella, tomatos and basil.

Want a nice sit-down meal in the Loop for a lunch date or business meeting? Try Pazzo’s. Even though it’s located on the lower level of the 311 South Wacker building, the open atrium is bright, airy and not as loud as these spaces tend to be. There’s a nice pasta and sandwich selection at Pazzo’s as well as daily specials. Service is fast, the food is good, and the price is reasonable. Expect to pay about $15 a person.

Pazzo's atrium provides a respite from the bustle of the Loop.

Pazzo’s @ 311
311 South Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 913-1600

First Look at State and Lake

Posted by Bridget at 11:02 pm

Jun 112010

The steak tasted as good as it looks.

State and Lake, the casual restaurant in the Wit Hotel, has a cool comfortable vibe and excels in meat dishes to please even the most discerning carnivore.

The contemporary American menu has some good sea food options on it as well including trout from Rushing Waters, one of our favorite farms in Wisconsin, and calamari steak. But neither were as good as the pork, burger, or steak our group tried. There’s also a series of affordable beer flights on the drink menu — an excellent complement to the meat you should try!

The truffle macaroni and cheese is worth an order (or two in my opinion) because truffle is the central flavor in the rich creamy dish — a far cry from Kraft.

The rhubarb tart was the best dessert we tried.

For dessert we tried the bananna split, the chocolate cake, and the strawberry rubarb tart. The tart, served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream, was the best sweet on the table hands down.

At first look, State and Lake is a solid choice to grab a bite in the Loop, but the dishes aren’t very creative.