Cafe Spiaggia Gets a Face Lift

Posted by Bridget at 8:18 am

Jul 292010

This gelato makes the world a better place.

Cafe Spiaggia recently got a face lift, and we mixed and mingled in the new space Tuesday night, sampling from the menu and sipping truly spectacular sparkling wines. Chef Tony Mantuano served up focaccia, kale chips, rainbow trout, sardines and a variety wood-fired thin crust pizzas. As we nibbled, we got to watch pasta making in progress.

Chef Tony Mantuano hangs out by the bar.

All of the food we tried was tasty, but the sardines were our hands down favorite until we discovered the gelato cart. From that point on, we feasted on chocolate and vanilla gelato along with passion fruit and berry sorbet all of which was delectable.

The sardine was our favorite birdie bite.

Toward the end of the evening a pipe burst in the ceiling near the door of the cafe. Yikes! Here’s hoping that the appearance of this unexpected water feature didn’t do any permanent damage to the kitchen and decor because cafe Spiaggia is well worth seeking out when you’re on the mag mile. You’ll get a taste of Spiaggia goodness for a fraction of the price, and that alone is worth the stop. Not to mention that the cafe space has a nice feel to it… an oasis tucked away from the shopping madness.

Pasta in progress.

If you’re in the mood to go high end, check out our review of Spiaggia.

Cafe Spiaggia
980 North Michigan Avenue
Second Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(312) 280-2750

Serving up the goods.

This was a media event and we dined free-of-charge.

Oasis Cafe for Soup

Posted by Tammy at 11:00 am

Jun 112009

Soup? Did someone say soup weather?

I stopped into Oasis Cafe yesterday for some lentil soup to help chase away the June chill. Oasis Cafe, if you don’t know it, is in the back of the half-deserted Jeweler’s Mall on Wabash. You won’t find any tourists here, just the usual mix of office workers, interns, and IT guys grabbing a bit of lunch between meetings.

You’ll need to get to Oasis Cafe early if you want a seat — it’s the busiest place in Jeweler’s Mall, but don’t be afraid to share a table with a total stranger. Yesterday I sat with a couple of guys who had seen all the trashy summer movies I wouldn’t pay to go to. I felt caught up by the end of my meal. Win-win.

The lentil soup at Oasis is really good. At other places, I’ve found lentil soup to be too watery or even too chunky, but not here. Here, the soup was smoothly blended with excellent mouth feel. It had a nice, even consistency with only a smidgen of carrot to break its toasty color. As far as flavor, it’s not too salty and has just enough pepper to give it bite and add interest. There are no garnishes or toppings on their soup. It stands as is. For $2.75 with tax, Oasis gives you about a cup and a half and a warm, chewy pita to dip into it. It’s served hot, but not too hot to eat — no unnecessary blowing is required to cool down your lunch.

Oasis Cafe serves other Mediterranean cuisine — falafel, hummus, and couscous, but hold off on the rest of the menu until the weather improves. Soup is just the thing to chase away the cold.

Yes, there's food in there! Wind your way through the jewelry vendors to get to the cafe at the rear.

Oasis Cafe
12 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60602

Devon Seafood Media Dinner

Posted by Bridget at 10:30 pm

Aug 042008

We joined 15 others for a media dinner.

Tammy and I joined a group of roughly 15 bloggers and foodies last week for an eight-course media dinner at Devon.

We’ve frequented the restaurant since our initial review (even though I was horrified to discover we mispronounced its name on our show. It’s said “Devin” like the name, not “Devon” like the street). The fish is consistently good, the biscuits are so tasty that I sometimes wonder if they’re laced with some kind of addictive substance, and the carrot cake is awesome.

That’s why we were thrilled to be invited back in a “professional” capacity to have the chef’s picks paraded before us. It’s fun to get the chance to try more of the menu and to meet new people.

It’s also good to take a second look at the places we’ve reviewed. It can be difficult to get an accurate feel for a restaurant in one sitting. And the more we eat out, the more discerning our palates become. Restaurants that got high praise from us when we started Chicago Bites two years ago, for example, might be subject to more tempered reviews now. We still enjoy old favorites, but these days we both have more specific preferences. So in addition to venturing out in new directions, we’ve also been revisiting the places we’ve reviewed — within the limits of our time and budget — to see whose still got game.

Devon’s still got it!

Here are some tantalizing tidbits that I took away from the evening:

Seafood is Devon’s thing. Skip the meat. My meat was overcooked, and there are much better places for steak in the city.
The wine list is good and the pairings we had with our food were excellent. Ask your waiter for recommendations. They’ve never steered me wrong.
I was gratified that most of what the chef selected for this tasting I’d selected from the menu myself on previous visits by asking for the specialty of the house.
Devon is a chain restaurant, which is unfortunate. Still, the seafood is fresh and the dishes are solid. Want to test the chef’s creativity? Order off menu.
The dining space at Devon is spacious and pleasant. We dined in the tasting room, which is a great place for private parties of 15 to 20. I’ve also sat in one of the semi-private alcoves that the restaurant offers groups. These areas are very comfortable and lend themselves to leisurely meals and conversation.
There is too much going on with the tuna tartar starter. Best to stick with the simpler dishes.
Skip the chocolate lava cake. It sounds good but nothing trumps the carrot cake!