Chicago, Illinois--Ras Dashen

Ras Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant (Comfort Food from the Mountains of Ethiopia!)

5846 N. Broadway

Chicago, IL 60660

773.506.9601

http://www.rasdashenchicago.com/

Why Ras Dashen?  An enjoyable, delicious way to try Ethiopian food--or to try it again and again.

 

 We'd wanted to try Ethiopian food once again--after a reasonably good experience in Phoenix--and especially at one of the many well-known places in Chicago.

So...when a recent, special occasion made room in the schedule (interestingly enough), we came here  for a family dinner to celebrate a significant birthday and anniversary.

I've heard several people complain that they don't like Ethiopian food because they don't like the injera, the very spongy bread that serves as the vehicle for the delicious foods set atop it.  I'm reasonably certain that the restaurant will provide you with a fork, if you so desire, as the toppings are not to be missed.

As you might assume, then, the five of us enjoyed the food tremendously, ordering two appetizers (one would have been enough, given that we had a large meal afterward) and five entrees, which we shared on the injara.

The food was delicious, and it's possible, I think, to order only four entrees for five people. But everything is very, very good, and it's one of those instances where more does, indeed, seem better than less!

We had the chicken and egg (national dish of Ethiopia), lamb, beef, lentils, split peas, beets, red cabbage--all delicious. The service was un-rushed, very nice and helpful--and mostly attentive.

We had bread pudding for dessert (one to snack on for the five of us), and it was a tasty finish to an eclectic, tasty meal.  (I suppose one could argue that it was a set of meals, given the mix of vegetarian and meat entrees that we shared.)

The restaurant can be somewhat pricey, as things do add up; but rest assured that this is a completely worthwhile dining experience, whether for couples or a family of every age group.  During our visit, the restaurant comfortably welcomed an impressive variety of customers ranging from neighborhood, Uptown hipsters to seniors to families to everyone in between.

Chicago, Illinois--The Gage Restaurant

THE GAGE

 24 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603

http://www.thegagechicago.com/

Why The Gage? A Reliable, Good, Chicago-Style Restaurant--Great for a Conversation (If You Can Hear One Another)

 

We've been to The Gage several times, and recently I chose it to have lunch with a friend who I hadn't seen in a long time. The menu is very good, with numerous choices to please a range of diners--from light, salad-style fare to burgers to fish.

Interestingly, it's a good, upscale-seeming place to have a private conversation, but for reasons you might not expect: It's very, very noisy! So, as long as you can hear your companion(s), your conversation will stay between you.  And, as you can imagine, this can be quite a conversational advantage if your goal is to keep things, well, "quiet."

My friend had the burger, which she said was delicious (with the "upgrade" ingredients!); I had the hangar steak salad, which also was terrific and perfectly prepared. The service is friendly, the vibe is hectic, the prices aren't unreasonable given the location (although some might find it a bit pricey, I suspect), but it's a good, very Chicago place to eat.

My husband swears by the Scotch Egg--a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, breaded, and deep-fried!  Not exactly weight-watchers, but apparently a very delicious, traditional form of bar food.

Cost? Whether this qualifies as a $$ or $$$ place depends, as is often the case, on what your order, but the range of prices makes it a bit easier to watch the bill than at other places.

New York City, NY--Giorgio's of Gramercy

GIORGIO'S OF GRAMERCY

 

27 E 21st St, New York City, NY 10010

 http://www.giorgiosofgramercy.com/

Why Giorgio's?   ..For Its Amazingly Caring Staff and--oh, yes--Very Good Food

I'm not usually one for whom the personal back story has much of an effect on whether we like a place or not.

The view from the Battery--not from Giorgio's!

But, I confess, the extraordinary attention from the staff at Giorgio's enhanced what was we would discover was a very good dining experience as well.

Our experience at Giorgio's started out with a bit of drama: we were meeting friends for dinner, and when we arrived, we learned that one of them had left her purse at a cafe in Brooklyn! The staff members were trying to be very helpful, even attempting to find the name of the cafe so that my friend's husband could call to see if the purse had been found. He then just decided to go back to Brooklyn--insisting that the rest of us should be seated and eat--and believe it or not, came back about an hour later with the purse! (The owner of the small cafe in Brooklyn had found it and held on to it.)

I regale you with this narrative because all of the restaurant staff had demonstrated incredible concern; various staff members came to our table now and then, telling us how pleased they were that the purse had been found! (Frankly, we were equally astonished that the purse made it back from Brooklyn.)

And (wouldn't want to forget to mention this part, of course) the food was quite nice, too--my friend ordered a strip steak (which she then shared with her husband when he returned triumphantly from Kings County) and extraordinarily crispy and tasty fries; my husband and I each ordered scallops (good, nicely seasoned, very filling) and a side of roasted Brussels sprouts; and the four of us shared Tres Leches cake--as good as the cake we'd had in Puerto Rico--and Baked Alaska.

Even with the drama of the evening, and perhaps because of it, we were able to focus on the graciousness and attention of the people who served us and to notice that the food was, well, pretty darned good, too.

New York City, NY--The Harrison

 

THE HARRISON

  355 Greenwich St, New York City, NY 10013-2844

 

http://www.theharrison.com/harrison.php

 

Why The Harrison? What we found: Well-Prepared Food in an Unfussy, but Elegant Atmosphere

You know the situation:  after a long meeting, the people hosting it generously take a dozen or so people out to dinner.  Is there any hope for conversation?   Will all of the food arrive in a timely fashion?  Will the quality be consistent?  (Yes, I say, to all.)

Given the organized chaos of our group, I followed along with my ten colleagues to The Harrison for this business-related dinner, complete with intense and quickly-paced conversation.  We'd spent the day debating various academic and publication-related issues, and we were ready for good food--and a break, if not a break from more conversation. 

The Harrison was not as I had envisioned it. For some reason, I'd expected a dark, rather clubby place.  Instead, we found French-style bistro chairs outside (alas, too cold and rainy to dine out there), and a brasserie-style dining experience inside. 

Despite the long table, we managed conversation across-boundaries (so to speak), comparing menu choices, talking about politics and events at our respective campuses, occasionally exchanging the bite of something delicious from our plates. The service was attentive and excellent; everyone seemed to enjoy his or her meal.

The food: I had the pan-sauteed cod with quinoa (lovely!), starting with the very fresh and delicious melon salad. I then convinced one of my companions to share the ice-cream sandwich--just wonderful and surprisingly light as a finish to the meal. One of my colleagues had what she described as a marvelous dish of carefully-prepared lamb; each of the main fish dishes received positive reviews from our genial and occasionally finicky bunch.

In all, everything was quite good and well- and carefully-prepared. This is a pleasant and very lively (and occasionally noisy, but conversationally managable) place. I likely will return with JB, my spouse (he of the affection for the Scotch Egg at other dining venues), when we're next in New York City.

New York City, NY--Lattanzi

LATTANZI RISTORANTE

361 W 46th St, New York City, NY 10036

212-315-0980

 

 http://lattanzinyc.com/

Why Lattanzi?  Delicious Food--a Fine Choice Before or After the Theatre...

I'm a native New Yorker, but it's been a long time since I've lived in the city; when I have the chance to visit, I confess that I've begun to feel something in between native and tourist.  Things change, right?

So, as soon as we scored tickets to see Book of Mormon at the O'Neill Theatre on a Friday evening, the first thing that came into my mind was tourist-like uncertainty as to where it would be best to eat before the performance (which, by the way, was just as good as it's cracked up to be).

After a good deal of checking around between the Internet and good old word-of-mouth, we visited Lattanzi that Friday night, having made a 6pm reservation in advance of our 8pm curtain.

Now, there's enough native New Yorker left in me to be appropriately suspicious of restaurants on "restaurant row," and the sidewalk hawkers thrusting menus into the faces of passers-by didn't do much to calm my cynicism.  But we'd heard very good things about Lattanzi, especially about its post-8pm, Jewish-Italian inspired menu (which, of course, we wouldn't be trying that night).

But no matter.  The place seemed crowded with locals and few tourists, to our surprise.

We were immediately greeted by a very friendly hostess, who--when the maitre 'd was occupied elsewhere--didn't want us to wait, so she seated us. I confess to having been a bit antsy when our waiter took his time to take our drink orders....but that's just me.  We had plenty of time.

My husband and I each had delicious salads and each ordered the soft-shell crabs, which was on the list of specials for the evening. These entrees were lovely--moderately-sized, but very meaty soft-shells, delicately and well-prepared. (The extensive list of traditional Italian dishes seemed worthy of a return visit, as well, in addition to the later evening menu.)

Our meals were delicious, and the desserts--homemade cannoli and homemade chocolate mousse--were exceptional. (The menu announces that all of the desserts are homemade--and they are worth saving room for--worth it even if you have no room left.)  In fact, link to the restaurant's website, above, and hope that one of the photographs that appears before your very eyes features the cannoli.  They are as they appear--just terrific.

Oh, yes.  The play: We had more than enough time to walk to the theater where we had to wait on line to enter anyway, as it happened, and we felt that we'd had ample opportunity to relax at the restaurant and enjoy our dinner.

Despite my initial impatience and concern that we wouldn't have enough time before the curtain, I learned quickly that these folks know exactly what they are doing.  The food's great. The service was attentive, helpful, and yet not obtrusive--and, rest assured, completely and yet not annoyingly efficient.

I'd love to hear more from New Yorkers who like this place--and who have tried its competitors.

El Rito, New Mexico--El Farolito

El Farolito

1212 Main St., El Rito, NM 87530

505-581-9509

 

No Website.... 

 

Why El Farolito?  Great, unfussy food in a casual, unfussy place. 

Yes, it's indeed something to be the number one restaurant of only one restaurant in El Rito, New Mexico, not terribly far from Santa Fe.  Fortunately, this place deserves to be Number One.

We drove here from Santa Fe with friends who live in the area, and we stopped for lunch. What a fabulous place--down home; family owned; very, very casual--and cash only.

This place is truly worth it--and worth the drive (although it helps if you're in the area).

Two of us had chicken enchiladas "Christmas style," from the "a la carte" menu, one with green sauce (excellent!), one with red; our companions had combination plates.

I'm not a terribly fussy eater, but I confess to be less of a fan of dark meat than of white; I was particularly pleased, then, that the chicken in the enchiladas was all white-meat.

When we have the opportunity to visit Santa Fe again, we'll want the opportunity to go back. In addition to very reasonable prices, the service is friendly and helpful. We were all pleased, pleased, pleased.

Stock Island, Florida (Key West)--Hogfish Bar and Grill

Hogfish Bar and Grill
Safety Harbor, Key West, FL 33040 
305-293-4041

http://www.hogfishbar.com/

 Why Hogfish?  For an astonishingly beautiful sunset and very good food.

This restaurant is actually on Stock Island, and not on Key West--but it's only a ten or fifteen minute drive from the center of KW. The directions on the restaurant's website are easy to follow, so do persist, and they will get you through the maze of trailers, campers, and picturesque turns on the way.

We sought out the Hogfish Grill with our good friends during our vacation in Key West (where we'd rented a small house), having heard from someone else back in Chicago that this place was worth visiting.

This is very much a low-key, informal, island-style bar, and, let me tell you, bars are not usually my favorite kind of atmosphere. (Indeed, someday I will rail against the restaurants who instruct host/hostess to automatically direct people to the bar.  Certainly, it's to make sure that the place makes money; it's likely that some will feel obligated to order beverages whether they want to or not--so the host/hostess says, "There's a wait, but please sit at the bar, and.....," even when tables are available. Some of us just don't want to sit at the bar, thank you, and we'd prefer a choice rather than a directive. But I digress.)

The experience quickly became a mixture of splendid food and sunset ambiance: we had a fabulous view of setting sun from an outside table near the dock, and the food was equally good. Three of us had the mixed grill, which features calimari, shrimp, scallops, mixed veggies, rice, and a fish of the day (two of us had mahi as the fish and the other chose hogfish). The fourth in our party had coconut shrimp, which she pronounced "the best she'd ever tasted." (And she's constructively picky and quite an authority on shrimp, let me tell you, given her New Orleans origins.)

I had the delightful mixed grill, but I also sampled the coconut shrimp.  Our friend is right: they were the least over-breaded and the tastiest, appropriately "shrimpy" fried shrimp I'd ever had. (Yes, they were great.)

We had fried green tomatoes as an appetizer for the table, too, which were fine--if you like fried green tomatoes, which some of us did, and some of us didn't.

In all, the menu had a wide range of items--from sandwiches to salads to entrees--all of which looked very good and suitable for a variety of budgets.

Again, speaking as a not-really-a-bar person, I nonetheless have every intention of returning when we make it back to the Keys.  My Spousal Unit--who is most definitely a bar person--agrees.