In the Neighborhood
Mohammad Islam and Malika Ameen, the married couple in the kitchen at Aigre Doux, have celebrity chef pedigrees (the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, Jean Georges, Balthazar, Craft), and the promise of their restaurant earned it blurbs in glossy magazines months before it opened. Given the boldface print, it’s gratifying and somewhat surprising to discover that the food isn’t crying for attention: it’s simple, elegant, and good, full stop. Islam’s seasonal menu offers graceful variations on New American ideas—for example, rack of lamb with truffled grits and fennel, an ethereal green garlic soup, a wild salmon napoleon with herbed corn-bread stuffing. And Ameen’s desserts should not be skipped: sticky toffee pudding with candied kumquats and Devonshire cream sorbet was shameless, over-the-top, and irresistible. —Nicholas Day
F 7.6 | S 8.0 | A 6.0 | $ (5 reports)American, Burgers, Bar/Lounge | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Monday-Saturday till 11 | Reservations accepted for large groups only
Cafe Iberico739 N. LaSalle | 312-573-1510
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Loud, crowded, and a tad disheveled, Cafe Iberico has been going strong for years and seems only slightly worse for the wear. The cavernous 450-seat restaurant includes two dining rooms, three bars, a party room, and a deli counter offering a selection of Spanish cheese, sausages, and canned goods. At 10 PM on a Wednesday the front bar was surprisingly packed with a diverse crowd of diners, from a clutch of Muslim teenagers to a multiethnic mix of young professional couples and a rowdy squad of pub-crawling frat guys. The service was efficient, if not terribly solicitous, and the bathroom was a mess. But if you stick to the classics, the menu still delivers. A bowl of mild Spanish olives was a nice complement to a simple plate of buttery jamon iberico and nutty manchego cheese, served with rounds of bruschetta. The gambas al aijillo—grilled shrimp in garlic and oil—were firm, crispy tailed, and came sizzling hot; champignons a la plancha were mushroom caps in their own dusky, smoky oil-and-garlic suspension. The more ambitious dishes fell flat. Dry as dust and served with even drier french fries, the pork tenderloin showed no signs of having been marinated as advertised; a special, octopus and cuttlefish in a tomato sauce with potatoes and peas, was bland and mealy. But if a dish disappoints, you’re not out much more than a five spot, and at $3.95 a glass even the sangria is cheap. —Martha Bayne
Chef-proprietor Suzy Crofton presents a well-balanced and innovative menu in a small, urbane setting. Subdued music playing in the background of the minimally decorated room keeps the conversation level down and the focus on the food. The menu changes seasonally, but staples include appetizers like crab cakes with mango butter and wild mushrooms with bacon and brioche. Entrees include chipotle-roasted Amish chicken and a pork tenderloin with smoked apple chutney. Half a dozen desserts are offered, for example a Meyer lemon semifreddo served with a cupcake. One Rater sums the place up with a simple imperative: “Go.” —Paul Schoenwetter, Rater
F 8.2 | S 8.7 | A 7.5 | $$$$ (16 reports)South American, Steaks/Lobster | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: seven days
