New Too
Paul Fehribach, former chef at Schubas’ Harmony Grill, has taken the space long home to trapped-in-amber Augie’s diner and turned it into an airy, minimalist dining room distinguished by floor-to-ceiling windows and wrought-iron chandeliers. Like those chandeliers, the menu gives a little wave to the French Quarter. The cocktail list is full of hurricanes and nicely balanced Sazeracs—including one with absinthe—and the menu includes crawfish croquettes, etouffee, and a rich and smoky gumbo with chicken and andouille. But these items share the page with inland delicacies like baby back ribs, not to mention the complimentary starter of boiled peanuts. I didn’t try the sandwiches but I wish I had: at a neighboring table the fried green tomato BLT on Sally Lunn and a sizable Tallgrass beef burger with fontina and green aioli were provoking groans of happiness. And the fresh, clean flavors of a simple house salad got my friend to sit up and take notice. All in all Big Jones seems to be striving to fuse the accoutrements of upscale dining—price tag included—with the down-home soul of country cooking. When it doesn’t work there can be a disconnect. But when it does, the results are stellar, both sophisticated and bone-deep satisfying. —Martha Bayne
$European | Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days| BYO
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This new South Loop quick-service joint promises all-natural burgers and sandwiches, fresh-cut fries fried in oil free of trans fats and seasoned with sea salt, plus extras like cage-free organic eggs, nitrate-free bacon, and Wisconsin-made cheeses. No doubt because of all the hype on the menu, which is printed with “Epic Rules” like “The bun is the beginning and the end,” I was initially a little disappointed with my cheeseburger: the puffy bun completely overwhelmed the thinnish meat patty. I couldn’t much discern the vaunted “Epic sauce” (its ingredients, the counter guy told us, cannot be disclosed), but once I’d applied some Gray Poupon and smooshed the thing down some I was pretty well satisfied—the pickles and grilled onions are a nice touch. My friend felt the same about his turkey burger with horseradish Havarti, though here again the horseradish wasn’t readily detectable. Tasty fries are worlds better than at other fast-food joints and come in a good-size bag, plenty enough for two. The place is well suited to its Columbia College environs, an industrial space with high ceilings hung with designy white lamps of various sizes and shapes, walls painted with bold abstract graphics, bright orange plastic seating made from recycled materials, and, on our visit, two flat-screen TVs showing a Japanese art film with the sound turned down—don’t ask me. —Kate Schmidt
Habibi1225-27 W. Devon | 773-465-9318
Do Cubs fans even remember that Harry Caray spent 11 years covering White Sox games—not to mention his 24 with the archrival Saint Louis Cardinals? Nah, they claim him as their own, and they’re packing into this namesake sports bar kitty-corner from the statue commemorating his “Bud man, Cubs fan” days. It’s a palace of kitsch, and a place with more than 50 flat-screen TVs and a mass of deluded souls convinced that this is the year the Cubs will win the World Series (just 100 years after their last victory) is about as far from my idea of fun as could be possible. The food’s not bad, though—mostly bar bites and burgers, with upscale options like Wagyu and Tallgrass beef. There are also a few items from the downtown Harry Caray’s, including, inevitably, chicken Vesuvio. A shamelessly pandering gift shop promotes all manner of Harry memorabilia like “Holy Cow!” T-shirts. Cubs fans like that sort of shit. —Kate Schmidt
$$$Mexican/Southwestern | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11
