“Chance is going to be with you tonight,” said the hostess as she guided us to the wide-open front windows of the large and largely empty Refinery. Er, at least that’s what I thought she said, and her words stayed with me until the end of the meal, when I saw the check and realized that the word “chance” sounded almost identical to the name of our server, who was as polished and dependable as the food she brought was a crapshoot.
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The restaurant, open since early July, has so far failed to post its menu online, almost as if there’s an awareness of how uninspired this collection of dishes might appear at first glance—poutine, burgers, scallops and braised oxtails, grilled octopus and potato, duck liver mousse, pork rinds, deviled eggs, shishito peppers, oysters—with little indication of what makes them special.
This polarity of tired pub grub vs. fussily plated, overpriced fine dining dishes exists across the menu. It’s an indication of a restaurant that has no idea what it aims to be or what people want. It’s possible to start your meal with a trio of “crab Rangoon arancini,” deep-fried rice dumplings containing a molten core of liquid crab dip and garnished with a pile of lettuce, and continue it with rubbery lengths of unchewable octopus tentacles twisting atop a thick smear of gluey pureed sweet potato.
In its casual, bricked-up atmosphere, soundtracked by overplayed classic-rock dinosaurs, the Refinery incorporates some (mostly cosmetic) upscale service touches, starting with a pair of dry gougeres that appear at the start of every meal. But other bush-league practices, such as allowing servers to attempt the old bait and switch by offering $8 sparkling or still designer water without mentioning the possibility of tap, won’t engender any goodwill toward this shaky endeavor. The high prices don’t remotely justify the ill-conceived and poorly executed results.
1209 N. Wells 312-854-2970oldtownrefinery.com
