I wrestled with this review mightily. There were a lot of things to like about Giant which gets it to good in my book. I see a lot of reviews which border on the great but I can't quite get there on this one. The room is small, warm, and evokes a very eclectic feel - similar to the primary organizing concept of the menu. The waitstaff was very friendly and listened to our challenging wine requirements to come up with an excellent recommendation - off to a great start. The menu is a wide array of small plates embodying a broad set of influences - middle eastern, Mexican, Italian, Chinese, and I'm sure a couple I'm forgetting. I found the menu challenging to work with as it is so varied it is difficult to pull together a menu which I found harmonious. Uni Shooter, Onion Rings (with parm), middle eastern eggplant, and twice cooked pork? Hmmmm. Each of these dishes was good on its own, but together they were a bit........haphazard. The food itself was often excellent - Brussels Sprouts with Togarashi butter was absolutely delicious and perhaps my favorite dish of the night. Some dishes were very good - sweet and sour eggplant had a wonderful middle eastern flavor profile but the eggplant was a bit stringy, sortallini was extremely well cooked and well prepared pasta pockets that went a little overboard on the "sour" flavors. Some of the food was less successful - Uni Shooters, too much batter to showcase the yummy ocean taste of the Uni, or Crab Orzo which was floating in so much butter it was a bit of a mess. I felt the heavy use of butter throughout so many of the dishes was a challenge and I left the meal feeling like I needed a nap. This is perhaps the biggest aspect of the meal that I am struggling with. On the plus side, Fry Bottom Apple Pie was genius. The fry bottom was hash browns so that was kind of awesome, especially paired with the sour cream sorbet. Not too sweet, this was a terrific dessert. Perhaps someone with a higher tolerance for heavy butter use and widely varying flavor influences will find this place more to their liking as many of the dishes were interesting and delicious. I may be at a point in my life where less is more, so I will keep looking. read more

Was in the neighborhood and pulled up Yelp to see what good restaurants were around. The reviews really pulled me here. It sounded like an interesting, different but delicious place. It was later Friday night so it was packed. I asked when it wouldn't be so crowded (weeknights) and asked to use the facilities before heading back out. Well, I decided I'd waited two hours for Red Lobster in its heyday when I was a kid (the nice hostess said it might take an hour or longer.) so by the time I was walking back out I decided to just put my name in. I could make a few calls outside while I was waiting. The calls didn't take that long and I started feeling chilled so I went back in. I'd waited a half hour or so already and I hate leaving places with a wait only to wait someplace else and you would have been in dining at the first place already if you had waited so I just stayed. Obviously, I was really intrigued by this place. And everyone seemed to be really enjoying their meals and the place so again I stayed. I liked the atmosphere. The friendliness of the waitstaff. It is a very close seating space. They play great music, too. Another plus for me since I grew up listening to everything and anything good. My dad owns a vinyl shop. And their tunes came from vinyl on some cool upright turntables used as decor. Speaking of which nice eclectic feel to the place. Long story shorter. I guess I'm setting you up to feel the wait with me. The staff is nice and offers waiting patrons drinks. Well, finally. The moment has arrived and everyone else ahead of me on the list or with reservations has been seated. The back bar in front of the kitchen has opened up (even there, you wait to be seated). The hostess takes my coat and brings me back. Everyone thanks me for my patience. My server, Patrick, comes over and introduces himself and the line chef, cook, soue chef, whatever exact designation you want to give these nice dudes, Zach, to me. Everyone is very earnest and heartfelt with their thanks. Patrick was wonderful. Went over everything with me, came back after letting me peruse the menu at my leisure (I didn't have any wine because I was by myself and driving. Otherwise, they have an extensive wine list.), took my order and then surprised me with some nice extras to try. Their way of thanking me for my patience. So sweet. And oh, sweet lord, here we go so SCRUMPTIOUS! I started humming with the first bite (I have never hummed over food in my life. Caught my unawares.) of the little biscuit with jalapeños butter was so GOOD! I just can't even begin to describe the wonderful flavor of this butter that made their fluffy with a nice top crust biscuit so Devine. It was perfection. And I'm not normally a jalapeño girl. Then Patrick brought out a crab salad delight that was paired with light as air season coated waffle fries and a cocktail sauce that was bar none the best, tastiest cocktail sauce I've ever had. The tang of their horseradish in it was a perfect amount. Again, I don't even normally eat crab except crab cakes but this was excellent. Patrick nailed it that I'm a texture eater. Don't like the rubbery feel of crab out of the shell. Anyhow, "salads" of these types are usually anathema to me because most chefs or restaurants tend to put way too much celery. Texture. ;) This had a perfect tiny amount of it. And the combination of the three flavors and textures. Muah! Again, perfection. I thank you, Patrick, for picking something I normally would have avoided like the plague and opening my eyes and senses to a new delight. On to my main ordered items. I went for the sortallini and garlic buttermilk potatoes. By this time I was so looking forward to them. Neither disappointed. I am having trouble thinking of new words for delicious but that's what they were. The potatoes came out second but I'll describe them first since they were just so simply yummy. I love potatoes and I think these have become a favorite. And the sortallini. What can I say. So good. Now some on Yelp complain of the sour undertones but I love sour. Hence, I was looking forward to this one. And it did not disappoint. Another flavor matching that was beyond. Smoky sauce with bacon and pine nuts. And I don't know good well enough to say what the sour came from but I loved it. I even ate the tomatoes (which were heavenly) when I usually avoid the chunky texture of them. They just melted in my mouth. To top it off Patrick brought out some of their baked in house bread. Wonderful crust and lovely main chewy bread. I wish I wasn't so stuffed that I could eat it all or have room for dessert. Next time. Maybe bring someone with me to share items so I have room. All in all, I would highly recommend this trendy, hipster place just for its food alone. But the attention the staff gives you regardless of if it looks like you don't belong (I'm not in my mid thirties.) is truly lovely. read more

Ohh I wanted to love this place. I've been wanting to try this restaurant for months and the day finally came. Cool place, good music, but crammed seating like others have mentioned. My bf and I started with the biscuit with jalapeno butter. When the description stated "a little biscuit," they literally meant one small biscuit. I wish our waiter mentioned that to us because we would have ordered two. The biscuit was good and the jalapeno in the butter was subtle. We had the brussels sprouts next, which were very good, but nothing out of the ordinary. Next was the pici with chew. I really loved the texture of the pasta, but boy was this really spicy. The flavor of pickled jalapeno was intense in this dish. I enjoyed it, but the spiciness stayed in my mouth for the rest of the dinner. I was excited to see swordfish on the menu, but this turned out to be my least favorite dish. It came with nice accompaniments, especially the fried (literally) rice, but I felt like the broth was not that exciting and I couldn't taste the coconut. (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of this one since I couldn't wait to dig in.) The last dish was the chicken habanero. The chicken was large and not as spicy as I thought it would be. It came with a generous portion of slaw and hominy on the side. I had trouble enjoying this dish because I was sooo full at this point. Even though I was stuffed to the brim, I still wanted to taste the apple fry bottom for dessert. I was relieved to see that the size of the dessert was quite small, but you would have expected otherwise based on the price of it! It was a bit too sweet in my opinion, but still good, though. And I really liked the sour cream ice cream with it. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the food, but since I didn't love the swordfish or the chicken, I had to take away one star. Would I come back? Only if a friend insisted on it. read more

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Went to Giant for dinner with a few girlfriends a few nights ago and truly enjoyed the experience. Great food, knowledgeable staff, and good service. Our server was able to answer all our questions abt the menu, and made suggestions on how to order. One in our party is expecting so he was able to give her a rundown on the dietary restrictions she had. We had the mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts and scallops as small plates. For larger dishes we ordered the lasagna and chicken w/mole & hominy (MUST HAVE). We skipped on dessert as we were stuffed. Lastly, the music was good -- heard some 80s tunes and Kanye. Will be back soon!!! read more

411 Service: 5 Stars for the service. From the hostess to our server, we were pleased. Our server was Patrick. He was knowledgeable, helpful, and knew the menu well. He was great with suggestions and explanations. He also recommended a good wine. 411 Environment: 2 Stars for cramming us in like sardines. They have crammed too many tables in to the restaurant. They basically have to move a table out for you to even get out when they are full. That also means that you're closer to the person next to you (The one you're not with) than the person across from you (who you are with). :( You also hear the conversations of everyone around you because you're almost touching the random strangers, which isn't romantic or comfortable. #Fail 411 on Food: It's basically like a tapas style serving of food. The biscuit and jalapeño butter was YUMMY. The mashed potatoes were just OK. The Brussels sprouts were solidly good, better than some, but not the best I've had in the city. The steak was good. The rice that came with it was lacking for me. It didn't wow me, and could use some salt. ($19 for that) The dessert was OK. We ordered the one with a cookie, graham crackers and Oreos. I'm not dying to have it in my mouth again. 411 on the Wine: I ordered it by the glass. I don't know how many ounces they serve per glass, but from the looks of it in their glasses, I felt like I was doing a wine tasting. (That may be a bit dramatic, but don't expect to get a big glass of wine. You won't.) 411 on Price: A party of two with an appetite could easily spend about $150 to get enough to eat and have drinks. I would personally rather go elsewhere for that amount of money. I don't regret going, but I would choose something else for the price and seating next time. read more

Delicious, creative flavors with impeccable service. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a dining experience this much-- plate after plate, each one was a hit. Eggplant: Loved the crunchiness of the cashews and the toasted black rice with the smooth textures of the eggplant. It came with an amazing house-made pita, which, in hindsight, I wish I'd ask for more of. The sauce was an interesting balance between savory and acidity, and overall the flavors were well composed and delicious. One of my favorites of the night. Sortallini: Topped with a light yet flavorful tomato sauce, this resembled a stuffed pasta with a sharp Parmesan cheese. I can't get over how delicious that sauce was--it was slightly acidic and bursting with tomato flavor. Another one of my favorites; I'm sure I could have easily finished two plates of this all by myself. Swordfish: This was served in a giadiniera sauce with butternut squash and crispy rice. I'm usually a bit wary of swordfish because it's so delicate and easy to overcook, but this was done perfectly. We also ordered broccoli, cannelloni, and the apple pie for dessert. The broccoli I found a tad bit dry, but everything else was extremely solid as well. Definitely will be back to try the rest of the menu--this was easily one of my favorite dinners that I've had in Chicago. read more

This was probably one of my best meals in a long time. Short and great menu, food was outstanding. Staff was very courteous and able to accommodate us even when we were a couple min late for our reservation. The food is easily shareable. They plates look small but very filling. We started with A Little Biscuit, which was real yumm with their jalapeño butter. Jonah crab salad was amazing. We also ordered Eggplant, Short rib and miso halibut. Every dish was fantastic. I wish I remembered to take pictures as we were super hungry and forgot to take pictures. We ended our dinner with Cajeta Ice Cream - 5 stars (and highly recommend). The ambiance of restaurant is very pleasing as well. As opposed to the name "Giant", it's a cute little place, not very loud and very clean. Certainly recommend if you planning to try something amazing for your meal. read more

Hidden out in Logan Square this Uber ride is worth the trip. Modern dining experience with a surprise around every corner. Whether you go for the soba noodle happy scallops, short rib rice bowl, or homemade jalapeño and bacon pasta, your taste buds will be screaming for more. Don't forget the drinks either! The high school prom put this restaurant at 5 stars in my book. Thanks for the amazing meal and great service Jeremy! read more

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After tasting most of the menu last night, my favorites were: the carrots, asparagus, vegetarian pasta, and olive oil cake. A close runner up for the desserts was the ice cream; it was a stroll down memory lane to the ice cream carts in elementary school (strawberry shortcake ice cream bar). The crab pasta and jalapeño cornbread (biscuits) were also very delicious. Personal preference- I would have like to have a touch more spice in the cornbread. The jalapeño gave the cornbread a fresh and light flavor without an added kick that deters the non spicy eaters. Paired with the sweet butter, this would make a great brunch staple. read more

This is the best restaurant in Chicago. I saw it featured in red eye and took my girlfriend. We were both amazed at how good it was. The place is a little small, but you can get a seat right in front of the kitchen and watch the chefs work. Every plate we've ordered was incredible. Anyone who rates Giant with a review below 5 stars should be checked into a mental institution! read more

Literally my favorite restaurant I have tried in Chicago and I have tried a lot! I've been here twice, once without a reservation. We had to wait about 45 mins at peak dinner time on a Saturday night, which was fine because scofflaw is right next door and Best Intentions is right down the street so you can go grab a drink while you wait. The menu is so creative, it's hard to categorize the cuisine but anything you order will be amazing. The staff is super friendly. Do yourself a favor and get down here PRONTO! read more

I thought this place was delicious. My sister took me here for my birthday. Of course, I always read the reviews before. My mother is a chef so while I am a snob, I tread lightly with others' opinions. But was still impressed FOOD: We started off with the eggplant dish- some people thought it was "too sweet". ERRONEOUS. I loved it. It smelled like christmas. Each bite tasted different and it was served with these fluffy, well... I don't know what to call them. Pancakey pitas? Delicious. I would like it delivered to my house tonight. Pastas: we got the tagliatelle and the sortallini. Now- the tagliatelle is supposedly their signature dish. Conceptually- I love it- a blend of spice and acid with my favorite kind of crab. There was enough crab which is always a point of contention for me. However, I will agree with a few others that there was less saffron and chili oil, and mostly lemon. ALSO- the noodles were more traditional spaghetti noodles, not flat tagliatelle noods. The sortallini. I could cry. DELICIOUS. I was angered my sister took the last bite. Rich in flavor- pine nuts were perfectly portioned, and the pork cheek (guanciale) rounded out the dish. Not too salty, just right. Lastly, we had the tri-tip steaks. Perfectly cooked, served in medallion shaped slices. Atop a delicious pile of mushrooms and onions. WINE: they didnt have a ton of wines by the glass, to be expected. Wine was a littl on the pricey side but we had a delicious bottle for $60. AMBIANCE: they apologized for seating us a little late, and we felt very well taken care of. the only thing I'd say is that their tables are very close. We got seated on the end, fortunately, but had I brought my boyfriend, who is 6'4", he would have walked out because there wasn't a ton of room. They could afford to take out a table on each side of the seating area. We skipped dessert because a) I had plenty on my birthday and b) nothing jumped out. I shall be back- great dining experience. read more

What a great small plates spot! The service was great and the food was amazing. We ordered the biscuit with jalapeno butter, eggplant, pici, gnocchi, tri-tip steak, the baby back ribs, and the cajeta ice cream. I loved each item we ordered, but the top 2 were the tri-tip steak and the eggplant. The pasta dishes were on the heavier side. We ordered these items for 3 people and it was more than enough food. Our waiter was friendly, attentive, and he strategically paced out all of our food very well. read more

I kind of expected to be blown away by Giant because I had heard such good things, and while we had a very nice experience, I just wasn't blown away. Food was solid and decent portion sizes for the price, not a bad dish in the 5 or 6 that we ordered. Standouts were the eggplant and the little biscuit. Everything else was good but kind of forgettable, in fact I actually can't remember what else we ate and it was just last week. I do want to note that our server was excellent, she was friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and attentive. Not sure if I would plan to go back on my own, but if a group of friends got a reservation I wouldn't say no. read more

Delicious. I actually made another reservation right after our meal to make sure I got it in. We got the following: Super Uni Shooter: You only get one with an order, and it's really small. That being said, it was DELICIOUS. As my wife described it, it was like a "Deep Fried Seafood Gusher" -- that seemed pretty accurate. Jonah Crab Salad w/Waffle Fries: The salad tasted extremely light and fresh with a great Old Bay-esque flavor. The waffle fries were good, not great. Kind of had the texture of funnel cake, which was a little interesting. Sweet and Sour Eggplant: Literally one of the best things I've ever eaten. Can't really describe the flavor, other than saying it was "sweet" and "sour". Even if you don't think you like eggplant, order it. Trust me. Tomato Sortallini: Little tortellini-like pasta dumplings filled with amazingness. The sauce that it comes in is deliciously savory, perfect for soaking up with the slice of sourdough that accompanies this dish. Garlic Buttermilk Potatoes: Think garlic mashed potatoes with a gratin top. From now on, the only way I will eat mashed potatoes is with a crust on top. Baby Back Ribs: Tender, covered in a tangy, spicy sauce. I might have turned down the spice A LITTLE on the sauce as it was very spicy, even for me. Regardless, the ribs were very good, especially for a non-barbecue joint. While the tables are, indeed, close together, this allows you to sneak a peak at what your neighbors ordered and allows you to ask your server, "What is that, and can I order that?" Excited for my second reservation next month. read more

Highly recommended. The food was delicious! We sat at the "chefs table" (bar-like seating facing the chefs, with the restrooms inches away, behind us) and had a blast. We tried to leave the chefs alone so they could work, but eventually chatted with them a little. They were really cool. The food comes out in small-medium sized plates, and are meant for sharing. We really liked the broccoli dish. The drinks were great, as was the rest of the meal. We ended with the ice cream desert, as that's what everyone recommended, and that was good too. I highly doubt anything on the menu is bad here. I even ate quite a bit of her pasta dish that had jalapeños in it, and I never eat jalapeños. read more

LOVED it. Some dishes were just OK, but the dishes we loved, we REALLY loved. Our faves were the Happy Scallops, Green Beans, and the Tagliatelle. The flavor combinations were unique and perfect! Although our server told us 4 to 5 dishes would be good for us to share, we went for 6, and we were extremely full. Despite this, we went ahead and got the lemon cake with blueberries and sweet corn ice cream for dessert. Ambitious, I know. Also, we had a drink called La Serena (I think?) and we loved it so much we had another round. Will definitely be back. read more

Wow wow wow! Loved this place. Great food, drinks, and service! The butternut squash was delicious (but a cold appetizer)! The eggplant was my favorite dish. Some pastas can be made vegetarian! At first glance they all contain a meat but they were very flexible and nice about making them veggie friendly. Highly recommend. read more

Giant - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

update... received an inside tip from a mystery user (i.e. don't know affiliation to restaurant if at all). lentils are served with the cauliflower and not capers. great news for me (although the combo of flavors really brought out a strong taste of capers to me). however, since they are ALL over the dish, still wish this would've been listed on the menu... read more

It has been awhile when since I have been to a restaurant that nails both the service and the food like Giant does. Our night started off when I screwed up making the reservation for the wrong date and the place was packed. The host/manager was so accommodating adding us to the wait list and after a few drinks at Sink or Swim we received a text that and we were ready to go. Handled perfectly - thank you! We sat at the counter which views the open kitchen and loved it. The chefs were a blast and it was awesome watching them assemble complex dishes while making it look so simple. We patiently had our drinks and watched the dishes go out scouting what to order. Patrick our server was fantastic and had a great knowledge of the food and wine. Our Favorites: Sweet & Sour Eggplant - Order an extra pita to sop up every last ounce - delicious! Sortallini - You had me at pasta and guancile! I want to say all the pastas looked amazing and I look forward to going back and trying them. Baby Back Ribs- Wow! Disclaimer: My wife is from Texas and it has been a challenge to find properly "smoked" bbq that can compete. Well - we found it at Giant! These ribs were smokey and packed some heat and the baked beans were spot on. Great Food + Great Service = Giant. read more

This place is small, but mighty. The menu gives limited descriptions of the items so just trust that what's listed will be the star of the show and delicious. Took the recommendation of our server and ordered 3 smaller plates and 3 larger plates for our table of 4. The lineup: Asparagus, Eggplant, Scallops, Tagliatelle, Pici and the Tri tip steak. Not one item I wouldn't order again, but the Eggplant definitely exceeded expectations. The asparagus which was more like a salad had the most interest blend of flavors and a lot of unexpected heat. Will for sure be back! read more

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Simply put: The best meal I have ever eaten. I don't know if the stars were just aligned or what but every dish that came out was better than the last! I still don't know what my favorite was but crab is definitely one of my sweet spots so for sure try the king crab pasta and the crab salad with waffle fries... they were unreal!!!!! Definitely have to get a reservation in advance, but just make it right now and plan that date honey. read more

We loved Giant. We had read all the hype, and the fact that it still has 5 stars on Yelp, so we were really looking forward to our experience there. Yes, the tables are close together, but we made some friends so it was all good. We ordered the uni shooter, biscuits, zucchini, eggplant, pici, steak, and potatoes. Uni shooter was out of this world. Biscuits were delicious. Zuccini was so yummy, eggplant was a standout, all the pastas looked good but the table next to us recommended the pici and we were not disappointed. My husband loved the steak. It was a little fatty for my liking, but objectively delicious. The only slight disappointment was the potatoes, which were delicious, but just not as impressive as the rest. I'm so glad we left room for dessert because I think my absolute favorite dish was the ice cream. It tasted like strawberry shortcake ice cream balls. SO SO GOOD, I'm craving it today. The entire experience was enjoyable, our server Patrick was awesome, and I will totally be going back. Go Giant! read more

Was looking for a good date night spot and Yelp reviews had me slightly disenchanted. Though in reality, it was quite the contrary. The indoor seating is a bit crammed, so we opted for the patio. It was perfect. Went for the tagliatelle, zucchini, and biscuits with the jalapeno butter. Everything on their menu at first glance appears to be rather simplistic. But the Italian, Asian, and Mexican accents to the dishes really bring everything to life. Everything had a unique, robust flavor. If you're not much of a drinker, try their virgin Negroni! They also had a great playlist... ambient, hallowing music. Feels like you're sitting in your own backyard. Intimate but perfectly noisy. read more

Ummm Why did I wait 4 months and 2 reservation changes to eat here!?!? It was a slop of salt and mush and take my plate away! I drank the bottle of water before I could even taste the second course due to over saltness and similar texture of cornstarch/Chinese food consistency Hype is all that and more! Go to the bar next door and get the fries/burger which had me salivating after eating NOTHING at Giant read more

Came to Giant on a visit from NY after seeing the owner highlighted on our Saturday morning news program. It's a great, although small, space. The menu is simple, but the food is varied. Our server was fantastic. She asked if a anyone had any food allergies - for me that was amazing as my son has a fish/seafood allergy. She helped us with suggestions and let us know whether every dish that came to our table was safe or not. I have never had a restaurant be that helpful with an allergy issue. The support staff that was clearing dirty dishes and filling water were on top of their game. We wanted or needed for nothing. The food was small plates, which was great. We ordered a bunch of stuff and shared. My son loved the biscuit and the lasagna. I liked the crab salad w/ waffle fries, my sister didn't love the cauliflower, we liked the orzo w/ king crab and the brussel sprouts. Note: I despise pubic restrooms. They usually gross me out. After a thumbs up from my sister I figured it was ok (probably a better option than Wrigley Field, our next stop). Their restrooms are really nice. And they smell really good. I even took a picture of the soap they use because I want to buy some. I was glad we gave this restaurant a chance. It's very nicely done! read more

Girl's night out. I liked it. I wasn't sure when we first looked at the menu but would definitely return after eating the food. We both had cosmos, just to get the night started. And then had a bottle of an unfiltered Savignon Blanc - Alexandre Bain 2013. The color of it changes, subtly, as it sits (which our sweet server warned us about). It was delicious and interesting. We split the garlic potatoes - yummy. The broccoli was cooked perfectly with great spice and then a nice touch of lemon. The onion rings were ok - not sure I would get them again. Absolutely, with a doubt, GET THE BISCUITS. The butter alone is awesome. Then we split the fusilli - very yummy and good salt on it. We didn't have room for dessert but they sounded good. The road construction and parking totally sucks there right now. I feel bad for them but hopefully, it's over soon. Just uber it or take the Armitage bus, if you can. Thanks; we'll be back! read more

This place is whats up! Easily one of my top meals of the year. Everything was super fresh and super flavorful. The service was on point and helpful in guiding us through our journey of ordering and eating and drinking. And the price point was super reasonable. Started with the Brussels Sprouts and Crab Salad. The sprouts were fresh, nicely charred and covered in a delicious sesame sauce. Overall they were dope af. The crab was very light yet full of great flavor and spread over a waffle fry. yea...a waffle fry. yup! Next, the onion rings are a MUST. Word is they put club soda in the batter that makes them "light and fluffy." GET THEM! Then we had 2 pasta dishes. The Lasagna and Pici. My only regret is that I had to share both of these dishes and couldn't just gorge them into my face solo. The flavor on the Lasagna was next level. The Pici was a pasta presentation I had never experienced before and it delivered the flavor as well. The pasta was freshly made in-house (just as all the sauces and dishes are at this place), and compared or even exceeded the fresh pasta dishes at Monte Verde, Publican, or Eataly. Lastly, we had the BBQ ribs and biscuits to finish off the meal. Highly recommend because it was f-cking delicious. And we had a delish nebbiolo from northern italy to go with everything. the winery and vintage escapes me, but the vino list was very reasonable. Huge congrats to the chef and restaurant!! A total tour de force. I will be back! read more

Gosh, this place is brilliant. I came here for an anniversary dinner. I didn't make a reservation, but they were still able to seat me in about half an hour. We were seated at the Chef's table, which was just fascinating. Watching the chefs work their magic was a real treat. We ordered the little biscuits, the onion rings, the sortallini, the peach chutney broccoli, gnocchi and the steak. And fried ice cream! There was nothing that wasn't amazing. The drinks were expertly mixed. It's the most fun I've had dining in a long time. For all that we got, the price was a bit spendy, but not bad. We'll definitely be back for a special occasion. read more

I must say that making a reservation first is a must at this restaurant. The restaurant is small, and the last time we went here it was really crowded. The atmosphere and vibe are nice, as is the customer service. The server at our table was accommodating and attentive. We did not really ask much of him because everything on our table was fine and settled. Everything is also fine when we are waiting for our food, until suddenly music is played and it is so loud that we have to move closer just to understand what we were saying. The restaurant was full and the loud music was the main reason why we could not understand what each other was saying to each other. The service is quick, and the food that we ordered looks really nice when it comes to presentation. The food is delicious, and the food that they have is definitely not the ones with a large portion, because the food only has an adequate portion and the flavor was really delicious. Everything is really delicious. The price is also expensive. It is a good thing that we only ordered enough food, which is why we did not pay much more than we expected. The food and the service are amazing. However, if you also want to eat here, I suggest looking at their prices carefully. read more

I had a great birthday dinner at Giant. Very unique menu, good prices for the portion size, extremely quick service, and tasty food. However, the decor was boring, alcohol program was amateur, and probably not a place I come to a lot due to its location in bfe. The uni shooter is a must try, reminds you of a tasting menu item filled with butter. The biscuit is a skip at $3 per, you can find many better around the city. The crab salad was amazing, but chef missed on the waffle fries which lacked seasoning and flavor and there were not enough of them. Sweet corn was a stunner, basically elote cut off the cob with kaffir lime baseline. Eggplant sweet and sour was amazing. Pici chew is worth getting for the huge chunks of bacon and buttery sauce but the pici was disappointing. Swordfish was boring, but the chili oil packed a nice punch. The alcohol was mainly bottles of wine. A few overpriced glasses of wine in there. Beer list wasn't good at all, and the cocktails couldn't have been less imaginative. Being right next to Scofflaw, they should be able to come up with some better stuff. Really unique place that's basically Italian tapas with an American bar food baseline, even mixed in some Indian influences. If you live around there, come with a group of four and taste the whole menu for under $50 a person. read more

Decided to try and it was good, albeit everything was too salty. Small-plate portions, with medium prices. This is definitely a $$$, not a $$. Dinner for 2 with 2 drinks each was almost $130 with tip, so I was a little surprised at that. A note, the wine list is pretty expensive for wine by-the-glass. Here is what we had: 2 Manhattans, 1 Beer, 1 Cabernet Jalapeno biscuits (about the size of a small Hawaiian bun), labeled "biscuits", plural on the menu for $3. Somehow, they are actually priced $3 per biscuit, which I thought was misleading and should be changed. Onion Rings - Delicious and nicely cooked, too salty Fusilli Jerry - Flavorful, again very salty. Swordfish - Excellent. Perfectly cooked and a real kick from the giardiniera. I cannot believe what a great job they did turning, what was Begin Thai, into a very nice/ stylish restaurant. This is another great addition to the neighborhood. Very attentive and personable staff, with knowledgeable recommendations. Overall, this is a well done and smooth-running operation, clearly done by pros. read more

Small plates with giant flavor, this new Logan Square restaurant lives up to the hype! I came here a little over a week ago with a friend from out of town and was very impressed on all fronts. After pre-dinner cocktails at Scofflaw (on the same block), we headed inside and were immediately accommodated by the friendly hostess. Ambiance is trendy, a little hipster, but you can tell everyone here, from the cooks, to the staff, to the other patrons, appreciates a seriously good meal. We ordered the following: Brussel sprouts: Amazing! Cooked perfectly, seasoning and sauce evoked many flavors from tangy to salty to even a little spicy at the end. Cheesy Potatoes: Again, cooked perfectly, the cheesy crust had a great texture and the fluffy potatoes underneath were exactly the comfort food you know and love. If anything, I would have liked slightly more cheese. Sortallini: I wish we could have had an entire bowl of this stuff. The pasta looks tiny and unassuming but the sauce packs a huge flavor, with little bits of bacon, basil, and smooth tomato. Ribs: The seasoning is fantastic, the perfect blend of smokey with a hint of heat. These ribs don't quite fall off the bone, but the meat is cooked well throughout. The baked beans were the nicest surprise of this dish for me. While usually an afterthought with ribs, these beans were flavorful and didn't have the usual over-baked too-thick consistency that is commonly associated with this side-dish. We could have maybe done dessert, but we had eaten a heavy lunch earlier in the day. I will definitely try when I return! The only thing that could have made this experience better was the seating, the restaurant is small and narrow, so table of two are clustered a little too close together for my liking. Top Three Tips: 1) Ask the staff if you can't decide between two dishes. We were mulling over the Sortallini v. the Tagliatelle and our waitress was brutally honest about her preference for the Sortallini. It's always refreshing in my opinion to have staff that will give their honest opinion! 2) The bathrooms have a small fan that blows warm air at your face level. An interesting surprise! 3) Eat earlier in the evening if possible, this place is still booked up every weekend night but you have a better chance of getting in without a reservation if you arrive early (as we did). A party had cancelled just minutes before we arrived so we actually were able to be seated without a reservation on a Saturday! read more

I am sorry to say, but this is one of those restaurant that has the hype but not great with taste. It was our date night, so we went to try this place, we order a total of 7 plates, most of them are not up to par, most I give is 3.5/5, the Uni Shooter taste more butter than Uni, the Twice Cook Pork was tough not tender, the taste profile is nothing special, the Ribs was only okay, again nothing amazing, the eggplant was a big disappointment, it's way way too sour, I guess the crab salad was good, but the chip things that come with it was just okay. The bread for the eggplant and the biscuit was very good, also the pasta dish was quite good. So for two of us we spent around 150, it's not at all worth the price. If you like small dish, go to Parachute, taste much better. On the plus side, the service was excellent. Dessert was good. read more

This place is awesome. The food is really next level stuff - it was a really exciting menu and everything we ordered was out of this world. I especially liked the eggplant. Our server was really friendly and helpful. Also considering how popular this place is right now, I was impressed that we didn't seem rushed at all. read more

My new favorite restaurant. Ask for the table in the corner or at the kitchen counter and watch the action. If you can, you want Marney as your server. Best service ever. And there are no menu recommendations here. It not that big and they are ALL great. If you're lucky enough to get a table, enjoy! read more

Had an excellent dinner here with my man. We got the uni shooters and biscuits with jalapeño butter to start, and then shared the steak and scalloped potatoes. Everything was delicious. The steak had a great char to it, potatoes had a ton of flavor and texture, uni was very unique and fun to eat. The standout for me was dessert - blueberries in a vanilla sauce with ginger! So surprising, so fresh - I had one bite and was like "this tastes like summer!" Service was great. The decor is cool. My only issue was the absurd number of tables crammed in there! It was a little claustrophobic? The check was around $80 including wine and beer, so not too steep. Would definitely love to go back and try some more dishes! read more

Giant - Blueberries for dessert - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I tried basically one of everything on the menu. My only regret? my stomach limited me from second helpings of everything. Everything was skillfully created, creatively prepared, and delicious...majorly delicious! If I lived within walking distance of this place I'd likely never cook for myself. Staff was amazing, experience top notch! I'll be back :) read more

Table of two got the following: 1. Soft shell crab - good but not memorable 2. Eggplant- interesting flavors 3. Crab Tagliatelle- light, simple, delicious 4. Pici with chew- flavor bomb Get the pici and eggplant! Tables are soooo close to each other. You are practically sitting with the people next to you. There's maybe 3-5 inches between the tables. They really pack in the tables making the dining experience a little uncomfortable. Only negative about the restaurant. read more

The food was good, but we were definitely expecting something more...unique. We ordered the onion rings, green beans, buttermilk potatoes, lasagna, tri-tip, and cajetas; the only unique thing were the green beans (which used pickles as part of their seasoning). Not saying the food was bad, because everything else was great! The tri-tip was cooked perfectly w/ a good sear and the onion rings were the best upscale onion rings I've had. I'm only giving it a 4/5 because I think they are more inventive restaurants in Chicago. Otherwise, their service is good, extensive wine list, and basic food staples to please everyone. read more