------ATMOSPHERE------…read more Anatolia has such a warm, cozy vibe. It is perfect for a date night. The lighting is romantic and dark. ------FOOD & DRINKS------ The food is all halal. MIX GRILL - $69.99 We ordered the platter to share. It came with a generous variety, so you get to try a little bit of everything instead of committing to just one dish. Everything was fresh and flavorful, My favorite was the Adana Kebab. It was enough food for 3 people. Everyone at the table agreed the platter was a 10/10. ------PRICE------ The platter was reasonably priced for how much food you get and the upscale environment. WOULD I COME BACK? Yes! It's a great spot for a date night, and we'll definitely be back to try more of the menu.

Food here was absolutely delicious and the service was great! The restaurant was nicely decorated…read moreand felt great for either group dinners or 1 on 1s. Menu has gluten free markers which I find very helpful! To start they offer complimentary bread (will substitute with gluten free bread if needed) with a carrot yogurt dip. My friend and I ordered the babaghanoush which was just okay in its own but tasted great with my entree. I had the Adana kebab which was so much food for the price and so delicious. If celiac, I would note that this dish has some breading on the bottom and you should request it be removed. We also had the Turkish coffee martini as a dessert drink which was absolutely delicious and unique with a hint of what tasted like orange liqueur. Will come back again and try more menu items!

Fun summer outdoor dining option with great food! Love the outdoor ambiance of Avli, there are lots…read moreof tables but it still feels cozy. I prefer to dine outside as the indoor seating can get very loud. I dream of the zucchini chips and the incredible garlic sauce they come with. Truly one of my favorite appetizers in the city and gluten free too!! The Greek salad is fresh and the dressing brings everything together without overpowering the vegetables and feta. I also enjoyed the chicken souvlaki, the chicken was very tender and well seasoned. The only thing I'd skip ordering again was the watermelon margarita, it was just a bit blander than I was hoping for. Our waitress was great, very friendly and actual service was fast. However, we did have a 8pm reservation and didn't get seated until almost 8:25. I get how this can happen on a nice summer night when everyone was enjoying their meal and the weather so not really Avli's fault but there isn't a great place to wait besides standing on the street corner. Overall, will definitely be back and will be thinking about the zucchini chips until then.

Avli is a solid spot for HH! Do not be fooled like I was though, you cannot do Happy Hour on the…read morepatio. There is nothing on the menu that indicates that which is quite annoying. Throughly enjoyed my watermelon margarita (4/5), the spritz was just okay! (3/5) Hummus: 4/5 (get) Tirokafeteri: 4/5 (get) Melitzanosalata: 215 (skip) Greek tries: 3/5 (skip) Buratta: 3.5/5 (get) Server was kind and attentive. Very nice patio area, decorated very pretty. Nice indoor space as well with additional back room.

Such a beautiful place. We were greeted & ate inside because the weather was not great for the roof…read moretop. Extensive wine list. Our server was helpful in selecting. She even opened the bottle for us to try. We had a bottle of white wine that wasn't too sweet or dry. It was $90. Perfect. I wish the menu was easier to read. It's in Greek, the description was English, but I found it difficult to navigate. We had the hummus & pita to start. Very good. The village salad was shared & it was big enough for 2-3 people. Tomatoes were so good. Several varieties. I got the olives & pickles too. Plenty to share. There aren't a lot of vegetarian options. But our server would probably have recommended something. I was happy just eating the small plates. My husband & friends tried many different dishes & we liked them all.

The ambience is beautiful and evokes a hint of Greece. The service is excellent and worth more than…read morethe automatic 22% gratuity that they add. What makes Taxim exceptional is the food. Everything we had was delicious - so delicious. Most of the menu is made up of small plates. Get 2-3 per person. The cost is still reasonable for such high quality food. My two favorite items were the prassopita and the beet dish (see menu image, it is in the left most column). I don't even like beets. Or I didn't. I guess I do like their beets. It's a good thing I don't live nearby. I would spend too much money and calories at Taxim. It really is exceptional.

If you only know of the Kurdish people or culture through the news, it's time to remedy that-- head…read moreover to Avaspi for drinks and snacks at the generous Happy Hour or for a full dinner. The beautiful bar is set back in the glowingly dining room that has a painting of the Kurdish area in Turkey from where the owner comes from. Remixes of contemporary tunes gives a kind of clubby feeling inside, and the large sidewalk patio (on the side street) to enjoy the season is a completely different vibe. It's not just another variant on Mediterranean/Middle Eastern/ Persian cuisine, though you'll find familiar salads, spreads and cuts of meat. The presentations and flavors are different. The friendly (and easy on the eyes) staff will guide you through the menu. Very nice wine list as well as creative takes on standard cocktails (some mocktails too) complement the meal. Come in a group so you can sample many things; I assure you it'll all be good. Loved the calamari and the meze plate on this last visit. Grilled haloumi and shrimp were great previously. Easy to get to so get going!

An absolutely standout meal, each dish better than the next. The stuffed dates, however, were about…read moreas spectacular as anything I've had. A perfect place to go with a group to try as many different things as possible. And don't sleep on their happy hour, which makes the experience even better!

My friend and I went here for dinner and we were impressed! The inside of the restaurant is…read morebeautiful it has nice big windows at the front to let natural light in and then towards the center of the restaurant and on the ceiling are hanging plants and flowers. It is in a great location off restaurant row and it made it really easy for me to get there from the loop by taking the purple line there and brown line back. Our server Bunmi was very friendly and attentive. The food was brought out fast. We ordered the potato borak as an appetizer. We were surprised by how good it was. It sounded pretty basic but it had great flavor with a tasty dipping sauce that had hints of lemongrass and ginger. For our entrees I ordered the beef shawarma and my friend ordered the sautéed spinach and feta. Both were served warm with rice. For dessert we had the baklava pistachio cheesecake. It was very unique. My friend and I will definitely be coming back! Medi had amazing vibes and we enjoyed our time there.

This place is a waste of money. My friend and I sat at the bar a few days ago for a glass of wine…read moreand an app. We had a glass of red wine and the potatas, the potatas need a sauce. They come out on a huge plate so they did not skimp out on portion, but they were just that.. potatoes on a plate. We asked for a second glass of wine, meanwhile we still had about half glass left of our first glass. The bartender pour the second glass of wine into our already half filled up and charged us for two full glasses! We normally wouldn't mind but thus place is not cheap! What a waste of money! I have never had this happen at a restaurant in Chicago. We will not be coming back.

If you want to know if a chef can really cook, there may be no better test than how they can cook a…read morepiece of chicken. At Ox Bar, chef John Asbaty doesn't only pass this test, but almost makes it impossible to not to order the chicken. His half chicken cooked on a wood fire grill somehow arrives to your table with perfectly juicy white meat attached to a perfectly cooked leg and thigh (a nearly impossible task for even the best cooks). On top of that, the skin is reminiscent of the crackling on the best lechon asado you've ever had, and the dish is surrounded by an irresistible sherry jus/reduction. So yes, if you go to Ox Bar you should order the chicken because it's that good, but fortunately the menu is designed for sharing, so your your table can also be wowed by what Chef John can do with the other ingredients on his menu: a medium-rare yet fork tender beef short rib, pork shoulder, whole rainbow trout, and an amazing selection of elevated starters/sides featuring locally-sourced and seasonally-chosen produce to complement those proteins or satisfy any non-meat eater in your party.

Sometimes (just), sometimes, you go to a new restaurant and out of no where, you are dumbstruck by:…read moreThe welcoming The service The ambiance The menu selections The flavor palette And just how exceptional a restaurant can be. That was my experience tonight here at The Ox Bar & Hearth on Clybourn Ave just west of Lincoln Park. Me, my wife and my son visiting us from NYC had the same experience I had with the Ox Bar which was one word - "Impeccable"! We all shared this evening: * Lettuces shaved asparagus, raw milk cheddar, anchovy vinaigrette & breadcrumbs - scrumptious * Blue hopi cornbread cultured butter & tart cherry preserves - shockingly good *Steak tartare pickled ramps, horseradish, raw milk cheddar & grilled sourdough - excellent * OBH burger beef fat wedge fries - up there with Au Cheval * Half chicken onion marmalade & chicken jus - sensational * Pavlova raspberry sorbet & sage cream - what a way to end a meal I've been a "Chicagoan" for 4 1/2 years now. I'm still awed how incredible the culinary scene is here. I have to go back to my opening words - I'm Dumbstruck!

Amazing food. Fresh, unique, and so flavorful. And service is outstanding. We were there as a…read morefamily and the waiters accomodated all the allergies in the family. Take out is also a great option.

OH BABYYYYY GALATA ME CRAZY! WOW ! My lovely friend told me about this new Mediterranean spot and…read morewe knew we had to check it out!! I would order one of everything again! I deducted one star for the service, it was pretty slow and we had to wait 10+ minutes to order and close out, but I added it back because the food was so good and fresh! We ordered: App spread platter ( this is a MUST) The tea Cheese cigar rolls GALATA Salad Beyti Kebap! ( A must order) Rice pudding POST tip we left STUFFED for $114 total which I think is a great price for all the food we got!! This is perfect place for a group meal! Very easy to share everything!

Celebrating an engagement and birthday, most of our party was from out of town. Reservations with…read morea considerable payment to hold the reservation was made. We waited 20 minutes past the reservation as the table before us was not vacated. We were given a table in the back with zero airconditioning on a hot, humid day with box fans. Everyone was sweating - horrible ambiance. Food was sold to us as family style - portion size was NOT family size and not enough for our party. Nevertheless, the food did not warrant us torder more of it- we did enjoy the overpriced tomato and the fritto misto. Skip the onion dip - not great. We enjoyed the capellacci while the cavetelli and the spaghetti alla chitarra was just ok. The gelato was the highlight of the night but honestly we couldn't wait to leave the restaurant. It was extremely disappointing to not have been consultated as to whether we wanted to wait for our original table in the main dining room instead of seating us in the back by the bathrooms. I havent seen family members in months as everyone lives on different coasts - this essentially ruined the whole experience. The food was not memorable enough to counteract the seating issue. Given that you pay a reservation fee, either put a time restriction on your tables or space your reservation times better but never use a space that lacks air flow.

for all the attention & awards, I thought daisies would be so much more expensive than it was…read more - the establishment is very farm to table energy but with Michelin recognition. our waiter was incredibly laid back and advised us on the specials based on fresh produce - for a starter we went with the onion dip because how can they really make that classy? ill tell you how: homemade chips that dont taste like dirt or burnt kettle crisps. thick cut yet still snappy and crispy wavy chips with enough oil to crisp apart on your tongue. I am a salt girl but even without clear shards fo salt on each chip these were the perfect amount. the dip was cool and creamy, more of a tzhaiki like coolness than a zingy guilt ridden onion dip - I tried the Agnolotti purely to eat purple pasta. the inside was filled with beet puree and ricotta making the dish hearty and filling. it was slightly earthy as the beet flavor powered through more than just the light sweet sauce. the roe on top miraculously made the dish slightly fishy everywhere to the degree where I asked the waiter if there was fish inside the pasta.....I loved it - the Cappellacci was a flavor rollercoaster. right away you taste the sweet summer squash, a warm and comforting taste. as you swallow your throat is punched with a chili kick. all on top of cloud like pasta pieces - the Pappardelle was about the pasta, the al dente thick cuts showcased the housemate pasta. maintaining an al dente doughy goodness with the quality of the ingredients keeping the pasta fresh and far from what comes in a box.