My first trip here was for brunch on a Saturday morning. We sat at the bar area. Smoked Salmon Dip was really good-served with capers over hash browns. The Little Gem lettuce was tasty as well. The cinnamon roll with pecans was a great start. read more

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Had always heard of The Publican but so excited I finally got to go and it was better than I thought! We ordered about 5 varying plates to share amongst the 4 of us and it was the perfect amount of food. The service was super attentive, checking in while letting us enjoy our food. The seating in the booths inside is so fun and would definitely come back! read more

Overall nice experience. We came during happy hour with my cousin who was visiting from NYC. Burger was tasty, but not in my top 5 Chicago burgers. Fries were definitely the star of this show. So so good! Dessert was also delicious I cannot remember the name. Seating is pretty interesting and it started to get very busy as the night went on. I recommend a reservation. read more

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We had a fun brunch at Publican. The dishes were great and their house baked bread is soooo good! They have plenty of sweet and savory options, their brunch drink list is extensive, and do NOT skip their bakery options, which change fairly frequently. We opted for their aged cheddar and herb biscuit and it didn't disappoint. Everything with this restaurant group is incredible, as they bake all their breads from scratch, have insane housemade charcuterie, and an impressive beverage program. read more

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Love the food here! Great quality always delicious. I've been in for restaurant week and different events and the service is always great. It's like a beer hall vibe that's more upscale so it feels casual while still getting a reall great meal! read more

Pork Belly Hash - Good sized portion. The pork belly ragu was sweeter than I expected. Fried egg was perfect. Very hearty. 7/10 read more

The Publican - Pork Belly Hash - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food and experience was amazing!!!! Definitely recommend. The courses were brought out in a timely fashion and the chicken especially was to die for! read more

A Chicago institution. Midwest-sourced and focused cuisine, in a beer hall setting. We did the chef's menu, and while everything was top quality the barbecued carrots and duck and pork rilletes really stood out. This place has a lot to offer and I plan to go back to explore other parts of the menu. read more

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I absolutely loved this banh mi sandwich. Starters, the portion was absolutely ginormous. There was a generous serving of pate in it, which truly made the sandwich. I love the bread as well. It really held up perfectly with the soft sandwich insides. The fries were perfectly crispy and, as a big mayo girl, I loved that it came with a side of mayo. My little cucumber mint cooler was delicious as well! So refreshing for a summer lunch on the patio. I would love to return and try other items on the menu. read more

The Publican - Banh Mi Sandwich and cucumber mint cooler - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cute place, nice outside seating Good food Welcoming staff, efficient service We made a reservation the night before Had shakshuka, the sweet corn pancakes and the chicken schnitzel. Oh and also the breakfast potatoes. Everything was yummy! Portions are pretty generous! read more

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The Publican had availability for 6 last minute on a Saturday night and we were very grateful! We basically ordered everything on the menu to try. Oysters - I did not partake but they were enjoyed by others Little Gem Lettuce - good but nothing that special Burrata - delicious! Barbecue carrots - definitely get a ton of carrots and they were delicious. These came out towards the end with the main entrees Pork Belly - out of this world! Everyone enjoyed and would get seconds and thirds if we hadn't already ordered other items Sirloin - Good but there are other things on the menu that are more special. It's also on the smaller side. Chicken - the chicken is cooked so well and juicy. I didn't know what to expect. We got two of these. Fries were great! I didn't have it in me to try the sausage I was so full but heard it was good! Overall a great place for a group. No pics as we were enjoying time with friends. Nice service but there was a gap at one point between apps and entrees that was a little long as they got busy. Definitely a recommend for a large group! read more

The publican lives up to its name. As an establishment that served the workers of the meat packing industry during the late nineties and early 2000s, they still continue to serve the community of the newer generation. This family-around-the-table style dining definitely creates a fun and intimate atmosphere. A friend and I decided to come here following a not-so-good dinner choice that left us hungry. One thing you must know is that while the prices per dish are high, you won't leave hungry. We chose to order the Publican bread spread with smoked fish dip & pimento cheese, mushrooms, stripped bassed, and the stout ice cream scoop. We also indulged in a little libation with the Oaxacan cafe and the vieux carre. The service: Cat was amazing and our food runner, Russel, did a stellar job to ensure we were well taken care of this Tuesday evening. They were attentive and offered amazing suggestions on what to order and enjoy. The Food: The bread spread is filling in itself. If you love bread, this is the place to come to. If you are trying to avoid carbs, this plate may make you break your promise. The spreads to compliment were clearly made in-house and each bite spoke to your taste buds calling you to want more. The mushrooms were to die for. Do yourself a favor and get them! They were roasted perfectly and the green nettle sauce was delectable. I am biased though because I adore mushrooms. Striped Bass - Tender yet crispy on a bed of well-seasoned Canelli beans is worth it. You can definitely enjoy this dish solo or choose to share. My Vieux Carre drink was strong yet tasty. I would pair this drink with BBQ or just by itself. The Stout ice cream is just what it sounds like. A beer-flavored ice cream. Yes, you read that right. I am personally not a fan of beer and wouldn't indulge on my own. But this ice cream had a way of blending it perfectly and the scoops are a decent size that comes with their own graham cracker to top it. I definitely would return for the Happy Hour and their brunch. I want to see what more this restaurant has up their sleeve. read more

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I came here with a party of four. Getting a reservation was very easy. The moment we were sat we were treated extremely well by our server. We ordered drinks (Negroni was amazing) as well as the bread with pimento cheese, the tikka masala scallops, the hay smoked ham chop, the bbq carrots, and the Brussels sprouts. Everything was prepared extremely well and tasted amazing. No notes on what could be approved. The pimento cheese and the pork chop had a southern flair and were immediate standouts. We asked our server what dessert would he recommend: the carrot cake and the tart. He recommended the tart so we ordered it. Then he sent over both because he thought we should experience both. Absolutely incredible meal and would def come back. read more

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This review is strictly for Publican's NYE tasting menu, *not* their a la carte menu which I think is fantastic. To caveat -- I've actually been to the Publican a few times and love their a la carte menu - the porschetta, pork belly, and carrots are solid dishes and recommended to order. Publican bread and their butcher shop, is always awesome quality, I used to regularly get their bread. I just got a few filet mignon medallions last week from their butcher, and they were really pretty & delicious pieces of meat. To the NYE tasting menu - this was tasty but not special, not worth the $100 price tag per person, and ultimately disappointed me. The tasting menu was steak tartare, baked oysters, endive salad, mushroom risotto, a final course of sirloin and shrimp, and a panettone treacle tart with ice cream. I guess my past experiences at Publican have always been very meat and bread forward, with large, flavorful, deliciously and perfectly cooked dishes, that I was really disappointed with the size of the meat dishes and their flavor impact. It didn't feel like a Publican meal. I've ordered a ton of veggie dishes from Publican before too, and they packed more punch in size and flavor than the tasting menu dishes. The only 2 meat dishes were the tartare and the main course sirloin steak/shrimp dish. For the main course dish, while the shrimp was tender & tasty, the steak was actually a bit chewy, and it was a really small serving for both shrimp and steak. The steak tartare with Publican's bread was delicious and, to be fair, generous, but I don't need that much of an appetizer. We had too much endive salad served but very little mushroom risotto, which was yummy but not special either. I didn't care for the dessert -- the flavors I think are meant to be traditional for this time of the year with the panettone orange spice, but they came off as medicinal for me. Overall, the tasting menu was tasty enough but disappointing for what I expected from a Publican meal. No particular dish impressed me or felt like it made it worth the $100 per person price tag. The service for the tasting menu was also really slow on NYE. This was odd, because our friends - also a party of 3 - coming in at the same time & sitting in front of us ordered a la carte, and were able to get all of their dishes within 30 minutes, whereas we sat with long gaps in between getting each tasting menu dish. They finished eating by the time we finished our 2nd course out of 4. Ambiance is always awesome -- we sat in the pig corral tables which are so unique -- and the restaurant has a sort of feasting, grand mess hall atmosphere with its tall ceilings, chairs, tables. It feels very grand eating here and is a great date night spot. In short, it was my first tasting menu from the Publican and I wouldn't recommend it for the $100 it costed. I would definitely go back to this restaurant, but strictly order from the a la carte menu. read more

The Publican - NYE tasting menu - sirloin steak & shrimp - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cool restaurant with really high quality dishes. I really enjoyed the meal, the service and the outdoor seating. We got the broccolini, bread and porchetta and they were all VERY good. Broccolini is a must and so is the bread. Porchetta was good but I liked the other two dishes better. We had a fantastic server and got lucky with another cool Chicago evening that we got to enjoy from the patio/outdoor area. Very comfortable and pleasant. Def will be back. read more

The Publican - PQB Bread Taste Of 3 - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Now I mixed feelings about this spot. I will start off by saying everything I tasted was DELICIOUS on the restaurant week menu I tried (mussels, butchers steak, broccoli romanesco, & the toasted mallow dessert) However, the portion sizes in the pics below is shared family style (in my case by 3 people). Felt like this was the same portion size given to 2 people but they just kept it the same for my party of 3....aka left hungry and went to another place to get snacks afterward Will have to try it again later, not during restaurant week. Maybe with just an even # of people and more dishes a la carte or for happy hour read more

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We have been wanting to try this place since our first visit to Chicago a few years ago. We finally had the opportunity and we were not disappointed! Happy bellies rule the day! Our reservations were early on a rainy and cold Sunday evening. The place was not busy but I am not sure if that's normal for this time of year or the time of day or for a Sunday. Let's say I was surprised it wasn't busier but happy that it wasn't busy! Since it wasn't busy, I e were given the option of sitting in a booth that lines the far wall. The other option is sitting at a communal table. It looks like we ordered a lot of food but all items were shared between the two of us and leftovers are always welcome! Bread and spread. If this is the start, where will they take us? I was happy with course. Little gem salad. A delightful addition of crispy pig ears. Chef's choice oysters. Sweet, briny. You may want to consider a dozen instead of 6! Butcher's steak. Served medium-rare. Melt in your mouth. Well-seasoned. Fries. I just wanted fries with my steak. . They were crispy and soft. Mmm. Pork rinds. We eat pork rinds in my culture. I wanted to check out the restaurant's version. I asked for vinegar and salt. If you know, you know. Pork rinds go well dipped in spicy vinegar seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper and garlic. Chocolate marsh mallow dessert. That's not the name but that's an accurate description. I was envisioning a take on a s'more's. It wasn't but we still liked it. Decaf coffee. Their coffee is really smooth. This place is definitely a repeat! Enjoy! read more

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Normally I am the first to criticize a restaurant where the food is as expensive as here. But, The Publican really impressed me so I understand the reason they charge what they do. I was thrown by the appearance inside as it was seemingly Renaissance in nature. There were communal tables with high backed chairs, some high topped tables, and booths with doors that enclose you into a cube. The food is meant to be family style, which is nice because you can try several items. I got the bread plate with butter and sea salt, beef fat fries with garlic aioli, barbecued carrots, and the halibut. Honestly, everything I had was just extraordinary! Plus, the dishes all had good portion sizes. - The bread wasn't especially special, though the butter had so much flavor and the sea salt really enhanced the flavor considering it is usually so subtle. - The beef fat fries are probably the BEST fries I have ever had. The outside was crispy and the inside was nice a soft. The fry itself was so light and not greasy. I have never had fries that were as light as these. Paired with the garlic aioli - my goodness!! - The barbecued carrots were interesting. They had a nice spice and they honestly reminded me of sweet potato. Paired well with a herb and dill dressing with crunchy pecans on top. Different than anything I have had. Not my favorite dish of the night, but still very good. - The halibut was super flaky and soft. Melted in my mouth. Don't really have any complaints, though I wouldn't mind if the prices were a tad lower. Wouldn't come here often, but think it is a great place for special occasions if you want quality food! read more

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What can I say about the Publican that hasn't been said before? While it's been an icon in the Chicago restaurant scene for years, I only went for the first time last month. And it was amazing. We made a reservation in advance (was not hard to find a good time) and were seated immediately. The vibes are immaculate inside and the service was wonderful. Our server was attentive and funny. The food was delicious: we ordered the bread with all the spreads, the artichoke (with Caesar dressing + pecorino = perfection), and the pork. Everything was so delicious and flavorful. I can't wait until I can be back. read more

Went there for brunch - the ambiance and booth seating is nice and the service was friendly. Unfortunately, that's where the good part ends. The plate I got was more of boiled baby potatoes (and not the crispy breakfast potatoes | expected). I love potatoes so it was fine but it did get filling and felt like a lot. The egg was alright, nothing special. Overall a 3/10 for a brunch dish. The most annoying part came when it was time to pay. They bring the card reader directly to you which would be great except, you don't get much time to think about the tip. They also have it set up so the highest percentage of tip is on the side you'd expect to be lowest. So you don't notice the extra 3% hospitality charge and I accidentally tipped almost 100% (the dish was $11.59 the tip was $10.10). This totally ruined my experience because tipping the cost of my whole dish was not what I ever expected. That practice is disgusting, and while i would have tipped my waitress a good amount anyways, being tricked into tipping way by way of pressure and impatient shoving of the small screen in your face is not the way to go. Would not recommend and will not be returning. If you are going to go, be very careful when you go to pay. Side note for restaurants: You can bring the card reader over and let people actually go over the bill like they do in Europe, instead of just saying the total out loud and skipping right to the tip page and shoving it in their face. read more

The Publican - Crispy Potatoes - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was so disappointed. I heard great things about this place. It took about a half hour to get our food. Its a Saturday brunch so that didn't upset me. But the plate of meats/pickles came with 3 half pieces of pieces of bread. Took 20 mins to flag our server down. Then a other 20 mins to just to get BURNT toast. I told them to take it back I'll take plain bread, crackers, anything at this point after staring at a plat rod toppings for so long. $71 for a plate of toppings, a scoop of crab dip on a hash brown, one bloody Mary and a soda. I have never left a brunch hungry but I didn't even want to order anything else cause Lord knows how long it would have taken to get it read more

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This place is in the midst of the Fulton Market revival with outside seating as well as communal interior seating with heavy wood furniture harkening to European beer halls. Services was friendly and helpful with suggestions. I would definitely recommend bringing your appetite and friends here so that you can share and try all the different foods. We came through for a brunch and feasted mightedly on: Little gem lettuce salad - nice and refreshing Waffles - good stuff Shrimp and Grits - for a taste of comfort Shakshuka - sunny eggs with whipped feta and pasha pine nuts. Piri Piri Chicken Schnitzel - breaded chicken goodness Crispy potatoes - holy giant bowl of starch Batman. These were really good Maple braised publican bacon - thick cuts of pork belly glazed with sweetness We definitely took a walk around afterwards to let the food settle and to find some coffee to fend off the food coma. read more

We recently enjoyed dinner at the Publican. We were fortunate to have a sidewalk table on one of the nicer Chicago evenings. Our waiter was attentive and pleasant, making sure were comfortable with the menu selections. Great service! First of all, I have to say that this was a really nice meal. Everything was perfectly cooked and we did not leave the table hungry. We were fortunate to have the happy hour option for enjoying the frites with garlic aioli and the tomato tartine with wonderful heirloom tomatoes. The fries are out of this world!! This is not Hamburger University :) For our main course, we shared barbecued carrots, porchetta and the fish fry. Each dish was expertly cooked and presented. The only reason I am dropping a star is that I feel the portion sizes were rather small for the prices. The vegetables were plentiful, but I'm not sure the proteins were sufficient for what we paid. The meat we ordered was very good, but it wasn't enough even for a single diner. If I were to return, I would probably stick to the vegetable platters and avoid the meat entrees. In all fairness, I am going to disagree with some of the other reviews here about Public being a meat centric restaurant. You are going to have an amazing meal at Public without a single meat entree. The vegetables are just that good. If you dine here, I insist that you get an order of the barbecued carrots. This was the highlight of our meal. In fact, if you have more than four people, get two orders of them. You won't regret it. All in all, we had a wonderful meal at Public. It's a great stop in Fulton Market and a nice place to enjoy happy hour. read more

The Publican - Oh....the fries!! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing quality of food and the service was great! Cocktails and the menu selection is all well constructed and local

Family style set up, ambience was perfect for get together, service was superb, staff were attentive, and the food was amazing! read more

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The service was excellent, and I was seriously blown away by the charcuterie board, probably the best I have had anywhere. Everything was as good as when I first dined there years ago. read more

This is the restaurant across from Publican Quality Meats! Classic American fare, elevated :) Mushrooms carpaccio -- wow, not for me. it's thinly sliced mushrooms over a foie gras mousse. it felt like pieces of paper with a fatty coating on the tongue, 1/5 Burrata -- disappointed that it was half! served over grapes, 3/5 Charcuterie plate -- nothing special. I was hoping to find some favorites for purchase. Not a fan of their strawberry jam or seed mustard, 3/5 Scallops over tikka masala -- sauce is not tomato-based which threw me off. it's 3 scallops over a big ladle of puree, 3/5 Country ribs -- incredibly fatty cut, pan-seared and served with chicory/apple salad, 4/5 Apple crisp -- ice cream to crisp ratio is 4:1 which is not ideal for me! 3/5 Staff was fantastic! Attentive and chirper all around read more

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Oysters, muscles, and hamachi crudo were so fresh and flavorful. One of our guests ordered the Halibut with a side of broccolini, then remarked that the Halibut portion size was a bit small. The bread variety added the right amount of carb to the meal with the Breton butter. Individual cocktails had mixed reviews regarding a Compari & Tonic with a twist of lime was not a favorite, the ration of Compari to tonic was off. The bourbon on the rocks with large cubes and the double vodka made the grade. I wish more restaurants carried Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish gin for my martini! The table then shared a bottle of sparkling Champagne Liebart-Regnier 2022 Brut was outstanding and worth the price. The Coconut Almond Cake combination of lemon curd and grapefruit went down easily followed with a coffee with a Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac from France. Our party of 6 said they would all return to the Publican. We were the first reservation to arrived for dinner, on time. The staff at the entrance were extremely nice and welcoming. Our main waiter was not in the mood to explain anything regarding any questions on the food menu. Maybe the waiter had a hard time hearing the questions due to the echo in the dining room. The ancillary staff made up for his shortcomings. read more

Unable to add grilled chicken to my salad. No options provided by server. Don't come here if you try to eat healthy.

My boyfriend and I randomly decided to try this place for brunch. It had a decent amount of people seated both inside and outside so we figured we'd give it a try. We shared a mimosa, smoked salmon dip, and piri piri chicken schnitzel. We loved everything we ate here. We didn't have high expectations coming in but really enjoyed our delicious brunch outside. It was the perfect amount of food for the two of us. I'd recommend trying this place out if you're in the area. read more

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Publican is for people who want to eat well. Big portions, bold flavors, and everything comes out looking like it should be on a magazine cover. I'm still thinking about the pork belly and their sourdough bread. Seating is mostly long tables which I thought would be weird but it works -- it's loud and fun in a good way. read more

We had a great time at brunch at The Publican. The potatoes were an amazing side to share. Our server was really helpful and friendly. I wish they had more gluten free options. read more

The Publican - Brunch- shakshuka and potatoes - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Publican is a Colonial American-inspired beer hall with a menu of creative, chef-driven dishes made with quality, carefully sourced ingredients. To start, the Publican Bread Plate came with seeded rye and sourdough breads along with three different spreads: salted butter, pimento cheese, and my favorite, a smoked fish dip. The Charcuterie Plate came with a selection of meats from Publican Quality Meats right across the street: country pate, headcheese, pork pie, pepper salami, and mourteau sausage, served along with mustard, pickles, peppers, dried berries, and a baguette. Surprisingly, two of my favorite dishes from our meal here were the two vegetable dishes we ordered. Rather than simply being side dishes, the vegetables stood out in their own right and came in generous portion sizes. The Beets were sweet and juicy and were paired with burrata cheese, a red wine vinaigrette, and pepitas. The restaurant's signature dish was the Barbecue Carrots, made of sliced, grilled carrot sticks served with a creamy herb dressing, dill, and pecans. The carrots had a pleasantly soft texture and a flavorful spice coating that was lightly charred on the grill. Finally, we had the Halibut, which was pan-roasted and served with roasted asparagus, a green garbanzo hummus, and pistachios. Overall, the flavors of all the dishes were on point, and the presentation stood out as well, as the food was presented on dishes and cutlery with an old-world, colonial-style design. read more

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Mediocre food with small portions, very sub standard considering the high price tag. Left after the meal feeling hungry, mildly nauseated (they put so much sugar in the food, including in the meat dishes), and $100 poorer. Will not be coming back nor recommend it to anyone. Service and ambiance are fine, so it might make sense if you're not here for the food. read more

The squash was 10/10 for presentation but very underwhelming. None of the flavors really popped since squash and labneh are both pretty mild tasting. It only tasted good if I assembled each bite with the perfect amount of squash, labneh, pomegranate and cilantro. Little gem salad: SO MUCH DRESSING LIKE didn't even want to eat. It was drowned. Ham plate was ham. Beef fat fries were beef fat fries. read more

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Really nice space. The food is not for my palate, so we were only there for dessert and drinks. We had the chocolate cake and it was pretty good, but... yeah, these are the types of places that are far too fancy for me (or my wallet). Pre-pandemic, this restaurant used communal seating, so even in the four-top hightop table we were at, we might have had companions if the place started to fill up. (We were here on a Friday evening at 9 pm so we were able to get in without any wait.) I'm not sure if this has changed post-pandemic or not, though I'd suspect it has. They have a couple dining tables that are in something akin to a... pen? Like a livestock pen. Which is in keeping with the theme of the area/the butchery across the street, but something I haven't seen before. There are actual doors that close the people in those tables off in their little cubicle, though you can still see them from the head up and all. I'd actually love to sit there, as it would feel somewhat secluded and make it feel like a more private experience than it is. read more

Odd interaction upon arrival. We didn't have a reservation upon arrival and was told it would be a thirty minute wait. So we went on open table and made a reservation for immediately and got right in. Brunch was delicious...potatoes, biscuit and schnitzel! read more

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Always love coming here. Food is delicious and fresh! Service is excellent as well. Can't wait to visit again!

We came for brunch during the holidays and I was surprised on how slow it was despite the season. We arrived at our reservation time and got seated right away. The staff he was amazing from beginning to finish. They would come a refill your water and coffee at all the right times and replace the silverware as you were finish eating each entree. We started off with their aged cheddar and herb biscuit. The biscuit was served with butter and jam, but completed this biscuit perfectly. Although it was good, I'm not sure I would order it again. I ordered their Sweet Potato Hash. It was served with salsa macha, and sunny eggs and cilantro. A very simple dish with few ingredients, yes very delicious and full of flavor. The salsa had a little bit of sweet and spicy, combined with the sweetness from the sweet potato was such a perfect match. Although I would probably want to try something else, this is definitely a dish that I would order again. My wife ordered their baked ricotta dish served with their sourdough bread. It was basically ricotta cheese, topped with two sunny side eggs and two slices of sourdough bread. I will admit, at first I was like what the hell did my wife order? But like any dish that she ordered I always steal a bite. I was instantly sold after my first bite. The sourdough tasted so fresh and very flavorful. This is hands down the best sourdough bread I had ever tried. And spread some ricotta cheese on that bad boy and get a very tasteful bite. This was definitely the best dish of our meal that morning. I wouldn't hesitate ordering this for myself next time. And there will be a next time. Very very soon. read more

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Amazing food! Amazing service! Lighting and music was fantastic. I honestly dont have enough good things to say and was hands down the best restaurant we went to in Chicago!! If I could have tried everything on their menu in one sitting, I definitely would have. We easily spent 3 hours there just talking and eating and never felt rushed at all. 15/10! Definitely come check this place out! read more

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