This was our first time here, and we came to celebrate a birthday. We had noted it in the…read morereservation and also had a conversation about it with our server. We were a little surprised when nothing was done for it, which isn't a big deal, but I'll be honest it was disappointing since we did come specifically to celebrate and had talked about it w our server. 3/5 Arancini - Very salty. None of us really enjoyed them because of that. They also came out lukewarm instead of hot. Would have been excellent if it was less salty and came out hot and crispy. 5/5 Fig & Mushroom (subbed for prosciutto) - The menu doesn't specify how the fig is served. Turned out to be fig jam rather than fresh fig, which wasn't what we expected. A little too sweet for me but overall still very much enjoyed it. Their pizza was cooked perfectly with enough toppings and cheese. Very good pizza! 5/5 Braised Short Rib + Polenta - so good! The short rib was excellent, just slightly salty. The polenta was perfect, and it came with a generous portion of wild mushrooms. 2/5 White Wine Cake (recommended as "unique") by our server - This was the most disappointing meal item. Our waitress told us it was special, but it was very bland and didn't match the description or image on their website. Their website showed a cake with a large scoop of ice cream on top, fair amount of whipped cream and raspberry sauce. Ours came with maybe a quarter of the size of that ice cream scoop, a little teaspoon dollop of whipped cream that you eat in one bite and the raspberry sauce was a tiny smear on bottom for decor but there wasn't enough to actually eat it. The cake itself was moist but lacked flavor. It took a really long time to come out, we thought perhaps they forgot, then forgetting we were celebrating a birthday on top of that was disappointing. Atmosphere - Beautiful space, very well done. The only issue is how close the tables are, you can't pull your chair back without hitting someone, and getting to the bathroom requires asking others to move because of how tight the layout is. Overall, we really enjoyed it and would return. While there were a few dishes we wouldn't order again, and others we would. Would love to try the wild mushroom pizza next time! The only thing was that since we had come to celebrate a birthday and didn't end up doing that, the night felt a little less special than we had expected--but still a nice experience overall.

I'm glad I finally got to check this place out, as I've been curious about it for some time. This…read moreplace is swanky and sophisticated, and a nice addition to the Park Ridge restaurant scene. I came to meet some folks and we sat at the bar. They have an extensive beverage program here, including mocktails, and that's what I settled on. I got one called Strawberry-Basil something, and it was so good. The strawberry-basil shrub was a key ingredient, and I don't get to a lot of places that use a shrub in their drinks. There was definitely a STRONG vinegar taste but for me, that was great. I also ordered a pasta dish, orecchiette and sausage with peas and a sweet, creamy sauce. Orecchiette and sausage are such a classic combo and I hadn't had this sauce before; it was a pleasant dish and was perfectly al dente. Service was good for the bar area. There's parking around, both in the lot right outside and the public parking lot below. And then of course there's the lots by the library and whatnot, so you should be able to find something.

We've heard very good things about Patina and we're excited to try it tonight. As soon as we…read morewalked in the staff was very kind and attentive. We love the ambiance of the restaurant. It's very peaceful, romantic and a calm atmosphere. All of the food was delicious. The plating is so attractive! The dishes have great flavor but are healthier options. The portion sizes were perfect for what we desired. I'm not exaggerating when I say this was the best branzino I've ever had. The skin was crunchy and delicious. But the fish was not dry at all! There's nothing better than a juicy branzino fish and chef Jose nailed it! Matching with the sauce and beans was so much better than any other veggies or starch. The octopus was also cooked to perfection. The flavor and temperature was just right. Not too hot and such a great texture. We don't always order desserts but we had to see every course of the menu. We decided to go with a lava cake and it did not disappoint. It had that perfect contrast of hot and cold but it's served with gelato which gives it a nice touch of texture compared to standard ice cream. Chef Jose came out and introduced himself. We came in because we were enticed by a beef tartare that was on their menu in the past. We're hoping he brings it back on a special sometime soon. He said to give him a call and he'll try to accommodate whenever possible to make his customers happy. What an amazing restaurant. We cannot wait to come back and see what's new. Thank you for an amazing dinner and night!

Revisited after the full kitchen moved here from their other location. A superb experience! Our…read moreserver was incredibly attentive and friendly. The vibe here definitely meets a park ridge niche that nothing else does - intimate but elevated, a great date night place. Excellent cocktails and decent portions. Tuna tower was a fun app and we ordered lamb chops and a pasta for our mains. My only wish is that they had a slightly larger menu. I hope they add to it or do seasonal offerings because the selection is not too large and we pretty much maxed out what we'd be interested in trying in one visit. But they did it well and we enjoyed the Valentine's Day touched around the restaurant!

What an amazing find! Perfect before a show! Def will be back!…read more Service and food were great!!

What a wonderful spot downtown in Des Plaines! A solid wine selection by the glass or bottle and…read moreyou can buy a bottle to take home too (they offer food as well but we just stopped in for a drink so I can't speak to the food). They have monthly feature wines and since it was our first time the employees were very patient and helpful explaining how the monthly tasting works. If you sign up with your phone number at checkout and are buying a bottle of wine they'll be able to tell you next time what you previously purchased in case you forget and want to buy another. Cozy atmosphere with couches/chairs and some high tops. Would suggest a reservation if you go on the weekend!

I think this is what people mean when they say something is a hidden gem. Apéro has an incredible…read morewine and vermouth selection, tasty small bites, and great cocktails. Above all, the staff here is fantastic! They're super friendly and also knowledgeable about everything on offer. I love this place but get here early as it gets packed.

Intimate wine bar with the friendliest staff. Super helpful with choosing a wine based on our…read morepreferences and I believe they rotate through bottles fairly quick as I was also here maybe a month or two before so definitely a variety. Winery rep from Michigan happened to be there and it was a good time trying various wines. The snacks offered were also a treat, really enjoyed the chimi potatoes. Perfect spot to end the night.

A cute, intimate place off the beaten path for a really good glass of wine and relaxation. We had…read morenever been here and happened to see it driving by. Reviews were good so we came in on a Monday evening. The interior is so cute! Velvety comfy green chairs at the wine bar, smaller lounge tables and couches in the rest of the place. There is a separate room for gaming. We sat at the bar and were warmly greeted by Aria L. She was so courteous and helpful, offering us suggestions on the wines and snacks. They have a great happy hour from 4-7p for $20 wine bottle which is fantastic. The house white was good, although they ran out after a glass and I went for the Simi sauvignon blanc which was so good. The parmesan truffle fries are a MUST. Just $8.99 for a nice sized bowl of crisp, tasty fries with fresh parmesan shaved on top. MM! I had the 12" cheese lovers pizza which had burrata cheese on top oh my GOSH that is gooooood. It's rich so I had plenty of leftovers for the next day. My friend got the 12" Diavola pizza which she loved. My other friend got the Italian panini ($13.99) which he said he was not that crazy about, but he did enjoy the atmosphere and the Guiness. It is a chill place to have a nice conversation without having to compete with loud music or chatter. We are planning to revisit the next time I am here, this was a very enjoyable evening.

Super impressed with this new place in town. We went for a glass of wine and some small plates. The…read moreservice was outstanding warm and friendly. The place was relaxing and cozy and welcoming. I do have to say I hated the slots, but that seems to be the thing in North Riverside now. They're turning into a mini Vegas. I will return and sit outside. I need to try the coffee next !

Great food, great service, from wait staff to delivery and buss people. Place was full for Saturday…read moremorning brunch/ lunch.

Cozy spot to enjoy some French cuisine in Edison Park. During my visit, the spot was quite popular…read moreso it was difficult to enjoy a casual, quiet meal -- though the decor, service, and overall ambiance do lend itself to a more unique experience if the restaurant were a bit less busy. The service was surprisingly reasonable despite the amount of patrons inside, friendly and the waitress stopped by periodically to check on us. Menu is not as adventurous as I've seen at some French restaurants, a bit different from still mostly familiar -- which can be good to appeal to a wider set of diners. I tried several different items including the Touche Toast, Cinnamon Apple Pancakes, and Gaufres Au Poulet Frite. I found in each of these, the textures were alright and the flavors were not too different from what I would expect from other brunch restaurants. Portion sizes were alright, as the meal wasn't overly expensive. If I had ordered items with more French influence, this may have been a better gauge of the food here. With that said, the uniqueness of the offerings here make me interested in a return visit. Overall, neat spot if you're looking for French style cuisine at reasonable prices.

I had my birthday dinner at this place and it was great all around. The food was outstanding- get…read morethe lobster! Highly recommended!

I had the pleasure to dine at Penumbra on a Thursday evening. We were celebrating a graduation and…read morethe staff were very welcoming when we arrived. I was visiting from out of town and was not familiar with the parking around the area. I asked one of the staff members and immediately they reassured me that the side street would raking was totally fine to park just so long as it wasn't the front of the building where you have to pay. The food started with a complementary potato soup which was flavorful and lovely. We got a round of drinks and one of our party didn't care for her drink and it was replaced no question. We had the flat iron steak, the chicken, and the salmon and each entree was wonderful. The proteins were all very tender and juicy. I was also very pleased with the salad that came first which was lightly dressed and very seasonal. We finished our dining experience with a slice of cheesecake. It was a nice cap to the end of a wonderful meal. I would recommend this restaurant for any occasion - I would love to come back and try some of the other items on their menu.

Met up with a friend and thoroughly enjoyed the drinks and space. I was pleasantly surprised that…read moreDeep Red carries my favorite NA brand, NON. The barista was friendly and let me try a few new flavors in addition to recommending a pear cider that was absolutely jammy, pear forward, and lovely. Great space that allowed for intimate convo and the barista swung by our table a few times to top off our water and check in on us.

Great little spot to try and/or buy some nice wines. My only reasons for not giving it 5 stars are…read more1) It's a quaint place great for a date, except the music is too loud. With such a small number of tables we shouldn't have to be leaning across the table for casual conversation, and 2) The owner (I think he was the owner anyway), doesn't seem very pleasant or friendly. He's knowledgeable about his wines, and will discuss them with you whether buying glasses or bottles, but doesn't make you feel particularly warm or welcome at his establishment. Bring down the music just one notch, and be more friendly and outgoing, and this place would be awesome.

I cook a lot, grew up with a mother who was known in her circles as a great homecook, and I often…read moreenjoy foods from around the world. I've had Georgian food once before, in Los Angeles. I went with two friends to Metekhi. We focused on the vegetarian dishes this time (though we eat everything), and got the cold appetizer combo along with a tomato/cucumber salad; another cold appetizer with eggplant; a hot bean stew and another hot main course with mushrooms, potatoes and a little tomato sauce. The food was wonderful, and these days where you often get ripped off for really mediocre food, I was pleasantly surprised. Each dish was prepared with a lot of love and care, well seasoned, NOT overusing oil, butter or salt, and also beautifully presented. The herbal seasonings were unusual to me, but delicious. They have a lot of vegetarian/vegan options, which is really cool because I expected a menu with cuisine from this part of the world to be very heavy on meat and starches (I'm half-Polish, have been to Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic, and have tried other Eastern European and Central Asian cuisines). The decor is also really cozy and nicely decorated to convey the vibes of Georgia. Amazing how the inside of these strip malls can be transformed. Come and support this new gem in Skokie/Skevanston. I really want them to succeed, because sometimes I shake my head at what places fill crowds and get great ratings in this area. Metekhi is genuinely good. It's not cheap, but as bagel joints can charge nearly $15 for a sandwich today, it's seems to be the sad times we're in, so you want a memorable experience incl. food/service/ambience. Metekhi delivers on all three. Sharing a few dishes here with friends is a good idea.

This is a great spot for a special occasion. If you're a fan of Georgian food, you really should…read morecheck this place out. The ajaruli khachapuri is truly excellent. We didn't love the pkhlovana version as much, but it was still very good (just a lot of onion flavor when we ordered). While super basic, their fried potatoes are insanely good. I'd also recommend any stew on the menu. They have a great selection of Georgian wines as well, which I highly recommend. For those who don't drink alcohol, they offer a wide variety of compotes as well. The decor/ambiance is very Eastern European. There is a coat check at the entrance which is very handy. Service is very friendly, but they have seemed understaffed the times we've gone. It did take some time to get the waitress' attention, but it also seemed that she was the only one taking orders from several tables. Definitely a slower service, but it's good for large groups to talk over a great meal.

Foremost is true to name. It has a HUGE selection of wines and spirits from around the world. They…read morehave everything under the sky from Two Buck Chuck to $300+ bottles of bubbly. They also carry a wide range of beer. There's something for everyone! I'm a huge fan of the Eastern European wines. They have 'em! Greek, Bosnian, Montenegrin, Romanian, Russian. Everything is priced to sell. You'd be hard-pressed to find anything over $14 in that section. I highly recommend the Bulgarian Bear's Blood. Not sure what to get or on a budget? Take a gamble! I suggest checking out the "Adult Ball Pit of Beverages" as Maria F. and I have dubbed it. It's their giant clearance bin of wines found at the end of the farthest aisle. The parking lot is a clusterf*ck. You're probably better off finding a street spot.

Foremost has an exceptional selection of beer, liquor and wine. The staff there is almost friendly…read moreand helpful to a fault, and their prices are absolutely reasonable. They are willing to order something that they don't have, and will often make recommendations on what might go well with a liquor, etc. I can't stress how excellent their selection of foreign liquors is, and only with they carried a slightly wider selection of imported beer. Quality.