Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
include ragout of leek confit, braised carrots, salsify, and cauliflower with Perig-
ord black-truffle emulsion; and black buck venison with Japanese
kumai
(jasmine
rice cake and red-wine Kalamata olive emulsion). Be prepared to linger; dinner
here can take up to 3 hours. The dining room may be formal, but overall attitude
is not intimidating. The wine list is extensive, and a sommelier is on hand to help
match wines with each course. The entire restaurant is nonsmoking.
For a taste of Trotter's gourmet fare without the high price tag, check out
Trotter's to Go,
his new gourmet food store in Lincoln Park at 1337 W. Fuller-
ton Ave. (
&
773/868-6510
).
816 W. Armitage Ave. (at Halsted St.).
&
773/248-6228.
www.charlietrotters.com. Reservations required.
Jackets required, ties requested. Fixed-price menus $90 and $110. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Tues-Sat 6-10pm.
Subway/El: Brown Line to Armitage.
Geja's Cafe
FONDUE A dark, subterranean hideaway, Geja's (pro-
nounced gay-
haz
) regularly shows up on lists of the most romantic restaurants
in Chicago (cozy couples should request a booth off the main dining room). But
the interior might strike some as too gloomy—and the cook-it-yourself tech-
nique here won't appeal to anyone who wants to sit back and be pampered. If
there are at least two in your party (all main courses are served for two or more),
choose the Prince Geja's combination dinner, the best Geja's has to offer. The
meal begins with a Gruyère cheese fondue appetizer with apple wedges and
chunks of dark bread. Next, a huge platter arrives, brimming with squares of
beef tenderloin, lobster tails, jumbo shrimp, chicken breast, and scallops—all
raw—and a caldron of boiling oil to cook them in. These delicacies are accom-
panied by a variety of raw vegetables, and eight different dipping sauces. When
the flaming chocolate fondue arrives for dessert, with fresh fruit and pound cake
for dipping and marshmallows for roasting, you'll want to beg for mercy.
One
word of caution:
You have to work for your fondue—keeping track of how long
each piece of meat has been cooking—and aroma of cooking oil that fills the
restaurant might bother some sensitive noses.
340 W. Armitage Ave. (between Lincoln Ave. and Clark St.).
&
773/281-9101.
Reservations accepted every
day except late Fri-Sat. 3-course dinners $20-$39 per person. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 5-10:30pm;
Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-12:30am; Sun 4:30-10pm. Subway/El: Brown Line to Armitage. Bus: 22.
North Pond
AMERICAN Tucked away in Lincoln Park, North
Pond is a hidden treasure. There are no roads leading here—you must follow a path
to reach the restaurant, which was formerly a warming hut for ice skaters. The
building's Arts and Crafts-inspired interior blends perfectly with the park outside,
and a recently added glass-enclosed addition lets you dine “outside” all year long.
In keeping with the natural setting, chef Bruce Sherman emphasizes organic,
locally grown ingredients and favors simple preparations—although the overall
result is definitely upscale (at these prices, it better be). Examples of seasonal
menu items include herbed Parmesan gnocchi with braised rabbit, fava beans,
asparagus, Wisconsin ramps, and lovage (a celerylike green); poached farm-fresh
egg with wilted baby spinach and lemon-caviar butter sauce; and grilled sea scal-
lops with orange-Parmesan grain salad, glazed organic baby carrots, and spiced
lobster sauce. For dessert, try mango “soup” with banana mousse and candied
hazelnuts. To enjoy the restaurant's setting with a slightly lower price tag, try the
fixed-price Sunday brunch ($28). The all-American wine list of 100 or so selec-
tions focuses on boutique vintners.
2610 N. Cannon Dr. (south of Diversey Pkwy.).
&
773/477-5845.
www.northpondrestaurant.com. Reserva-
tions recommended. Main courses $24-$30. AE, DC, MC, V. Tues-Sat 5:30-10pm; Sun 11am-2pm and
5:30-10pm. Bus: 151.
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