Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Meritage Café and Wine Bar
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN Mer-
itage opened a few years back with an emphasis on Pacific Northwest cuisine;
with a change in chefs, the menu selections have become more broad. Nonethe-
less, the lovely decor remains the draw for me. The front room, with tables oppo-
site a long wood bar, has the feel of a hip wine bar. But the best place to sit is the
romantic patio, lit by overhead lights; the entire space is covered and heated in
winter, so you don't have to wait for good weather to enjoy the atmosphere.
The menu offers a fair variety of seafood (ahi tuna, crab, scallops) and wild
game shows up both in entrees and appetizers (the grilled ostrich with bacon,
Brussels sprouts, and brie is a good off-the-beaten-path choice). Many entrees put
a modern twist on the meat-starch-vegetable formula: Roast duck breast is served
with mashed potatoes and green beans, topped with a kumquat-cherry reduction.
An apple caramel Dutch pancake and chocolate mousse cake are among the com-
fort-food desserts. Don't forget to try a glass of the restaurant's namesake wine;
the servers can also point the way to the best food-wine pairings.
2118 N. Damen Ave.
&
773/235-6434.
www.meritagecafe.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses
$16-$28. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 5:30-10pm; Fri-Sat 5:30-11pm; Sun 11am-2pm and 5-9pm. Subway/El:
Blue Line to Damen.
Mirai Sushi
SUSHI/JAPANESE Blending a serious devotion to sushi
and sake with a decidedly youthful, funky-chic ambience, Mirai is one hot des-
tination for cold raw fish (it serves other Japanese fare as well). The futuristic sec-
ond-floor sake lounge is the hippest place in town to slurp down sushi, chilled
sakes, and “red ones,” the house cocktail of vodka with passion fruit, lime, and
cranberry juices. The bright, smoke-free main-floor dining room offers a com-
paratively traditional environment.
Fish is flown in daily for the sushi bar, where several chefs are hard at work
master-crafting a lovely list of offerings—from the beginner sushi standards such
as California roll and
ebi
(boiled shrimp) to escalating classifications of tuna,
three additional shrimp varieties, five types of salmon, a half-dozen varieties of
fresh oysters, and a tantalizing list of four caviars (in addition to the four roes
offered). The informative sake menu of about a dozen selections opens up a new
world to diners accustomed to the generic carafe of heated sake.
2020 W. Division St.
&
773/862-8500.
Reservations recommended. Sushi $1.75-$4 per piece. AE, DC, DISC,
MC, V. Sun-Wed 5-10pm; Thurs-Sat 5-11pm. Upstairs lounge open until 2am. Subway/El: Blue Line to Division.
Spring
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN This former Russian bath-
house has been transformed into an oasis of Zen calm and soothing, neutral col-
ors. Chef Shawn McClain is Chicago's newest culinary celebrity, and his
restaurant has been attracting national attention since it opened in 2001. Spring
is not a scene; diners step down into a dining room hidden from the street, sink
into the banquettes that zigzag across the center of the room, and concentrate
on the food. Unlike other chefs who feel pressured to keep outdoing themselves,
McClain sticks to a focused menu, with a heavy emphasis on seafood and pan-
Asian preparations. Appetizers include an aromatic lemon grass-red curry broth
with rice noodles, and sea scallop-and-potato ravioli with sautéed mushrooms
and truffle essence. Most of the entrees are seafood-based: New Zealand snap-
per with lemon couscous and fennel salad, or the braised baby monkfish and
escargots with roasted eggplant in smoked tomato bouillon, for example.
Among the nonfish options, beef short-rib pot stickers spiced up with Korean
seasonings stand out. Desserts also go the Asian route, focusing on seasonal
