I have learned over many years and many tasting menus to be suspicious of any meal that seems like “too much of a good thing.”
Pop-Up
If Next has done anything well, it has been to demonstrate that there is an appetite for more of Charlie Trotter. Through this residency, the restaurant has also affirmed that effectively imitating this old master is anything but a foregone conclusion.
Thattu is an interesting neighborhood place that is not ready for the big time. It is arguably not even ready for the small time, and you wonder when—if ever—the restaurant will live up to a reputation that almost seemed predetermined before opening.
Jinsei Motto forms a valuable addition to Chicago’s sushi scene. It is the approachable, irreverent entry point to the genre, and one that—with such a clear, undeluded sense of self—you find rather refreshing.
CLAUDIA offers Chicago’s newest tasting menu, and, at $185 for a 10-course menu, the restaurant is clearly competing with “big dogs” like Smyth and Acadia.