An "Epic" Review - By D.C. Crenshaw

Sunday, January 24, 2010

After a disappointing experience at the grand opening of the new restaurant Epic, in the downtown River North area of Chicago, I was a little hesitant to return for dinner. The event that evening was far too crowded and a little unorganized that left me pondering the concept of the new hot spot. I didn’t know whether they it was a club or a restaurant, so I decided to go back and check it out, after receiving a sincere message from their Maitre D'.

Upon arrival, I again had the same thoughts. Is Epic a club or a restaurant? But as soon as we were seated in the main dining area, the concept became very clear. The downstairs bar area provides more of a lounge atmosphere with hip music, couches and hi top bar seating. The upstairs space is where the feasting takes place. The entire place is massive complete with two levels, and a rooftop terrace. Epic’s design is simple and straightforward. The architecture has a loft like appearance with elements of exposed brick, steel and concrete. It didn’t wow me, but it got my attention.

Epic’s dinner menu is filled with beef, chicken, pork and fish entrées. Seafood items plaster most of the appetizer section and they have a nice selection of salads and side dishes to choose from. Since I’m a connoisseur of lamb shanks, I opted for the “Spiced Lamb Shank” entrée. Our waiter assured me that their lamb shank would be right up there with the best that I’ve had. Well, I wouldn’t necessarily give it those props, but it was definitely tender and succulent. The combination of spices complemented the shank and the lamb jus was pungently flavorful without sweetness. My dinner guests enjoyed the “Chilean Sea Bass” and “Salt Crusted Market Fish For Two” entrées. The presentations for both dishes were done well. The “Brussels Sprouts” side dish prepared with bacon, honey and chestnuts tempted my taste buds. The sweet and savory combination helped me forget that I was eating brussels sprouts for a moment, but sprouts are sprouts.

Dinner was capped with dessert. The “Chocolate” and “Pumpkin & White Chocolate” desserts were sampled. The former consisted of flourless cake, mousse and hot fudge, and the latter was made with toasted white chocolate cake, roasted pumpkin ice cream and chestnut caramel. Both desserts were solid, but didn’t have me licking the plate. The service started off a little slow, but picked up as the dinner progressed. The atmosphere was festive, which helped the cocktails to flow more readily, although, I wouldn’t recommend Epic for a quiet evening at dinner. Expect to drop $50 per person on dinner before getting your keys back from the valet and be prepared to hang out for after dinner cocktails in the downstairs bar area. Overall Epic’s cuisine was solid with a good atmosphere and decent service. Below are my Tru ratings.

My rating system is named after my son Tru. Tru means “loyal” and “honest” which my ratings reflect. The six “Tru” rating categories are denoted by a full upper case “T”. They are rated on a scale of 1 to 4 “T’s” with 1 being the lowest and 4 being the highest.

1.) Palate – Cuisine quality.

2.) Assist Me – Refers to the level of service at the restaurant.

3.) Buzz Factor – Relates to drinks and the cocktail menu.

4.) Pretty People – Determines the ambiance and vibe of the restaurant.

5.) Pocket Change, Checking or Savings – Indicates the cost of an average dinner. Pocket Change ($10 - $15 per entrée) Checking ($15 - $25 per entrée) Savings ($25 - $35 per entrée)

6.) I’ll Be Back – Our overall dining experience at the restaurant


Epic Restaurant
Palate – TT
Assist Me – TT
Buzz Factor – TTt
Pretty People – TTT
Pocket Change, Checking or Savings - SAVINGS
I’ll Be Back – TTt

Epic Restaurant is located at 112 W. Hubbard St. downtown Chicago. www.epicrestaurantchicago.com.

Labels: chicago dining, chicago restaurants, dc crenshaw, epic restaurant, fete select tv, fine dining, river north chicago, tru ratings

The Real Deal on the New River North Sports Bar Bull & Bear

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Upscale tends to be the trend in sports bars these days. Or at least the hope is to attract a more sophisticated and trendy crowd that would typically choose a hipper environment to spend their Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights. The new River North sports bar, Bull and Bear, not only lures the hipsters, but attracts businessmen and women during the lunch hour.

The name Bull and Bear obviously recognizes two of Chicago's major sports teams, but also refers to the financial world and appeals to the CBOT crowd. The restaurant has a nice layout and designs, but can get a little too close for comfort when crowded. After talking with a few friends about the menu, I wanted to see if their food matched the upscale vibe. Well, let's just say that it didn't measure up.

The Bull and Bear menu has a ton of starters, salads, main courses, sides and short order options. There are a plethera of burgers and sandwiches to choose from as well as a few non bar food entrees. The "Onion Tower" and "Sweet Potato Fries" were typical. Nothing great, but nothing bad about either dish. The “Lobster Bisque” was deemed to be a signature item and would have been if it wasn't served luke warm. The "Double Cut Grilled Pork Chop" was a little dry and didn't live up to the waitresses billing, but my dining guest really enjoyed his "Pulled Hammy" pork sliders. We were graciously served with a sampling of all of their desserts, which consisted of a chocolate chip cookie draped in vanilla ice cream, cinnamon doughnut holes with three different dipping sauces, peanut butter bread pudding, and a "Thrilla in Vanilla" shake with Filandia Vodka and Godiva Dark Vanilla Royale. They were all savory, but I wouldn't necessarily have paired peanut butter and bread pudding together. The service started off sketchy, due to a mishap with my reservation, but the owner and waitress attempted to make up for it. Don't expect upscale service during crowded nights though, because it is still, however, a sports bar.

A unique feature to Bull and Bear are their 5 premiere booths with Personal Table Taps. Each booth has two taps (1 domestic, 1 import) that dispenses beer, which is recorded on a meter at the table. The goal is to allow guests to pay-as-they-pour and enjoy a no-wait standard of service. This feature should be a big hit for beer lovers.

Bull and Bear has only been open for about 3 weeks, so they may still be working out the kinks. Although they didn't meet my dining experience expectations for what they deem as an "exclusive luxury sports bar", I may give them another shot once the madd rush dies down.

Bull and Bear is located 431 N. Wells St. For more information log onto www.bullbearbar.com

Labels: beer table taps, bull and bear chicago, chicago bars, chicago dining, chicago restaurants, dc crenshaw, fete select tv, luxury, nbc chicago, river north chicago, sports bars

20 Regions of Italy in River North's Ristorante Prosecco

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

A trip to Italy may not be on your travel agenda in the near future, especially with the state of the economy. However, thanks to a new River North Italian hot spot, you can experience Venice, Italy right here in Chicago. Ristorante Prosecco is a chic yet unpretentious white table cloth restaurant in the heart of the River North gallery district. Prosecco offers sophisticated, regional comfort foods from Italy's 20 regions, as well as the largest selection of Italian sparkling wine in Chicago. The interior of the restaurant was designed based on the beauty of Venice and the and the soft color of a glass of Proseco.

Executive Chef Mark Sparacino created Prosecco's menu to be seasonal and offer the finest foods from Italy. Their appetizer, salad and entree selections are plentiful and done very well. An appetizer menu favorite is the Capesanto con Brasato, a diver scallop stuffed with braised short rib of beef served on a bed of saffron risotto, shitake mushrooms and carrots. Their house made pasta and risotto are remarkably savory and popular. A couple of their notable pasta dishes are the Orecchiette Tartufate, served with wild mushroom, artichoke heart, sun-dried tomato, and black truffle cream and their Roasted Duck and Goat Cheese-Filled Ravioli. Proseco's meat and fish dishes such as the Full Rack of Lamb and Pistachio Crusted Halibut keep customers returning for more. The Tiramasu and Torta di Mele, a baked apple layered pastry tart, are two of at least six house made desserts that Prosecco offers.

Prosecco's extensive wine list is divided into two categories, sparkling and still. They offer some of the best and finest Italian wines in the country. They are Chicago's first proseccheria, a wine bar devoted to the enjoyment of Italian sparkling wine. Prosecco is planning to host several Italian sparkling wine dinners to showcase their flavor and versatility.

Ristorante Prosecco is located at 710 N. Wells St. in the River North gallery district. They are open for lunch and dinner. Check out Ristorante Prosecco at www.ristoranteprosecco.com. As always, watch Fete Select TV to check out the newest and best restaurants in Chicago.

Labels: chicago dining, chicago gallery district, chicago restaurants, dc crenshaw, fete chicago, fete select tv, italian food, new restaurants, ristorante proseco, river north chicago