In case you can't tell from its name, Evanston's Treble-Maker Grill at 27 Live ( 1012-1014 Church St.; 27live.com/ ) is about musicspecifically rock music.
Looking on the walls would be the second indication of the theme of this year-old venue. On the back wall of the restaurant are photos of musicians such as Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and othersperformers who all died at age 27, giving the place its name.
However, you also have a concert space that can accommodate hundreds ( and which hosts everything from shows to college gatheringsNorthwestern University is nearbyto bar mitzvahs ); an upstairs jazz lounge that hosts smaller shows and trivia contests; and three convertible VIP areas.
However, with Savor being a food column, I should talk about 27 Live's culinary fare. I have to admit I had reservations ( no pun intended ) about going to a "theme" restaurantbut my fears were allayed once I sipped a very refreshing and tasty concoction called a Yellow Submarine. ( My dining companion had a Summertime, and seemed to really like his selection as well. )
Perusing the menu may elicit everything from groans to laughs. Offerings include the Phish Sandwich ( salmon ), the Elvis Presley ( a sandwich with creamy peanut butter, fresh banana and applewood-smoked bacon on Texas toast ), the Kid Rock salad ( which comes with Michigan sour cherries, marking Rock's home state ) and my favorite: a dessert item called Chuck Berries.
We started with the Wild Thing sausage platean exotic combination that features duck-and-foie gras, elk apple pear and crawfish sausage. While we both liked all of them, I feel the duck-and-foie gras ( with a hint of sweetness that the fruit relish accentuated ) had the edge. We also tried the poutine ( no special name ), which was solid.
I heartily recommend the burgers/sandwiches. I ordered The 27 Burger, which features a feta cheese-stuffed lamb burger with tomato, arugula, tzatziki and red onion on a brioche roll. My friend ordered the Juicy Lucy in the Sky, a cheese-stuffed burger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion and mayo on a brioche roll. While it may sound run-of-the-mill, the "Juicy Lucy" more than lived up to its name. And if you have room, you can try a post-entree item such as the Sympathy for the Devila towering and tantalizing slice of devil's food cake with chocolate frosting and whipped cream.
I also have to give a special shout-out to George Ginakakis, who was extremely attentive and made sure all of our requests were handled. The only reason I was hesitant about returning was the distance from my homebut I was gently reminded that it's only a half-hour journey on Metra. So it looks like I'll be going backa good time is practically guaranteed.