I read a recent review in another publication of Southport & Irving (4002-04 N. Southport Ave.; www.southportandirving.com ) that basically stated the eatery is a neighborhood bar that's probably just good for locals and not for tourists. Well, after having been there, I respectfully disagreeI feel that tourists will definitely feel the bistro is worth the excursion.
Something I could appreciate initially was how accommodating the servers were (and they weren't this way just with my friend and me). When I stated I wanted something cool to drink, Matt suggested an Arnold Palmer with a touch of vodkaand he even had the bartender adjust the drink when I deemed it too strong. My friend took advantage of Southport's extensive wine list and ordered the Hitching Post pinot noir, which she said was quite delicious. (By the way, bottles of wine are half their normal prices on Thursdays.)
Then, there's the food. Overall, the contemporary American fare in the former Deleece space was impressive.
We ordered Frankie's mac 'n cheese (which blends cheddar and Maytag blue cheese with scallions and bacon lardon), which was quite tasty. However, for me the highlight was the basil pesto flatbread with grilled vegetables and provolone. The Southport salad and vegetable caprese were also pleasant.
My friend absolutely loved the scallops (and she has very high standards when it comes to those shellfish), which come with seasonal risotto. I decided to go with the duck lasagna; those fowl can be tricky to cook, but Southport did the bird justice on that night. (Among the other entrees the restaurant offers are salmon, honey-brined pork chop, a vegetable basket and braised beef cheeks.)
Of course, we couldn't leave without trying dessertand we're both glad we did. The caramel apple bread pudding was just right, even regarding texture, and the flourless chocolate cake was miles ahead of what some eateries offer.
As an aside, my dining companion and I went on one of those 100-degree days Chicago had earlier this summer. Something we both appreciated was the air-conditioning, although it wasn't where you felt you walked from Saudi Arabia directly into Siberia; it was a gradual coolmuch like the atmosphere Southport & Irving exudes as a whole, even down to the musicians who perform there.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Kanela (3231 N. Clark St.; www.kanelacafe.com ). I had heard lots of good things about itbut sometimes expectations can be raised so much that one can't help but be let down when the experience happens.
I'm happy to report that the restaurant lives up to the hype (at least regarding breakfastI'm looking forward to trying its new dinner menu).
First of all, if having Kanela's monkeybread is wrong, I don't want to be right. It's sweet, but not too muchand it comes with honey butter. Even if you're carb-phobic, you may want to sample this one.
Items are divided into "sweet" and "savory," so something is bound to appeal to everyone. My friend and I both ordered from the latter; he got the spicy feta omelet while I tried the duck confit hash. (Between Southport & Irving, Frontier [covered in the July 18 issue] and Kanela, I was on a bit of a duck run.) We were both quite happy with our selections. I thought the duck was tender, and that the sunny-side eggs and orange truffle vinaigrette balanced it quite nicely.
"Sweet" items include red velvet French toast, bacon waffles and banana split crepes, among others. I definitely plan on returning to taste one (or two) of those.
Something else that appealed to me was the list of juices (or juice blends). The "strawberry + apple + banana" was wonderful, but there are several other fruit juice combinations to savor. However, for coffee aficionados, there's a nice list of items, including peppermint mocha.
The décor is rather chic and understated, which I can definitely appreciate. It's also a little small, which I bet makes for a long wait for Sunday brunch. However, the wait is definitely worth it.