Boy, has Villains ( 730 S. Clark St.; Villainschicago.com ) undergone a renovation.
Initially, Villains was, essentially, a dive bar. ( Manager Marco Silva informed Savor that the establishment's name originated with its first location in 2007, saying it felt like the type of place where Villains would hang out because it was very unassuming. )
Now, it's a midscale restaurant with industrial decor, with Silva sayingand citing his fine-dining backgroundthat there wasn't that type of business in the neighborhood.
However, the newest Villains ( which reopened last May ) has retained at least one aspect of the older incarnation: an impressive beer list. Forty are on tap, including New Holland Ichabod, Alpine Pure Hoppiness, Founders Imperial Stout 2014 and Southern Tier Pumking. However, there are also some tasty cocktails, as the Sake To Me ( gin, sake and lemon ) and the Villains Punch ( rum, grenadine and bitters ) exemplified.
It would also be wise to check out the food. I genuinely enjoyed appetizers such as the beef tongue sandwich ( but steer clear of those jalapenos if you're not a fan of heat ), heirloom apple salad ( endive, ricotta, hazelnuts, and cider vinaigrettealthough a little vinaigrette goes a long way ) and, my favorite, the grilled milk-braised pork belly ( which melts in your mouth ), accompanied by salted, roasted sweet potatoes and charred herb salsa.
The entrees are pretty enticing, too. Chef Dennis Stover merges roasted winter squash, crispy Brussels sprouts and broth into a hearty and delicious melange. The pan-seared scallops were also done well and the Villains burger ( the only burger holdover from the older Villains ) is one of the better I've had recently; it boasts North Country bacon, aged cheddar, B&B pickles, smoked red onion and beef-fat mayo.
Make room for dessert, though. There's only one item, but it's a doozy: Using his grandmother's recipe, Stover has a buttermilk pie that adds heirloom apples and beer "jam." This eight-dollar item isas I like to sayworth the price of admission alone.
Note: Villains will institute a Sunday brunch starting on Easter, March 27.