I thought my days of actually being able to enjoy a meal that is served in a club-like atmosphere—with a DJ playing songs by bands I don't know and hipsters drinking PBR, not because they have to but because they want to—were long gone. Well, either I've still got it or The Bedford manages to pull off the impossible. This place is at once a restaurant where thirtysomethings want to pay big bucks for swanky farm-to-table style cuisine and a cool lounge where twenty-somethings want to drink until 2 a.m. Everyone wins. Well, at least everyone under age 40.
Located at the corner of North Avenue and Division Street in Wicker Park, The Bedford occupies a basement that used to be a bank. Original vault doors and a dark, sexy lounge lined with shiny copper safe-deposit boxes make you feel like you're hanging out in an old-timey bank after business hours. If the restaurant banged you over the head with the bank theme, it would be tedious, but it doesn't, so the space feels cool rather than contrived.
Behind the scenes is Chef Mark Steuer, who put in time at Hot Chocolate and The Gage—and his culinary experience is evident at The Bedford. The menu uses 1920s supper-club staples as a jumping off point ( think steaks, oysters and deviled eggs ), but Steuer brings his food firmly into the 21st century with some clever but subtle updates. The deviled eggs are sprinkled with bacon powder and the gnocchi gets mixed with black kale.
While cocktails are front and center here, the drink list is short. The cucumber cooler is made with either vodka or gin, Aperol, lime and fresh cucumber. It was light and refreshing on an unseasonably warm early autumn night. I also enjoyed the St. Germain cocktail, a straightforward mix of bubbly, elderflower liqueur and soda water. While I can't necessarily credit the bar staff with a ton of ingenuity on that drink, I will say that it pairs perfectly with the classic American food that's served at The Bedford.
The cheese board is nice to nibble on while you peruse the menu. The cheese portions are predictably on the small side, but tasty nonetheless. The oysters from the raw bar were my favorite starter. They were remarkably fresh and are the perfect little bite to accompany a glass of champagne. There's nice dry Prosecco for just $9 a glass on one end of the spectrum and bottles of Moet for $79 on the other.
I also enjoyed the roasted beet salad. Oranges and walnuts are familiar sidekicks for the juicy beets, but blue cheese crème fresh is a welcome stand-in for the goat cheese you'd normally expect to see on this salad. A drizzle of sherry vinaigrette adds some tangy sweetness.
While the entrée list is on the short side, there's no lack of temptation or imagination. At first glance, the dishes all seem rather simple: steak, scallops, chicken breast. But, upon further inspection, you'll find they've all got an element of intrigue. The scallops have a citrus peppercorn sauce, for instance, and the chicken comes with fried shaved Brussels sprouts. The ribeye was expertly cooked, juicy on the inside and ever-so-slightly charred on the outside with just a sprinkle of sea salt. While I thoroughly enjoyed the steak, at $45, it felt a little big for its britches. I suspect that price is a bit inflated because of the accompanying marrow compound butter, which frankly I could have done without. It did lend a decadent richness to the first few bites, but then became unnecessary and almost too much. I recommend the sturdy Malbec to accompany this sizable steak.
If you do order the ribeye ( and even if you don't ), the creamy polenta side dish is a must-have. Mascarpone is the secret ingredient here and it takes the polenta to a whole rich and creamy new level. The delightful mixture is baked in a little crock until a golden brown "crust" bubbles up on top. This outstanding polenta makes mashed potatoes as a side dish with steak seem almost antiquated and irrelevant.
Vegetarian options on the night I visited were limited. There was one meatless dish to be exact—but it was a good one. Gnocchi was given an autumny update with sweet potatoes. While they weren't the absolute fluffiest gnocchi I've ever eaten, they were pretty darn good. Sage brown butter sauce pairs perfectly with the subtle sweetness of the potatoes. Crisp black kale adds an earthy contrast to the sweeter elements and savory shards of Manchego cheese round out the flavor profile.
If given the choice, I almost always choose salty foods over sweet ones. I enjoy dessert, but don't go wild over it—not so with the salted caramel pot de crème at The Bedford. It's salty and then it's sweet and then it's salty again. The texture is so silky and smooth that it beckons you to dip your tiny spoon into a tiny jar over and over again, without even a passing thought of your expanding waistline or the toned and stylish twenty-somethings avoiding carbs over at the bar. Bottom line: This is one place where you should definitely save room for dessert.
The Bedford is at 1612 W. Division St.; call 773-235-8800 or visit www.bedfordchicago.com .
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