Southern Exposure

"Linda" is a member of this Yelp group that visits different restaurants in various Chicago neighborhoods to, well, Yelp about them. Last night, ella y yo met up at The Southern, a Wicker Park spot with a great outdoor patio and warm earth tones. It feels super outdoorsy, blah blah blah let's cut to the goodness: the food.

I had the Shrimp/Grits: blue prawns, aged cheddar, frank's red hot ($14). It was ... okay. The food arrived tepid and wasn't all that exciting. I liked the sautéd red pepper and onions situated in the middle of the bowl, on which the three large grilled shrimp were lodged ... but the halo of oil/hot sauce or whatever surrounding the orange grits was a bit unsightly. Wishbone still has the best in the city so far. Linda ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes: stickney farm chèvre, caper relish, lemon ($10). The tomatoes were cut medium thin and fried in a nice batter. The goat cheese added a little salt as did the, what amounted to, chimichurri sauce. Situated on a bed of fresh greens, the dish turned out to be a fairly nice salad, although, again, a heavy hand was used while pouring the olive oil. We shared some Hush Puppies (pictured) with this roasted artichoke, smoked trout and scallions dip, which was by far the best dish on the table. The HPs were light, unlike a lot of other cornmeal battered fried balls out there, and almost cake-like in their moistness. They were not greasy like fried dough, but more ... like baked doughnuts. The dip with which it was served turned out to be a surprisingly flavorful hummus-looking addition which I would've enjoyed spread on a cracker.

Another surprise was the waitstaff--SUPER friendly. At one point, the Executive Chef, Cary Taylor, came to bus the table. WHA?! We were floored. He then came back to the table to ask if everything was good and to tell us about brunch (crab cake benedict? yes please!). He was soooo nice. He even gave us bourbon shots on the house. Mine was infused with bacon, and although it had a grainy look, was interesting enough to try again. Cary said that they use that in their bloody marys. Again, WHA?! So I will go back to try that.

That 2%? Definitely the ambiance. Cary made us feel like celebrities and who doesn't want that type of recognition? Also, The Southern supports the Green City Market, local farms, and sustainable seafood. Right on!

Anteprima is primo

On a whim, my right hand gal, "Linda" y yo decided to walk down Clark to grab a bite. We settled on an Italian eatery named Anteprima. While it was nearly 10PM, the place was packed. The kitchen closed at 10PM so we were cutting it close, but the waitstaff still received us with warm smiles and friendly service. The intimate space was relatively plain inside; stained glass windows and vintagey wood (distressed and faded) made for a rustic Italian feel ... unlike the modern spot across the street with their dim lighting and fire places. This felt like eating in a kitchen. The crowd must've been there for a while judging by the loudness (e.g. drunkeness) of their conversation. The bar, which seated about 5 comfortably, was empty, but cute in the middle of the room.

Linda y yo both got small plates; she chose the asparagus & ricotta ravioli, butter, parmigiano ($11). I got the grilled octopus, potatoes, red onion, chilis, parsley, lemon, olive oil ($9). We shared the marinated olives, garlic, orange, chilis ($4) and the arugula, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, shaved parmigiano reggiano cheese ($6). The food came quickly and was fresh, not just thrown together as some last meals of the evening can be. We agreed that the ravioli needed a kick. The rich sauce clung nicely to the pasta (although it could've been more velvety, less buttery -- perhaps it broke and was saved?), but the bland dish offered very little flavor besides cheesy and buttery. My octopus was a little chewy from being a tad over grilled, but still it was flavorful. I just sopped up the extra olive oil with the fresh bread that was brought to the table to start. The greens were crisp, the parm freshly shaved, and the dressing light. The pepper mill gave it a nice crunch. Loved the salad.

I ordered a specialty drink, something like basil and vodka with lemon. It was relatively uneventful, though the combination had so much promise. There were others on the list, something with vodka and rosemary, that I really want to try. The prices were good, so I'll return at a more reasonable hour. I might even need reservations.

Survey Says? Milk that's been sitting in colorful cereal for about 5 minutes and has started to dye. Tasty, but not at its peak.