Caught up with friends Ron & Mary Monday night at Alcove in Evanston. This place is a hidden gem. Excellent food and open on Monday nights when our first choice ended up being closed. All menu items marked. #dinnerwithfriends
Le Bouchon might be Phil's favorite restaurant in the neighborhood - hard to say - but it's for sure his favorite French restaurant in the neighborhood. Service is relaxed and friendly even though it's never less than fully packed with diners and the din of happy customers. I know it will surprise everyone to read that Phil ordered the duck and the foie gras. We split the fabulous toast of morels. Since we are seated as if in Paris, conversation with neighbors is a part of dining here. We met a young Russian woman who came here as a child and her dining companion a Floridian living somewhere in Indiana. Before they sat down the couple who occupied the table advocated heavily for the morels. We took their advice. It's not exactly a place where everybody knows your name but we have always had fun interactions with other diners, which just enhances the friendly vibe. Now if only we could enlarge the menu to carry some favorites from Lyon.
We went for some Central American (Guatemalan) food at Tikal Sabor Chapin. IMO the best choice were the Garnachas, but both the meat dishes were excellent, as were the picaditas chapinas. The ceviche was very tasty. Weak link IMO were the tortitas de camerones. BYO, Frank brought an excellent white riojas from Mugal. Our white burg showed very poorly but the red burg showed very well. So we were fine in the wine department.
Thus was our week during mid June in Chicago.
