by Adam L Stanley | Jan 24, 2014 | Food
Clearly I love food. Anyone that follows my blog or my tweets on Twitter understand this more than most. I love to eat, I love to dine out, and I love to experience new cuisines and restaurants. I have a low tolerance for bad food and no tolerance for bad service. Of course I can’t write a blog for every restaurant that I visit. So I’ve decided to do a series of comparison reviews. In some, the connection will be obvious. In others, perhaps less so. In the first of the series, I set out to find two restaurants that were of similar quality in food, decor, value, and service albeit different cuisines. In this case, also looking for strikingly different levels of activity and, likely, different levels of competition and long-term success. For the first pairing, I chose two upscale restaurants.
Today I focus on the first of the upscale restaurants, Grace, one of the West Loop’s premier dining establishments. As a comparison, I dined at Acadia and will subsequently do a full review of that South Loop spot.
A tale of two city restaurants … Grace and Acadia (Part 1)
Foodie Review
Grace
652 W. Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60661
Summary: Recommended / Special occasions only.
This is one of the restaurants I have wanted to visit since moving back to Chicago. Everyone has heard of Chef Duffy’s fascinating and tragic history and rise to where he is now. You kind of want this place to thrive. But, this is Chicago, so backstory or not, the food and service must be stellar. And I was impressed. The food was spectacular. It was showy without being too over the top (I don’t really want a pillow on my plate). And I left more satisfied than when I dined at Alinea, albeit less so than L20 or Everest.
FOOD: 5
Very interesting presentations of each course. We all had the menu with meat and lots of it. We loved the heirloom tomato dish with a delicious whirl of sauce. There was an amazing oyster dish that my friend Sherry thought was superb. An artichoke dish could have been skipped but the meat dishes were amazing, including both lamb and beef. Wine pairings were good but not great, and I have yet to find a wine guy as good as Dan Pilkey, formerly of Ria. It is perhaps because of him that I find so many not up to par. (Let’s be clear here, I am not an expert and they certainly know more than I do, but the good ones bring you along with them and the wines fit perfectly with the meal.)
When I dine at these showy places, I often worry that the emphasis will be so much on presentation and flare that the food will be bad. Or, that the temperature will be off. That was not the case at Grace, and all of the dishes came out at good temp and high quality.
SERVICE: 4
Service was exceptional and well coordinated, albeit a bit practiced and “obvious”. My friend summarized service as “quite good but a little bumpy given the prices. Â Could have been more precise.” I agree. At Les Nomades, service is amazing and the servers are there when you need them and almost invisible when you don’t. Here, and maybe this is more due to newness of the restaurant, the service seemed too much like they practiced and wanted to get it right like a routine. I kind of want them to seem a bit more like they are simply happy to serve us. Â Overall, I think service was great. Nothing we needed was ever held back, transitions were smooth, and timing was on point. If I felt they were happy to be hosting us, I would have felt a tad better.
One note: The sommelier, as I mentioned above, was good but not the best. IMHO, she needs to learn to be less intrusive and a bit more nuanced in her interactions with the diners.
DECOR: 5
This is a beautiful, understated, classy establishment. I love the open and airy kitchen with bright woods and colorful spices on display. It’s fun to watch the activity in the kitchen without being overwhelmed by it as can be the case in some restaurants (I sat sweltering in front of the kitchen of Little Goat recently.) The room is small and thus not many patrons. You can have a conversation without screaming or worrying that your neighbor hears every word. Everything is tastefully presented.
VALUE: 3
This is a very very very expensive place. And I knew that of course before dining. It is in line with most places of this style and caliber but I still feel it is pricier than it needs to be. One caveat is that it has been a few years since I dined at Alinea and thus cannot vouch for whether that place and others have also gone up significantly. But, you get what you pay for and Grace is an experience more than a meal.
OVERALL: 4
Grace is a great addition to the West Loop culinary scene and its nice to have another high-end restaurant over there versus in the Gold Coast / River North area. Grace is ideal for a very special date, not business in my opinion. More for celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary. Given the prices, this clearly could not be a regular dining spot for most people and I personally would not see myself returning anytime soon given the tremendous number of other choices in Chicago, many of them significantly less pricey. That said, the chef’s story, the great food and tasteful decor, and the strong level of service make this highly worth trying if you are a foodie.
Stay tuned for review of Acadia in part 2 of this tale of two city restaurants.
More on the chef >> http://graphics.chicagotribune.com/grace/
Adam Stanley and Chef Curtis Duffy
In relationship with #foodies,
Adam
Adam L. Stanley Connections Blog
Technology. Leadership. Food. Life.
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L’Anima (London) Food Review | Grace Food Review | Other Food Reviews
by Adam L Stanley | Dec 18, 2013 | Life
When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, yes, this is how I ought to feel.
Harold Kushner
Life is an echo. Karma is a …
Christmas is often the best time to see the true character of people. You see the good and the bad. You see those who find great joy in giving to family, to friends, and to those in need. You see those that seem to take joy mostly in receiving from family and friends. You see those that love unconditionally and show that love through physical and verbal manifestations of caring. And you see those that truly don’t seem to have an ounce of caring inside. Yes, the negative of Christmas is that sometimes it brings out the very worst in people or at least makes the bad that’s already inside much clearer. It highlights the negative like the bright lights on Michigan Ave in Chicago highlight the stores or the shiny garland and ornaments highlight Christmas trees.
Today, my soapbox message is a simple one and it is a message that has been delivered through centuries and ages. From spiritual leaders and deities, to actors, comedians, and politicians; and everyone in between. It is this: Doing good feels good. Loving feels good. Giving feels good. Supporting feels good. Commiserating feels good. Forgiving feels good. And, even better, in addition to feeling good you have the additional benefit that people return all of the above right back to you. Yes, absolutely true and proven time and time again is the Golden Rule that one does unto others as he or she wants done unto him; Do good. Feel good. Receive good.
This is the time to forgive. This is the time to perform a random act of kindness. This is the time to love. This is the time to understand and ask questions. To listen. It is not the time to hold grudges or seek revenge. It is not the time to be angry or jealous. It is not the time to fight over material things or hurt feelings.
I’m posting on #karma today on my facebook page, LinkedIn, Instagram, and twitter. If you follow me on all, you will see several thought provoking images. Confucius, Jesus Christ, Buddha and several other great thinkers and spiritual leaders all seemed to believe that what goes around comes around and it is better to do good thing to do ill.
Thanks for reading another soapbox rant. Smile. What are your thoughts on karma or The Golden Rule? Have you experienced personally or through someone else the results of bad Karma? Seen someone blessed beyond imagining after doing good and giving sacrificially? Share below please. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.
Be well. Lead On.
Adam
Related Posts:
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Expectations of Leaders at all Levels
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Lessons from Henry V
Adam Stanley
Adam L. Stanley Connections Blog
Technology. Leadership. Food. Life.
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by Adam L Stanley | Sep 1, 2013 | Food
Summary: Not recommended / Needs to work on service.
I really really want to like this place. The food was tasty and flavorful. The drinks were innovative, unique, and well presented and cute little bottles. The location, on North Wells in the midst of lots of other great spots, was also appealing. However, something just was not right about the place. Worse, observing the staff and chef, I walked away with the general feeling it will never change. And thus, my initial thinking is that I would not recommend this restaurant. There are simply too many options in Chicago and, in my opinion, restaurants rarely get a second chance. That said, I will be watching to hear of improvements and focus on service to make this good restaurant great.
#Foodie Review: Sumi Robata (Chicago)
702 N. Wells
Chicago, IL
FOOD: 4
Food at the restaurant would most easily be described as tapas. Japanese tapas. Lots of grilled, some fried, and all very well seasoned items on the menu. Their twitter feed describes it as “A traditional robatayaki from Chef Gene Kato. Sumi, which derives from the Japanese word for charcoal, focuses on the tradition and skill of robata grilling.”
With four or five friends, you can easily sample the entire menu and taste all of the different flavors in foods that are available. The actual variety is a bit misleading, however, as there are several that to me seemed very similar. For instance, there are three or four  chicken dishes on the menu that all are presented quite commonly with very little difference between them. But, let me be clear: I do feel that the food is fantastic and nothing I am saying is meant to take away from the assessment of quality of the food.
SERVICE: 2
Service is the greatest problem with the restaurant and its not simply with the actual server that was assigned to our table. Rather, it was the experience. It was the pace, the timing, the way in which the menu was explained, and the overall experience dining at the restaurant. It felt, frankly, as if I was dining at a very amateur restaurant. A restaurant that was owned by someone who really loves to cook but has never been involved in actually running a restaurant. I felt as if I were participating in a Top Chef competition very early in the season. Lots of businesses started by ambitious entrepreneurs with amazing ideas but needing a little business acumen come to mind.
Back when Chicago was basically a city of steak and potatoes, menus were fairly straight forward. As food options expanded, great servers and hosts find ways to unobtrusively explain the concept to new diners. On my first visit to Girl and the Goat, seemingly eons ago, I keenly recall how the server went through the menu, gave us a sense of how many items to order, and gave us time to process the menu. This was not the case here. This place is kind of tapas style but uniquely so. Because Japanese tapas is a relatively new concept in Chicago it is very important that they explain to patrons what the experience might be like. We had a couple of awkward moments when orders were brought out and not explained. One of my guests waited patiently for her lamb while another enjoyed his plate with two pieces on it. Little did he know that he was eating both the lamb he ordered and the lamb she ordered. They had been combined on one plate. Ok, makes sense, but who knew? If I’m not clear, you understand how I felt at the restaurant!
DECOR: 2
In this area, I am told perhaps I did not experience the best of the restaurant as there is a space downstairs that is roomier. As it stood, the upstairs area reminded me a bit of a Chinese takeout restaurant with a few tables, or a Pret a Manger franchise. Basic wood tables, not much space. Nothing fancy or memorable. As I have said before, however, decor alone would never keep me away from a restaurant. Nor would it keep me from recommending. All other things being equal, however, I prefer a nice ambiance with my good food. And less noise.
VALUE: 3
Based on the good quality of the food, and considering the neighborhood, I would say this place is about average. As long as you know what to order based on your party, you can have a reasonably filling meal for less than $50 per person including a cocktail. Given I know that I could have had the same or better meal at other Chicago restaurants with better service and decor, I’m giving a 3 for value.
OVERALL: 3
I would not recommend this restaurant but would not turn people away from it either. There are too many nice restaurants in Chicago for me to tolerate average, but if I lived in the area and wanted a good, flavorful meal without having to get dressed up or impress anyone, I would certainly visit this place.
In relationship with #foodies,
Adam
Adam
Adam L. Stanley Connections Blog
Technology. Leadership. Food. Life.
AdamLStanley.com
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L’Anima (London) Food Review | Grace Food Review | Other Food Reviews
by Adam L Stanley | Jul 30, 2013 | Food
**Update – This place is now closed. As it should be.
Summary: NOT Recommended / Needs overhaul or closure.
This review makes me a bit sad. I really want this place to succeed because Chicago needs more wine and cheese spots. Having just moved back here from London, I was excited to see this spot right across from high-end Oak Street shopping like Prada, Barney’s, and Tod’s. The street and area need more upscale coffee, wine, and “drop-in” dining spots for heavy shoppers (I am not one, but my partner is..). The first time I tried to go to TR, there seemed to be no one working there. I walked in and looked around and there was no one. Odd. The second time I went, we had decent glasses of wine and pitiful service, The third and my final attempt was last week. There was an incredibly friendly young man there who greeted me and brought me wine list and menu. I don’t remember his name but I do know that he was not the owner or sommelier and his knowledge of wine was fairly limited (kind of bad for a wine bar, but forgiven because he was very professional, courteous and friendly). While he tried his level best to make the experience pleasant, I remain hugely unimpressed by this place and suspect it will close.
TR Napa Valley
61 E. Oak St
Chicago, IL 60611
The Good. The Bad.Â
Good:
– Wine flights are generous pours and well worth it for the price of around $28 for three wines in a flight, about 125 ml each.
– Server guy was friendly if not overly knowledgable about either wine or cheese.
Bad:
– Individual glasses of wine are strangely RIDICULOUS. I mean like prices I saw in London at some of the private clubs like Annabel’s and Arts Club. The least expensive GLASS of wine was $24.
– Apparently only the owner really knows about the wine on offer and he does not seem to be there very often. Or at least, the three times I have tried he was nowhere to be found.
– they served Carr’s table water crackers with cheese, along with fig and other accompaniments that looked like they got them from Jewel’s or Dominick’s. Not to be a snob, but when I go for wine and cheese, I want something a bit more upscale than aisle 3 at the local grocer.
– hasn’t been there for long, but it is already looking dated. The flowers were dried out and looking sad. The paint was chipping.
Predicting this place will close soon unless the owner is independently wealthy and does this just for a hobby. I did hear there is a private club that is “invite only” with costs to rival the best clubs in New York and London. Good luck with that.
In relationship with #foodies,
Adam
Adam L. Stanley Connections Blog
Technology. Leadership. Food. Life.
AdamLStanley.com
Follow me on Twitter | Connect with me on Linked In | “Like†me on Facebook
L’Anima (London) Food Review Grace Food Review | Other Food Reviews
by Adam L Stanley | Jul 21, 2013 | Life
I wanted to post a quick blog on something completely unrelated to my normal topics. I typically talk about leadership, technology, life, food and wine. So, this is completely random and it will be very brief. So thanks in advance for humoring me and reading.
Today, I delivered a stray kitten that had been left under my back deck to the Anti Cruelty Society in downtown Chicago. I found the little guy yesterday and knew immediately that he was too young to have been left alone and that he was likely going to die if he did not receive urgent care. Further, I suspected that having been abandoned by a likely nursing mother, it would be difficult for the cat to survive even under the best of care. That said, I still had a little glimmer of hope that if I were able to deliver the kitten to the society something would be done and he would have a chance.
Unfortunately, that was not the case and as I delivered the cat, I was told that he would have to be euthanized because at two weeks old there was no way he could survive without the mother. I looked into the cute black eyes of the teeny cat that I had grown fond of in such a short period of time that he was in my care and I said goodbye and wished him peace. I do know that had I left him outside he would have died regardless and would have died alone, hot, and uncomfortable. Now, a very simple and painless procedure will be performed and he will fall asleep and rest for good.
My little furball that I had for just a day will be gone before the next 12 hours pass.
So, why did I put this into a blog and what should it mean to you? Well, if nothing else comes from this, hopefully I can share the information that I received from the anti-cruelty society.
First: if you have pets yourself please spay or neuter them. On the off chance that something were to happen where they were lost or somehow out of your sight they could produce children that could be abandoned like the little kitten that I found.
Second: most large cities have programs whereby you are able to humanely trap feral cats or dogs and bring them to the city or to the local Cruelty Society. They can be spayed or neutered for free, then released back if necessary into their outdoor environment. I realize that everyone is not able to or interested in adopting a pet, however we can control the pet population and help avoid abandonment and unloved animals with these types of programs.
Finally, if you do have room in your home or in your heart for pets, I absolutely believe they can bring joy into the most dower household. Therefore I encourage you to consider adopting a pet or making a donation to your local animal welfare or adoption center.
I wasn’t able to save the cute little guy that I found under my back stairs but I hope that we can save another little guy, control the pet population, and perhaps bring a little joy to someone’s house while providing love and shelter for a little kitten.
Be Well. Lead On.
Adam
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