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Maybe I'm not describing it properly. The flavor of the cooked prosciutto combined with the spinach that was also wrapped around the salmon to produce a "smokey" flavor. The fish itself was definitely not smoked.

We went to Takashi last night and it was really a mixed bag. I think that this will be a very good restaurant, it just isn't there yet. Short summary, food was good to very good, service was strange and somewhat unfriendly. To the details... The menu is divided into small cold plates, small hot plates, and large plates. I asked our waiter to recommend how much food we should order and he suggested one of each category for each person at the table. I'm glad we took his suggestion because all of the portions sizes were definitely on the small side. I started with thinly sliced kampachi. 4 thin slices of kampachi served on top of shredded Napa cabbage. Each slice of fish was topped with a small piece of monkfish liver. I really liked this dish because it was full of contrasting flavors that all seemed to go well with each other. The cabbage was dressed with a nice vinaigrette, so the acidity played nicely off of the sweetness of the fish which also played nicely off of the richness of the liver. Again, a really nice dish. I also had a bite of the Wife's tuna tartare which was also very good. Next I moved on to the soy-ginger-caramel pork belly served with steamed buns and a daikon salad. I had really high hopes for this dish but it fell just a little bit short. The pork belly itself was a bit too skewed towards "meaty" in the meaty to fatty ratio that you deal with when eating pork belly. As a result it was a bit chewy. Also, if there was caramel involved in cooking this dish, I couldn't taste it. On the other hand, serving steamed buns with the belly was a neat idea. The dish also came with a bit of Japanese mustard, which added a really nice kick when spread on a bite of bun with some belly on top. For my large plate I went with the duck. Sliced breast with confit leg all served with kumquat and something else I can't remember. The breast was underseasoned but the confit was really good. The confit was served under a nicely crisp piece of skin with a thin and tasty layer of fat underneath. On the other hand, my wife's salmon was probably the best salmon dish I've ever had in a restaurant. It was nice sized chunks of salmon wrapped in spinach, potato, and prosciutto. The salmon was a nice medium rare and the prosciutto crust was almost crispy, so the combination of flavors and textures was just really outstanding. I think it was the smokiness of the cooked prosciutto that really made this dish work. Dessert was chocolate mousse served on top of crispy rice with a scoop of caramel ice cream. This was a fantastic dessert. Final bill for 4 small cold plates, 4 small hot plates, 4 large plates, 4 desserts and 2 bottles of wine was $330 after tax but before tip. A little overpriced, especially considering some service issues. Now, the service... So, last night was a bit snowy. We had an 8:30 reservation. At 8:30 we were still in the car, maybe 5-10 minutes away so I decided to call the restaurant to let them know we'd be a little late. Here's how that conversation went: Me: Hi, we have a reservation at 8:30 under [name], and I just wanted to let you know we're on the way but running a little late Hostess: Well, how late is a little late? Me: About 10 minutes Hostess: We'll try to work you in Quite the first impression. Probably every other time I've called a restaurant to let them know we were going to be a bit late, they were actually grateful for the heads up. Apparently at Takashi this transgression goes on your permanent record. We arrived about 10 minutes later. My friend who drove us went to park the car but dropped 3 of us off to go inside. I checked in with who I think was the same woman I spoke to on the phone, and the conversation went like this: Me: Hi, well we made it. I just called under the name [name]. We have an 8:30 reservation Hostess: Are you still going to be 4 people Me: Yes, he's just parking the car Hostess: When will he be here? Me: I don't know, maybe 5 minutes Hostess: So he'll be here soon? Me: Yes, he's parking the car. He'll be here in 5 minutes After consulting with someone else working the door, we were approved to be seated. Our 4th would be shown to the table when he arrived. After being seated, our quietly creepy waiter asked if we were going to be 4 people ("YES, HE'S PARKING THE !@#$ING CAR!"). We politely said yes, and then he asked if we were ready to order. Wow, are they really going to try to turn our 8:30 table? Bread service is fairly aggressive. The bread guy came around about every 5 minutes asking if we wanted bread. When the table eventually came back with 4 "no's" (after finishing our first course), our bread plates were removed. That would be all from bread guy. At the very end of the meal, though, we hit on one of my pet peaves. In the middle of dessert, our waiter just dropped off the check. And I mean, right in the middle of dessert. I can't stand that. I'm definitely not in the "don't bring me the check until I ask for it" school of restaurant-going (especially below the 4-star level), but at least wait until dessert plates are cleared. I'd like to back, but I think there are definitely things that need to be ironed out. I'll be curious to hear how things evolve. I would give it another few months.

Re: Spiaggia...There was definitely some negative word of mouth for awhile, but everything I've heard recently seems to indicate that things have changed for the better. I think Tru would be a really good choice for you as well.

My suggestion of Spiaggia was meant for robyn. I was assuming that robyn was familiar with the level of formality at Tru and was just trying to recommend something comparable. I just assumed they didn't want to go someplace "stuffy" as opposed to someplace "dressy".

UE, I'm going to Takashi tonight so I'll let you know what I think. Also, for menus and hours I've been using menupages a lot recently. They have a "sample" menu up for Takashi, but I have a feeling it's pretty close to the actual menu based on early reports.

How about Spiaggia? Great setting, I've always had good service, and it's upscale Italian (so it will be nice, but also very accessible).

I think you're probably talking about Quartino. I like Quartino a lot, but A Mano is slightly more upscale and definitely less hectic in terms of atmosphere (Quartino is LOUD). Also, I'm a huge fan of Custom House.

UE, Of those I've only been to Aigre Doux and, honestly, I wasn't that impressed. I'm really into A Mano right now, which is Italian small plates and recently opened in the space below Bin 36. Housemade pastas and gellati. We've been there a couple of times and it was excellent both times. A Mano 335 N. Dearborn St. 312-629-3500

I think I don't like the term "foodie" because most of the people I know who describe themselves as such actually know very little about food (people who say things like, "oh my god, I am such a foodie").

We went on New Year's Eve. It was outstanding.

You also may want to check out Terragusto and/or Riccardo Trattoria, located in Lakeview and Lincoln Park respectively. They both strike me as places that chef's from Italy might be interested in (if they really want to come all the way to America to eat Italian food ) Terragusto 1851 W Addison St (773) 248-2777 Riccardo Trattoria 2119 N Clark St (773) 549-0038

I think Naha and Primehouse are the highlights of the list, but that's about all I was impressed with. Phil Vettel reported on another restaurant week that will happen before the main one discussed above.

As you can tell, the pizza thing depends who you ask. Some people will say that deep dish is the only way to go, while others will tell you that the "real" Chicago pizza is thin crust (not meaning NY style or Neapolitan). Personally, I'm no fan of deep dish (having grown up in NJ), but your mileage may vary. Also, do go to Avec.

Bottom line, this place (same owners as Bin 36, and located below Bin 36 on Dearborn) is fantastic. The Wife and I went for dinner following the obligatory hour spent at the company holiday party. The best way I can describe the menu is an upscale version of Quartino. Lots of small plates, a few larger "main courses", but the emphasis is (for the most part) on sharing a lot of smaller plates. We started with two items from the crudo portion of the menu. We had the scallops which were served with spiced grapes and pears and the hamachi which was served with bottarga and some citrus fruit. The scallops were good, but probably at about 97% of the freshness level needed to make the dish really pop. The hamachi was outstanding, with all flavors nicely complementing each other. Next we moved on to a couple of items from the "primi" section of the menu. First we had the house smoked salmon served with burrata and some aged balsamic. This was tasty, actually a lot like eating lox a cream cheese. Our other dish was really interesting. Described on the menu as Ribolitto Da Delpina, this was bread that had been left to soak in minestrone soup overnight and was then baked. The bread was served with a sunny side up "farm fresh" egg on top. Just fantastic. A perfect dish on a cold winter night. We then decided to forgo any of the main dishes and go with a pasta and a pizza. For our pasta we went the the gnocchetti which was served in a sweet butter sauce with shaved parmigiano reggiano. The gnocchetti were exceptionally light and was sauced at just the right level (not too much, but just enough to know there was something there). This was pretty rich so we were happy that even what was billed as a "whole" portion on the menu was pretty small. For pizza we went with the prosciutto di parma with arugula. I have no desire to debate the authenticity of the pizza, so I'll just leave it at this...the pizza was good, not transcendent, but pretty good. For dessert we shared three flavors of gelatto: chocolate, olive oil and mascarpone. I'm not sure if they're making it in-house or bringing it in, but all three were very good. Being owned by Bin 36 I was expecting a nice wine program and I wasn't disappointed. We went with a caraffe of a pretty nice dolcetto that was fairly priced at around $20. We also had a couple of glasses of moscato di asti with dessert for $5 per glass. I took a look at the full wine list before we left and it was very nicely put together. Only three wines on the list (1 sparkling, 1 white, 1 red) were over $100. I would say the average bottle price was in the $40-$50 range, with many available both above and below that mark. Final check after tax but before tip was $110, which I thought was very reasonable given the quality of everything we had. I can see myself going to A Mano very very often. A Mano 335 N Dearborn St 312-629-3500

Well, maybe not the best place to host such an event, but a great place to find lots and lots of high-end chocolate bars is Hannah's Bretzel down in the Loop. They've got an entire wall full of chocolate from all different produces (domestic and imported). It's really a stunning selection...and really dangerous for us Loop workers who go in there at lunch. Hannah's Bretzel 180 W. Washington 312-621-1111

Doc, I look forward to hearing about the rest of your trip. We go down to Cabo every December and stay at the Westin, so I'll be curious to hear about the other places you hit up on your trip. Crazy story about your SIL. Glad to hear everything turned out ok!

Wow, I think that's pretty significantly underrating Carlos'. I've been there a few times and have loved it every time. I don't put much stock in Zagat, but Carlos' did get this year's top food rating so I would say that has to count for something.

As of right now I'm free the entire summer, except for when I'm not (which as of now is unknown). Please plan accordingly. Thank you.

Actually Spoon is in Lincoln Square. Uptown is due east, at the lake. Budacki's would be considered to be in the Ravenswood neighborhood, although it is technically within the Lincoln Square Community Area. Pardon my pedantry ← LOL, it was me who very uncertainly mentioned that I thought it was Uptown. But, the city-dweller who was with us thought it was Uptown too. =R= ← OK, I confess, I also had it wrong. This is when I plead ignorance as a simple Lincoln Park resident that rarely travels north of Addison

I think I've been in pretty fortunate to have spent basically all of my life in one hot dog obsessed area or another (growing up in NJ, now living in Chicago). I like the Chicago-style dog a lot, even if it can be a bit overwhelming. But I will always have a special place in my heart (and arteries) for a NJ-style "ripper". Also, I'm a huge fan of the Wieners Circle (and not just because it's basically right behind where I live). I really like that I can get a char-dog there as opposed to a dog that's either been steamed or boiled. Plus you can't beat what goes on there late at night (particularly on the weekends).

Last night we had the pleasure of getting a preview of what’s in store for white truffle season this year at Sweets & Savories (in the spirit of full disclosure this meal was comped by the restaurant, but I would gladly pay full price for it any day of the week). We were treated to a fabulous 6 courses with wine pairings. Here’s what we had: First course – Brandade & Vichyssoise (paired with Tokay Pinot Gris, Wolfberger, France 1999). The brandade was served on crostini which was balanced on top of a tall, thin glass of vichyssoise. I’m a huge fan of both of these items at Sweets & Savories, so they were only enhanced with the addition of shaved white truffles on top. My only quibble with this dish is that the vichyssoise had a bit of oil (can’t remember if it was olive oil or truffle oil) that had been poured into the top of the glass, so the first sip was really a mouthful of oil and not soup. The rest of the glass was fantastic though. The wine had a nice sweetness that worked well against the brandade. Second course – Salade Lyonnaise A nicely done, smaller version of a classic. A single poached egg served on top of a larger crostini with some frisee and a bit of bacon. Between the perfectly runny egg and the addition of shaved truffle, I was a very happy man. This could have used more bacon (really, what couldn’t?). I actually would have been a lot happier with lardoons, but what can you do. Third course – Seared scallop served on top of “duck liver” risotto with a mango coulis (paired with Vouvray Demi Sec, Yves Bruessin, France 2005). Death, taxes, and outstanding scallops at Sweets & Savories. I’m always excited to have scallops here because Chef Richards really has a way with them. Plump, slightly browned on the outside but absolutely perfectly cooked on the inside this scallop was a real treat. The risotto speaks for itself, adding a wonderful richness to the dish, with the mango coulis providing just the right amount of sweet/tart notes to bring the whole dish into balance. I would gladly eat this even without the truffles. One of my two favorite dishes of the night. Fourth course - Alaskan Halibut Sous Vide, served over a truffle potato pauve with sauce Periguord (paired with Merlot, Hawkes, California 2002). I felt this dish was the closest we got to average over the course of the night. I’m just not really a fan of fish prepared sous vide (on the other hand, I love meat prepared this way). The halibut was a gorgeous piece of fish, but it just didn’t do it for me as much as the other courses. The potato pauve was fantastic, and if there’s one thing I like at Sweets & Savories more than scallops it is Chef Richard’s sauce Periguord. Fifth course – Beef Tenderloin with White Truffle Butter, Lobster, Corn and Cremini Mushroom Ragout served with Maytag Blue Cheese Crease (paired with Barolo, Elio Grasso, Italy 2001). My other favorite dish of the night, maybe the favorite dish of the night. The beef was served a perfect rare to medium rare and just sung when paired with the white truffle butter and the blue cheese cream. The beef was served with perfectly cooked lobster claws that added a nice amount of sweetness to the dish along with the corn. The lobster also added a nice salty note to the whole thing. I’m probably not doing it justice, but this was about as good of a “surf and turf” dish as you’ll find anywhere. The Barolo was easily the star wine of the night. We all remarked that it was a real treat to be able to enjoy it with this course. Sixth course – Roasted Peach Tart served with white truffle ice cream and “duck liver” caramel (paired with Muscat, Casta Diva, Gutierrex de la Vega, Spain) OK, first of all, I’m completely convinced that Chef Richard’s is putting crack in the white truffle ice cream. I was introduced to it a couple of years ago and I absolutely crave the stuff at all times. Last night it was fantastic as always. Honestly, words cannot describe how much I love this ice cream. If not for the ice cream, the best thing on the plate might have been the “duck liver” caramel. We were all scraping our plates to get every drop of the sweet, salty, and just slightly liver-y concoction off of our plates. Oh yeah, and the peach tart was pretty good too. Again, just a fantastic dinner. I believe during truffle season they will be offering a 5 course white truffle dinner for $100 per person. Given what some of the higher end restaurants in town will likely be charging, this is a steal if you need your white truffle fix.

Pane Caldo is one of those places that is recommended only so often, but when it is, it always seems to be recommended with a good amount of enthusiasm. That being said, I can't seem to find any accounts of an actual meal eaten there. Well, time to fix that. Dinner at Pane Caldo with the in-laws last night was a real treat. The room was full, but for whatever reason this place has flown mostly below the radar of the online food world. I started with the roasted scallops, served in the shell with a really delicious provencale sauce. The scallops were cooked perfectly, and the sauce had a richness to it that made you want to sop it all up with a piece of bread. The wife had a ceviche of fresh abalone and shrimp that also included some smoked sable and mullet. This was also delicious. For my main course I had John Dory served with razor clams in a creamy summer truffle sauce. Again, perfectly cooked fish (exterior slightly browned, interior moist and flaky) complemented by a delightful sauce. Served with some simply cooked vegetables, this was a great main course if not the most creative. Also, the texture of the razor clams provided a nice counterpoint to the John Dory. The wife had cappellini with shaved black truffles, served with olive oil and herbs. Simple and delicious, she just about finished the whole bowl (and she rarely finishes main courses at restaurants). The dessert menu was one of the largest I've seen at a restaurant at this level. Divided into sections for chocolate, ice cream, fruit, and cheese there were probably 4-5 choices in each category. I went with the chocolate pane caldo, which was kind of a cold chocolate/banana bread pudding. Served with passion fruit mousse and housemade vanilla ice cream this was a relatively light and refreshing way to end the meal. This place is a slam dunk 3-stars and should be considered a great option for a nice night out without going to a top tier place (Alinea, Avenues, Tru, etc.). I'm already looking forward to my next trip back (whenever that may be). Pane Caldo 72 E. Walton 312-649-0055 http://www.pane-caldo.com/

Obviously we don't know the same people I think the point that's trying to be made is that while it may not be common to spend $600pp it's certainly easy enough to do.

Just because a restaurant doesn't have "buzz", it doesn't mean that it isn't popular anymore. Sure, you don't see posts here everyday for North Pond, but I just made a dinner reservation there about 5-6 weeks out and I couldn't get my first choice of time. Also, just because people aren't discussing it on the Heartland forum of eGullet, it doesn't mean that it isn't being discussed somewhere. Also, on Alinea, if you do the Tour with upgraded wine pairings that's about $400 per person for a total check of $800. Plus tax brings you up to $880. If you tip 20% on that brings you up to about $1,050 or about $525 per person. So, pretty close to $600pp.

I had a great meal at Tsuki on Friday night after a few pretty mediocre showings. I think they lost a little bit of their focus opening up a new restaurant (Ai). But they came back with a vengance on Friday. Whole horse makeral was a special and it was fantastic. But here's the thing, Sunday is not a great night to go there. I've been and you're probably going to get the dregs of what's left over from Friday/Saturday night. I think you'll find similar situations at most sushi places that are open on Sunday. If at all possible, I would do something else on a Sunday for dinner.