the other critics

Sprout Scores Three Stars from Vettel; Ruby Finds the ‘Marrow of the Moment’

Give this man three stars.
Give this man three stars.

Sprout serves some of the “most affordably creative food in the city,” according to Phil Vettel who gives it three stars. Simplicity is not its strength, citing that “just listing a single dish’s components takes almost as much space as the preamble to the Constitution.” Still, he’s thrilled by everything he encounters, including the veal loin, which is “a sensational, crispy-skinned loin stuffed with a forcemeat of veal sausage and porcini mushrooms.” [Trib]

Though Mike Sula was concerned about yet another pork and beer gastropub hitting the scene, he gives Gilt Bar “a pass” for its relative restraint. The pot roast is “elementarily satisfying,” while a marrow bone dish is simple enough to avoid cliché. “While the menu’s hardly groundbreaking, there are enough simple, well-prepared, and fairly inexpensive dishes here…” [Chicago Reader]

Bone marrow is Jeff Ruby’s singular focus, as he makes his way through six local places to see which has the “marrow of the moment.” Logan Square’s Longman & Eagle comes out on top with their version served with red onion jam and sea salt. [Chicago Magazine]

Pat Bruno honestly says he had the “time of his life” at Gilt Bar. The transcendent dish in question was the “coal-fired rib eye” with “crispy kennebec frites.” Yet, he still can’t finish the review without noticing an Italian pasta dish gone awry: “One night it was described as tagliatelle, but was, in fact, pappardelle.” [Sun-Times]

Sprout Scores Three Stars from Vettel; Ruby Finds the ‘Marrow of the Moment’