The Other Critics

Arnett Visits Next; Sula Finds a Seat at Fish Bar

The chicken dish at Next
The chicken dish at Next Photo: Nick Kindelsperger

• The second official review of Next is in, and Lisa Arnett from Metromix loved it. Instead of a normal numerical rating, she gave it a “!!! (out of 4).” While it wasn’t quite “nirvana,” she “definitely did feel transported.” Each course was “impeccably prepared, plated and presented.” That included the chicken dish (“the biggest surprise of the night, hands down,”) and the duck (“the pinnacle of the meal”). [Metromix]

• Mike Sula tries to get a seat at Fish Bar. While his friend complains that “there’s no way a fat man can get full here,” at least the “dainty” portions aren’t “steeply priced.” While busy, there is “rapid turnover.” Unfortunately, he thinks that the “kitchen should slow it down.” Three clam preparations “all contained bivalves harboring molar-abrading deposits of sand,” and oysters “went down with significant amount of shell shrapnel.” [Chicago Reader]

• Pat Bruno checks out The Frontier, and finds most of the food to be “good.” The duck taco is “as fine a taco as you would find around town,” and the pulled boar sandwich was “excellent.” All was not perfect, the Parmesan gnocchi was “like a pair of white shoes with a tuxedo.” Still, he loved the “dazzling array of fresh oysters.” [Sun Times]

Arnett Visits Next; Sula Finds a Seat at Fish Bar