The Other Critics

Kramer Finds a ‘Missed Opportunity’ at The Bedford; Sula Calls It ‘Safe and Boring’

The lounge is where you should be.
The lounge is where you should be. Photo: Galdones Photography

• Julia Kramer thinks The Bedford is best described as a “missed opportunity.” The lounge in the former bank vault is “impressive;” unfortunately, the other room feels like a “neighborhood bar,” and the dining room “evokes little more than a hotel lobby.” The food is also “across-the-board unimpressive.” In fact, Kramer is “not even sure The Bedford wants to be a restaurant,” eventually declaring that it has a “reluctance” to “take a risk.” [TOC]

• Mike Sula believes The Bedford has one of the “coolest restaurant interiors in recent memory,” thanks to its location in a former bank vault that feels like a “glowing pharaoh’s crypt.” The bar food is “pedestrian,” so it’s best to stick with the larger plates, even though all of them don’t work. Unfortunately, by trying to appeal to all midwesterners, the restaurant makes the mistake of assuming “we’re sort of safe and boring.” [Chicago Reader]

Kramer Finds a ‘Missed Opportunity’ at The Bedford; Sula Calls It ‘Safe and