The Other Critics

Pat Bruno Signs Off with Reviews of Telegraph and Prasino

Bruno liked the chicken at Telegraph.
Bruno liked the chicken at Telegraph. Photo: Galdones Photography

As you’ve no doubt already read, this is Pat Bruno’s last week at the Sun-Times after 26 years as the main dining critic. Though he admits that he was fired by a “mid-level editor of the Weekend section,” today the editors simply state that he has “moved on from the Sun-Times’ restaurant beat,” and that a new dining page will launch on October 7. Bruno thanked his readers, and hoped that he helped steer “you in the right direction when you were deciding where to go to spend your dining dollars.” But there are also two final reviews to sort through, so let’s see what he had to say about Telegraph and Prasino.

The “casually romantic” Telegraph is a “paradigm” of what will “likely” be the “re-emergence of the wine bar.” The menu is short, but the “selection is tall in stature.” The salad of octopus, shrimp, mussel, and squid — which he decides to refer to as insalata di mare (?) — is “all fine-dining fancy” with a “tangy citrus vinaigrette.” The “lush” chicken is elevated ” beyond the ordinary” thanks to a “dried fruit glaze.” Bruno only really has one complaint: “I am not a big fan of tartines,” he admits. [Sun-Times]

Bruno also makes time to visit Prasino, which he admits is “not exactly an inexpensive place to eat, but you do eat well.” He thought the City Farm omelet was “masterful,” with the eggs “cooked firm,” and then “folded, envelope-like, around a tasty arrangement.” He gave “kudos to the kitchen” for the togarashi grilled escolar, which was “large enough for two to share.” Overall, Prasino’s dishes are “quite enjoyable and well thought out.” [Sun-Times]

Pat Bruno Signs Off with Reviews of Telegraph and Prasino