Friday, April 18, 2008

What the critics are saying . . .

. . . about:

Cape Cod Room (140 E. Walton Pl., 312-787-2200): "The mid-twentieth century seafood-house menu has a few of 21st-century additions, but the famous Bookbinder’s soup with the little vial of sherry is still there (it tastes exactly the same), along with Dover sole, lobster thermidor, oysters Rockefeller, creamed spinach, etc."--Emily Nunn (Chicago Tribune) Read it all here.

The Drawing Room (937 N. Rush St., 312-266-2694): D.C. Crenshaw's video blog at Fete Select TV.

Gene & Georgetti (500 N. Franklin St., 312-527-3718): "Steaks and chops, the heart of the menu, are right on the money, but barren plates need a splash of color, if only a sprig of parsley. Lightly charred, the petite strip ($23.75) is well-marbled, robustly flavored and tender. For beef en brochette ($24.75), two substantial filet medallions are capped with thick bacon slices and flanked by whole mushrooms, finished with white wine, garlic and herb sauce. The meat is irreproachable, but a few red peppers or tomatoes would add color and variety."--Laura Bianchi (Crain's Chicago Business) Read it all here.

Miss Asia (434 W. Diversey Pkwy., 773-248-3999): "You could play it safe with Thai standards (Sticky Rice’s legendary sausage and other interesting favorites are noticeably absent), but for a more memorable meal, try hopping around the map. The Cambodian lotus root and banana blossom salads both pack bracing tart-spicy-sweet flavors; soft Vietnamese crêpes bulge with ground pork, bits of shrimp and mushroom; and Bambu Bali catfish gets a subtle (maybe too subtle) jerklike dusting."--Heather Shouse (Time Out Chicago) Read it all here.