Echo, another eclectic Wicker Park place, opened recently in the former Starfish space with chef Dirk Flanigan (of just-closed Madam B) running the kitchen. Starfish owner Sean Herron (who also owns Meritage) gave the room a cool yet comfortable new look with cast concrete tables, an aluminum bar, gray hardwood floors, and dusty blue walls. The menu features “small-plate cuisine,” tasting portions meant to be ordered several at a time. “We want our patrons to have a tasting experience, not just the basic appetizer and entree,” says Flanigan. The menu is all over the globe, with dishes like seared beef salad in a mango horseradish vinaigrette with green papaya and cellophane noodles sharing space with rock shrimp cakes–a unique take on a crab cake–served over star-anise-glazed pineapple garnished with crunchy sweet potato “hay” for texture. For the most part, it all works nicely, although dishes are so done up (there’s lots of stacking, dotting, and drizzling) that you crave just one simple plate. Echo, 1856 W. North, 773-395-3474.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Streeterville’s Seneca Hotel now houses QP, an upscale eatery that opened in mid-November in the former Grappa space. The name is shorthand for “kuipe”–the clay pots commonly used in Greek cooking–and there are plenty of them scattered around the well-appointed bi-level dining room. The large menu offers classic Greek cuisine presented with a bit more polish than you get at the average Greektown taverna. Complimentary samples of eggplant spread, tzatziki, and taramosalata come with the bread basket, making cold appetizers somewhat redundant. But the htapodaki, a tender grilled whole baby octopus in a piquant vinaigrette, and the spinach “Greek latke,” a pancake of sorts served with a lemon-anchovy sauce and laced with pork, are warm and satisfying. The expected pastitsio, moussaka, dolmas, and lamb dishes are all present, but the whole-fish offerings–red snapper, black sea bass, and Dover sole served in true Mediterranean style with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of oregano, and a drizzle of extravirgin olive oil–are more interesting. Service is pleasant but our waiter could have used a brushup on the dishes. QP, 200 E. Chestnut, 312-751-2100.
The Dish
North Pond Cafe has brought chef Bruce Sherman (The Dining Room) on board to replace founding chef Mary Ellen Diaz, who recently departed to become Lettuce Entertain You’s corporate chef.
