Heard good things about Bread & Wine & finally got to try it for myself the other night. Â Was pleasantly surprised. Â The Old Irving neighborhood seems odd to have a restaurant this nice there, but it really does fit. Â Parking was a bit hard on a Saturday night, be we found side street parking in a little bit.
I like the smaller size of the restaurant and the decor is really stylish. Â We had a reservation & were immediately seated. Â Our waiter was pretty good & pretty attentive. Â The restaurant was crowded for a Saturday night , but all in all the service is good. Â
Our group shared a charcuterie plate which was wonderful. Â We all had the full dinner plates for our main course. Â Other diners with me commented that the main courses were all good.....not the best ever, but pretty good. Â I had the burger with fries which was wonderful & I've had burgers at a lot of good places in Chicago. Â This was up there as good. Â
The other diners I was with shared the Mudd pie & said it was good. Â The coffee is served in a french press which was nice & I had the jasmine tea which was delightful. Â
All in all, a nice restaurant on the north side & I would definitely go again.
I wish that I could give Bread&Wine 3.5 stars, but Yelp doesn't have that flexibility. Â The restaurant has great atmosphere and some profoundly good aspects, but the food tripped me up a little bit. Â Partly, I think I am personally out of sync with the heavy salty, rich food that is so ubiquitous in Chicago right now. Â I admit that I am a fan of lighter sauces, vegetables and a great salad. Â In fact, there was no great salad on the menu. Â And, when I ordered the small salad with wheat berries, I asked for a substitution in dressing given that I have an allergy to miso - and the waitress balked and said that it was just too busy to make any changes. Â I pleaded my case, and she did bring me a lemon based dressing that was very rich. Â At least no miso.
Our group did start dinner with some yummy appetizers. Â The fried Tofu, the octopus and the scallops were all different and very good. Â Again, all but the scallops suffered from the too much salt trend, but they were tasty in small quantity. Â At the table, we also had the Chorizo/beef burger which was pretty good and came with excellent french fries and the chicken/spaetzle/oat dish which seemed to be a bit over cooked. Â But, again, there were no fresh veggies - nothing to clean or lighten the palate.
Dessert was probably the best course. Â We had some very good french press decaf -- great flavor. Â And, we had the salted caramel, popcorn panna cotta. Â Wow. It was good. Â Very rich and the caramel was certainly salty. Â We split it four ways so it wasn't too bad.
It's a great little place. Â Nicely decorated. Â Has its own small parking lot and parking is pretty easy on Irving Park as well. Â We would go back. Â Maybe the menu will lighten as spring and summer approach.
Our meal at Bread & Wine was very pleasant. Â We came under the impression that they would be offering extended restaurant week specials, but that was not the case. Â Still, the service was good and the food was very delicious. Â The raw scallop starter was delicious and very bright, and the main courses were all very tasty. Â The interior is spare and trendy, but I think the main wall could use a larger piece of art.
Review Source:Bread and Wine is a solid restaurant. Â However, there were a few kinks that need to be worked out or maybe they were having an "off" night. Â I had a groupon, so was able to try many different dishes. Â First, my friend and I got to sit at the chef's table and watch all the food being prepared! Â Awesome! Â Second three of our 5 dishes came out almost at the same time. Â However, after we vouched our concern to our waitress, she was good about telling them to pace the rest of our food.
We started with a cheese plate wonderful. Â Then moved on to the gnocchi, not to be missed! Â This was one of my favorites that night! Â Then we shared the baby octopus. Â Fantastic!
For the main course, I got the burger, as I had heard they are known for their burger. Â However, I was not blown away by it. Â Again, solid, but certainly not the best I've had in the city. Â Dessert was the salted caramel popcorn panna cotta. Â I was glad I got to try it, but I need something sweeter, more like creme brulee! Â The panna cotta part was very bland and tasteless, which is the way it is supposed to be. Â Just not my personal preference. Â
Again, this place is solid, but with all the places to try in Chicago I'm not dying to go back soon.
I learned a new word: CHARCUTERIE. Â Well I didn't really learn it, but since the "cheese and charcuterie" contained only cheese and meat I'm gonna guess it means meat. Â The food, service and atmosphere here was excellent. We had an extremely knowledgable and accommodating waiter, but I suppose YMMV.
Specifically, the pan roasted chicken with crispy oats was amazing and my friends, and soon the entire Yelp community, know that I have a long standing "discussion" with a very close friend about the benefits and drawbacks of the strategy of ordering chicken at a quality restaurant (I'm generally opposed). The beef & chorizo burger was also outstanding and the rating of burger quality is one of the few fields in which I am truly an expert (and not just in my mind). Â On the dessert front: The Mud Pie was pretty disappointing for how excited I was to order it. Â I had to fight the urge to order it as an appetizer and barely touched it once it arrived. Â Honestly, it looked like a turd.
My husband and I want for valentines last week. We got there pretty early (6pm), and by 6:30, the place was packed. I think they were working very hard to keep all their reservations on schedule b/c we were seated, served, billed, and out the door in an hour and 5 min! Â We did feel a little rushed to quickly finish as they kept tying to take away our plates before we were done. Food wise, we had the burger (good, but on the small side), octopus (yum, and actually I was surprised by the generous portion), and the semolina gnocchi (very different from your normal gnocchi - they were breaded/fried cubes of rich deliciousness. Super heavy, but totally worth it). Our cocktails were good, and no, we did not order wine. Come to think of it, we also were not served any bread. All in all, great splurge place to try once. Prob won't be returning, but only b/c there are just too many places to try!
Review Source:I live in Old Irving Park and have always wanted to visit this restaurant since I've spotted the chic decor when driving by.
We had a plate of cheese to start. It was pretty good with the jam and mustard they served with it.
I had the chorizo beef and cheddar burger. It was cooked perfectly and had great flavor. Â I also liked the seasoned fries with the garlic aioli dipping sauce. If my stomach wasn't bursting out of my jeans, I would have finished every last fry.
Last we had the salted caramel popcorn with chilled panna cotta. Maybe it's because I'm a huge Ice cream fan but I wish it was some gelato or ice cream. I think it would've tasted better. The sweet and salty concept was nice thought though
The service was stellar. Our server provided great tips and checked on us just enough times. If you're in the old Irving park neighborhood, I would swing by for at least a glass of wine and some cheese.
This has become one of our favorite restaurants.  We travel a great deal, domestically and internationally and Bread and Wine is one of the places  we always look forward to coming back to.
We have an apartment in the neighborhood and Bread and Wine makes us want to spend more time here.
An Interesting, thoughtfully chosen  wine list, not just the typical stuff, and reasonably priced. The specialty cocktails are a delight. Our favorite is the Manhattan with the house made bitters and cherries ... You just can't go wrong if you appreciate a well made cocktail!
A menu that is constantly changing and is truly a delight to explore. Irving Park finally is starting to get restaurants that make the dining experience in the neighborhood worthwhile.
The neighborhood needed an upper scale restaurant but NOT this place.
Here is why
- Rude host full of her self AND it turns out out to be one of the owners !
- food portions are way too small to be charging $28 for an entree and to walk out still hungry , that goes also for the salad, dessert and even the small half full glass of wine for $11.50
- food is nothing special, lacks flavor , very small portions and expensive  for no reason !
Too bad This place will not last another year!
There are plenty of  better restaurants .
We spotted Bread & Wine one night on the way to a dance class and filed it away for future reference. We finally got a chance to visit when we were attending a show at Prop Thtr this weekend. I was impressed by the variety & innovation of the menu, the good cooking and presentation, the nice choices at various price points on the wine list, and the friendly, helpful staff.
It was Restaurant Week, and between the two of us we sampled all courses of the prix fixe dinner. No point going into detail about the dishes since they are not on the regular menu, but we enjoyed everything. The chef has a good sense of flavor diversity & balance, and there were items and combos I would not have otherwise tried but found I liked them. The only thing I would have preferred would be less salt in the entrées.
This night, B&W seemed to be drawing heavily from the neighborhood, and it's great that Old Irving has a place like this to elevate the culinary scene. It's definitely on my list next time I'm in that neighborhood for dinner.
Wow. The food and service here is beyond expectation. For an appetizer we had the bay scallop crudo - the scallops were so fresh and it was such an interesting and different flavor profile! For dinner, I had the butter poached whitefish and my friend had the flank steak. Both were perfectly cooked and we cleaned our plates. You can't skip dessert- the salted caramel popcorn panacotta was AMAZING! I definitely recommend this restaurant
Review Source:Sometimes it really pays off to go off the beaten path and try something that you didn't find on Yelp. Thanks to a suggestion from my friend, I ventured out of my well-traveled Lakeview and Lincoln Park paths to try Bread & Wine this week during Restaurant Week.
The restaurant is not in a location that I automatically associate with fine dining, but as soon as we entered, I forgot that we were minutes from the expressway and off of the ever-crowded Irving Park Road. Parking lot? IMMEDIATE bonus. The atmosphere on the interior immediately made me feel like I was in a high-end restaurant in the Gold Coast, which I consider impressive. The hostess greeted us immediately, made us feel welcome, and showed us to our table (pointing out the space heater along the way in case we got cold and needed to move it). With that said, it was a little cold because our table was in the area by the door that I believe is typically a small grocery. It wasn't distracting but I sure wished I had worn socks. Oh well, neither here nor there.
I haven't been to a restaurant where I have so many questions on the menu as I did at Bread & Wine, but our server (Josh) was very helpful in guiding our decisions and I was 110% pleased with our choices. We started out with a cheese - we were planning on getting anything but the Dante (sheep's milk? we had to have a debate about whether sheep even had milk...and then I felt a little dumber) - but then when the server said "it's like the Spanish manchego," our decision was made. We both studied abroad in Seville and that is THE cheese there. Our next course was the Mixed Carrot salad, which had a great flavor but I wasn't a huge fan of the wheat berries, as I was expecting more of a chewy and less crunchy bulgar wheat type nugget.
I was speechless when the main course arrived. We chose to have the small plate, semolina gnocchi, come out with our main dish, which was the pork special that came with pretzel bread pudding. We were told that the pork would be between 14-16 ounces, but we easily had a 20-24 oz piece of meat on our hands. It was fantastic, seasoned perfectly alone but also well paired with the sauces on the plate, and we had a good deal left over to take home. I loved the gnocchi, but will warn you that it was quite salty. The garlic aioli that came with was a perfect pair because it cut into some of that saltiness, and I found it to go well with the pork also.
Since it was restaurant week, we decided to go all out and get a dessert too - why not? We hadn't ordered from the special menu but decided to live it up and order the salted caramel panna cotta. I haven't had panna cotta before, so I was imagining something similar to creme brulee or flan, and was surprised by the grainy texture of the dessert. It was still tasty, but you really had to make sure to get a bite of all three layers to see what this dessert was like.
The bill was very reasonable, considering the quantity and quality of food, plus a glass of wine apiece. I would highly recommend going out of your way to give this restaurant a try.
Hooray, for Restaurant Week! Gave me and the hubs a chance to try a place by our 'hood. In Old Irving you usually find fast food joints or diners so it is refreshing to find an upscale eatery that rivals those of Lincoln Square and North Center.
We went with the prix fixe offerings and it must have been funny watching us eat as we traded plates every 5-10min. The menu even had suggested wine pairings. My husband opted for the beer and in looking at their libations menu their beer list was pretty impressive as well.
The first course were appetizers. I'm not much of a salad eater so I grabbed the plate with the corned beef tongue, Funyuns (which reminded me of a flat pork rind), a little sauce and mustard seed. It was good, it reminded me of corned beef sans bread. My husband liked mine more than his greens with wheat berries. I liked that the salad was crunchy. Â On to the entrees. My husband grabbed the pan roasted white fish and I got the braised pork shoulder. The presentation of both were lovely. The pork shoulder came with a pretzel bread which I thought was a tad bit salty. The creme fraiche helped cut some of the saltiness, but I wish there was just a bit more jus. The pan roasted fish rested atop a split pea pancake with pickled cabbage on top and came with more of the Funyun crisp. I didn't care much for the pancake, but the fish was great with the buttermilk sauce and crisp. Lastly came the dessert: a chocolate cake with a 'red velvet' beet custard with cream cheese pudding and a sea salt caramel corn pannna cotta. Yummy! The beet custard really came through until it was mixed with the cream cheese and chocolate cake making it true to its namesake. Â A twist on red velvet indeed! Both my husband and I loved the panna cotta. It was especially whimsical to have the caramel popcorn and caramel drizzle decorating the panna cotta.
Overall the experience made me want to come back. It is a very cute space, very rustic chic with friendly wait staff. The only drawback is a tiny parking lot. There is an open air kitchen as well as a bar space. We were seated in their market area. They have shelving where wine was sold along with old school general store offerings with a modern twist: hot sauces, crackers, hazelnut spread and the like. Can't wait to have another date night with an option close to my 'hood.
I decided to check out Bread & Wine with 2 friends since I saw that the establishment was participating in Chicago Restaurant Week and it's in my neighborhood. I am so, so, so glad I found it because I will definitely be coming back!
It was quite crowded on a Saturday night so I recommend making a reservation beforehand. The space is also small so parties with more than 4-6 people should probably look elsewhere. There is a teeny parking lot, but it was already full when we got there so we had to park a block away (no biggie, street parking isn't bad in this area). The restaurant has a nice ambiance with their minimalist decor. Our waiter was very nice to us and even grabbed an extra candle for me to help with the lighting when he saw that I was photographing our food.
Bread & Wine is pricey, but it's absolutely delicious. We shared one 3-course meal from the Restaurant Week menu and 2 starters from their normal menu, which was surprisingly enough food for 3 people. Everything on the Restaurant Week menu was fantastic. We tried a pork shank starter from their normal menu that was cooked perfectly and was unbelievably tender. The salted caramel popcorn panna cotta dessert (on both the special menu and the normal menu) was also tasty - a perfect balance of sweet and salty, crunchy and custardy, etc.
This is definitely a restaurant that takes it to the next culinary level with their presentation and creation of good flavors. With that being said, you aren't going to get heaping portions of mediocre food on your plate like at other restaurants. I would recommend coming here for nice occasions as it is a little more expensive, but it's worth it for how delicious everything is!
Perhaps I just don't get out much... But a tad over $80.00 for a dinner for two? Methinks not.
I took my daughter out after work one Friday evening - something new for me, (we normally visit on Sunday afternoons). Still, I was up for a new adventure and thought I would try a dining out on a Friday evening, no less. I drove pass Bread & Wine one day and thought, "Hmm looks trendy, but could have nice eats and good atmosphere".
Bread & Wine is trendy - not the place to meet good old mom after work, (I'm the old mom). Many 20-30 something couples, a couple of large groups,(4-6), even a small family, (you know a mom, dad and 1 child), but overall very loud. Something should be done about acoustical tiles. I suspect the dining area used to be a garage, so the walls are cement or simply dry wall, so the noise level can get really high, (or maybe I'm just sensitive - I am the old mom). The tables seemed close to me, so I felt like my conversation was public. Still, everything under low lighting appeared clean and the food...
The food was tasty. Different for sure - not basic - not at all what I would cook at home. I had white fish - which really is basic, but not the price. The portion was more than enough to share with my daughter who had ordered the lamb, which was really small - so she was still a little hungry. Both meals were served attractively on the plate, so eye appeal was met, but still the price...
Our service was good, but not great, (although, my daughter left a very generous tip). Our waitress came once after serving to check on us. I noticed other servers were more attentive. I poured my own water throughout our meal, again while other servers poured the water for their customers.... Then our dessert came... Being the old mom; I know a thing or two about sweet potato pie - We had the sweet potato custard "strip", twirled ever so nicely on the plate, but it didn't add to the taste, which left me wondering did the chef's mother ever teach him or her about making real sweet potato pie.
I don't know if I'll go back, maybe with my husband, maybe with another one of my six children...but not anytime soon. I guess, if one is looking for a little something to taste and good wines; Bread & Wine is the place to go, but not with dear old mom after work on a Friday.
Being in the neighborhood I am so happy to have a dining option such as Bread and Wine. Â Within walking distance! Â I've dined here 3 times now. Â Love their wine list....many good, reasonably priced options. Â Outsranding. Â Love their decor. Â Sitting at the bar is the greatest! Â
But there are a few things that continue to leave a slight sour taste in my mouth....
1. Portions are too small for the price. Â I understand the need to charge for good, qaulity ingredients and chef preparation but the math just doesn't add up here. Â I had the deconstructed sweet potato pie on Saturday night. Â Wonderful flavors; WAY too small for $8.00.
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2. My girlfriend ordered an expresso from the Bartender and he advised that this was not available. Â He then offered her "french pressed" coffee. Â We were charged $7.00. Â Kinda need to know that it comes for "2"....not impressed. Â And really, at that price? Â
I really need to see some more "value" here. Â I LOVE the fact that it is within walking distance. Â But then I think of my experience at places like the Purple Pig; where I feel I get outstanding food at prices that match; I am perfectly fine to get in my car and drive.
Thanks to the Michelin Guide and Yelp, we found this amazing gem of a restaurant and enjoyed one the best meals we've had in recent memory. Â First of all, there is a parking lot. Â A small one, but still there is a parking lot and free street parking. Â So, right away we were pleased. Â Everyone knows how stressful it can be to get into a restaurant on a Saturday night with a party of 3 and find parking on top of that. Â
More importantly however, the staff was extremely friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable, and the food was simply out of this world. Â The menu includes cheese and charcuterie plates, small plates, entrees and desserts. Â We started with some delicious house kielbasa, organic cheddar and hickory smoked gorgonzola to complement the bottle of sauvignon blanc we ordered (hey, great wine and beer list too). Â The charcuterie was so delicious we couldn't stop talking about it. Â It was the perfect start to a perfect meal. Â We also enjoyed the herb fries served with garlic aioli before our entrees which included the whitefish, the flank steak, and the tofu. Â Everything was beautifully presented, full of flavor, and perfectly proportioned. Â We couldn't have been more pleased. Â
To end the meal, we shared the salted caramel popcorn panna cotta. Â This dessert was absolutely delicious and completely unique. Â Loved it!
Something important to note is that the menu offers both vegetarian and gluten free options throughout each course, clearly marked with a 'v' or 'gf'. Â
I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone, whether you live in the neighborhood or not. Â We cannot wait to go back to try some cocktails and sit at the kitchen/chef's table for another amazing meal.
I can only give one star on the basis that we didn't stay long enough to actually try the food. We had a party of 6 for an 8pm reservation on a Friday night.....a rehearsal dinner, as we're getting married the next day. I should have known something was up, getting such a reservation on a Friday night via Open Table, just two days before. In fact I even commented so to my fiancé as I booked it. We arrive a few minutes to 8. And the hostess says our table is almost ready. By 8.15,  no sign of the table, and we're standing by the bar - where they're obviously hoping we will buy their overpriced drinks while we wait. Thing is, don't offer us the bar when there's only 4 seats, and there's 6 of us. Then don't hassle us nonstop for standing in the way. Then we wait and wait as we see at least two parties of two walk right in and get seated right away. By 8.30, we've had enough. Now, half an hour may not be that long to some people, but in that restaurant, where there is hardly room to move, it felt like a lifetime.  It's too loud to have a conversation anyway, and we're tired of watching the hostess and bartender harass the couple who are finishing up their meal and clearly taking too long to finish according to the hostess, as she's busy rearranging the table next to them in readiness for pushing the two together for our party, which was obviously being done for our benefit. Overall, I'm sure the food is as good as the reviews say, but until they have an attitude adjustment and an overhaul of their business plan and accept you cannot and should not accept large parties when you clearly don't have the capacity for them, I won't be back, or will the other 5 members of my party. Too bad, as we live right around the corner and have a lot of friends who like to eat out.
Review Source:I came here with my husband on a busy summer night--the service was slooow but the food was good--particularly, the duck pierogies (they accidentally brought us two orders--we were not complaining). If you're doing the charcuterie, make sure to get the sheep's cheese (the dante). Â It's delicious.
Skip the fries--they're kinda greasy.
I'm obsessed with this place!! Â It's so ridiculously amazing!! Â A few items worth noting: wine list (duh!); beer list (yep!....at a wine place!); cheese & charcuterie plates (to DIE for!!); cocktails (creative, fun, seasonal, all-around-a-huge-party-in-your-mouth); seafood: um HELLO!! Â More please!!; outdoor seating: it's small (and hard to come by on those rare great-weather days in early spring/late fall when everyone and their mother have an amazing urge to dine al fresco), but it's SUPER adorable and cozy; oh, and the service is literally FANTASTIC!! Â Basically, it's the full package! Â : )
Review Source:If you live in Albany Park, you know that it takes real motivation to strap on your kevlar vest and step outside after dark. While there are plenty of delicious lunch places that are safe to visit during the light of day, such as Salam and Dawali (both are recommended), there aren't too many places that are tempting enough to make the trek after dark (Semiramis being one notable exception).
Check out Bread and Wine on Irving Park, just west of Elston. The food is eclectic, delicious, and beautifully served. The service is attentive and un-hurried, the wine selection is good, and they have a full bar. This is sort of a special-occassion type of restaurant, and it's priced accordingly. We tried the baby octopus, an arugula salad, and the flank steak. Call ahead to be sure they're not too crowded, or just walk over on a weeknight. There are coat racks to hang up your bullet proof vest, and there's very little actual gunfire inside.
I just came back from Bread & Wine and had the BEST dinner and drinks with girlfriends! It's place is amazing. The food is delicious and we seriously got every small plate on the menu to share and every dessert listed, on top of a Chef's choice cheese and charcuterie plate. So in having tried pretty much every single item on the menu, I can honestly say there was not one thing on the whole list that I did not like!
The waitress we had was REALLY good too! I wish I got her name :( I'd like to give her a shout out. She was so attentive to our table, even on a busy night, and even brought us some extra food to go with one of our desserts. I would recommend going a bit earlier... We went at 6:30 and it was starting to get a busy, but by the time we left at 9, the place was packed!
This whole area has really been popping up cute little restaurants. Bread & wine is one of those not to be missed!
Overall a great experience! We went with some dear friends that frequent and love Bread & Wine. The owners work at the restaurant everyday, I love that they get to know the clientele and genuinely care.
The service was perfect, the waitress was very attentive and made some great recommendations.
To have a restaurant of this caliber: modern, cool, hip vibe in this part of town is desperately needed and welcomed. Thank you for taking the risk!
The decor is way cool, loved everything about it, next time it was recommended that we sit at the food bar and engage the chefs throughout the meal, you may get some Scooby snacks on your plate, yum!
Chicken Liver Pate-Excellent
Salumi and Cheese Plate- Excellent
Crispy semolina Gnocchi- Excellent
Beef and Kielbasa Burger-Not a fan
Butter poached Whitefish-Just OK
Salted caramel popcorn Panna Cotta- Excellent, WOW!
I'd like to see more Bread and more Wine since it is in the name??????
I'm looking forward to my next visit!
I really dig this place and like a lot of other reviewers I see here, am rooting for it to flourish. My wife and I have had a couple different date nights there and are always really pleased with the experience. I recommend the gnocchi, burger, white fish, and chicken. They have some great seasonal beers too, including two different 650ml bottles from 3 Floyds last time I was there. Yes please.
Our server was delightful and even the music was great. I wish it was a little less expensive but only because we're always tempted to try one of everything when we're there.
Went here with my girlfriend a few months back when the weather was nice enough to sit outside.
Friendly staff, easy atmosphere, very chill.
We had a bottle of a very good Riesling. I can't quite remember what type, but we had a fried flower squash? It was very good, unexpected. We also had a sea bass plate as well- delicious.
Over all, Had a very enjoyable time. Can't wait to go back!
3 girlfriends and I did a ladies night here on Friday, and we had a really enjoyable time. Â We made a reservation earlier in the week, which was a great idea, and the ambiance was excellent for the evening we were looking for. Â We each ordered a different cocktail, and enjoyed our individual drinks. Â Any place that can serve 4 great cocktails is a winner in my book.
We also ordered:
Charcuterie plate (2 cheese and blood sausage which was surprisingly great, not as scary as I expected)
Herb fries, Gnocci, (The best dish), Arctic Char (The worst dish. Â Super salty, with the texture of a fruit roll-up)
Flank steak (the béarnaise was incredible)
And a bottle of white white.
Our server listened to our needs (two vegetarians, attempting to save money), and gave us earnest recommendations. Â It was the perfect place for our occasion. Â We were a little disappointed in the total bill versus the serving size, so just be aware of that fact. Â With that in mind, we will return.
Came here with my wife and family while we were in town last and what an excellent experience.
The good:
-We came early because we made our reservation on short notice, we pretty much had the whole restaurant to ourselves!
-Semolina Gnocchi, get these, you will not regret it!
-The Cavaletti had a nice spice to it, but it wasn't overwhelming, even my mother who doesn't love spicy food was able to enjoy it.
-Despite being named Bread and Wine it had a solid selection of beers as well.
-Our server was very attentive and ensured we had everything we ordered/needed.
-The decor/atmosphere was simple without a ton of frills, I loved it.
They bad:
-The only bread on the menu that I saw was the bun for the burger, the name is misleading!!
-It is kind of a hassle to get to unless you live way up on the north side already. The blue line drops you about a half mile off and a taxi from downtown is 20 bucks or so.
I'd definitely be back for another visit if I still lived in Chicago.
Dear Bread and Wine,
I am rooting for you, I really am. You're just a block from my house, and the neighborhood desperately needs more restaurants. I'm hoping that B&W is still in it's awkward pre-adolescent phase, and that it'll fix the glitches soon. Here are some observations:
The not so fab:
*You MUST start serving bread. It's just ridiculous.
*The portions are just too small. I have eaten dinner 3 times, and brunch once, with groups of family and/or friends, and we always leave hungry.
* Both your brunch and dinner menus are too small. We need more choices.
*Your burger, while delicious, is too small for the bun. It's about 60% bread, 40% meat.
*Your desserts are just terrible. This needs a total rehab.
The fab:
*Your cockail and wine program is excellent.
*Your culinary and wine events look very interesting.
*Your charcuterie and cheeses are amazing. The chicken liver pate is one of the best things I've eaten all year.
*Your staff and owners are all super lovely.
you can dooooo it!
Have to admit that i thought Bread and Wine was going to be a disappointment...too good to be true. Mixed reviews yet so close to home??? Â I was really skeptical. Good news is that I loved it. Â Great little place that serves fun new American dishes with flare. Â Also have a great wine and beer selection to keep most satisfied. Â Add the outdoor patio for nice summer nights and we're in business. I had the 3 Floyd's pride and joy ale to start then a fine chard. The most memorable menu items (menu is not very big but plenty of variety) were the raw scallops with juniper berries and oranges and the burger.
Can't wait to go back esp since it's so close to home.
1) Be sure to sit at the Kitchen Counter if it's available.. and if you're in the mood to talk to the chefs.
2) Order whatever you want because it's all amazing. We got the Crispy Semolina Gnocchi and Herb Ricotta toast with Yellow Beets and Arugula and for dinner we split the Walleye.. I don't know why I'm making you drool with this description bc the menu changes every 2ish weeks. (i.e. there were no tomatoes on the menu at our seating bc the head chef wasn't interested in bringing in tomatoes from the west coast.. pretty cool in my opinion!)
3) We got dessert, not because we needed the calories but because the people next to us had been there a couple times and convinced us to (not that we needed much convincing..) The Salted Caramel Popcorn Panna Cotta.. HOLY COW HARRY CARAY. We loved it enough to drop off one of our dishes the next night so they could make a WHOLE bunch for a party we had on the following night.
4) Lulu might be the nicest chef/pastry chef.. ever. / All the people behind that counter had something pleasant to say..
5) I'm going back and soon!
Went here on a week night for an impromptu girls night out. Â I would give this place 3.5 stars if I could, but 3 will have to suffice. Â It's a farm-to-table type concept, which was nice. Â This means their menu will change often, with a rotation of freshly-inspired small plates, salads and larger plates. Â Started with a cheese/charcuterie board. Â The cheeses were fresh and the homemade marmalade and mustard on the board was a nice balance to the salty cheese. Â
As a group we split 4 small plates and one large plate. Â Overall the food was good and fresh, but as I type this review barely a week later, I can't remember a single thing I ate, aside from the cheese. Â What that tells me - nothing was all that memorable. Â
I'd give ambiance and SERVICE 5 stars, and while the food was fresh, it was forgettable. Â I would go here for a return visit, but I won't be running back or shouting my praises from the rooftops (or via Yelp for that matter...)