How does a place run out of something an hour after it opens? Thats what happened here when i ordered the one thing on its menu that someone like me on a no-salt, no-fat diet can eat, mussels in wine. Not only were they out but the waitress freaked out when i explaned I had had heart surgery and cannot eat things with butter and salt which everything else on the limited menu here had, she had the manager come over which was zero help and just made me feel like a hideous freak! Never going here again!
Review Source:This restaurant is our go-to place when we feel like something somewhat tasty though not too gourmet/expensive nor a quick eat place or when friends are in town visiting.. Â This is the place you can go and have a drink, order a few small plates, chill and enjoy the flavors.
In truth, my husband and I have thought almost everything on the menu that we have tried was either good (worth the price and may order again) to amazing! Â The only exception to this is the dates, because we're not the biggest fan of dates and the night we had it it the flavors were unbalanced. Â Our favorites that we order all the time are the smoked salmon flatbread, mussels (if there are more than two of us, we ask for extra bread and they are happy to oblige!), macaroni and cheese, and the crab cake with a bottle of the Albarino. Â
The chocolate bomb is great if you want dessert too, and The Cellar has the same dessert menu as the Stained Glass next door. Â In fact, even when comparing the two, the Cellar triumphs (even though it's the same kitchen and the Stained Glass is more expensive) because the Stained Glass tries too hard to be super fancy. Â While the Cellar is a bit on the fancy side, the finger-foods and small plates allow them to put really complementary and interesting flavors together on one plate without going too far out of the box in the combination department.
I very much recommend this restaurant and we look forward to returning for our next dinner sometime soon!
This time, I ordered the winter squash soup with apple cinnamon crumbles and creme fraiche. Fantastic is what I have to say! Â The soup was anything but watery and was of the right consistency. Â The savory flavor from the soup mixed well with the sweet and crunchiness from the crumbles. Â I highly recommend that you try the soup before the menu changes! And as always, the bacon date wrapped dates were stellar.
Review Source:We were treated like dirt here tonight. We  called ahead and were told there was a table for our party of five.  We were in town visiting our daughter who attends  northwestern.  We raced over for our table. We arrived and were told the table was gone.  We waited 25 minutes and spent 25 dollars on cocktails. No tables turned over.  I complained. The hosts were rude.  We left.  We ordered lots of food and drinks at bistro  Bordeaux. Please boycott the Cellar.
Review Source:I love this place - it has fit so many needs for me from happy hour to girls night out dinner to date night. Â They're currently participating in Northshore Restaurant Month from Sunday - Thursday so check that out!
I do miss the truffle mac n cheese but the lobster mac n cheese is still delicious as a backup option! Â But the Korean tacos are still delicious. Â We also love their bacon wrapped dates. Â What makes them so different? Â They stuff chorizo inside - that's what! Â With plenty of drinks and a wine list and beer menu galore, they even offer you flights to try a little of everything, as well. Â For dessert, I can never decide so I always end up with their dessert sampler which at $5 a person is a steal because you get gelato plus 3 tastes of creme brulee plus a chocolate cake - yum!
My wife and I just discovered The Cellar this past weekend. Â We absolutely loved it!
The place is small and they don't take reservations, but it's well worth the wait. Â Started it off with a ceasar salad. Â Very tasty but nothing too special. Â We ordered the bacon wrapped dates with chorizo stuffing and they were delicious. Â It was definitely an interesting take on the traditional bacon wrapped date. Â Next we ordered 3 of the mini-burgers with shoestring fries and truffle mayo. Â Amazing little burgers! Â To finish it off we had the chocolate mousse dessert. Â I am not a huge dessert guy, but I must admit this dessert won me over. Â
My only issue was the drink prices. Â I am a huge craft beer dork and really liked their selection. Â I ordered a Revolution Anti-Hero IPA and my wife had an Allagash White. Â Since we waited nearly 45 minutes for a table, Â I ordered 2 more beers before we sat down. Â My drink bill for 4 beers was $27! Â I understand craft beer prices can be steep, but $7.50 for the Anti-Hero seemed a little overpriced to me!
Oh well! Â Can't sit here and complain because the food was awesome. Â We will definitely be back and I'm sure I'll find myself dropping $30 or $40 more on beers too haha!
Went on a Sunday night with two others because we had heard good things. Â We went without reservations so when we arrived at 8pm, we had to wait a little at the bar. Â After being given drink menus and a quick hello, the bartender didn't come by for about 15 minutes. When we finally ordered and got our drinks, we were ready to be seated. Â We were told we had to settle the tab at the bar first. Â I asked if we can just transfer the tab over to our table and the host said that wasn't possible. Â Are they running separate POS systems for the drinks and the food? Â I just thought it was strange since I've never had a problem with a restaurant transferring the drinks to our dinner check.
They were out of the fried chicken, which we really wanted. So we went with the butter and salt flight, sliders, pomme frites, mussels, lamb burger and mac n' cheese. Â The salt and butter flight was good with the truffle butter being the favorite. Next came the pomme frites. Â If you want fries, skip this entirely. Â These were tortilla strip-like fried potato chips. Â I think it's bad form to label these pomme frites on the menu especially since my lamb burger came with the kind of fries we were expecting! Â We discussed it and I believe that they serve it this way so they can use one potato instead of multiple spuds but still maintain the same volume in a cone. Â Kudos to the cost saving ingenuity of the kitchen but lets be honest, how expensive are potatoes?
The sliders and mac n cheese came next. Â The mini burgers were dry and not very good. Â The mac n cheese however was aces! Â Served hot and really cheesy, the table agreed this was the best thing we were served all night.
The lamb burger was also excellent. Â It had a good, distinct lamb flavor and cooked a perfect medium. Â
The mussels were average. Â The mussels themselves were kind of small and didn't have much flavor but the broth was really nice. Â
There were some good and some bad. I think the misses will keep us from coming back though.
Love The Cellar! Â One of my favorite spots in Evanston. I've been here numerous times, but have failed to write a review. So here it is.....went in NYE before hitting up Ward Eight for after dinner drinks.
Please note, The Cellar does not accept reservations. I was a little nervous on NYE, but must have beat the rush as we snagged a table with no problem. Â I also like to sit at the bar, very friendly and knowledgeable bartenders.
Great selection of beers and wines. They also offer a beer flight if you can't decide. As for the food I have never had a bad plate here. Some of my faves: salmon flatbread, blue cheese beignets, sliders, fried chicken. They also feature specials. For NYE we tried the pulled pork pierogi and key lime dessert.
Also, a good spot for dinner if you are going to a movie around the corner. The Cellar shares the same kitchen as Stained Glass so the quality is excellent. Give it a shot if you don't want to drop some coin at Stained Glass.
This is 4 stars for Evanston, for Chicagoland, it's more like 3. Â That said, I really like this place for wine and apps. Â The shrimp and grits are my favorite. Â The smoked salmon flatbread is good, but sometimes they overbake the crust. Â Sliders and mac & cheese are solid. Â I'll pass on the tacos and the elote, they're not that great.
Review Source:Been here three times and I'll be returning for more. I love the ambiance: candle lit with lounge music, maps of wine regions on the walls, stone and brickwork, and mirrors. Staff is attentive yet blend into the background, a trick that is tough to master.
The wine list may be modest, but you can't go wrong with any glass. I recommend the meritage, juicy and bold, and the syrah, smoky and delicious. The food, wow. Not only are the small plates delicious, they are beautifully played. The Greek salad, pork belly, bacon-wrapped dates, lamb, mussels, and fish tacos are all top-notch.
The only downside? The sometimes uppity clientele. My first visit with my boyfriend we were privy to an older gentleman berate a young server for wanting to refill his water glass, and on a subsequent visit with my mother, we watched a couple insist on speaking tote manager for being out on a 15 minute wait. At 6:30pm. At a popular restaurant.
Bon apetit!
Great place to go on a first date. Â Small plates, huge beer selection (though I don't seem to like most of them). Â I brought a series of first dates here (one per week) for about eight weeks, and I would order the same thing (good vegetarian options) and the only variable was my date. Â
I was quick to weed out who I liked (not many of them) and what I liked (tomato and mozzarella salad and the yummy acorn squash ravioli - I'm a veggie). Â Even if you don't like your date, you can enjoy good vegetarian food while he eats animal parts, and since they only serve small plates, you won't have to watch him eating animal flesh off a large carcass.
I almost never discovered this place because I would always walk past it, but it is most definitely my favourite place in Evanston now. The presentation of the food is always super cute, but all the items on the menu are SO delicious as well.
It changes throughout the seasons, but the mac & cheese is one of my favourites. The mussels are great to share with friends...so savory and goes great with the bread. The micro burgers (sliders) are also really good, and I've been eyeing the fried chicken bucket for ages! It literally comes in a miniature metal bucket - so adorable.
The creme brulee sampler is heavenly...and I don't even like sweets.
This restaurant is definitely worth checking out if you've never been!
Food here was fabulous. Â We ordered 9 different items for 5 of us. Â We had more than enough food, and each item was very good. Â We went early (5:30pm), and by the time we left, there was quite a group at the bar waiting for a table. Â We had no problem with service. Â But I can imagine that things might slow down if we had been seated later. Â
We will definitely return.
I went here with a group of friends and we were highly impressed! The ambiance is great. Kinda has a modern cozy feel to it.
The food did it for me. There was 6 of us and we shared about 8 dishes. It's a tapas inspired menu so the servings are on the smaller size. We loved every single thing we ordered. My favorites were the beef brisket tacos, bacon wrapped dates, the lamb dish with potatoes was so amazing, and the pork belly dish was a burst of flavors  my mouth had not experienced before!!!
I am seriously salivating thinking about the dishes. The service was great. Our server was great at recommending dishes and our drinks were refilled very quickly.
I want to have dinner here every night! (hell, lunch too!)
Tiny location, but good for intimate conversations. Call ahead and make a reservation - the place fills up quickly most nights. Love the small plates. I recommend the Blue Cheese Beignets, Mini Burgers and Fish Tacos. For dessert the Creme Brulee Sampler. Â The service is quite good and best of all, I have never felt rushed to finish and leave.
Review Source:To complement my Black & White Affair-themed birthday dinner, I was searching for a place that was upscale and would accomodate a large group of 15 people in Evanston. The Cellar was the perfect place! Having each person order 2 tapas to share was sufficient for our group. I made sure to order the blue cheese beignets and empanadas--they were both delicious vegetarian choices! Moving onto desserts, we ordered the equally decadent creme brulee and gelato samplers; note that if you check in on Yelp, you get a complimentary dessert! To top it all off, Wildcats get a 10% discount with their ID! My birthday dinner couldn't get any better than this!
Review Source:I loved loved loved this place.
The wine was very good and the food was great as well. Â
The Cellar is the more modest offshoot of The Stained Glass, but the food comes from the same kitchen and is reasonably priced.
It's relatively small, with limited seating so there might be a wait...However, it is so absolutely worth it.
There's definitely a space/timing issue, but power through it because there's good food to be had. I came here on a dreary Friday with my homegirl and we'd both had long, tiring weeks. We needed food and drink and to be left alone. We also needed to look at my pictures in glossy magazines (what what), but that didn't have much to do with the meal. I just needed to give myself the shout out. Needed.
Because space is to The Cellar as height is to a smurf, we were, initially, out of luck when it came to sitting at a table. Thanks to the early time at which we entered this hallowed hall of Evanston, however, there was space at the bar. I am not a fan of sitting at the bar but when faced with no other alternative, it'll have to do (pig). Getting the bartender/server's attention couldn't have been harder than if I were waving sparklers and jumping up and down. That's an issue -- a serious one. But, luckily for his personal safety and my prison record, homegirl was on the case and Honeysuckle Roses were at the ready. Yes, we were here to eat but my nerves needed calming... and I might be a functional alcoholic. Potato, potahtoe. In any event, I was clinking glasses and downing Prosecco, rosemary-honey, vodka, and oj in no time flat. Remarkably, my mood started to change for the better. Oh, alcohol: is there nothing you can't do?
With a steady stream of Roses coming my way, it was time to eat. What's best to do when dining at a new spot in Evanston? Reference Yanyao N's review. Duh. And, done. To compliment my growing buzz (can we get a 'what what' for public transit?), I decided on the salmon flatbread (with pesto, goat cheese and arugula), the truffle mac & cheese (not quite the slam dunk you might expect; verged on the cloying), lobster curry (get.this! PURPLE sticky rice, oyster mushrooms, delicious sauce, LOBSTER, greens, herbs... delicious; you will fight over this one), onion rings (don't judge me), and fish tacos (served with avocado, onion and black bean soup; another MUST). The good of sharing food is that it makes the meal go by faster and the conversation never stops. It also leaves room for dessert. Bring your smartphones and download the Yelp app because with every check-in, you get a free dessert. FREE. DESSERT. Even though the selections change, save room. Homegirl and i were overwhelmed with the choices. We decided upon the Chocolate ^3 and the Ice Cream Soda. The Chocolate ^3 was an embarrassment of chocolately goodness. Mousse, cake, bombe... however you like your chocolate, it was there. And, it was delicious. The soda was a rose water base (ridic) with berries and shortbread cookies. Light, refreshing, sweet, and different enough from the other dessert so as not to be the least bit redundant. I don't know when will be the next time I'm in Evanston but you can bet when I'm there, my mind will be in the gutter and my appetite will be at The Cellar.
What what!
Best food in Evanston. I LOVE The Cellar! If you're looking for an extensive wine selection, go to the Stained Glass, but if you're looking for the best food, this is where you want to be. Also, the wine I did have there was great. Small plates, which means you can try several items, although that can get pricey with most plates priced around $10. I think at this point, I've tried pretty much the whole menu. They have made some menu changes recently, and I have to say the macaroni and fish tacos both got worse, which is a bummer. Bring back the truffle mac!
That being said, the lobster rolls are so incredible. I also love the salmon flatbread, the butter and salt flight, the fried chicken, tempura vegetables, ravioli, pomme frites, and the lobster curry (they might have taken that off the menu?). The only item that I can't say I love is the blue cheese beignets - they're just plain beignets with a little bit of blue cheese crumble. Just make sure to order the lobster rolls.
I've never had anything less than great service, usually Lucy is our waitress and she is so sweet and attentive! Always a great experience.
The Cellar is the unassuming sister restaurant of The Stained Glass. Prices are a little cheaper but plates are also much smaller, so when you order a bunch of stuff, it does get pricey. I've been wanting to come here for awhile, and finally gathered a group of four to have dinner here on a Friday night. We arrived around 6:30 and the restaurant was almost completely packed, but we were lucky to get seated with no wait. We're still Northwestern undergrads, so we were under dressed and definitely the youngest people there.
We went hog wild and ordered to share:
Plates
1) French onion soup - only had a little sip and thought it was good. I never thought that I would like French onion because soggy bread sounds gross, but this surprised me. My friend (a French onion soup connoisseur apparently) said that the tomatoes in it were strange though.
2) Jumbo lump crab cake - delicious, although the plate only had one and it was not jumbo. It had lots of crab meat and not much fillers though, so it's still a win.
3) Grilled lamb chops - well cooked and not too gamey
4) Lobster curry - delicious. Whenever I see the word "curry" on the menu, I never really know what to expect. This curry was Thai influenced, with purple sticky rice and generous lobster chunks.
5) Smoked salmon flat bread - pretty good. Props for lots of smoked salmon, but it might've been too heavy on the blue cheese.
6) Fish tacos - good, although I wasn't in the mood for fried food
7) Bacon wrapped dates - wow, best bacon wrapped dates I've ever had and I tend to order this app quite often. They're stuffed with chorizo, covered in red pepper sauce, and sprinkled with arugula (sounds a lot like Avec's actually, minus the arugula)
Drinks
1) Chocolate Martini - great, guy friend said that it tasted like chocolate milk
2) North Coast Brother Thelonious - a solid dark beer
3) Margarita - too much mixer :(
Dessert sampler
1) Gelato sampler (4 scoops) - delicious, there was a chocolate and a vanilla but I'm not sure what the other two scoops were
2) Sorbet sampler (4 scoops) - good palatte cleanser, came with grapefruit, pomegranate, strawberry, and apple
3) Meyer lemon and lavender tart - good, a little too sour for me but my friends loved it
4) Chocolate bombe - very rich, you can never go wrong with this
The atmosphere was very relaxed and comfortable, yet still elegant. Service was great - they kept our water glasses full, checked up on us often, and even switched out plates for us. I'm going to be thinking about this meal for awhile. Oh and use the restroom when you visit. You can peek into the kitchen and into The Stained Glass, since both restaurants share the same restroom/kitchen.
I was expecting much, much better. Â I went with three friends and we had six or seven dishes. Nothing was memorable, and lot of it was only passable. Â
The fish tacos tasted bad - as in, no one finished after taking one bite. Â
The empanadas were overcooked and bland. Â
The smoked salmon flatbread was overcooked. Â
The bleu cheese beignets were a bit like sweet cheese puffs; they use a powdered cheese on top and port sauce, and they just didn't work. Â
The barbacoa  tacos were pretty good. Â
The tomato mozzarella salad was OK.
I had two overpriced glasses of mediocre wine. Â
Basically, I won't go back.
I used to live in Evanston and generally don't tend to return to restaurants here because it is now a pain in the ass to get there. However, this is the one place I didn't try when I was down the street. Somehow I ended up here at around 7pm on new year's eve and finally checked it off the list.
Typical small plates concept. People call it tapas, but there is so little Spanish influence outside of the fact that the plates are small. You know what works about that, though? TEMPURA FRIED EVERYTHING. Their tempura vegetables are better than french fries and just as likely to kill you with their friedness. No contest. Tempura fried asparagus was the best part of the meal. Followed by tempura carrots.
The rest of the small plates were good. The mac and cheese was nice. An odd favorite was the butter and salt flight - 3 butters, 3 flavors, 3 salts, and a bunch of bread. Butter and salt is the world's most perfect way to eat both butter and salt: all the beauty of popcorn, spread on hot bread. Does it sound weird? It isn't. I wish I had a reason to eat gourmet butter pats every day, and I don't.
Their beer list is pretty impressive, but I chose the safe and lovely Delerium Tremens served in its appropriate glass. Bonus points.
My favorite spot in Evanston. Â Always great wine and service, and the perfect place for a date or a girls night out. Â It is small, and they don't take reservations, but it's worth waiting at the bar with a drink.
The Cellar does all small plates, and they vary in size, but most are quite large. Â I usually find that three plates make a great dinner for two. Â My favorites include the mussels, pesto salmon flatbread, micro burgers, and the falafel. Â The Chocolate Dessert trio is delicious as well (use the Free Dessert check-in on Yelp). Â Great wine and beer selection!.
The Cellar shares a kitchen with Stained Glass, which is a little more upscale and also delicious. Â I personally prefer the more laid back vibe in the Cellar, but Stained Glass is also a great choice if you want a more traditional apps and entree style menu.
Hands down my favorite place to eat in Evanston.
The tapas style menu is large, varied, and well-executed. My personal fave is the butter and salt flight - which is a trio of decadent butters and complementary salts served with delicious fresh bread. Serving sizes are very generous relative to other tapas restaurants: our server recommended 1.5 dishes per person. With an average price around $10 per dish and $3-4 for a side, a meal at the Cellar is an absolute steal (think ~$25 with a glass of wine). Furthermore, this is the only place I can think of in Evanston that makes you feel like you're in the city - the crowd is great and it has a cosmopolitan ambience without trying too hard.
My one complaint is that the wine list is pretty limited - I think around 12-14 options. While the wine list is well curated and seems to have something for everyone, it is short, especially for a place named "the cellar". This is rarely a problem unless you're craving something specific... for example, a Chardonnay. Overall though, this place is an absolute gem.
My go-to place for after-dinner drinks.
They have a large variety of wines, beers, and they have a full-service bar with great bartenders at the helm.
If you're getting into beers, just start plowing your way through their offerings.
As much as I try to come here to actually try their small plates, I never seem to think of The Cellar until after I've already had a very filling meal.
Shame on me.
Great cozy atmosphere and good food. Â Sat at the bar, had excellent service and was able to catch up with a good friend! Â I don't know if we would have liked it so much if we sat at a table since the restaurant seemed a little noisy. Â
But what is this you say about small plates? Â I guess it depends on what you order. Â That would be my only complaint, as I really wanted small plates, so that I could try more food. Â Some plates were small and some plates were not so small. Â And one plate was a full-on entree. Â It was confusing. Â
Onion Rings were VERY tasty with the spicy sauce that they serve with it. Â Mussels were good. Â The Acorn Squash Ravioli was too sweet and was overall an unbalanced dish. The Black Sheep Burger was....well we didn't get to try it because the bartender thought that we were joking?! Â Who jokes about ordering a dish?! Â But he made it up to us and the burger would have been too much food anyways.
I am looking forward to trying more "small" plates next time...and more Onion Rings.
We loved this place! Â This place is so cute, cozy, and full of tapas! Â I love the fact that you can order a bunch of their items and try many dishes! Â
My ultimate favorite has to be their Pork Belly! Â With the crispy texture on the top, seasoned potato in the middle, and a mashed potatoes consistency at the bottom - WOW! Yum! Â It was definitely my favorite. Â My second favorite was their Acorn Ravioli - it was like the taste of Autumn all wrapped into their taste, texture, and creaminess! Â Very refreshing and delish!
There were definitely honorable mentions as well including the Curry that was so creamy and smooth, Lamb Cutlet that was full of favor, Truffle Mac and Cheese with Lobster, and their bacon wrapped Shrimp! Â
Thumbs up! Â The Cellar, so far, has been our best meal in Evanston!
On the whole, a nice restaurant in the downtown Evanston area. I was quite surprised that The Cellar was connected to another restaurant that I planned on visiting, The Stained Glass.
Overall the food was good. I guess most menu items can be what I'd categorize as American tapas. We started with the escargot, which was very good, then the pork belly and fish tacos, which were all very good also.
The wine and beer list is the real jewel though. They have an extensive list of very good beers here. Most restaurants carry one or two good beers and the rest is garbage, but At The Cellar I counted at least 8 that were superb. I mean Delirium Tremens on tap?!! They get 2 stars just for that!!
Its overall a good restaurant to go to if you're in Evanston for dinner.
Being reunited with a former flame never felt (tasted?) this gooooood. A year or so ago, I used to frequent The Cellar at night because it was one of the only decent food options open late(r) at night that I could walk to. Pair that with deals such as $1 fish tacos and BOGO sliders after 9pm? YES! Plus, they played some awesome music (still do) along the lines of Radiohead, Gorillaz and other indie/alt rock that my ears enjoy. I was smitten, until one day, I walked in to be told that they had changed their hours and now closed at 9pm.
Now fast forward to the muggy summer of 2011. It seems that The Cellar has not only tweaked its hours (open till 10pm during the week? Hooray!) but also their beer list (much larger!) and menu items (new foods to eat = yum!)
I was a very happy camper. We came with friends and feasted. There was ooey gooey truffle mac'n'cheese with lobster, of course. So sinful. So decadent. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. There were crispy onion rings with spicy aioli. There were juicy sliders with bacon and cheese. Shoestring potatoes. Fish tacos. Smoked salmon flat bread. Crab cake. It was ridiculously gluttonous (would you really expect anything else from me?) and so so glorious.
A few little tidbits of possibly useful information for you:
* The Cellar is the more casual, small-plate and beer-centric, sister of The Stained Glass. They share a kitchen, they share bathrooms, and very important: a dessert menu (hello chocolate bombe!)
* The menu is divided into 3 cuisine categories. Looking for a hint of Europe with a side of All-American? This is your place! Throw in some Worldwide empanadas while you're at it too. Why not?
* Choose from glasses of wine, cocktails, beers (in bottles or 6 on tap) to pair with your meal. All that eating will make you thirsty, you know.
* Bring in a same day movie stub and get 15% off your bill!
* No reservations taken.
The current duke/duchess better watch out. Rekindled passions burn hot. Your reign will soon be over. ;)
We went for a casual night out on a weekday. It was a great ambiance for casual dining, the crowd was bubbly and the lighting was relaxing, overall casual. The menu was interesting, although I realized later that the restaurant mostly serves small plates, so if you are super hungry like we were, then one entree is not going to cut it. We ordered one entree each first, and the portions were pretty small and so we ended up ordering two more entrees. We ordered the following:
Lamb chops with au jus - It was highly recommended by my friend who had dined there before, and I was glad we ordered it. It came with roasted fingerling potatoes and was simply scrumptious!
Microburger - Came with fries - It was delicious, very tender and flavorful, (one itty-bitty burger)
Fish Tacos - These were deep fried. The Fish Tacos were made with mahi-mahi battered and deep fried, with the tacos also deep fried. While I am not a huge fan of deep-fried food, this dish was just so refreshing, non-greasy and crunchy, that I became a fan.
I would like to dedicate this entire paragraph to the black bean soup that came with the Fish Tacos. It was simply the best black bean soup I have ever had. It was tangy but very creamy and just right - I would go back for that soup all the way to Evanston.
All in all, a definite visit if I am back in the Evanston area!
A GREAT tapas restaurant! Â I went here for my birthday with four friends and we ate like royalty!
Ambiance: very quiet, tranquil setting that's good for groups or dates.
Food: full of flavor, and quite varied in selection.
Service: helpful, explanatory, and kind.
"Winner winner chicken dinners" include: the jumbo lump crab cake, the shrimp and grits (this one made me slap my knee and yell out "Lord Ha'Mercy!"), and the fish tacos.
Make this happen VERY soon if you're in the Evanston area.
Stay classy foodie friends,
Evan
Oh my God, we ate like Kings! Albeit I found waiting by the bar annoying (no matter where we stood, we were always in the way of the servers), I'm just a huge fan of the Cellar for meetups with friends in Evanston!
-Arancini, small rice croquettes with parmesan dipping sauce, nice!
-Black Sheep burger- So rich! A meal unto itself, this tender burger is served with basil mint mayo and a small bucket of fries
-Empanadas were some of the best I've ever had, and I liked the avocado-tomatillo salsa for dipping my fries in too
-Smoked Salmon Flatbread reminded me of something I had seen Jaques Pepin do recently on PBS, the salmon was cured in citrus and served with greens on a nice flatbread, excellent!
I know I'm forgetting something, our table was stocked with food to share! Top it off with a great beer, wine and specialty mixed drink menu and the Cellar is a hit.
I love this place. I can't believe I didn't stumble upon it sooner! My mom was in town and we were looking for a good place in the neighborhood to eat  - we were immediately intrigued by the menu at The Cellar. We walked in on a Friday night around 7:30pm. The tables were full but we decided to sit at the bar and eat. About 10 minutes after we sat down at the bar, the hostess came up to us and asked if we wanted to sit down at a table that just opened up (I thought this was great hospitality, she could have kept us at the bar and given the table to the next walk-in).
The atmosphere here is really appealing. They definitely succeeded with the "cellar" theme - warm candlelight, a high wood-beamed ceiling, earthy brown paper on the tables and various wine barrel decor. Very beautiful without feeling overdone or too upscale. You could easily wear a t-shirt and jeans, or come straight from work.
When it came time to order we were told that most of the items on the menu were meant for sharing (don't let this hinder you, they aren't the itty bitty portions you get downtown). We ordered the crab cakes, waldorf salad and truffled mac and cheese with lobster. Everything was outstanding, especially the mac and cheese - wow!! The prices are very reasonable ($6-12 an item)....only spent $50 for the entire meal and three cocktails (great selection of specialty cocktails, beer and of course, wine). We finished the evening with a trio of gelato. The next day, all we could think about is how good the food was. The Cellar is my new favorite spot in Evanston!
At last. Â A great place to take a date in Evanston. Â Plush couches, soft lighting and ambiance galore. Â The Cellar is definitely not a place you will ever have to worry about a frat party breaking out.
Solid selection of wines by the glass, strong selection of microbrews and belgian ales.
Did not try the food this time around, but the menu looked tasty
I am in like with The Cellar. Â It has so much potential being housed in a gorgeous downtown Evanston space. Â It's a lovely loft style restaurant with plenty of seating, fancy mirrors and fixtures, stylish bar seating, and an okay "global" menu.
Global. Â That concept annoys me because it encompasses too many cuisines, and often fails to harmonize, which seems to be the case here. They encourage sharing plates, which I like, because you get to try more items. Â Here's the low down:
Empanadas:
Poblano, corn and cheese in a wonderfully flaky pastry. Â Served with a cilantro sauce. Â This was my favorite!
Onion Rings (side dish):
They got the batter to onion ratio correct, however they were very bland. Â A simple sprinkling of salt would have worked wonders.
Pumpkin Ravioli:
I had a serious craving for this and overall it was a solid dish, especially with the beets tossed into the mix. Â The caramelized walnuts were too sweet, otherwise I really liked it.
Bucket of Fried Chix:
Served piping hot in a mini silver bucket. Â How cute is that?! Â The slaw on the side was quite tasty. Â The chicken just needed a sprinkle of salt, otherwise the gravy dipping sauce was excellent.
They have a nice beer list and offer a dozen wines by the glass. Â Our server was friendly and remained attentive even when the restaurant was completely full. Â They don't accept reservations, but tables opened up frequently so I doubt the wait wasn't all that bad.
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