Better than most nice restaurants in Evanston but besides being located in an old train station, there wasn't much unique about this restaurant. I had the rabbit as an appetizer and the ham covered veal for my entree. Both were pretty good but didn't blow me away for the price. The best part of the meal was the souffle for dessert. Delicate and crispy on the outside, it melted in my mouth.
The only real problem was the service. For some reason the server decided to bring our appetizers out at different moments. With a party of 4 this made for slightly awkward dining. The first two dishes were cool by the time the second two came to the table. He did the same with the souffles. We ended up eating them before the other two desserts came to the table. Not a good way to impress customers.
We were so excited to try this place and ended up leaving a little disappointed. Apparently the "winter" menu started about a week before our visit around Thanksgiving, so ... nothing looked like what we were expecting.
The rabbit appetizer was nothing special. The lamb was delicious, but each sat on some sort of meatball that was so dry and stale I had trouble swallowing the few bites I took. Â The dish was missing some sort of balance. The "sauce" was way too acidic - past brightening the dish to the point of being overwhelmingly unpleasant. Foie gras was apparently very good but hard to eat everything at once. The veal medallions felt a little tough in my mouth, but the sauce it came in was very nice. I don't remember what it was though, something very bean-like. Â Between the app and the entree, we were given a melon sorbet palete cleanser, and it was perfect and tasted great! Overall, I think the meal was a bit heavy too - protein, protein, protein with minimal carb and veg. We opted for sorbet as dessert to finish on a lighter note, and of the 3 scoops, 2 were waaaaay too tangy for me, but I'm sure those who prefer that would find these to be perfect. Their espresso is average...
Service was great. We were greeted cheerfully on the way in and out. The waiter was polite, patient, and attentive. Decor is mellow; it's nice.
My first experience there could've been better. But maybe I'll return if their menu changes again, if the chance comes, but at least for the moment, for restaurants in this price range I've got much better options.
Very good food! I had their sea bass, and it was awesome. I'm from Florida, so my standards for fish are pretty high. All in all, it was cooked really well, and the bass was very fresh. The portion was a bit small, but that's how it usually is for sea bass. Try the turtle sundae!! So good
Review Source:This place has friendly service, excellent food, and a lovely environment. Â Of course, you will have to pay for these things, but definitely worth it.
Went here on a date. Â My boyfriend went for the beef-stuffed quail, which came with caramelized carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions in a tasty reduction. Â I went for one of the chef specials for the day, large pan seared scallops served in a small bed of brussel sprout leaves, smaller scallops, and two kinds of shrimp, all in a black truffle sauce. Â Needless to say, we both cleaned our plates! (I mean, literally. Â I asked the waiter for bread to soak up that truffle sauce!)
For dessert, he went for the chocolate torte with a mango coulis, and I went for the sorbet trio of the day (grapefruit, blood orange, and lemon). Â Both were beautiful and delicious. Â When I come back, I'll definitely have to go for the bread pudding - we overheard a table next to us raving about it.
Definitely will come back for special occasions.
For our 5-year wedding anniversary, we opted to check out Chef's Station instead of our usual go to spots and this was perfect. Â I was a little nervous about being so close to a train station but noise was minimal and there was a good atmosphere.
Food was amazing from the palate cleanser to the wine selection to my quail stuffed with braised short ribs to my husband's salmon which he swears is the best fish that he has ever tasted.
What a delight to come here with great service, food and drink - they even will reimburse you for two hours of parking in the garage, too. Â Can't wait to come back again!
Chef's Station has quickly become one of my wife's and my favorite restaurants, not just in Evanston, but in the entire Chicago area!
The reasons are simple: There is convenient parking nearby, the cost for which the restaurant kindly contributes to; the ambiance of Chef's Station is lovely and elegant; the food/menu is diversified and excellent--the fish is superbly prepared, and the crispy spinach should not be missed; the service is amiable and prompt; its location inside a Metra train station is unique, but you never are bothered by train noise; the owner is there most evenings and always stops by your table to inquire how everything was. Â
The only reason that I'm not giving Chef's Station 5 stars is because their alfresco dining location outside is surrounded by construction--not a place where you want to dine right now. Perhaps when the construction is over and we do dine outside, we'll increase our rating.
In the meantime this is a wonderful restaurant in which to dine and to bring your friends who haven't been there!
I love the outdoor ambiance of this place on a nice evening, although inside is cozy and pleasant, too. Service is great: professional yet friendly. It's a good sign when I see the same personnel year after year. The food is really top notch, and I feel under-appreciated, as this is a much better meal than at Oceanique, and it's actually even more French than that place. One of the best upscale dining experiences in Evanston for sure.
Review Source:Wish there were 4 1/2 stars, because this place isn't Next. But has pulled itself up to the level of other pricier Evanston restaurants like Oceanique and Campognolo, and is less expensive than Oceanique. The space is an eccentric charmer, with best lighting over the side tables for 2 than middle row for four.
My tuna crudo appetizer and duck entrees were delicious and nicely presented, as was my wife's fish (not on the everyday menu). Will return!
Parking charge for nearby garage deducted from bill rather than validated.
The bf and I had a truly wonderful and delicious dinner at Chef Station a few weekends ago.
This is basically a 5 star restaurant from decor, to quality of service to amazing food but I am being very particular since I expect a lot from a high end, expensive restaurant. There were just a few small things that kept me from giving this place 5 stars.
I first want to start by saying this place isn't THAT expensive. Yes it's pricy but I think it's worth it for a special occasion. I read several reviews saying it was overpriced and the portions were small. The portions were absolutely not small at all. I was expecting silly little plates with barely a bite based on these reviews. Not that case at all. Not at all. This place is no more expensive than Oceanique nearby or Carnivale downtown. In fact I would say this place is WAY BETTER than Oceanique nearby, by leaps and bounds, from food to decor!
Lets get on to the food.
Appetizer:
We split the Yellowfin Tuna Crudo and the Roasted Beet Salad (warm Goat Cheese, Organic Greens, and Toasted Walnuts).
The Yellowfin Tuna Crudo was almost perfect. It was refreshing and light, the wasabi, watercress and orange imparted an amazing contrast and brightness to the fish but the dish was so seriously OVER SALTED that it was hard for me to keep eating. This was really disappointing and one of the reasons I did not give this place 5 stars. I did not complain but if this just had less salt it would have been magnificent. The portion size on this was large. A long rectangular plate was layered with piece after piece of yellowfin. An extremely generous portion size, especially for an app.
The Roasted Beet Salad is a MUST. OH MY GOD. The goat cheese is warm and heart-stopping. The honey vinaigrette, unlike anything I've ever tasted. I only wish the beets had been warm too. But for 7 bucks this salad is killer. An absolute MUST.
Main Course:
I had the Pan Seared Maple Leaf Duck Breast which was extremely good. I find myself disappointed sometimes when I order duck or venison or rabbit, hoping to enjoy a distinctly different flavor from beef but I do not always succeed. The duck was cooked perfectly medium rare and so juicy but I wouldn't say the flavor of the meat itself was overly duck-y or amazing. Delicious nonetheless and the wild rice, farro and leek risotto underneath was awesome. This portion size was also huge. Â Another long rectangular plate lined with easily 10 pieces of duck breast, atop the risotto mixture. I actually took about half of it home and enjoyed it for lunch the next day (and it still tasted good!!) The pinot reduction was awesome and was a great compliment to the duck.
My bf had a truly stupendous dish that I would order next time. He ordered the Pan Seared Rack of Lamb. Of course the lamb was mouth watering - eight pieces (again not a small portion size) layered over LIFE CHANGING black quinoa and pearl couscous with pork shoulder ragout. Oh my god, shut up!!!! I kept eating it off my bf's plate. God DAMN was that good. I want a plate of just that. So freaking good.
Dessert:
We ordered ahead of time their lemon souffle. This was also truly fantastic. HUGE souffle, creamy, lemony, with some amazing sauce to pour over, more than enough for two people to split. This was my first souffle and it was remarkable. If the chef presents this as a dessert option with your meal please do yourself a favor and order it when you order your entrees, since it takes some time to cook.
I had two glasses of wine, picked at random, that were really wonderful. I cannot remember which ones now of course, but they were delicious with the meal. A red from France and a white from Germany. Bf had 1 red also, different from mine, which was also great. All 3 of these were from their House list.
Lastly the decor at this place is perfect. The mood is dark and mellow. The tables were beautiful - with the holidays there were appropriate holiday-esque decorations on each table (nothing even remotely tacky) and each table had a color theme, yellow, blue, red or green. Some how between the matching napkins, decorations and menus on each table it wasn't tacky. It was beautiful. Probably the nicest looking table presentation I've ever seen at a restaurant.
Our waiter was lovely. The place was awesome. I will probably go back for my birthday in April. I hope by spring they will have their Homemade Pappardelle Pasta with Maine Lobster, Fresh Morels, and Green Asparagus in White Wine Lobster Sauce They didn't have it in January and I was told it was more of a spring dish. I want lobster and I want morels so I hope when I go back its on their menu!
In conclusion. Fantastic food, beautiful decor, very nice & professional service with extremely generous portion sizes and completely appropriate prices to match such an upscale establishment. Loved it!!
Superb food. My parents and I enjoyed a delicious tasting menu here for Thanksgiving, which accommodated my vegetarian diet. For $42 per person we each received a starter, an entree and a dessert. All three of us had the beet salad which came with greens, walnuts and a huge, warm chunk of goat cheese. For entrees my mom really enjoyed a fish entree, my dad the turkey, and for me they whipped up a vegetarian risotto with chanterelle mushrooms (truly delicious). For dessert my dad had some chocolate something and my mom and I finished with pumpkin bread pudding, which was tasty and surprisingly light.
This review would have been five stars if it weren't for our specific waiter who was very rude and wasn't familiar with all of the options for entrees. So often we delight in professional waitstaff who really want to enrich our dining experience. Then, sometimes when you visit an expensive restaurant you find a waiter who thinks snooty adds to the ambiance. It doesn't. It is tiresome and this fellow was tiresome. All the other staff were extremely pleasant and professional and the next time we return we hope to enjoy their service.
Reservation note: I booked our reservation via Open Table and received a call asking for a credit card to hold the reservation. I don't know if this is typical or was due to the holiday.
Was on biz trip and found this gem. The experience was 5 star. The octopus appetizer was remarkable. Â The Duck entree was fantastic. The wine was our of this world and a very fair price. And desert was heavenly. And besides, the ambiance was intimate and I could hear my guest speak without shouting! Elegant fine dining and NOT downtown.
Review Source:Being a world traveler and Chicago native as well as having worked myself as a chef cook at an array of high end restaurants and resorts in Norway, Denmark, and Switzerland, its hard to please my palate regardless of the price I pay for an anticipated 'nice' restaurant experience. I'm unfortunately  disappointed time and time again. To my chagrin, I've discovered through the years 'food out' is generally too salty, too oily, undercooked, overcooked, or just plain tasteless...not so here. I can without reservation say it was one of the best meals I've ever had since I can remember. Perhaps a bold statement but with so many prior bad restaurant experiences it was truly a pleasant and unexpected surprise to experience such a delicately balanced and well seasoned meal. The piping hot mouthwatering lamb dish was tender to a fault, having been cooked to the highest level of perfection. Additionally, the exquisitely decorated and heated plate was delivered in a timely manner by a caring and professional wait staff. The recommended matched wine kicked it all up another notch, not to mention the wonderful ice-cream dessert creation. I couldn't resist. I can't give them enough stars. Check it out and see if you don't agree. A Chef's Station to me is a little piece of heaven on earth. I shall return. Highly recommended.
Review Source:The food is decent but extremely overpriced for what you get. I had a whitefish and my wife had the duck - both were unremarkable. Had this been a 60-70 dollar meal for two, I might have been willing to come back, but it was twice that, which the food did not warrant whatsoever.
That said, the atmosphere of the place is nice and the service very friendly.
Went this weekend and everything was fantastic. Â If I had my way and the money I would go back three to five times a week! Â I have never liked risotto, but the two people I was with ordered it and gave me tastes and I'm now fully on board with risotto. Â And the passion fruit and champagne infused angel food cake topped with strawberries was so light and fluffy and subtlety sweet! And the gruyere and tomato tart I had as a starter was wonderful!
I can not say enough about how great the whole meal was.
On Sunday evening we took a young couple out for dinner. Chef's Station was their choice - we had never been there before and they hadn't been for a couple of years. I'm going to make this review brief as it doesn't need to be long. There were very few diners this evening. I think that's because it's pretty pricey for a Sunday night out. They serve wine and beer but no hard liquor. The restaurant is lovely, the service was superb, the waitress a delight, and the food extraordinary. Every dish was beautifully prepared and the portions ample. It was lovely to be able to talk with other people at the table without screaming due to loud music! A real treat. It doesn't get any better than this. Do go for a special occasion.
Review Source:My wife and I had dinner here on New Year's Eve 2010 (so 12/31/2010) about 6 PM. Â The menu, and the only choice that evening, was a prix fixe ($80) tasting menu with the option of a wine pairing (another $45). Â I chose to go for the gusto and get the wine pairing, my wife elected simply to have tea. Â The food itself was very good. Â We had an amuse bouche to start, which consisted of a shot glass of a squash soup topped with ginger foam - the foam lent an interesting bite to the soup. Â We then had 6 courses - a seared tuna with scallops, a short rib, salmon, ribeye, a cheese course, and a wonderful dessert of a champagne pear with a chocolate truffle and a coconut cream. Â The food was very well done, and the only thing we didn't particularly care for was a lobster flan that came with the salmon--and even that was well done, it just wasn't our taste. Â The dessert was one of the best I've had - varied and all delicious. Â The wine pairing was very well done (and reasonable quantities), but the approach was to have the maitre d' (and owner?) pour immediately before each course. Â Unfortunately, he was a bit flustered and ended up pouring the final glass about half-way through the dessert course. Â The ambience was OK, though I would have thought that it would have been (much) busier -- maybe we were just too early. Â All in all, very pleasing and we will very likely come back.
Review Source:This review is a few years late but back then we didn't have Yelp yet. Â My best friend and I came here for dinner. Â It was a pretty quiet Friday night. We were seated right away. Food came at a reasonable time. In the middle of the meal, my best friend found a SCREW hidden amongst the pasta on her plate!!!! Â This is not just one small screw. Â It was about the size of a dime so anyone can obviously figure out that a foreign entity is on a plate. Â We told out waiter & he apologized. Â That's about all they did. Â MY BIGGEST BEEF WAS THAT THEY CHARGED US FOR THE PASTA DISH THAT HAD THE SCREW IN IT! Â We were naive young students back then and we didn't know we could complain to the chef/manager/HEALTH INSPECTORS about screw in one's food. Â They took advantage of us. Â Now, we tell all our family, friends, and colleagues not to patronize this restaurant. Â HEALTH CODE VIOLATORS!!
Review Source:Came again on Saturday night to give it another chance. I'm not a huge foodie but know what I like. The food saturday was not as good as it had been the ragout on the Sturgeon was so salty and the fish overcooked. Before I thought for the price the food was great, that I could even overlook the atmosphere but now having had bad food and a bad atmosphere. I'll never be back. Plus the service was terrible. I sat for 20 minutes before anybody came to the table. Ridiculous. Plus the food took forever.
Review Source:The food here is very, very good but service is very, very slow. If you are in a hurry to go to the movies or a play, skip this place since it will take close to 20-30 mins per dish. If you have the time though, this place is good.
We started with the Manchego Cheese and Caramelized Vidalia Onion Tart. This was outstanding with the great flavor of the carmelizied onions with the pastry of the tart - some of the onion and the cheese on their bread is also good. NOTE: the bread here must be kept in a vault and they are incredibly stingy with bringing out the bread. Too bad since the bread is fantastic. The waiter said they usually do not bring out the bread until the entree is ordered - and even then we had to ask multiple times to get another piece of the bread!
Had the Warm Goat Cheese/roasted beet, organic field greens, and toasted walnuts with honey mustard dressing. The beets were really good and every bite had the great taste of those earthen beets.Really fresh and very tasty.
I had the wild sturgeon and this is delicious. The fish had a great flavor and was served with artichoke heart, oven roasted tomato, roasted fennel and olive ragout and smoked tomato confit. Out of this world!!
We ate outside and this was a treat to watch Evanston. Who knew there were so many women in ill-fitting high heels walking around downtown. Painful to watch! And the outside dining area is right next to a plaza where nerdy Evanston high-schoolers gather and try to be relevant in goth-like garb and their skate boards- sort of like the Belmont/Clark Dunkin Donuts set for the remedial wanna-be's.
For the price, Chef Station is a definite win. Â Tucked under the El station, it is a top notch restaurant without pretense. Â For those just getting into fine dining, there is no place better. Â And for those who like good food but don't want to pay the price of some of the top tier restaurants downtown, Chef Station is a good bet.
We've dined here several times, each time with the chef's tasting. Â And we have not been disappointed. Â Memorable dishes include a pan-seared skatewing on a creamy Parmesan risotto, seared duck breast medallions served on a potato cake and haricot verts. Â One dessert that sticks out is a melted chocolate lava cake (don't remember what they called it). Â We've had a lots of lava cake... but this one... took the cake. Â The wine pairings offered were very good (not amazing, but just right).
The ambiance has changed. Â They used to have a more industrial style design with copper piping and these really unique jean-material sleeves for your silverware. Â But they have since changed to a more traditional table setting (too bad in my view).
The wait staff, in our experience, has been friendly and knowledgeable. Â We've taken friends here who have all had a great time. Â All in all, for the price especially, this is a great place. Â (not cheap, but cheaper than what you'd pay for the same quality meal downtown).
I went to Chef Station last night for a mother-daughter double date and I have to say our terrible service really dampened an otherwise enjoyable meal. Our waiter (an older man..didn't get his name) was rude to us and practically ignored us all night. The service was very slow and we waited almost an hour just to get our salads. Not only did our waiter not come over to explain the situation, he was no where to be found for us to ask him! Â He also made several snappy comments such as telling my mom that she needed to calm down (seriously). I was appalled!
Aside from the very off-putting service my food was excellent. If it was just up to the food alone I would've gone with four stars. I had the roasted beet salad, which tasted divine, and the duck which was also perfectly cooked and delicious. It really is too bad the waiter was such an a-hole because I would definitely like to go back for the food.
I'm surprised by the bad reviews here. Â The service was on the formal side, true, but really good. Â And the decor is rather comical and cancels out any pretentiousness. Â
We've had nothing but wonderful food here. Â I once had an asparagus soup topped with lobster meat that I still dream about! Â Sorry for some of the reviewers' bad experiences. . . ours have been consistently great.
This place was unnecessarily pretentious to the point of being uncomfortable. The took our jackets at the door, folded our napkins for us when we were away from the table, and pushed our chairs in for us.. During the meal, I'm staring at a mural of fat ladies rear ends above my head. Interesting to say the least.
The food was quite good but nothing extraordinary, although the prices were reasonable. The scallops were a little overcooked, however the beef tenderloin made up for it.
The wine list was extensive, and the markup was not extreme. Some good wine recommendations from our (excellent) server for under $30.
That said, I'd go back with a guest if they really wanted to go. Good place for a date too, I guess. I just think they try a little, well, waay too hard to be a "fancy" restaurant.
I love it when we find someplace that consistently exceeds even our high expectations. We enjoyed dinner here with my Mom twice in one month. Â It was so good that it now tops our list for fine, leisurely, first rate local dining with NO hint of pretentiousness. I hesitated to give the 5th star - I would have said 4 1/2 to 4 3/4's - because there is ALWAYS room for improvement somewhere! Â But the Chef's Station has edged out The Stained Glass, Va Pensiero, Jackie's Bistro, Oceanique, Jilly's and Campagnola as our "go-to" place for special occasions/celebrations, and consistently delicious dining.
The owner is always gracious and our waiter (twice) Brandt was an absolute delight! While the menu changes (seasonally and then some) you can always count on a genuinely exceptional meal and a menu with something for everyone, including vegetarians. Â
For "Starters" we've enjoyed  several variations on Sea Scallops (always with a mouthwatering sauce.) My husband loves their various variations on Veal Sweetbreads (not exactly my pail of blueberries - but I've taken a bite or two and they really are good...) The Prince Edward Isle Mussels (currently with Chorizo) are always a sure thng.
The Roasted Beet Salad with Baby Field Greens and Goat Cheese is almost addictive. And they do a Greek (Feta and Olives) variation on the Caesar Salad.
Most of their dishes come with sensational garnishes like truffles, wild mushrooms, asparagus, foie gras etc. The chef is a master of sumptuous sauces and creative flourishes.
If you know anything about this restaurant you've probably heard about their "legendary" Meatloaf. As somewhat of a food snob, I was HIGHLY skeptical when my Mom ordered it (especially because she usually orders fish or pasta) but it was truly extraordinary. The only reason I may never order it  is because there are so many other irresistible temptations on the menu - plus I always manage to steal a couple of bites...)
The fresh Fish (often Perch and Salmon or Halibut) is consistently good and the Rack of Lamb is always delectable and cooked perfectly. (And not that you need it, but I always splurge and get a side order of Sauteed Baby Spinach which is (for some reason) exquisite -if you like spinach!)
I personally have never had room for dessert but my Mom and Hubby usually split one and they always manage to clean the plate.
On the down side? My main concern would be that it's usually not very busy so I worry about that (though I admit we've always gone on a weeknight.) Also, while I love the comfortable space between tables  and  hate the claustrophobic feel of overly crowded places, it's nice to feel the buzz of happy energy around you.
I can honestly say we've never had anything that wasn't very good to outstanding - including the bread which I try to resist (so I'll have room for all the goodness coming up next!)
I'm genuinely surprised to read Bunny's review: on our last visit, while it was just me, honey/hubby and my Mom, we were celebrating and I'm quite sure we were quite lively and animated! And the waiter (Brandt) was generously cool when a glass of red wine took an accidental tumble...
I agree that the atmosphere is romantic - but I find the decor to be rather delightful - a refreshing change from overt trendiness or overwrought "charm." The service is just about perfect: thoughtful without being cloying / annoying. The food is consistently very good to truly marvelous.
That does it! I'm going to find a "special occasion" to celebrate ASAP!
We saw this restaurant featured last year on "Check, Please". We always meant to try it, and  finally did last week.  I am sooo glad we made the drive ( we live an hour away).  We started off with the pan seared sea scallops...fresh and firm, beautifully seared and caramelized. The corn flan that accompanied it was unreal, if I was home I would have licked the plate. My husband had the pork chop and I had the short ribs. Both entrees were incredible. The pork chop was maybe the best I've ever tasted. The short ribs were really really good.  It seems that there is a latin/french fusion thing going on, which is very interesting.  The decor was not your standard fare either. There was always something interesting going on, either on our plates, or looking at our surroundings.
Review Source:Contrary to most of the reviews written about Chef Station, my husband and I ate dinner here recently with another couple and we had an awful meal and an awful time. Â
The atmosphere is very romantic, but it is too quiet for those who want to enjoy their meal while engaging in a lively conversation or sharing  a laugh with friends.  We were glared at during most of our meal. Â
Apparently we did not get the memo that Chef Station prefers their patrons to  whisper. Â
The decor was so out of date, it was comical.  Two  out of the three entrees ordered  were barely edible.  I ordered stuffed chicken breasts and they arrived looking like hallowed out bratwursts with over salted  brie cheese melted inside.  The meat loaf arrived mushy, raw and tasteless.  I think our meals were deliberately sabotaged so we would never return again!  And we won't! One star for the delicious bread and professional server.
I'm very sad to see that this restaurant has such a low overall rating, so I'm adding a review. Â Chef's Station, is by far one of my favorite restaurants in the Chicago area. Â
First of all, I have to state that they have completely updated their decor. Â They no longer have the director chairs or denim pocket cutlery holders, so don't let that stop you from trying this fabulous restaurant. They do continue to have excellent food, a tasting menu, and an extensive wine list hand selected by the owner.
To echo some of the older reviews, the location under the Metra is a bit odd, but completely charming and wonderfully convienent when you're in downtown Evenston.
The atmosphere and the waitstaff are very friendly. Â It has a great combination of fine dining and neighborhood bistro. Â We've found their menu to be extremely seasonal and fresh, it is heavy on seafood, but everything is excellent. Â
The last time we went there was for our anniversary so we splurged on the tasting menu with wine pairings and it was excellent!! Â For those who have not had a tasting menu before, they typically are chef's choice, meaning you don't know what you're going to get, and they are typically the best of the freshest items on the menu. Â The tasting at Chef's Station is no different. Â The menu ended up being a mix of the seasonal specials and some regular items from the menu. Â All of the portions were enough for a decent taste without being too much or too little. Â Our menu included a perfectly cooked scallop in a red bean sauce, a soup from the chef's grandmother's recipe collection, the monk fish special, lamb chops, and the utterly to die for chocolate and raspberry souffle. Â The wine pairing were a good mix of flavors that matched and complimented the dishes. Â They were each a good portion as well.
Overall Chef's Station is a great place for couples or groups to enjoy a very tasty menu in an odd location. Â I would not recommend for kids. Â It is a little pricey, but worth it. Â If you're trying to keep your spending low, keep to the regular entrees.
Chef's Station is in a fairly unique location near the Metra station in downtown Evanston, but it's a cozy atmosphere inside that is somewhat reminiscent of a train dining car with hanging lamps. Â Â
We shared the oven roasted Prince Edward Island mussels which were generously seasoned with garlic and cilantro. Prince Edward Island clams would have been an even better menu selection, but the mussels were nicely done. I had the Grilled Artic Char for my main dish, and really enjoyed the contrasting flavors of shredded fennel, arugula, and blood orange (I was especially impressed to see fresh blood orange segments, given the fruit is out of season). The char was served medium rare (per the chef's recommendation) and literally melted in my mouth. It was a big change compared to the microwaved fish that I prepare on my own. Â My friend, who has exquisite taste in food (only surpassed by his self-proclaimed exquisite taste in women) was very pleased with his poached Alaskan halibut selection, which came with sauted bird shrimp, sweet corn juice and fresh ginger blanc. The sauce was neither too thick nor too heavy and went well with white meat fish. We finished off the meal with passion fruit mousse and a vanilla creme brulee, both generous portions, well presented and tasty. The mousse came with in-season berries, which blended well with the creamy mousse.
To be honest, I was reluctant to dine her after reading the negative reviews on Yelp, but our food was excellent and Chef's Station stands out as one of the better restaurants in Evanston, especially when it comes to seafood. Unfortunately, we were not able to try any meat entrees but they looked appetizing as well. Â Not quite up to Oceanique (think Oceanique = svelte model, Chef's Station = very attractive hostess) but definitely close and a more convenient location right in the heart of downtown.
Maybe it's me...I went to this place after seeing a review on "Check Please!." Â I ordered the pork chops and they were fantastic, my husband ordered the steak and it was really overcooked and they refused to prepare a new one. Â How they did it? I don't know. He eats his steak Medium Rare, and I mean they burnt it. Â We called ahead to see if they had anything to accommodate children (our sitter bailed), they told us yes. Â We got there and they offered them spaghetti pasta with Alfredo sauce???? Â Who does that?
Okay, I should have started at the beginning. Â We had reservations, arrived 10 minutes early and was seated 40 minutes later. Â They gave us a table outside and it was a very cold night. Â
I walk away with the experience and an opportunity to see other quaint restaurants in the area that I'm going to try.
I went with Alyssa--so basically ditto what she said.
I will add that I had the wine tasting to go with the food--the wine was very good, but I didn't feel all the wines paired well with the food it was served with.
Also, most of the dishes I had were over salted. Â It was hard to get to the flavors of things when all I could taste was the saltiness. Â The halibut I had was very good--fresh, firm and seasoned well, but was badly offset by the salty (and watery) rice it came with.
If you want to sit outside, you have to go to the hostess inside--even though there is a very defined entrance to the patio leading one to believe you can just be seated without hassle.
I might go back, but there are so many places in Evanston that are highly touted that this is not going to be near the top of my list.
Hmmm...I don't know if I should review this place after one visit, because we got the tasting menu and I really don't know if I can extrapolate the experience from it. Â On the other hand, I don't really get up to Evanston very often, so unless I meet the man of my dreams and he lives up there, it might be a while before I get back. Â So...
I thought the whole "tasting" menu concept was kind of weird. Â First, everyone at your table has to get the same thing, you can't have two people getting the 4-course tasting and then another person getting the 6-course tasting (not everyone has to get it with wine). Â Second, they won't tell you what's on it, which to me is just odd. Â I'm a kind of adventurous eater, but there are things I draw the line at, so I would have been screwed if, for example, the fish had been bass. Â Third, I understand it was a tasting menu, but the portions were teeny. Â
Our final menu was a salmon tartare, lobster bisque soup, some kind of white fish (maybe a halibut?) and a raspberry souffle. Â Can you spot the problem with that menu? Â A whole lot of seafood. Â If they had told me the first two courses would be seafood, I would have gotten the beef entree. Â But THEY WOULDN'T TELL ME!
In fairness, the food was good, they did make concessions to my dietary restrictions, Â the service was excellent, the location is very nice (we sat outside, on the corner of Church and Maple), and the interior that I peaked at was very nice as well. Â If I were to go back, I would order off the real menu, and maybe that would be a more accurate representation of the restaurant.
This place would be packed every night of the week were it not for its odd location. As is, it's mainly filled with "in the know" North Shore business men utilizing it for power lunches. Chef's Station is located underneath the Davis Street train station in Evanston although once you set foot inside, you'd never know that's where you were. Concrete walls muffle the sound of trains entirely and the whimsical decor is entirely charming (Director's Chairs instead of traditional dining chairs, place settings tucked into vintage jeans pockets and so on and so forth). The food itself is outstanding and very reasonably priced. The appetizers were outstanding, from the foie gras with port reduction to the veal sweetbreads, everything was on par with the pricier downtown venues, a trend that continued right up on through our entrees (halibut and steak) and desserts (Venezuelan dark chocolate cake with blackberry coulis).
The 4 course tasting menu, offered Sunday - Thursday is a great deal @ $40 pp, with wine pairings adding another $15 to the price.
All in all, one of the best kept secrets in Evanston dining.
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