This place started off fantastically well. The beer list is very solid, and the wine on tap is an interesting gimmick. We started off with the lamb and pig face bocadillos, which were the best sliders I've ever had. We followed with bacon wrapped dates, which are impossible to mess up. They were delicious. We concluded with and were excited for the paella. It was flavorless and the meat was overcooked, but the restaurant handled it admirably by comping the dish and offering us something else, which we declined because we were pressed for time and late to a party. Because the sliders were so good and because there was so much on the menu I wanted to try, I would definitely go back.
Review Source:Tried this place for the first time Saturday night. Â It was recommended by a foodie friend so I had high expectations. Â We had 8pm reservations and were seated promptly when our friends arrived. Â The hostess was very nice and accommodating. Â
I was disappointed by the limited number of items offered on the menu, especially for a tapas place. Â We started with the fried garbanzo beans, which were good. Â We then ordered two items from each main category: seafood (the garlic shrimp and clams with chorizo in squid ink), vegetable (eggplant with honey and papas bravas), and meat (blood sausage and chicken thigh). Â We also ordered the warm bread and butter plate. Â The stand out was the roasted chicken thigh: it was so moist, juicy, and well spiced. Â The skin was very crispy and delicious. Â A close second was the bread and butter plate: the bread had a thin crispy crust and thick, chewy center. Â I really liked the accompanying spreads in the following order: sea salt and pepper butter, quark and honey, extra virgin olive oil, and the bean puree. Â
I was really disappointed that they only had three dessert offerings. Â We tried the crema catalana dessert which was their take on creme brulee. Â It was good, but not memorable. Â We ordered just the right number of plates for 4 people and shared a bottle of wine.
Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. Â She made good recommendations regarding number of plates and also recommended the chicken thigh when we couldn't decide on a second meat dish. Â She did try to push the rib-eye special twice when discussing the menu. Â She also could have made more eye contact with us when talking since she seemed to be preoccupied with something else or looking around the room, especially when she gave us the check and thanked us for dining here (without looking at any of us sitting at the table).
Overall there are other better tapas places in the city.
I love this place. My office is a few blocks away and I send clients over there all the time. It's difficult to put Vera into a traditional category. I feel like it's more of a wine bar with amazing small plate items than it is a restaurant with an amazing wine list, but it's a really blurry line. I guess the best way to refer to it is well balanced. I feel equally at home at Vera sampling wines and enjoying a cheese plate as I do bringing in a small group of friends and sharing the small plate menu items while sipping wine. The paella is my favorite menu item, but it requires  a few people to eat because it's an extremely large portion. There's something about the rice they use at Vera that makes it special. I can't put my finger on it, but most of the other places I've had paella just can't pull it off the way they do at Vera. The staff is extraordinary. I learn something new about wine each time go and they do teach it in a way that I don't feel like I'm being talked down to which is greatly appreciated. When you go, be sure to order the bread. It sounds silly, but the bread and butter combo is probably my favorite bread service in the city.
Review Source:I have been to Vera twice in about 7 months. Right off the new Morgan Pink/Green line station, I expect this place to get more business from the Oak Park, Pilsen, Cicero area of the city. Great location for those who live/work in the West loop.
The wine servers are amazing and do not disappoint when making suggestions. I am not the most confident wine drinker, and I have been pushed into the right direction with every order and I really enjoyed the education I received as well.
The food is great - take some friends and share many plates. Like the brussel sprouts.
Simple decor allows the service and food to shine.
Vera was a delight! Went early, around 5:30 p.m. on January 26, 2013. Â Service was impeccable! Friendly and informative. Â Wine list very nice, went for sparkling and white. Shared marinated olives, bread with 4 different toppings (olive oil, bean spread, salt and pepper/butter, and goat cheese and honey), salad of garbanzo beans on hummus with greens (special for the night), lobster empanada with a delicious chipotle aioli sauce (special for the night) and mushrooms sauteed in a sherry cream sauce. Â All were delicious and the only thing I would have done differently was serve the lobster empanada after the mushrooms. Â The richness of the mushroom dish was far out-weighed by the lobster and the huge flavor of the mushrooms with sherry cream sauce stayed with me a little too long, the lobster plate would have cut that and left me with a clean finish. Would definitely go back!
Review Source:I'm not a huge fan of small plates places, and since this place was borderline 4 starts I chose to drop it down to 3. We had some flatbread with figs and bleu cheese and stuff  and I have to say it was just OK. And I have never had anything with bleu cheese and figs that I didn't think was amazing! I think they tried to re-invent it but it din't really work. Maybe it was the dough, which was like a cracker. For entree we split the paella. This was served with all this pomp and circumstance but the flavor fell a little bit flat. First it came out is a very big a shallow dish so the rice was like one big dry rice cake (with oil all over the bottom) and th rice was almost baked.  Not fluffly and light like I expected.  And there were big HUGE pieces of rosemary sprinkled all over, which is a VERY VERY strong herb.  If this place was cheaper then I would be more inclined to let these faults slide, but I think it was like $60 for the 2 of us without drinks sharing 2 courses, so it ain't cheap.
Review Source:I would NOT go back. Â Service and ambiance were great but the food was bland and borderline terrible. Â We had pecans (boring and plain), Brussels sprouts (boring and not good), calamari (tasted like rubber and there was hardly any of it), eggplant (cold and bland). Â Then the dessert was worse. Â Got some creme brulee that was awful and some chocolate thing that sounded good...but was literally plain white chocolate with nuts inside. Â Just not good. Â The wine was....wine. Â There are so many better places to go...don't go here.
Review Source:It's so strange.. Vera was delicious the first time we tried it. We tried a variety of tapas, had the grilled bread with the various butters and schmears, and really enjoyed our experience. The second time, however, we made the mistake of getting the paella. It was bland, tasted too much of saffron, and altogether unimpressive. What happened guys?
Not returning anytime soon.
We went on a random week night, so no wait. We also sat at the small bar with the guy preparing lots of the small plates, I can't recall the name for this. This is a big part of what made our experience so great. We watched him prepare most of our dishes and he told us fun facts about each dish as he made it. Our favorites were the tuna stuffed pepper and the prosciutto. We also ordered the brick chicken - the small plates were better, to be honest we could and should have just made a meal out of our small plates. Â Will love to go back.
Review Source:Well went here for what was supposed to be a fun Spanish tapas style meal, which was really for lack of better words two faced.  It started off fantastic! The maitre d' was  very nice took our coats and since there was going to be a nominal wait (15min) our drink order.  Order drinks they arrive and he informs us that our table is ready, close out tab from bar and are seated.  This is where the night changes we are greeted by our server who looks at our drinks states oh I see you will not be needing this and grabs the drink menu! Whoa there! Let me tell you something I love to drink probably would have have drank more than I would have ate but since you took the F***ing menu I guess you are now my AA counselor.  She then takes our order with out so much as a word, seriously not one recommendation nothing.  Okay, weird but I am still annoyed about the drink menu thing so I will let this slide.  Food comes ehh not bad; not great; nothing note worthy with the exception of the cheese plates.  The Paella which from what I have read their supreme dish was okay a little to dry and over cooked for my liking but again what do I know.  Back to our service our waitress has not come back over to check on things all the dishes have been served not one: "how are things?"  Our bus boy who should really be the server keeps filling water and asking how everything is.  We are waiting with nothing on table for half an hour while I am looking at my server chatting up her friends at the cheese bar.  Finally, I just ask another server for the check.  Paid and left, gave a crap tip for crap service.  Its simple people there are tons of new places opening every week in Chicago, if your going to give crap service you are probably will not have repeat business.  As I am reading other posts now, seems like a common thread, great front end, cheese bar and wine list rest is just garbage; just how it is. So will go back for that cheese bar and wine thus the 3 stars
P.S. Bus boy and front end got a good cash tip
They have one of the most extensive Sherry programs I have seen in the city. This spot is a bit hidden away from "Restaurant Row' on Randolph as it's underneath the tracks on Lake Street.
I can't speak to the food as we didn't try any, but the manager/Sherry expert was very friendly and took the time to explain the different types of sherry to us. Although they didn't have a sherry flight, she created one for us and took the time to explain each one and how they are different from each other. It was a very educational experience and I am enthralled by her enthusiasm for the world of sherry.
Will definitely be back to try the food and more sherry!!!
We were very excited to try this restaurant, but it was so Meh. Â Service was very poor . . . waited 10 minutes to be greeted and order a cocktail, had to ask for someone and got no apologies. Â Glass of cava sat empty for another 10 minutes before I had to call someone over to order a bottle of wine (server was consistently MIA).
My biggest issue was the food was so mediocre. Â Brussels sprouts were good, but overwhelming after a couple bites. Â Server gave us the recommendation of the albondigas and blood sausage, and they tasted nearly identical - like garlic and only garlic. Â Bread and butter was good and a very generous portion.
Win some, lose some.
Aviary and La Sirena Clendestina were full so as we waited for our Moto reservations, we dropped into Vera on the next block.
I thought this place might be girly and stuck up but it was actually very warm. Â The server dude behind the bar was kind of snobby and selective. Â He seemed moody and it took a while to get his attention after we weren't sure what we wanted to order the first time he asked. Â
I'm not much of a fan of Spanish wine but I was able to order a CA red. Â It was actually quite lovely and a good place to kill time as we waited for dinner. Â I'd say the crowd is early 30s and up and a bit quieter. Â The clientele was really nice and I'd return for the tapas if someone invited me.
I haven't written a Yelp review in quite a while, but I was so mortified by the service at Vera that I felt compelled to do so.
I won't go into a long narrative about our experience; in brief, the service is awkward. Our waitress seemed to never know what point we were at in the meal. She never checked on us and she disappeared for long periods of time. She seemed annoyed to be waiting on us. A somewhat comical part of the evening was when we asked her to describe the "chocolate cake with olive oil and fruit topping." Her lame reply was, "It's a chocolate cake made with olive oil. And it has some apples on top." Well duh.
Food was substandard. Service was the worst I have ever experienced in the U.S. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. Too many great restaurants in Chicago to waste your time here.
Should have been a warning when we called at 6:30 on Saturday and 'Tom' said there were still a couple of tables open for 2 people....so we hurried and, surprise', when we got there, we were in for a wait. Â 30 minute, so not so bad. Â Like everyone, we look for and rate based on service, selection, and food quality. Â First for service, the bar was great, the table not so much. Â Seemed like we were a necessary part of the waitress's duties. Â Sorry we were such a bother. Â
As for selection, hoo boy. Â For a 'spanish' restaurant, why no spanish beer? Â "We keep running out of it, so we dropped it from the menu." Â Really? Â Very few spanish wines, either. Â Better selection on the food, but not for a 'spanish' restaurant.
Food quality? Â Well, the paella, which was highly recommended (of course and the most expensive) was bland and dry. Â C'mon. Â
Why the two stars? Â Because I really tried to like this place. Â Won't go back.
we had dinner last night at Vera. Â Instead of the waitress explaining what they do and don't have, she let us ask about a million questions so she could answer "we don't have that" or "we don't serve that". Â This IMMEDIATELY set a tone of "we made a mistake by coming here".
They don't have a full bar, but what they have is kind of random. Â They don't have martinis. They don't have blue cheese olives. Â (points for the waitress being creative bringing a piece of blue cheese and some marinated olives on the side).
My dinner guest ordered a martini and she served it in the same glass as the water glass.. so guess what happened? Â The person filling up the water glasses kept putting water in his vodka. Seems like an easy one to fix. Â She was nice about it, and brought a new drink almost immediately, and this time figured out that she should put a lemon twist in it to differentiate. Â One friend wanted a cranberry juice. They don't offer juice. Â
Lastly, and I realize that many restaurants are like this, but it makes me CRAZY -- I wanted to order an appetizer and entree. She basically talked the table out of ordering that way so everyone could "share" -- I hate that. HATE HATE HATE. Â I come to restaurants so I can order EXACTLY WHAT I WANT -- not to give it away. Â Why do restaurants think that everyone wants to share everything they order? Â How about order what you want!!! Isn't that the benefit of a giant kitchen and sizeable menu? Â I have no problem ordering an item or two to start and share that with the group, but honestly, come ON -- let people order what they want. It's annoying and stupid.
It was fine - not great. I wouldn't return to be honest, but most of the food was fine, particularly the hamachi with grapefruit. Â The chickpeas were bland and boring. The brick chicken was very good, and the lamb albondigas were tough and overcooked.
They coursed the food in a really odd way as well. Â The last items we got were the chickpeas and the veggies. Â It felt very backwards to me. Â
You won't hate it, but I wouldn't ever chose it as a destination.
So I "liked" Vera on FB after I had dinner here, and now I drool everyday. Thanks a lot, Vera!
The fella and I had plans to go to a friends restaurant for my birthday, but our friend had a last minute emergency, so we ended up here. Can't say I'm sad about it. The food here was to die for!
We started w a few different cheeses, the standout was the bleu. Don't recall the name, but it was creamy, tart, and delicious. Our server recommended the heirloom tomato salad - and it was great. Nothing that you couldn't get elsewhere, though. We moved on to the clams and chorizo. Oh. my. god. They were amazing! I wouldn't let our server take the leftover bread from the cheese plate because leaving any of that broth behind would've been a sin. Lastly, we had the short ribs over polenta. Melt in your mouth delicious.
Our server, well bartender, was great. She was attentive, but not overly so. She was very knowledgeable about the menu items, and had some great suggestions. She also steered me in the direction of a great red, as I am clueless when it comes to ordering vino. She even snuck us a taste of THE MOST INCREDIBLE IBERICO HAM I have ever had. Oh man, it was almost to pretty to eat. In fact, the woman next to me was whining to her date about how she had to take the fatty pieces off because it would ruin her diet. I wanted to stab her with my steak knife then take all of her ham because SHE DIDN'T DESERVE IT!
I haven't been back, but I will be soon. Especially since they posted that picture of sea urchin topped deviled eggs (OMGOMGOMG!)
I have been to Vera three times now. Â Each time I have enjoyed my experience. Â It is just off the well-travelled Randolph strip... so it will be within comfort for you folks who don't venture too far away from your "usuals." Â As you look into the window, the place looks like it will be tight and cozy... but the space is well used and farily spacious. Â The staff was very helpful with recommendations and always ready to suggest a wine pairing with the food you will be enjoying. Â
Some of my favorite dishes include the calamari, pisto manchego and the octopus.
Great tapas and wine in the West Loop.
My favorites were:
Pisto Manchego w/fried egg
Raspberries, serrano, goat cheese, salad
Papas bravas
Crudo w/lime, avocado and chile puree
and the Thursday special Veal shank reminded me of something the Girl and the Goat would do.
The good:
Iberico secreto was like pork belly sashimi (although it was cooked, natch)
Zucchini, hazelnuts, romesco
Service was really good and knowledgeable. It was fairly empty at 9pm on a Thursday. Good for dates, friends and smallish groups of 4-6 people. The atmosphere is nice enough, with the focus on the food with a heavy local focus, and International wines. Highly recommended.
Great new tapas place in the west loop. The ambience is half dim and high ceilings and everything just seems elevated/industrial inside. Bare lofty style walls an the bar faces the dining room. Its super spacious and bright!
Now...on to the food...fried artichokes and the asparagus were phenomenal! Roasted mushrooms and there was another mushroom dish in the entrees that we got which was also pretty good!! Oh...and the ham, jamon, serrano, call it what u want as long as u try it! Yum!!
Overall a def cool trendy place for a dinner w ur better half or w girlfriends...great atmosphere. Service was also good. Guve it a try. They also do some ethnic cooking classes and stuff! Exciting!
A tale of two cities...It was the best of times it was the worst of times. We were so excited to go to this place with our supper club. We called ahead and were assured that they would be able to sit our party of 8. When we arrived the owner told us they could not seat 8 and that we had to sit at 2 tables of 4 and they didnt push tables together, this was at 8 oclock. After much banter back and forth the owner finally agreed to seat us but we had to wait.
At this point it took 20 min to get a drink ordered from the bar. It seems as if they are very understaffed. As we waited for hours it was clear the owner wasnt sitting people so we could sit together. Fast forward to 9:45 and we finally got a table. This normally would be fine but my baby sitter was only booked till 10:30.
The owner did apologize and comp us a bottle of wine. All in all though the service was sub par.
The food was great though! I only got to eat half of what we ordered because it was time to go home. All in all the food was great but the service here was awful.
DONT TAKE PARTIES OF 6 or more because it will take hours to sit.
We recently went to Vera to give the "hot-spot" a try. Â We'd been told to expect long waits at the small space that doesn't accept resos, but we were seated immediately on a Saturday night (there were 2 of us).
The wine list was very reasonably priced, which is always key. The waitress recommended the chicken liver pate, which I will say tasted rather like what I'd expect Fancy Feast cat food to taste like. However, the beef and lamb meatballs and grilled octopus made up for it. The bread and butter is 100% worth the $6, too.
Liked the atmosphere - busy but not crowded. Free parking is also abundant. Overall, Vera was pretty darn decent.
Great new place in the West Loop! Â I learned of Vera in Chicago Magazine. Â They don't take reservations. Â I went at 7 pm on a Saturday and the wait was ~45 minutes. Â However later in the evening the wait became much longer. Â They have a bar with a nice wine selection which made the wait tolerable. Â The bartender was terrific: Â nice, genuine, friendly, and knowledgeable about the wines. Â The table service was also good. Â The cheese plate was phenomenal. Â Some of the best cheeses I've had. Â
the artichoke appetizer was delicious but heavy on the garlic. Â I would definitely go back.
We needed cured meat.
One block north of Randolph in a restaurant hidden on a corner, we got some. 10pm on a Friday and no wait - Vera, you know how to make us happy. Selection of 3 cheeses, selection of 3 hams, bread and butters and fried artichokes. Horrible if you're on a diet, but we weren't. Prairie Breeze Cheddar, Torta di Peghera and Manchego fulfilled our cheese needs. But let's talk about meat: serrano, Cinco Jotas Iberico and La Quercia. For $30 a plate, you know the Cinco Jotas Iberico is some sinfully good ham. The internet tells me that these pigs are acorn-fed, and the meat is cured in mountain-air for 2-3 years. Hot damn.
After such figure-conscious eating, we had to get the bread and butters. Forget about the knife and dip your bread right in the butters (salt and pepper, fried chicken, roasted garlic) or olive oil. No shame here. Or maybe there should be, but we don't really care. Hell, we ate a plate full of ham with our fingers. And to end the well-rounded meal, the fried artichokes were perfect. Crispy and tossed in beer garlic vinaigrette.
The food was comforting, delicious and this foray into the West Loop on the hunt for cured meat helped us forget about a shitty week. There's also wine. A lot of wine. Beers not so much.
Located right next to the green line tracks, the sound proofing of this place is ridiculous. We watched trains go by and didn't hear a thing. Silence. And in silent awe, we watched a pig leg being carried through the dining room. Yes this is our kind of place.
Cheese Bar is the first in Chicago. Â A viewer comes to appreciate the value and intricacy of a cheese plate. Â Each cheese is paired with a complimentary taste.
Excellent service. Â Staff has excellent manners, e.g. "May I take this plate?"; easily elaborates the menu recommendations; and works as a team that water is always poured and empty plates are taken away.
The simplified menu gives you an explosion of appreciation for the dish when it is served.
All the dishes are carefully and thoughtfully prepared with premium ingredients.
Escabeche - perfectly seared with crunchy skin and moist. Â The picked vegetable is a taste combination of sour, sweet and spicy.
Roasted Mushroom - each mushroom (98% wild) is uniformly roasted piece by piece sits on top of mushroom puree. Generous portion. Â Finishing the dish would make you unkissable due to generous garlic.
Crema Catalana -- not crazy about it. Â I find the dessert selection to be limited. Â Portion is good for 2.
Wine on Tap -- amusing! Â About $1-2 less than a poured wine. Â The biggest appeal -- super chilled riesling that was still cold after dinner.
Due to limited good paella in Chicago, I need to come back for a taste.
Caution: Â For 1 person with above choices and 15-20% tip, totals $50.
Some co workers insisted on this place, so let's try it.
Service was robotic and made no sense. They don't really read the customers needs.
As far as the food: We ordered 5 or 6 dishes and all tasted the same, very garlicky. I really like garlic when its used accordingly. This was like they use the same raw garlic oil or garlic seasoning in every dish.
Not impressed at all.
We needed a wine bar within walking distance- while I always enjoy avec, I needed something different. Â I'm glad to say that I've found another great option.
Based on the reviews,  I had high expectations and they were basically met.  We got there by 630 and it was beginning to fill up.  Ordered an effervescent, light, somewhat fruity white which was refreshing.  The arugula salad was fresh and spicy, the bread with assorted butter (friend chicken, garlic, salt and pepper), fried artichokes, and steak were all very good. I did not find the plate of pork, fava bean purée and pea greens as compelling as other reviewers- very  limited flavor.
It was a good first stop of the evening. Â During cooler temps, snag a bar seat further in the dining area vs the seating in the front- it can be drafty. Â Â I liked this spot and will return for a weeknight- Â not expensive to grab a steak, salad, and wine on tap for a satisfying meal.
I really tried to like this place. I did. I'll update my review if I have a better exerience.
I'll try and give them the benefit of the fact that I went there on their second night of opening. We asked for the cheese platter which was TINY. I was really kinda saddened by it. I will say that their olive oil for the bread was good (not that I am an expert, but it tasted right). Addtionally, we had the meatballs, which were good, just the right amount of juicy.
The waitress knew the wines well, but there were confusions and mess ups that night. Bus boys bumped into me a couple of times as well. I will try and be back and like you better Vera, but at the prices you charge, you should be 'better' already.
Delicious tapas! Â We chose:
Anchovies
Crudo
Escabeche
Cauliflower
Artichokes
Bread and butter
My favorites were the artichokes and escabeche. Â Boquerones are always way, way up there on my list of favorite things. Â The bf's favorite was the cauliflower dish. Being a die-hard condiment lover, I liked the three butters and olive oil served with the bread. Â
Very nice. Nice service. Â Nice food. Â Nice!
I was waffling between 4 and 5 stars. Â And then they brought out the pork belly. Â Ding, Ding Ding! Â 5 stars for sure!
Here's my advice. Â Go and either sit at the bar and just have Kelly bring you her favorites. Â Or sit at a table and have Jessica do the same. Â Done. Â Over and out. Â No need to even look at a menu.
These ladies know their stuff from the wines this place pours to the tiniest detail behind the menu. Â I ordered things I never thought I would but they all were as good as they were purported to be and we had an amazing night of fine wines, fine food and amazing service!
We started with a glass of bubbly at the bar. Â We were thinking of eating there since Kelly was so great but then Liz, (the owner) said that they had a table for us. Great!
So we sat down and began to look at the menu. These are shareable plates and share is what we did! Â My friend LOVES cheese so there was no doubt that the 3 cheese plate and the chacuterie were going to be first up. Â I didn't recognize any of the cheeses but after the descriptions that Jessica provided, the decision was easy on what to choose. Â And the meats were delicious!
The bread is amazing ($6 a loaf) and comes with several flavored butters (garlic, chicken and sea salt and black pepper) along with olive oil to enjoy on it. Â We found we needed to order two loaves of the bread but that we had plenty of the spreads.
We also had the grilled octopus, fried artichokes (very interesting, I've never had this before) garlic shrimp and  a beautiful bowl of roasted mushrooms. Â
But the final dish- the dish that will have me dreaming of this place before I go back -was the  Iberico secreto with fava bean puree and pea shoots.  This was the most amazing, flavorful dish I have had in awhile.  Like pork belly, this meat bursts in your mouth with textures and flavors.  If there was any doubt as to what rating I would give this place, this dish cinched a 5 star review for sure!  And to think we were not even going to order this- thanks Jessica!
The interior is minimal in design, wood floors, exposed brick walls, unadorned windows. Â But that just makes the focus the food and the wine.
All in with a great bottle of wine, several drinks and this amazing dinner, we spent about $250. Â Parking is easy and free in the area. Â They don't take reservations so you may have to wait a bit but know that it is worth the wait.
Thanks Vera, for an unexpectedly amazing evening! Â We will definitely be back!
Not only is Vera a neighborhood gem in the West Loop/Fulton Market area, but it has become one of my favorite places in Chicago! Â The place gets slammed after 7:30 PM on Saturdays; however, Elizabeth at the front of the house and Quade behind the bar keeps everything in great order. Â My girlfriend and I sit always sit at the bar and never once do we feel overwhelmed/overcrowded. Â
Not knowing a whole lot about wines outside of the basics, Quade always has a wine to recommend depending on your tastes, etc. Â As far as food, my girlfriend and I always start off with the bread which comes with 3 unique butters (garlic, duck, chile, chicken, pepper, etc) and then usually get 1 or 2 entrees. Â So far the grilled octopus, braised oxtail, and iberico secreto have all been amazing.
As another reviewer said, Vera is classy, but understated and cozy...I hope it remains that way!!
We almost got frustrated and went to the Publican. So glad we stuck it out.
I have been to a number of tapas places, from the franchise-y Ba Ba Reeba to the supertrendy Tavernita to the sort-of-crappy Bullehdia. This is the only one worthy of five stars and I am rapidly realizing that all of my five star reviews are clusterfucking themselves around Fulton Market. I am a convert.
Saturday night wait at 9:30pm was about 40 minutes. We got some wine on tap (Gotham Project riesling - nice and dry), hovered around the bar, and got seated early. The concept here is the usual Fulton cool: brick, wood, glass, Edison bulbs, etc. It's small and intimate and very understated. The concept is not the focal point. The food is.
In the name of trying more wines we did the Old/New flight. Every one of them was good and the pours are generous. So are the portions. As two people, we knocked out a tray of three iberico hams, three cheeses (manchego, a raw milk cheddar, and a goat wrapped in bourbon chestnut leaves), bread and butter, delicious garlicky mushrooms, croquetas, and steak bavette. It was probably excessive - these are big plates that really can be shared. Who cares? Optimal ordering is probably (in this order) bread, two vegetable plates, one meat plate, and a 3-cheese course at the end. Prices are VERY fair for the portion size and compared to other restaurants - especially, which I hate to say, up against Tavernita.
The standout here is that bread and BUTTER. The bread is warm and beautiful and fluffy, the butters (ours were olive oil, salt and pepper, fried chicken, and roasted garlic) were... I don't know. I stopped talking. I have never actually eaten butter on bread to the extent I ate this. The salt and pepper was probably the best one, but where the hell else are you going to find chicken chicharron butter? Get this. Done.
This place is relatively new and is somewhat of a gem, a place to feast and get pretty drunk and not want to jump off a cliff when the bill comes. Easily the best Spanish in Chicago. Will be back. No question.
I enjoyed my experience at Vera. They stay true to the theme after which they are going, keeping the food and wine program concise and tasty.
Our walk-in (yes, walk-in) party of 9 (yes, 9) at 7:00pm (yes, 7:00pm) on a Sunday was easily accommodated at the bar, for they are unable to seat more than 5 people per table. While this easily could have thrown off the bartender, she remained calmed and set us up for dinner and pairings. While this was good for us, no one else could enjoy the bar that night. I felt guilty.
We ordered two bottles of Spanish-oriented wines and then a bottle of bubbly. We tried one of everything on the menu, with the charcuterie being a stand-out, same with the bread and butters, all vegetable dishes, and the hams. Wasn't blown away by the paella, but worth a shot (note: needs about 30 min prep time).
Cool date place, but seems like it'd be rather chaotic on a Friday or Saturday.
I've recently figured out that having access to outstanding food all of the time has made it harder and harder to impress me, and after a stretch of new restaurant visits that were "just ok," I started to wonder...is it me? Â Am I fooded out? Â What do I do now?
Thank you Vera for breaking the dry spell.
Vera, you are everything that Tavernita is not. Â The atmosphere is understated and cozy, the staff is friendly and accomodating, and the food was EXCEPTIONAL. Â
We ordered half the menu, and not a single bad plate. Â The dishes are so classically Spanish, delicous, and simple -- in the very best way. Â Portions are quite large for the price point, as in 4 of us ate most of the menu with drinks for around $130 before tax and tip, and each plate was big enough for all 4 of us to get a healthy portion. Â (Because let's be honest, there is nothing more awkward than ordering shared plates not big enough to actually share.) Â
Drinks were reasonably priced and glasses of wine (and not even crappy wine!) started at $7, which is most assuredly the way to my heart.
Don't miss: Â octopus, oxtail, lamb chorizo, cauliflower, butter trio..eff, just order it all.
I'll never be as thin, fabulous, and fashionable as the princess of Spain herself, but I'd like to think that if there was some sort of royal designation in Chicago, that I could be the princess all things Iberian in the Midwest.
Vera is much more authentic than many of the tapas bars in Chicago. Â While other restaurants in Chicago will continue to stereotype Spain as the land of paella, bullfighters, and sangria, Vera specializes in some of the plates that are much more representative of the various areas of Spain. Â For example, there are callos that mimic those served in any tavern in Madrid and pulpo a feira (that is unfortunately stylized to American tastes - who puts lemon juice on octopus?! Â Yanks do apparently. Ugh.)
The Spanish wine selection lacks the same element of surprise that the menu did. Â Why there would be such a prevalence of California wine at a "Spanish" restaurant is beyond me. Â There are your very typical red wines from Ribera del Duero and Rioja and whites from Rias Baixas, but very little from other DOs (denominacion de origenes). Â I did have a very nice glass of crianza from Ribera del Duero; it had all of the flavors of juicy red fruits with the very faint taste of oak that you would expect from such a wine.
The same problem with the wine goes for the cheese as well. Â Spain is second only to France in the number of quality cheeses produced, so why are almost all of the cheeses on Vera's menu from Wisconsin and Michigan?
If you are really looking to indulge, try the 5 Jotas iberico. Â Yes, it's pricey, and no one in Spain would actually buy a 5J jamon, but it's probably the best we can do on this side of the Atlantic. Â It has only been distributed in Chicago for a few months, but due to a stellar marketing team, it is known as one of the most prestigious brands of Iberico in the US.
I'll probably have to keep dreaming if I want shoes as ornate as those that Princess Letizia has [1], but at least I no longer have to dream of a place where I can find (mostly) edible tapas and Spanish wine in Chicago.
[1] <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diezminutos.es%2Ffamilia-real%2Fmonarquia%2Ftodos-los-zapatos-de-letizia&s=2916ecb3e2bf233089cfad1c0274798e15f94f197159e6ca34c878ce8ef547b7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.diezminutos.e…</a>
I must be in a Spanish food mood because I didn't realize my previous post Iberico. We went to the new Spanish  Wine bar Vera located in the red hot West Loop. They don't take reservations and our plan of arriving late friday night worked to perfection. The space is very well done with nice clean looks, and a long bar area by the front door and another cheese bar area as well. I also like the open view kitchen in the back with a large chalkboard overhead displaying the wines of the day. The food was great and the menu has nice balance of simplicity and variety.
Our first two dishes came from the fish side of the menu: kona kampachi and escabeche of trout. But the kampachi was not available and they substituted hamachi instead. It was one of my favorite dishes of the meal - nice, well seasoned thin pieces of raw fish with a kick in the sauce. The trout was not my favorite because it lacked any real flavor but it wasn't bad.
The papas bravas - Â potatoes with red sauce and white aoili - was so good we had to order two to avoid any fighting. The potatoes were perfectly cooked, crispy and well seasoned and the sauces were a nice compliment - fire and ice style.
Finally, we had two vegetable dishes (cauliflower and brussel sprouts) and Elysian Fields lamb chorizo with (roasted onions and winter greens). The brussel sprouts were not good, very soft/mushy without desirable flavors. On the other hand we enjoyed the cauliflower a lot and thought the lamb chorizo (more like sausage) was tasty - especially the sauce and onions it came with.
By and large we liked the food with a great fish starter, awesome potatoes and nice mains. I also haven't mentioned that the four glasses of wine we ordered were also great. They serve three types of wine on tap and I tried and enjoyed one of the reds. The value of the meal was average with some dishes good value and others questionable. But given we were full at the end and each had two glasses of wine the total bill of $100 is comparable to other meals.
Vera continues to the red hot trend going on in West Loop/Randolph with new places serving good food and drink. I enjoyed the atmosphere and experience and would recommend people to check it out.
Went here on a Friday night (before a holiday) and the place was still pretty busy
It's a small place, cute venue, nice ambiance, decor is simple yet cute. Â Decent lighting...
but man can it get loud!!
Plenty of vegetarian options here, good wine list, not sure why they have flights that mix white and red together though, that was a bit odd.
They have plenty of cheese to go with your wine as well
My date had the shrimp and said it was excellent....the mushrooms are NOT to be missed...the bread is actually quite heavenly (the garlic butter is amazing too), though they give you a small loaf and if you ask for more, well its another $6..not cool. Â The squash was also very good....
But the one thing I couldn't believe....NO DESSERT? Â NO DESSERT? Â WHAT?!
so disappointing....
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
