Two-letter restaurants: X/O and RL

Went to both of these places for dinner for the first time during the holidays (having been to RL for lunch a couple of times in the past), and thought both were exceptional.

X/O is a restaurant so good, it astonishes me that a search on LTH turns up not one single mention of it. The menu is divided into three sections, all in the small (or smallish) plate category but arranged in order of progressive "substantiality," and diners are encouraged to make one selection from each of the three sections to compose a complete and satisfying meal. Sorry, I no longer remember what I had--but if it counts, I can tell you that all three courses I had were bursting with flavor, the kind of flavor that comes right out of the food and not the seasoning (although the seasoning was perfect). The kind of flavor that makes you go, quietly, "Wow." Service was casual but expert. Ambience lovely. Maybe the "boys town" location keeps this restaurant from getting the attention it deserves. That's a mere speculation, but something is keeping this restaurant from getting the attention it deserves. In terms of the food alone, it was one of our truly outstanding dining experiences of 2006, and the restaurant has other niceties to offer beyond the food alone.

We loved RL as well. The "old school" nature of the surroundings (they actually flambé stuff) encouraged me to compose a meal of escargots and steak Diane, and I wasn't sorry. Wonderful service, too--they were right on top of things all the way, from the moment we sat down, without ever making us feel rushed. The bill for four of us was a bit more than I was expecting--we had cocktails and some wine by the glass, but no stratospherically-priced bottles or anything, and with tip it came to just over $400, when my internal calibrator was expecting maybe more like $320-350--but in no way was it overpriced considering the quality of the food and the presentation, the festive vibe of the room, the elegance of the surroundings, and the sheer amount of fun we had.

X/O
3441 N. Halsted
773 348 9696

RL
115 E. Chicago
312 475 1100

riddlemay wrote:X/O is a restaurant so good, it astonishes me that a search on LTH turns up not one single mention of it.

That is due to the fact of it's two letter name with a slash in the middle: something our built-in search function isn't going to handle very well.

There is an X/O thread here

There are a handful of other mentions, but that link is the most substantive.

riddlemay wrote:Sorry, I no longer remember what I had--but if it counts, I can tell you that all three courses I had were bursting with flavor, the kind of flavor that comes right out of the food and not the seasoning (although the seasoning was perfect). The kind of flavor that makes you go, quietly, "Wow.".....In terms of the food alone, it was one of our truly outstanding dining experiences of 2006,

Respectfully, I have a hard time understanding how, based on food alone, this was one of your best experiences in 2006, but you can't tell us a thing that you ate.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:

riddlemay wrote:X/O is a restaurant so good, it astonishes me that a search on LTH turns up not one single mention of it.

That is due to the fact of it's two letter name with a slash in the middle: something our built-in search function isn't going to handle very well.

i was going to say.. i'm pretty sure i've said something about X/O in reply to other people talkign about it.. i think there was also a thread about it in the professional forum relating to a visit from the "check please" show.

my short on x/o.....i like x/o for drinks but have never been crazy about their food. it's supposed to be some sort of tapas, but everything comes out slightly mini-entreeish and if it were to be true tapas it's way overpriced ($12-15 menu items do not make for a good tapas experience when you get the bill). the food itself is good but the menu is limited and doesn't seem to ever change. also, in my opinion the flavors in all of their dishes are sometimes too exxagerated...everything is very seasoned and sometimes overly so.

if you're really looking for tapas, go next door to Arco de Cuchilleros.. then go to x/o for a drink after.

eatchicago wrote:Respectfully, I have a hard time understanding how, based on food alone, this was one of your best experiences in 2006, but you can't tell us a thing that you ate.

With equal respect, the answer is a combination of time (a couple weeks having elapsed), wine (several glasses consumed), and neurobiology (57-year old brain cells). I do, however, retain the memory of the general deliciousness of everything. I thought this was reason enough to post about my experience and impressions, but if my post was a waste of bandwidth because I couldn't supply those details, or if it utterly lacked credibility because of it, I apologize.

riddlemay wrote:

eatchicago wrote:Respectfully, I have a hard time understanding how, based on food alone, this was one of your best experiences in 2006, but you can't tell us a thing that you ate.

With equal respect, the answer is a combination of time (a couple weeks having elapsed), wine (several glasses consumed), and neurobiology (57-year old brain cells). I do, however, retain the memory of the general deliciousness of everything. I thought this was reason enough to post about my experience and impressions, but if my post was a waste of bandwidth because I couldn't supply those details, or if it utterly lacked credibility because of it, I apologize.

Not a waste at all and no apology necessary. It just seemed like an odd combination of statements for me to reconcile. As someone who has a very strong taste memory (and I can tell you what I've ordered at practically any restaurant I've ever eaten at), I often get confused when people aren't able to do the same. I guess I was just hoping that a little prodding would jar the memory of a specific dish or two.

Happy new year.

Best,
Michael