Koda in Beverly neighborhood 10352 S. Western Ave.

We ate here the second day it opened and I will say that it is an excellant find in the area which doesn't have much in the way of this type of restaraunt. The staff are a bit off in estimating wait time and as the article points out the place is a bit busy. I believe we waited about 1 and one-half hours for a table but it was the 2nd night and a Friday. Also when the staff realized that their estimates were wrong they had the kitchen send out the rustic pizza appetizers for all who were waiting in the bar. There were only minor hiccups in the service like forgetting water and bread plates. I had the skate wing which was very good and I agree with the reviewer about the pizzas; my husband had the tenderloin and said it was excellant. They have a nice little selection of Belgian beers. Here is the address:

10352 S. Western Ave.
773-445-5632

Koda Review on Metromix.

I grew up in Beverly and love the area, but after moving back to the neighborhood a few years ago, my wife and I have been depressed about the dearth of decent restaurant options nearby. So, we were excited about Koda opening.

We decided to give it a try this past Wednesday. Beverly is very family oriented, so I called ahead to see how 'family friendly' Koda was. "We have highchairs," was the reply, so we brought our one year old son along.
There was a good crowd, but we were seated without a wait--probably because it was the middle of the week after a busy Mother's Day weekend. Service started out quick and very friendly. It slowed down a bit as the evening progressed, but seemed to be just the normal kinks that need to be worked out with a new restaurant; we didn't mind.

As for the food:

• Braised short ribs - very good, but not as fall off the bone tender as I would have liked, and could have used a little more seasoning.
• Wasabi mashed potatos - perfect, not overpowering but enough to add some sweetness and interest.
• Tapenade Encrusted Rack of Lamb - cooked perfectly medium rare, very nice flavor.
• Roasted Golden and Red Beet salad - crisp and refreshing, light tangy dressing
• Fennel salad with citrus dressing - nice, but the citrus dressing could have used a touch more salt
• Meyer Lemon Creme Brulée Tart - like the Creme, but the crust was tough. would have preferred it without that
• Chocolate Hazelnut Tart w/coconut sorbet - Tart crust suffered from the same problem as the creme Brulée, sorbet was wonderful, I would have preferred a less fudgey ganache

Our son approved of the

• Pommes Frites
• Beet Salad
• Goat Cheese Ratatouille Tart

Patrick, the owner, stopped by the table to see how we were doing. He asked if I was the one who called earlier (since we appeared to be the only table with a highchair), and said he was glad to see the whole family there. Start them on good food early is our attitude, and he agreed, telling us he raised his daughter the same way.

All in all, we're so glad Koda is here. We'll definately be back!

Here's something I really liked about Koda (aside from the food).

The Wife and I are sitting in the bar, waiting for a table (no reservations taken, not something I liked), and I saw the server bring out three cups of coffee. The owners and a chef were standing at the entrance to the dining room, and Ms. Daley spotted the coffees and stopped the server. Then she, her co-owner/husband, the chef and the server proceeded to discuss the three cups of coffee -- for like 45 seconds or so -- then Ms. Daley took one of the cups and returned to the kitchen. I have no idea what they were talking about, but I liked what seemed to be some kind of serious quality control effort.

Hammond