The Winchester

What a pleasant experience to have my expectations exceeded. Sister and Fiancé are hungry and this place opened a blk from our apt a few months ago. Have heard good things- something about a waffle, that dinner was nice and the avocado toast was too. Hadn’t been, but figured I’d throw it into our pile of possibilities. It won.

Perfect weather for me, overcast in the low 70’s. Nice patio with a large tree. The server was knowledgable, pleasant and pretty. Interesting wine list that my wine goddess sister knew not one of. That never happens. The Gruener Veltliner was a great choice. Indoor was nice as well, kinda avec-ish x 2, but I’d imagine loud if full, something I dislike. We opted for under the tree.

Got the avocado toast w/grapefruit, and shaved pepper which was quite nice. The fried black rice w/roasted butternut squash and peanuts in a curry sauce w/sunny side egg on top was superb. We knew we’d love it by the description and we did. House made hot sauce that we asked for had a nice balance that’s not over the top in heat. Really worked well with the rice curry. The almond waffle special w/strawberries, rhubarb puree and whipped cream was quite likely the best waffle Ive ever eaten. Crisp, sweet, sour, savory… we all really loved this. Surprise of the day was bacon/cheddar quiche. There were other things on the menu I’d have preferred trying (shrimp and grits, short ribs) but since my love wanted it and I’m powerless in not wanting her to have everything she desires, I silently endured, trying to mask my pout. Nice crust w/good integrity but the silkiness of the eggs are what got my attention. Not an easy task. The fried fingerling potatoes and arugula salad that accompanied rounded it out nicely.

Someone knows what they’re doing here. Very impressed with our vist. Will explore and report back.



The Winchester
1001 N. Winchester
Chicago 60622
(773) 698-8703
http://winchesterchicago.com/

I like this place; the wine list is really interesting and the smoked trout sandwich is just about perfect. The last couple times I stopped in or brunch, it was packed, and there were shrieking children. I had to shout to be heard. I can't hang, but I'll happily go there in the evening or during the work day for several cups of Metric coffee and snacks.

Jazzfood wrote:What a pleasant experience to have my expectations exceeded. Sister and Fiancé are hungry and this place opened a blk from our apt a few months ago. Have heard good things- something about a waffle, that dinner was nice and the avocado toast was too. Hadn’t been, but figured I’d throw it into our pile of possibilities. It won.

Perfect weather for me, overcast in the low 70’s. Nice patio with a large tree. The server was knowledgable, pleasant and pretty. Interesting wine list that my wine goddess sister knew not one of. That never happens. The Gruener Veltliner was a great choice. Indoor was nice as well, kinda avec-ish x 2, but I’d imagine loud if full, something I dislike. We opted for under the tree.

Got the avocado toast w/grapefruit, and shaved pepper which was quite nice. The fried black rice w/roasted butternut squash and peanuts in a curry sauce w/sunny side egg on top was superb. We knew we’d love it by the description and we did. House made hot sauce that we asked for had a nice balance that’s not over the top in heat. Really worked well with the rice curry. The almond waffle special w/strawberries, rhubarb puree and whipped cream was quite likely the best waffle Ive ever eaten. Crisp, sweet, sour, savory… we all really loved this. Surprise of the day was bacon/cheddar quiche. There were other things on the menu I’d have preferred trying (shrimp and grits, short ribs) but since my love wanted it and I’m powerless in not wanting her to have everything she desires, I silently endured, trying to mask my pout. Nice crust w/good integrity but the silkiness of the eggs are what got my attention. Not an easy task. The fried fingerling potatoes and arugula salad that accompanied rounded it out nicely.

Someone knows what they’re doing here. Very impressed with our vist. Will explore and report back.



The Winchester
1001 N. Winchester
Chicago 60622
(773) 698-8703
http://winchesterchicago.com/

The chef, Greg Bastien, has logged time in a lot of good houses, including Avec. So glad you liked his spot. He's a great guy and a kickass chef with an incredible mind for the small details.

I have had a couple really good dinners here and some great brunch.

On Monday nights they do a Brisket sandwich & drink for $12. You can have a glass of rose, tap beer, or a glass of their punch. The brisket also comes with a delicious potato salad and some great fried green tomatoes. Hard to sum up how happy I was sitting outside last night at the end of that meal.

Anyway, looking forward to working through the whole menu.

Really pleasant spot; I too enjoyed one of the tables outside under the big tree and string lighting, not a big area, but sheltered and conversation-friendly. The inside certainly has potential to be louder, but is longer and deeper than I'd expected, and the communal layout is not without its warmth.

The hits for me were the textbook smoked trout caesar, topped with trout cracklings, and the mussels, rich and aromatic. Both these and the olives were served with good oiled bread, just not very much of it, and service was not always hovering to check. There was a marked portion disparity between the tiny chicken thighs (albeit excellent) and the big bowl of bucatini, liberally dressed with good cheese and oil. The latter did really remind me of the luxurious noodle treatments at Avec. The listed asparagus toast had been updated mid-service to rabe toast, which (at least vs. my imagination) didn't work quite as well with the scratch hummus and horseradish; golden raisins added some sweetness but the sharp and bitter tang was a bit much.

The malty waffle with tiny strawberries was one of the best desserts I've had all year - ovation-worthy. The warm chocolate and pecan pie missed only because it picked up the marked perfume of whatever board or shelf it had been on - it had a distinct resin flavor that I can't imagine was intended in the recipe. Sweet balance was right on and the warmth was lovely. The smaller plate pricepoints and portion sizes were right on to me (exactly what is missing at A10); entrees seemed a bit dear. The Monday brisket special sounds like a siren song to me, and the likely venue for my quick return.

Per the Winchester's Facebook page, there was a small electrical fire in the restaurant this morning. Closed for an indefinite period but they hope to be up and running soon. Thankfully no injuries.

The Winchester now serves dinner and after having read/heard a couple of positive thoughts, I visited with friends last night. Well, there were some pluses but dinner was far more flawed.

The restaurant itself is casual, inviting, and with plenty of natural light coming through. But with a packed house, the place is extraordinarily loud and even our server had considerable difficulty hearing us from just a couple of feet away.

The evening began with cocktails, and impressive ones at that. The Hunky Dory (rum-based) was definitely on the sweet side thanks to pineapple, probably too sweet for some, but Campari, orange peel and Japanese chili bitters added offsetting bitter notes that made this a terrific cocktail. Less sweet and equally impressive was the 101 South, featuring smooth reposado tequila, aperol, spiced tangerine syrup, lime, and a little kick from habanero shrub.

Food was less successful. Toasted sourdough with housemade ricotta was better bread service than most places (not sure where Winchester gets its bread). But my Hen of the Woods Lyonnaise salad let me down. Crispy mushrooms and potato chips, as well as a perfectly poached egg, made for a unique and well thought out variation on this ubiquitous bistro salad. Unfortunately, the salad was heavily dressed, and that meant mustard overwhelmed every bite.

I only had a couple of bites of the dry aged beef tartar, but it was not the success I hoped for. The flavors were nice, but served atop a very thick slice of bread (at least twice as thick as it should have been) such that the bread overwhelmed every bite of tartar. Avoid the bread altogether and the tartar just does not come together so well - not a good dilemma.

Great in concept, at least in terms of flavors, but certainly not so much in terms of execution, was the roasted half Slagel chicken, with grilled romaine, rye & farro, lemon. The chicken featured a beautifully crisp skin, I assume from a dry brine. Unfortunately, it seems there was too much salt and that none of it was brushed away as the chicken was a salt bomb. It's a sad thing when you're forced to take crisped chicken skin and put it aside. Sadder when the meat is no less salty. The half chicken was also quite unwieldy, not cut up at all. I could tell that the accompaniments - grilled romaine, rye, farro - were perfect matches, but unfortunately salt from the chicken also somewhat marred these otherwise wonderful additions.

A liege waffle sundae featured hot fudge poured tableside, cherries, and vanilla ice cream atop a liege waffle. I love liege waffles, but here the waffle was the worst part of an otherwise simple but delicious dessert. The waffle was so hard, making it difficult to break it into small pieces, particularly since it was served in a bowl, with a spoon.

On the plus side, service was terrific. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable, and courses were timed perfectly. And the rest of the staff ensured that all other aspects of service were properly executed.

Our evening was largely designed by choosing a restaurant near a bar where we intended to end the evening. I ordinarily wouldn't travel to this area for dinner unless I really wanted to give the food a shot. Given my overall thoughts on the food, I suspect I probably won't return to the Winchester, perhaps even if I'm grabbing a drink at a nearby watering hole.

I had the waffle at brunch and thought it was the opposite of hard, though it wasn't the dessert preparation you mention BR. I thought it could have used another 2 minutes in the iron. I'm also a sucker for waffles that use a blend of flours and this was just all purpose. Nothing wrong with it, but not a standout. Only been once, so no sample size.

But pray tell, what was the watering hole that brought you down to my neighborhood? Always curious to hear what draws someone to the UK.

whocanitbenow wrote:But pray tell, what was the watering hole that brought you down to my neighborhood? Always curious to hear what draws someone to the UK.

My friends wanted to hit Sportsman's & the Bedford and Winchester was able to handle our group (8) on relatively short notice.

Ukrainian Village all-day favorite The Winchester has closed for renovations and reconcepting after five years in business, ownership revealed in a Facebook post that was first reported by Block Club.

https://chicago.eater.com/2018/9/10/178 ... cept-intel