People Tapas and World Music Lounge

LTH -

I don't see a dedicated thread on People, but please feel free to merge if I've overlooked it or if this should go in a general tapas thread.

Last night, I went with three companions to this Wicker Park spot just down the street from the Double Door, and was generally impressed. The five umbrella tables on the street were hopping, but one party was just leaving; we camped out and sent one of our group inside, securing instant and very pleasant service. One pitcher of white sangria later - strong peach flavor, not particularly potent brew, but very refreshing - we were ready to order. On the night, we explored:


Cheese Plate - a great deal at $12, generous portions of Manchego, Mahon, strong Cabrales, and Idiazabal, fig compote, spicy walnuts, really fantastic toasted pine nuts, toasted baguette rounds. Intense flavors lasted a long time.

Olives - exactly the kind of mix I've seen at bars in Spain, some larger stuffed green olives, whole garlic cloves, and a variety of smaller, darker olives with pits, in a good brine. Not a big portion.

Patatas Bravas - unlike any I've had in Spain or at other tapas restaurants in Chicago, these were chips of small potatoes, perhaps like quartered thick-cut home fries, served hot and dry, dusted with spicy crushed red pepper and paprika, but placed on top of a pool of tangy red-pepper aioli in a deep plate. They grew on me, and the aioli was great for later dipping.

Tortilla - a modest wedge of planed potato in a matrix of just-set egg, served very cold. The menu did not indicate that there was smoked tuna in the top layer, which was the case. Done authentically, but very tame and not worth the $5.

Calamar Frito - excellent, piping hot, crispy squid in a lemon and garlic aioli. Good portion for $7.

Hongos Jerez - sauteed mushrooms with fresh herbs. Simply prepared, quite juicy, wanted more of them for $5.

Queso de Cabra - the only very weak item of the night. At Emilio's, this is a rich tomato and roasted red pepper puree drizzled with oil and warmed kalamata olives, and then mounted with a crisp-crowned medallion of broiled goat cheese, served with lots of crusty bread. At People, this is a huge scoop of cheese with no contrasting textures or flavors in a very bland tomato-only sauce. The garlicky croutons were nice - they may have been put on the grill right after shrimp or squid, since they picked up a distinct seafood flavor, but that actually added some missing complexity.

Pincho de Solomillo - extremely standard but well done, red caramelized onions and a fresh grated horseradish cream, nice piece of hanger steak grilled medium-rare with a charred exterior. Only one skewer, so a little overpriced at $12.

The last two things we ordered were the very best, and are highly recommended. At least last night, they approached Avec in inventiveness, plating, and flavor.

People's Skirtsteak - this was a fantastic bar of melt-in-your-mouth skirt steak pot roast with strong flavors of sherry and caramelized sugar, served in a rich broth of stewed tomato, beef drippings, split beans (perhaps cannellini), chopped red onion, and a sweet cooked-down root vegetable, into which had been melted generous shavings of Manchego. This did not taste particularly Spanish even with the sherry and manchego and would have fit in on an Austrian, Provencal, or even Belgian menu.

Tilapia - two nice, thick, boneless chunks of fresh tilapia crusted with panko-like crumbs and chopped pistachio nuts, pan-fried, drizzled with garlic olive oil, and finished with a sundried tomato and citrus beurre blanc. Extremely rich. I was impressed that this tomato preparation was completely different from the broth in the skirtsteak, the sauce on the goat cheese, and the two distinct aiolis on the squid and potatos. No sauce seemed re-used twice in any dishes we sampled. These last two plates were also beautifully presented.

For those last few, we of course had to order a second pitcher of sangria (red this time) which nicely flavored but also pretty tame. For four people, the bill came to $150 including tax and tip, somewhat steep compared to Cafe Iberico or Ba Ba Reeba if you know exactly what to order (mostly because of the two pitchers), but we left full and happy.

One warning: the only bread we saw came in crouton form accompanying the various dishes. We were full enough that we did not ask for additional bread, but some traditional Spanish bread would go a long way in stretching out this meal to a few more people.

I think with the "new" menu items, which included the tilapia, we're seeing the hand of a chef with some experience and imagination. If they could work out the portion size better - a problem at many tapas places, the caloric content or weight of the dish has no correlation with the price, so some plates are a steal and others way overpriced - this would be among my favorite Iberian places in the city. The main room inside was warm and inviting with high-backed booths and low ambient noise. The bartenders, without much clientel last night, were very into the Sox game on the gigantic plasma TV over the bar, which actually seemed friendly instead of out of place, but be forewarned if TVs in your dining environment turn you off (that said, I don't think you can't see or hear it from most of the dining booths).

People Tapas
1560 North Milwaukee Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois 60622-2030
Tel (773) 227 - 9339

I'm posting the following from nicinchicago (from another thread) to validate my pitiful zero-replies existence:

>>In Wicker Park is People. It's pretty good if you truely want small plates. I find the hot dishes better than the cold dishes. I eat there once a week if it's nice outside. Mondays are $10 sangria pitcher nights, so usually go then, as a lot of restaurants are closed on Monday. I really enjoy the mussels, the goat cheese with tomato sauce and chicken skewers. However, I wouldn't say it's "the best", but its decent and it's a nice space, and it's nice to sit outside and people watch.
People
1560 N Milwaukee
Chicago, IL
773-227-9339

Santander- I quite like this spot. I forgot our favorite thing there, the seared scallops. We had them for the first time this past week and they were perfect, melt in your mouth, seared on the outside, and a delictable sauce.

Looks like you could use some affirmation.

Thanks for the post. People's been on my radar ... and I've been waiting for a solid LTH review.