Erwin

Anyone been to Erwin lately (i.e., Oct. 2007)? On our most recent visit, nearly everything seemed a bit off.

Erwin
2925 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60657
773-528-7200

FORSAN wrote:Anyone been to Erwin lately (i.e., Oct. 2007)? On our most recent visit, nearly everything seemed a bit off.

Welcome to LTH Forum. The search function is a useful tool to find past discussions. Here are two discussions that have Erwin in the title:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=11946
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=6442

Discussions of Erwin come up in a lot of other threads also.

Another way to search past threads is to go to google and search for "site:lthforum.com erwin".

So, what was it that was off? Anything in particular or just a general disappointment?

Yeah my last two visits things definitely seemed off. On our last visit, the service started off very slow. We could tell they were a bit short handed. After about 10 minutes the server came over with two mimosas and offered them to us. We responded that we didn't order them, to which he said "oh I know". So we took them, thinking, well thats a nice way to recognize that things are slow, with a complimentary drink.

Well, the meal was fine, nothing special, but slow and spotty service continued. We also ordered bloody marys, which we noticed came out of a premixed jug and tasted nearly alcohol free (absurd at nine dollars per).

Well, the real kicker was that once the check finally arrived, we were charged for the mimosas! At that point I was too annoyed to even complain, and didn't want to start our afternoon with arguing over a bill.

I don't thin we will ever go back, even though the food is decent and in close proximity to us.

The service was merely OK. Two of us had the Duck & Venison: the venison was not very tasty (never thought I'd encounter BLAND venison) and tough in the bargain; the accompaniments (lentils and brussels sprouts) were meager.
Another member of the group ordered the featured fish, strugeon, which was overcooked.
Dessert of sour cherry pie a la mode was fine.

You know, I've never really been as enchanted with Erwin as most people seem to be. I've been a few times, and I just don't find it that interesting (bland would be a good word to describe my experiences).

Maybe I should start a support group for people who just aren't that into well thought off restaurants. "Hi, my name is Josh, and I'm just not that into Erwin or North Pond."

Something might be going on-I went a few weeks ago-both service and food quality was not up to snuff. With this kind of food, which doesn't include bold flavors, the food has to be perfectly seasoned, and well executed to be enjoyable, IMO.
E's has never been groundbreaking, but certainly a solid American
Bistro on 90% of my visits.

I'm nervous now. I posted about dinner for eight a few weeks ago and no one responded. We chose Erwin, but maybe we need to rethink it.

I went to Erwin for the first time in late July of this year, and I thought everything was very good. On par with what people in the other threads of said: Not mind-blowing, but consistently tasty. I was also impressed by the laid-back attitude (in a good way) of the staff. This could easily be a place that tends toward the snobby end of the spectrum, but the staff is very easy going and made everyone in my party very comfortable.

I had the duck and sausage, which were both very good, but I was especially pleased with the sausage. Mom had the calf's liver which she greatly enjoyed. Unfortunately I can't remember what the rest of us had, but everyone was happy with their choice.

That being said, I don't know if something has happened between then and now to cause the restaurant to falter.

I just tried Erwin last week with some friends of mine and thought it was an enjoyable experience in a laid-back neighborhood restaurant. We went on a Wednesday, which was intentional because they have a $25 prix-fixe three course deal where you can choose any app, any entree, and any dessert. The value definitely sweetened the deal, for us!

I had the butternut squash soup, the whitefish, and the sour cherry pie. The soup was good, but there was a cream that didn't seem to blend so well, when they poured it table-side. Not a big deal. Everyone at the table ordered the whitefish, and I thought it was well-prepared. I enjoyed the pie I had, and all in all, for under $40 for a three course meal with a glass of wine, I had no complaints. Didn't knock my socks off, but I liked it!

i hadn't been to erwin's in years, but went this morning for sunday brunch. it was a scouting expedition, as i'm looking for a place to hold a birthday party for my father. the appeal of erwin's is that we can have the whole place for a saturday lunch, as they dont open till 5:30 on saturday.
as soon as we entered, i was reminded how much i love the room. there is a frieze of images along the top of the wall, including rural scenes and the chicago skyline, which is just beautiful. i like the low lighting, the white tablecloths and dark wooden chairs. for me, it's a very comfortable room. and brunch was mostly excellent. i had the wood grilled rainbow trout (only 1 tiny bone made an appearance) served with a sweet green tomato jam which made a nice counterpoint to the fish. even better was the hearty brown bread toast, which definitely tasted homemade (though i forgot to confirm with the waiter) and the fantastic 'country' potatoes. they seemed like coarsely mashed, skin on potatoes with the addition of some crusty bits. amazing. my niece's french toast was terrific, my brother's scrambled eggs with smoked salmon looked great, but i was too full to taste it. the only flaw was that the scrambled eggs i'd requested (which came with the trout) showed up as an omelet. the skinny but crispy french fries that came with my dad's hamburger were full of potato flavor. the service was unobtrusive, in a good way. all in all, a fine meal. justjoan

I personally think that Marge's Still in Old Town is miles ahead of Erwins.

I've never been to Marge's (only driven/walked past it five thousand times); does it compete on the same playing field as Erwin's? I always thought Marge's was a neighborhood tap with food. If Marge's/Erwin is actually an apples-to-apples comparison, I'll have to try Marge's (since I like Erwin).

The other day, I received the following letter in the mail:

-------------------------------
Thank you for your support over the years at erwin restaurant.
Cathy and I are working on a new restaurant project we think will be an exciting business opportunity. The concept will focus on our award-winning burger. We would like to offer you the opportunity to invest in this project.
For more information, redacted redacted redacted.
Looking forward to our continued association with you.
Sincerely,
Erwin Drechsler
-------------------------------

This letter was hand-addressed, and printed on heavy-stock cotton paper. I had a few thoughts about this letter.

1. I've eaten at erwin exactly once, where I did, in fact, have the burger, and though I did like it, I don't quite see how that would qualify me for potential investorship.
2. I do not have anything close to an investor-grade income; I kind of feel badly they wasted such good paper on the letter, in fact.
3. Did they just blanket the town with these things? Did anyone else get one?
4. You know-- actually-- as I was leaving, I think I entered one of those leave-a-business-card-in-a-bucket contests-- free brunch?-- which apparently won me this solicitation letter (runner-up).
4. Or not? Maybe they think I'm someone else?
5. I don't actually think a burger-focused erwinish place is such a bad idea... they won't get any startup money from me, but I'll be rooting for them.

I did come across this mention of maybe what they're talking about here... but who knows.

Does anyone know?

Well, I've eaten at Erwin's somewhere around 4 times and didn't get the letter. Beyond that, I haven't heard anything.
I like Erwin's burger, but it doesn't seem like the character you'd develop a spin-off for. (Of course, I felt that way about Frasier many years ago, and I was wrong. I guess it's all in the execution.)

We are on Erwin's mailing list, receiving such things as birthday coupons and announcements of discount nights, etc., but didn't receive this investment solicitation.

I hope the place they're talking about is an "in addition to" rather than "instead of" place.

We were going to a play a few blocks away and had a coupon for $25 off of dinner, so we thought we'd give Erwin a try. While ordering, I remembered reading something good about their burgers. RAB and I both went with burgers, ordered medium rare. Mine came out on the medium side of medium rare. RAB's was far closer to medium. They were fine. The fries, though, were greaseless and quite tasty. Lots of skin and good potato flavor.

RAB also had a passable bowl of mushroom soup and some bacon wrapped dates that paled in comparison to Avec's. Parents seemed satisfied with their dinner options, but there was no raving.

Erwin is trying, though. Every night, they're featuring a three-course dinner for $18, with options like short ribs and fried chicken. Lasagna was on offer on Saturday night while we were there. They also gave us another discount coupon with our check.

Erwin isn't particularly convenient to home and traffic is terrible in that neighborhood. So, despite the pretty good prices, I don't see returning anytime soon. If I lived in the neighborhood, though, I could easily see swinging by for fried chicken or short ribs night. $18 for three courses is good.

Ronna

I never had a problem with their food, but often did with their front-of-house inter-personal skills. I've always wished them well even when I was staying away for years at at time trying to cool off from my last encounter.
Hope they're back on point and will survive the current economy because I've always liked his food, and it's a kind of restaurant in overall style, menu, price point, that I like to see thrive.
Interestingly (perhaps), I think of Magnolia Cafe as occupying a somewhat similar niche (i.e. small, neighborhood, chef-owned I believe, culinarily somewhat ambitious), and Magnolia also has a history of postings here relating to jaw-droppingly rude interactions with customers.
Does owning/operating a place at this level stress people out so badly that they tend to snap? Just musing.

We ate here once, many years ago, before a show at Steppenwolf. I recall the food being decent, but Erwin and his wife had a verbal confrontation lasting several minutes less than a foot from our table. It was one of the strangest experiences I've had dining in a restaurant, and was extremely uncomfortable. Husband and I wondered if they realized they weren't actually at home, but were surrounded by paying customers. It was a pretty big turn-off and we never had the desire to return. That, and we gave up the season tickets at Steppenwolf...

When deciding where to brunch we started with two requirement. Steak and Trout. After a brief query Erwin was the only place we found fitting the bill.

Mrs and myself arrived shortly after they opened and there were only 3 other tables, apparently the booths in the front are by reservation only, we were seated and things started to go a little off kilter.
When ordering drinks I asked what the soup was and was told onion. "Is that a cream base or more of a french onion type?" I ask. The waiter replies, "No it is different". Uncomfortable silence follows until as I ask if it is indeed cream based or with a vegetable broth or if there are any characteristics which he might share with us. The waiter said he would check with the kitchen and then returns with a small sample of french onion soup.

A few more minutes and we order the trout and the skirt steak as well as the crab cake. I asked for the crab cake as an app since the wife is eating for two and must sometimes eat sooner rather than later. When ordering the flank steak and eggs the waiter asked no less than 3 times "And how would you like your eggs?" Seriously, I think she actually told him she wanted over medium eggs more than 3 times but I am certain it was at least 3 times.

It went something like this
Wife - I will have the Flank Steak and Eggs
Waiter - Flank steak and eggs, and how would you like your eggs?
Wife - Over medium
Waiter - And how would you like your steak?
Wife - Medium well, actually well done please
Waiter - And how would you like your eggs?
Wife - Over medium
Waiter That is a well done steak, and how do you want your eggs
Wife - Medium

Anyway. A 15 to 20 minute wait brings out the steak and the trout. No crab cake was presented or mentioned and since the wait was over and we often are hungrier with our eyes than stomachs we figured no problem.

The Steak is served sliced to well done with 3 over easy eggs, potatoes and toast. The trout arrives as requested though the poached eggs were not strained properly so the plate has a considerable amount of water which is a little disappointing because thee eggs were cooked perfectly and had a wonderful flavor that was lessened by the extra water. I am guessing they are using local organic eggs.

The potatoes, which I enjoyed, have a strong rosemary contingent which is never mentioned in the menu and would have been duly noted by the Mrs who dislikes rosemary. The steak looked nice and had good texture but tasted strongly of some seasoning. My best guess is that whatever enzyme marinade is used to soften the meat is applied way too liberally and too late in the cooking process. I thought I noted liquid smoke flavor a in there somewhere but there was no beef flavor and nothing redeeming about the meat.

At this point Mrs has found nothing but toast and orange juice of questionable fresh squeezed origin so I try to get the waiters attention to inquire about the crab cake. After a couple minutes the best I can do is get eye contact which brings the waiter to the other side of the table next to us. He is standing 8 feet away, across from another set of diners and looking at me as if I should explain to him what i need. I ask for the crab cakes and he graciously apologizes and goes to the kitchen.

A few minutes later the crab cake comes out which was ok but not recommended at 12 bucks.

By the time we left there were a couple parties of 7 or more and the place was 75% full. Maybe Erwin is a locals place but I can't quite figure out what the upside here is. I ate there after seeing them on Check Please a couple years back and remember being apathetic, today I am nonplussed. I will probably give the 3 course meal a try but I won't be getting Mrs to come back with me.

Erwin is on my list of restaurants I've wanted to try for years and I finally got there last night. I'll be returning.

We were kindly greeted by the host and then spent a pleasant 15-20 minutes at the bar since we'd arrived early for our reservation. We were seated right on time. The great service continued throughout the meal. Our server was friendly, always available when we needed something but not hovering. The bus staff kept our water glasses full and, when we asked, quickly brought us an extra serving of bread.

The bread was fantastic, perhaps the best restaurant bread I have had in Chicago. I would describe it as French country bread but I'm no expert. The texture (crisp crust and airy, chewy interior) reminded me of the bread we had at nearly every meal during a recent trip to San Francisco.

My meal was pretty basic: a Caesar salad followed by a bacon cheeseburger. Both were fine but I made a mistake by ordering the burger medium well. This is how I order big restaurant burgers and they are usually a bit undercooked so they turn out medium, which is what I really want. Here, it was cooked as I ordered it and the cut was so lean it lost most of its flavor. If I tried the burger again, I would order it medium rare for this lean a cut. My taste runs to a fattier burger, though, so it's unlikely. The fries and horseradish cole slaw were excellent. We skipped dessert, instead finishing our bottle of wine at a casual pace.

My gf had the beet appetizer and mushroom cakes and raved about both. I tried a bite of mushroom cake and may be ordering that when I return. Which will be soon, even if they hadn't given us a generous coupon for our next visit. For years I've looked for place I really like (other than Duke of Perth) near the Landmark Theater. I can't believe how long it took me to finally try this place but I'm glad I finally did.

I have enjoyed Erwin's food since I first encountered it at (if memory serves) Bentley’s Wine Bar during the Pleistocene. (It was Erwin who introduced me to the Umbrian olive oil, Mancianti, when a friend asked about the flavor in a dish and Erwin emerged from the kitchen to do some show-and-tell.)

From there it was on to the Metropolis Café, then the larger, glitzier Metropolis 1800 in the ill-fated retail development on Clybourn and then Erwin. Unfortunately, at Erwin I also had enough disconcerting experiences with the front-of-house side of things that years passed between visits. Even last night, as I approached the door knowing that our 2nd couple was running late, I felt myself tensing up, ready for an argument or a scolding at the host station.

Happily, we had not only an excellent meal---start to finish---but a completely enjoyable experience from the moment we set foot in the door until it closed behind us as we left.
I was greeted warmly by the host as I came in. Mrs. B. was already at the bar with a glass of cava. After a pleasant, informative chat with the barman about beers I was unfamiliar with, I settled in with a weiss bier and began shoveling down the fresh, crisp, lightly peppered potato chips from the enormous bowl at the bar as we awaited our friends. Far from any signs of annoyance that we were going to back things up on a Fri. at prime time, the host came over after 5-10 min. to say that he’d be happy to seat us if we wished, or we could just continue to wait at the bar. I needed a few more chips, so we stayed put.

Our friends arrived and we were immediately seated. Being fairly close to both Timeline Theatre on Wellington and the Century multiplex on Clark, the first thing our server asked was if we were under any time pressure. We weren’t, but it’s nice that this is part of their thinking.

Excellent bread and a white bean spread came with the menus almost immediately.
The menu is relatively small but, it seems to me, very well balanced between American/bistro/comfort standards (burger, flank steak, Amish chicken, crab cakes) for the non-adventurous and very appealing more creative dishes. Along with the regular menu was a list of 5 or 6 specials as well as a 3-course pre-fixe. (An incredibly reasonable $18, if I recall.)

Scanning the regular menu and specials card, it didn’t seem as if there was a wasted or a throwaway item. I would have been happy to choose blindfolded. (One of our number eats fish but not meat and asked if the trout could be made sans lardons. No problem.) Among the many items giving me a tough time choosing amongst were: (caveat: this is from memory and may not be entirely accurate descriptions)
Horseradish caraway beets—ricotta salata, almonds, red onion marmalade, endive
fried gr. tomatoes, corn meal crust
tagliatelle w/ braised pheasant, pancetta, grana
calf liver creamy mustard turnips, sherry pan de-glaze
a duck/venison treatment with braised red cabbage
mushroom cakes made with lentils, spinach and Israeli couscous
mackerel and baby octopus in a treatment that involved spanish olives (probably should have opted for this instead of the less adventurous seafood stew; cant’ recall why I didn’t.)

What we had:
Apps:
Mrs. B. made a meal of 2 apps. A simple mesclun salad but perfectly dressed with a very nice mustard vinaigrette, and smoky “riblets” which she pronounced very good. I didn’t learn what was on the side, but it looked like it may have been the smoked gouda mashed potatoes and something else. The portion, as with everything, was very generous for a $9 appetizer.

One friend started with the duck liver pate recommended by the waitress. It was delicious. Very moist, soft, and spreadable style it was well served by the dark bread and mustard that accompanied it.

I ordered, and thoroughly enjoyed, the chicken liver appetizer. Like everything we had, the hallmark was a quiet, unshowy balance among ingredients/textures/flavors. The chicken livers were beautifully crusty on the outside, smooth and tender within. They were tossed with Brussels sprouts leaves and some golden raisins (just the right amount), shallots, and capers in a walnut oil vinaigrette. I could happily have made a meal of this.

Entrees:
One friend had the skate. The menu description provoked some concern that this treatment would be too sweet, as it included rutabaga, apples, and deglazing with Moscato. The server assured us it was only a touch sweet, and she was right. Delicious.
Friend’s husband had the lardons-free trout with Brussels sprouts and marcona almond basil butter. I’ve forgotten what the sides were but he was very happy with it, pronouncing it both moist and smoky even without the bacon.

Having started with the chicken livers I forced myself not to follow up with the sautéed calf’s liver (a dish I dearly love when done well, and one you seldom see any more. Avanzare used to do a great fegato a la veneziana, as did the former Melange up in Plaza del Lago). Opted for the seafood stew in tomato clam broth. Lovely broth, perfectly cooked large shrimp, large scallops (probably perfect by most people’s standard, though I prefer my scallops about 30 seconds more done), and about a half dozen mussels that were all plump and tender. Ultimately, as nice as it was, it was a bit on the tame side. But that was an ordering issue. The dish was exactly as described.

Dessert:Mrs. B. had Michigan tart cherry pie (no one makes a better version of this than Mrs. B. herself, and she pronounced it very good. It came a la mode.) Again, a very generous portion.

I had the goat cheese lemon soufflé cake served with fresh strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream and some balsamic syrup underneath. Terrific. Both rich and light. Everything about it was in sync---the goatiness was present but restrained, the lemon was a hint but more than a whisper, the cake was moist, the whipped cream was just sweet enough, the berries were plentiful and flavorful, and the balsamic syrup wasn’t trying to show off, take over the conversation, and get in everyone’s face.

Can't speak to the skills behind the bar vis a vis the current cocktail renaissance. Our friends had traditional martinis to begin and Irish coffee with dessert. Happy with both.

Throughout the meal either the waitress herself or someone on the team appeared tableside if I even glanced up (usually for more bread to soak up something yummy). Pacing was exactly right and no one tried to clear anything before its time.

I was using one of the $25 gift certificates we got during the big Restaurant.com sale last fall (to which we were alerted courtesy of a post here). Our total for four (2 glasses wine, 2 martinis, 1 Irish coffee, 1 beer, 5 apps, 3 entrees, 2 desserts + tax would have been about $210 without the GC.

If you’re a bit strapped there’s the prix fixe option, if your feeling more flush you’re still going to get out for about $80 (tax and tip incl.) eating the most expensive items on the menu and drinking moderately. With a Restaurant.com gift cert., that becomes a genuine bargain.

With such variable experiences over the years, last night's was exactly what I hope for a small, chef-owned , neighborhood place to be. Erwin was visible at the entrance and circulating a bit. (And reminding me a lot of a younger Alan Arkin.) The menu was small, manageable, centrist but very carefully judged, interesting, and well executed across the board. Prices were reasonable, portions generous, service smooth and friendly.

I like Erwin, but they REALLY should heat up that cherry pie. There's no reason to serve it barely above freezing.

Just for the record, our Mrs. B's pie was room temp. Yours sounds like a slip up. Not good, but not standard procedure.

Room temp is not enough. I want HOT pie. They have the technology! What, then, is the point of a la mode if the pie is not hot?

leek wrote:Room temp is not enough. I want HOT pie. They have the technology! What, then, is the point of a la mode if the pie is not hot?

An offer from a restaurant to warm up my pie always creates an awkward situation I'd rather avoid. I ask how they warm up the pie, the server pretends not to know, I insist on knowing, she goes back to the kitchen, returns, and murmurs something about a microwave, her face turning slightly red with embarrassment. Please serve me room temperature pie and save us both from this unfortunate situation.

An incredibly reasonable $18, if I recall.

Still on. I wouldn't choose this set 3-dish option if I were famished, but quite a bargain if you're looking for a lighter dinner. (This night's version included tomato fennel bisque, pumpkin ravioli, and a sour orange float: soup was tasty, ravioli had a nice touch of gorgonzola--altho the pasta, I thought, was a bit overdone--and the tart citrus of the float gave the meal a nice finish.)

Other dishes of note: Mussels special in a seafood (lobster?) broth were as flavorful as I've had in Chicago, golden trout (altho another light entree) was cooked perfectly (with a nice sugary snap-pea accompaniment), and the lemon-goat-cheese-souffle cake, smothered with strawberries in a caramel sauce, made for a hearty finale and was worthy of the praise it garnered above.

I don't know if I'd make a special trip for Erwin from very far away, but in the immediate neighborhood it's now tops on my list (particularly if my eating-out budget's a bit tattered at the end of the month--a couple of $30 wines on the menu, too).

Went to Erwin for a spontaneous post-movie light dinner last night and it's holding up just fine as a nearly ideal neighborhood place that you can drop into casually (either the bar, bar tables, or dining room) and get carefully thought out and executed, honest, flavorful food. We used a Restaurant.com cert. that I'd had for a while, and that made it comfortable to do. For me, alas, Erwin is otherwise outside my drop-in price range.

The meal starts with tangy-savory seasoned butter with hunks of very nice bread. Crackly crust, chewy interior. Don't know if they make it. I didn't recognize it as similar to others I've had. Yum.

Mrs. B. had squash soup which is presented poured tableside from pitcher over a dollop of creme freche (I believe) in a large bowl. I'm always a sucker for that. She liked it a lot. She followed with mushroom cakes, which she liked, on top of a farro with veggies medley which she liked even better.

I had just a main. Indulged in the sauteed calf's liver in a sherry vinegar sauce with "creamy mustard greens." It all worked for me. The sauce was a perfectly tangy/tart (but not raw) compliment to the super-rich organ meat. The mustard greens were rich and unctuous but not redundant. Somewhat oddly, to me, the bacon (Nueske's) is an optional add-on with an upcharge. Seems to me it ought to just be part of the dish. (So it's $19 without, $22 without.) Fine. We were seated at one of the bar-area booths with a very cinematic-romantic view of rain-slicked Halsted St.

Service was friendly and attentive, but in no way 'rushy' even at the very shank of the evening with the kitchen about to close. She was a bit of a toucher, which always provokes in me the cynical thought that the server must have read one of those articles on how patrons who are touched lightly once or twice tip more. But, as she was a very good server, my inner judge told my inner jury to ignore the prejudicial testimony of my inner voice, and I tipped generously. (Perhaps only proving my original, cynical point.)

We shared the tart MI cherry pie. Very good filling with really good ice cream next to it. I was a bit meh on the crust, but that's because Mrs. B. makes the best crust out there. Spoiled.

The wine list is nicely considered. I wish there were a glass or two under $10. If there is, I missed it. I had a nice S. American Malbec/Syrah blend. Honestly couldn't taste the Syrah, but it was a good glass with the meal and a nice pour from a mini-carafe. (Quartino?)

All in all, a very nice come-in-out-of-the-chill-and-rain place to wind up an evening and expunge the residual creepiness of "Martha Marcy May Marlene."

mrbarolo wrote:I was a bit meh on the crust, but that's because Mrs. B. makes the best crust out there. Spoiled.

Not to detract from Erwin--a place I have fond memories of and to which we should revist posthaste--but...since I am pie-crust challenged, do you think there's any chance that the lovely Mrs. B would be willing to share her method (in a new thread, of course, devoted exclusively to Mrs. B's pie crust)?

I'm sure she would, but I'm not sure her method is in any way hard and fast. I think she plays around a bit with Julia as her foundation. I don't do dough at all, so I can't say anything reliable. It completely confounds me, rather like graphics software and the NFL. But I'll quiz Mrs. B. and get back.

Received an email from Erwin that they are closing 7/1.
No indication if any new venture is in the works. Does anyone know anything?
I will miss his food, which I found honest, substantial, satisfying and flavorful.