Spring

I don't know if there is an existing thread for this restaurant, but I thought I would start one. (Searching for "Spring" yielded 70+ pages of posts, mostly involving spring rolls.)

I've been eating there for several years, since just after it opened, and it's always been one of my favorites. I hadn't eaten there in almost a year due to my financial situation (i.e., unemployed and broke). From another thread, I learned Spring is participating in Chicago Chef Week ($32 three course prix-fixe dinners through Friday). I couldn't pass this opportunity up, regardless of my circumstances.

Let me first discuss the food. I had the prix-fixe dinner, which consisted of lemongrass and coconut soup, seared ahi, and a coffee semifreddo for dessert. We also had several appetizers and sides as well as entrees off the main menu. Everything was wonderful. I'm not a big seared ahi fan, as I prefer my tuna in sashimi form. I was blown away by my ahi (ordered rare, of course!). Absolutely sensational. Sorry, I'm not into taking pictures of everything I eat or memorizing every ingredient in a dish (though I certainly appreciate those who do). No problems in the kitchen, as far as I can tell. Service was excellent, as well. However, it was apparent that there were problems.

I was the first of my party of four to arrive, so I had the chance to talk with the GM while I was waiting for the others. I asked how business was, and he said it was REALLY slow. If he hadn't told me, I'd still have known. The bar was empty when I walked in, and they only turned three or four tables (including mine) the entire time I was there. I don't know if it was just for the promotion or not, but the main menu prices were reduced, especially the entrees (around 25-30% over prices listed on the restaurant website!). Over the years, prices had risen to the point where it was becoming unaffordable even when I was working. Now, the prices are close to what they were when they first opened.

I hope this promotion brings in business. I don't want to see perhaps my favorite place to eat close. I'm going back later this week before the promotion runs out!

Spring Restaurant
2039 W. North Ave.
Chicago
(773) 395-7100

One search tip is to include the street name or address as search terms.

Here is one thread: viewtopic.php?t=2011

While I don't doubt that business is down this season, it may have been especially slow because it was Sunday night. And the Oscar's were on (a few pizza places we called had unusually long delivery times last night).

A group of us had drinks at the bar at Spring a few Saturdays ago and it was quite crowded.

Darren72 wrote:One search tip is to include the street name or address as search terms.

D'oh! Thanks for the tip.

BTW, did you eat in the restaurant or just hang at the bar? I'm just wondering if the reduced prices were permanent or temporary (for the promotion).

From another thread, I learned Spring is participating in Chicago Chef Week ($32 three course prix-fixe dinners through Friday).

Where did you learn that Spring was participating in Restaurant Week? I have not seen them on any list or article when talking about Restaurant Week. I also checked their website and there was no info about any specials going on. I would go have dinner here in a second. I love this place. I dined there once in 2008 and loved it.

Can you please post where you saw this information?

Thanks!

fieldsm1 wrote:

From another thread, I learned Spring is participating in Chicago Chef Week ($32 three course prix-fixe dinners through Friday).

Where did you learn that Spring was participating in Restaurant Week? I have not seen them on any list or article when talking about Restaurant Week. I also checked their website and there was no info about any specials going on. I would go have dinner here in a second. I love this place. I dined there once in 2008 and loved it.

Can you please post where you saw this information?

Thanks!

I just did a little research and realized that Chicago Chef week is different than Chicago Restaurant Week.

Thanks for the post...I'm making my reservations now.

jaybo wrote:

Darren72 wrote:One search tip is to include the street name or address as search terms.

D'oh! Thanks for the tip.

BTW, did you eat in the restaurant or just hang at the bar? I'm just wondering if the reduced prices were permanent or temporary (for the promotion).

Our visit a few Saturdays ago was just to have a few drinks at the bar. We intended to go to the Violet Hour before dinner reservations at Mado. The wait and the VH was very long, so we went to Spring for drinks. Then we continued on to Mado.

fieldsm1 wrote:I just did a little research and realized that Chicago Chef week is different than Chicago Restaurant Week.

Thanks for the post...I'm making my reservations now.

I know; it's kind of confusing. The only reason I know Spring is involved is because someone posted a link to Chicago Chef Week restaurants in the Province thread. The only difference between the two promotions is that Chicago Restaurant Week included last Friday and Saturday and Chicago Chef Week began on Sunday. They both end on Friday (2/27).

Here's links to both lists:
Chicago Chef Week - http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=3&ref=4981&pid=346
Restaurant Week - http://www.choosechicago.com/eatitup/Pages/default2.aspx

Sorry I didn't respond to your post earlier. I know you'll have a great meal there.

BTW, when you go, can you let me know how busy they were that night? I'm really kind of worried.

I live nearby and walk by all the time. I don't think I can recall a time when it appeared that you couldn't just walk in and get a table. They look very slow.

Ate there on a Friday two or three weeks ago and the place was empty (it was the weekend when the weather was very warm). I think there were maybe four tables including ours, and we were there for the majority of the evening (7:45 to 10). Service was wonderful and the food was good although not that memorable, I just felt so bad for everyone there - they seemed so bored. The bartender even came to our table to offer us tastes of a new cocktail he was trying and wanted to know what we thought. I don't remember the costs of each dish we ordered, but the bill came to around $55/person including one drink each.

Restaurant week sounds like the perfect opportunity to try Spring if you haven't already. I certainly hope business picks up for them soon.

I do too, their quality of fish is simply too good to let go in this city.

I had never even heard of this place. Sounds fabulous!

I've experienced some excellent service at Spring. Our server highly, highly recommended the coconut lemongrass soup, and urged us to split one even though we'd ordered other appetizers. Lucky for him, it was excellent soup

On a side note, the kitchen was very cool about our wanting to share the soup - it was brought out in two smaller versions of the bowl it would normally have been served in, so we could both enjoy it without reaching spoons across the table or passing one bowl back & forth.

But that wasn't the end of it: while our server was explaining the menu & recommending his favorites, we made some typical "ooh, those both sound awesome, let's get both"-type comments. The server didn't say anything, but definitely made a mental note...all of our dishes (2 apps & 2 entrées) were accompanied by an appropriate serving utensil, and were brought out one at a time, and we were given new plates & utensils with each dish.

They managed to turn our usual boorish routine of ordering different items & using the bread plates for sharing purposes into an elegant 5-course meal. I hope to get there during Chef Week, but if we can't, it's definitely on our list of places to go back to at some point (damn Chicago & its 8 billion restaurants).

Spring is definitely our "go to" place when we want a nice relaxing dinner or just for dessert. Living in the neighborhood, it's one of the few places in the area where you can eat dinner and hold a conversation at normal volumes. Sometimes, we'll just eat at the bar and chat with their friendly bartenders.

Their seafood is always fresh and they stay creative without trying to be ridiculous/over the top. We always order whatever has the braised oxtail as the accompaniment to the fish or other item.

I did notice last month that they had lowered the prices on their main dishes about $5 each. The starters were about the same as before. Since we felt it was worth the bucks before, it's even better now for us.

After reading this post, I'll have to stop by this weekend to eat again. See what's on the spring menu (no pun intended).

I was able to make a reservation yesterday on OpenTable for a 7 p.m. Friday table for two . . . 6:30 and 7:30 available as well. It'll be my first trip to Spring, so will report back after.

Was there on Saturday, dining room was full and noisy.
I had the black cod entree, it was ridiculously small - maybe 4 or 5 bites of fish.

Spring has recently downsized menu portions and prices, but I have to say the former came down more than the latter.

We've probably been here six times in two years. The first and most recent were unimpressive. In the middle, it seemed they had really hit their stride. The wine selection is interesting and not outrageously priced, and there are usually a couple of preps I'm interested in (although the menu is too stagnant for my taste, and seems to have lost focus over time).

Our current thought is "still worth trying, but quite possibly over the hill".

basis wrote:Spring has recently downsized menu portions and prices, but I have to say the former came down more than the latter.

yep, i've been there probably five times, loved it up until the trip at the weekend.
i'd rather pay an extra few dollars for a normal menu portion.