Rootstock

Rootstock, beer&wine bar with potentially good food, is finally open

954 N. California

I didn't get a chance to go, but saw activity yesterday, called and they were open to the public w/ a "soft" opening. Partial menu but all the booze.

Looking forward to trying it

ab wrote:Rootstock, beer&wine bar with potentially good food, is finally open

954 N. California

I didn't get a chance to go, but saw activity yesterday, called and they were open to the public w/ a "soft" opening. Partial menu but all the booze.

Looking forward to trying it

I stopped in last night since it's 3 blocks from home. Great cozy/warm ambience with a very nice beer and wine selection, plus a small but well-thought liquor list. Their food menu is short but looks enticing, with cheese, charcuterie (La Quercia is featured pork product), salads and sandwiches, plus a few sweets. I'm also looking forward to a "full visit" for dinner and wine.

Here's their website: www.rootstockbar.com

I visited on Tuesday night, great beer list (Matilda on tap) to with a very well-planned wine list... great feel to the place, warm service.

I only ate the duck liver pate, which was rich, buttery and tasty.

I hope to go back for a full meal soon (entree's included: Burger, Brat, Pork Belly, Mussels, also had frites, salads and "crisps" which I think are flatbreads), will report again.

I can say pretty confidently its a great place to drink well.

ab wrote:I visited on Tuesday night, great beer list (Matilda on tap) to with a very well-planned wine list... great feel to the place, warm service.

I only ate the duck liver pate, which was rich, buttery and tasty.

I hope to go back for a full meal soon (entree's included: Burger, Brat, Pork Belly, Mussels, also had frites, salads and "crisps" which I think are flatbreads), will report again.

I can say pretty confidently its a great place to drink well.

I'll agree with ab, I have been in a few times for a beer or glass of wine, and the ambience and staff are very warm and welcoming. On Thursday night at 10pm the place was jumping. I managed to find a seat at the bar and had the bacon toffee & spicy mixed nuts appetizer. They make these in-house, of course, and the sweet/salty/savory worked well. Unless you have a big sweet tooth, sharing this dish is the way to go...too much toffee for one person! A great deal for (I think) $4.

I was in last week and tried the PBLT, a pork-belly version of the classic sammich. Quite delicious!

I had a very enjoyable hang last night at Rootstock. The interior was very warm with low-lighting and antique-y furniture and dinnerware accents. Eventhough the space likely saw a recent big-money renovation, it didn't feel modern or pretentious. My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our beers; Brooklyn Sorachi Ace, a single-hopped saison. They have a great wine and beer list, but our beers were one of only two tap options.

To start, we split the fried smelts and mussels. I was apprehensive ordering the smelts thinking "isn't the season over?", but they were the best prep of smelts I've had this year. They come in a huge beer glass like frites with tasty fried lemon slices thrown into the mix. For dipping, there was a chimichurri aioli; which gave me a "why didn't I think of that" reaction. It made perfect sense: smelt, garlic, parsley, lemo, mayo. Oh yeah, and reasonably priced at $5.

The mussels were also excellent; among the best I've had in Chicago. My friends and I have been talking about a "Chicago mussel crawl" for the sake of comparative analysis, and I predict Rootstock's will make top 3. The main broth component was GI Matilda. Also in there was shallot, garlic, and either butter or cream. We were deep in conversation, saw I lost a little focus. Another reasonably priced dish at $10. If Hopleaf had a medium-size order of mussels, that's how many we got.

My main order was their burger. This was the only problem for me. I ordered medium-rare, and I got medium-well. That's two notches away! This was upseting for a couple reasons: 1) I haven't eaten a burger cooked past medium-rare since I was twelve (and now I remember why)...and 2) I was told by the server (a vegetarian) that her "boyfriend thinks its the best burger in Chicago". Alas, I blame myself. She followed that up with "his favorite foods are burgers and pizza". I will say that the components of the burger tasted great; bacon aioli, cheese intended to compliment(not dominate), and fresh onion, tomato and greens. The patty was also way too small and flat, which is my guess as to why it got overcooked. Once they fix that and the cooking temp, it will be a great burger.

The burger in no way ruined the experience and I will definitely be back again and again for the other menu items, interesting beer selection, attentive and friendly service, and comfortable atmosphere.

That's my conclusion, so please detach the following rant from my report.

Vegetarian servers in meat-centric establishments. I'm sorry, but this has come up at too many of the more hipster-y places over the last year. If you, yourself can't guide me through the menu, then maybe you should not be working there. It's like a sommelier that has never tried a white, or a record store worker that has never tried jazz, or a car salesman that has never driven their brand...even if just for a spin around the lot. Also, don't say "well...I'm vegetarian, so I'm not really sure how to describe our" pork belly, or burger, or cubano, or duck leg, or charcuterie, or sliced ham, or the other thousand potential menu items I'd like a little more insight into. Simply say, "well people really like the" whatever. If I ask how the pork belly is prepared, and you don't know because you are a vegetarian, just say, "I'm not sure, let me go ask the chef".

To be clear, I have close friends that I dine with and COOK FOR who are vegetarian, and I'm always sensitive to their requests. My point is that a pub or restaurant with a meat-driven menu should be hiring meat-minded individuals. I truly can't see it any other way.

Again, I really enjoyed Rootstock, and the above rant was fueled by the 15 other times this has happened in the last year.

Went in last night for dinner, been craving that burger lately.

I started with the "stuffed eggs" appetizer, which is like fancy deviled eggs, but with a tuna mousse, topped with balsamic onion and vin cotto (reduced wine glaze). A pretty good deal at $5, although if I had to share it with somebody else I would have to order more. I can each a bunch of these babies!



Johnny recommended a sparkling, so I splurged and went for the MV Launois Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Sur Oger. He says it's their most pricey glass-pour at $14, and it was damn tasty and worth every penny!

I got the burger as my main course, and the Black Earth organic WI beef was amazingly flavorful. The sides of house-pickled pickle and chile pepper were a great balance for the bitter fall greens tossed lightly in olive oil and vinegar. Sorry I didn't take a pic of that, but my hands were full

I paired the burger with a glass of Domaine Mercouri Refosco/Mavrodaphne from Greece. Again, at Johnny's suggestion. Excellent wine, and perfect with the burger!

If it hasn't been mentioned, they now have their food and beverage menu on their website: www.rootstockbar.com

I am in love with this cozy, little nook. I enjoyed dinner on Tuesday. It began with a draft Manhattan Project from Brooklyn Brewery--complex and delicious. It was followed by a mushroom flatbread, charcuterie and cheese, and a stellar braised pork shoulder. The pork shoulder was accompanied with a carrot puree and pickled plum and was really out of this world. The charcuterie was nice, and the execution on the cheese selection is outstanding. It is all American cheeses seasoned with garnishes like house-made quince paste and honeyed pecans. It is no surprise that Mark Steuer of Hot Chocolate helped with the Rootstock menu. Both places treat the cheese course with reverence. I am delighted to partake in the results.
I wouldn't be surprised if I make a second showing at the restaurant before the week is over. It has already topped my list of new favorites.

Rootstock continues to be a comfortable spot with very good food. I stopped by a week ago and had their cognac lamb sausage with chard - a simple dish with some complex flavors, a perfect bar food.

Proximity helps, but its my favorite place in the city to sit at the bar, order a some bourbon or a Matilda and nosh a little. Always warm service, and as SugarandSpice put it, its just a cozy righteous place where they care about what they serve in the glass and on the plate.

yes indeed. 4 blocks from home and Remy has been doing great with the menu. Mark set it up, but she's really putting out some great food. I've had both the lamb sausage and the pork shoulder as well. I want to try the bread salad since I saw another customer eating it recently and it looks delicious.

Get the fried smelts too while they are still on the appetizer menu!

RAB and I had dinner with my parents last night at Rootstock. My parents had been before (they're far hipper than we are), but it was the first visit for RAB and me.

We liked the casual atmosphere of the space, but recommend carefully picking a chair. They have many different kinds, not all comfortable. We were seated at a huge table, which was great for sharing many plates - - no concerns about where to place the new plates.

We had a nice evening and there are dishes that we'd order again. If we had one overall food-related issue, though, it was that the food was not delivered hot enough. Several dishes would've been much better had they been piping hot (not one dish was piping hot). Another slight disappointment was the very, very small portions of dipping sauces (I think we had three dishes with sauce accompaniments). Very small. Like a tablespoon. With a cup of fries or a plate of onion rings, you'd certainly want more, especially if the sauces are good.

Plate-wise, the winner of the night was the burger. It was so good that we ordered a second. Both were nicely cooked to medium rare. The organic beef, from Black Earth Meats, was well-seasoned, moist, and flavorful. I'm not a huge fan of a heavily topped burger and was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. The toppings (bacon-scallion aioli, red onion, tomato, and Fiscilini cheddar) weren't piled high. The house made pickles were spicy and good. It all worked and I'd happily order this again.

The second best dish had to be the smelts, served with fried lemons (wish there were more lemons) and a small container of chimichurri and aioli. I often find that fish dishes are served with insufficient lemon/lime, and this was again the case. The two slivers of fried lemon were nice, but not enough to go around. The dish would be improved by a few fresh lemon wedges. That said, the smelts were breaded and fried nicely with minimal grease. The chimichurri and aioli dip (served in one small cup) was tasty but could've used more punch, perhaps from lemon and/or garlic. It was a nice portion at $6.

After these two dishes, everything was pretty mediocre. The zucchini ribbons and arugula salad was just fine, and refreshing, and enjoyable - - but nothing special. Citrus and garlic marinated green olives were quickly eaten and were impressive considering they were house made. But, I love olives and these were just average. Onion rings, while approaching room temperature by the time they arrived, were thinly sliced and accompanied by a very mild harissa dip. The cognac lamb sausage was good, but I probably wouldn't order it again as it wasn't nearly as good as the burger.

Then there were a few misses. The fries were served limp and just warm with a small dab of aioli. They were served in a glass, which I think must contribute to their sogginess. (If you're deciding between the fries and the onion rings, go with the onion rings.) There was also a grain salad of some sort that I've already forgotten the details about. It was served strangely - - a small scoop off-center on a dinner plate. It looked odd and didn't taste like much. And, finally, the mussels weren't good. Almost half the shells were empty, the meat having fallen out. The mussels that hadn't fallen to the bottom were dry. The steaming liquid was boring - - this crew usually asks for spoons or bread to get every last bit of tasty broth, but not tonight. I didn't like this preparation and was disappointed given that I really like mussels and they just aren't difficult to cook.

Finally, I really like their liquor list. There are some fairly priced bottles of wine. We enjoyed the 2006 Unti Zin which retails for $23-25 and was listed at Rootstock for $38. This turned out to be a much better value than per glass ordering. At first, we thought the glasses were reasonable (the Unti, for example was $9/glass), but they are 4 ounce pours, making bottles a far better value.

So, I'd happily return for a few burgers and another bottle of wine. Definitely one of the better burgers I've had lately.

Ronna

I spent some enjoyable time at Roostock recently. I think it's easiest to classify Rootstock as a "wine bar," it also has a decent selection of beer, and judging by the amount of people drinking beer around me, I'd say that it's focus is just as squarely on that as wine. Finally, a wine bar with more than a passing interest in cooking food! Although there's the ubiquitous cheese and charcuterie plate (proscuitto and, I believe, speck, are from La Quercia), there are plenty of interesting *cooked* dishes that you can share. The wine list has a good variety of quality wines, but doesn't read like the tome at Webster's. FWIW, the bottle prices were a good $12 less than those at Nightwood (for the some of the same bottles), so although I'd stop short of characterizing the bottle prices as cheap, they are marked up less than at other places.

As for the food, I almost posted their burger with bacon-chive aioli as one of The Best Things [I've] Eaten [Lately]. This is not a burger for Kuma lovers, who want their burger shrouded with toppings. This is a comparably simple burger with merely an aioli, Cheddar and onions. The bacon aioli gave a hint of bacon taste that didn't underwhelm the star -- a well-seasoned, beefy patty that, well, tasted mostly of beef. After having a good quality, but highly underseasoned burger at Nightwood, this shows how proper seasoning is essential to a burger.

The other things we tried was a mushroom flatbread that was good; but I loved the onion rings. (My onion rings arrived piping hot from the fryer.) They appeared to be panko-crusted and thinner-cut (but not papery thin) than those at Silver Palm. With the harissa aioli (needs more harissa), these compare favorably to the Silver Palm's, which I guess means that an argument can be made that these are some of the best in town.

As for wine, I had an enjoyable white from Burgundy (Chardonnay, natch) and we shared a bottle of Spanish red that, for its reasonable price, was really lush.

I don't live that far, so I'm looking forward to going back.

Inconvenient as it is for me and all my associates, we finally found a good time to make it Rootstock last night. My buddy described the room as feeling like someone was about to do a reading on their book tour, and I think that's fairly accurate. I love the mismatched chairs and tables and the fancy china they use. I felt like it was a sort of anti-Nightwood, a place where every design detail is meticulously considered, and just a really casual high-end-ish neighborhood eatery.
Started off with a bottle of Greek red (new territory for me), really dry and dusty. Held up on its own, but actually went fantastically with the food.
Had to get the charcuterie - chicken liver pate, speck, and prosciutto. The pate had a few pink peppercorns on it which were a really nice touch. It was unbelievably rich, most definitely living up to the hype. Prosciutto and speck were very good in their own right, if not quite as transcendent; however, portions of all meats were substantial. Had the kitchen pick out three cheeses as well that I failed to take note of. Accompaniments were really nice, consisting of pickled carrots, earl grey-brined prunes, pink lady apples, and quince paste. Moving on, we had some stellar mussels in a fragrant onion and citrus broth, with enough butter to make things interesting. Easily a second helping of bread sort of situation.
Next up was the burger, which was, as aschie said, simple and excellent. Nothing was superfluous on it, and the patty was cooked ideally, letting the quality of the meat shine. It's essential to also give credit to the pickle and pickled cucumber that rode on the plate, as well as the lightly dressed greens, providing some relief from the meaty richness of the burger. Really nicely done, and nigh unbeatable for $9. Had the onion rings alongside the burger, as well, and they were crispy and not too greasy, almost chicken-fried. Honestly didn't need the harissa aioli.
Dessert was ginger wafers with fresh whipped cream and balsamic-raspberry jam for dipping, and bacon toffee, washed down with a bottle of JK Scrumpy's cider. Both were solid, if predictable, but that cider stole the show. Easily worth $12 and a great seasonally-appropriate alternative to after-dinner whisky or port.
Total for the table came to $114 - neither of us could eat or drink anything else at that point. I'll be back to Rootstock for sure to get in on some of their beer selection and again for the killer charcuterie plate.

We went here recently, amused to see how discombobulated some of the waitstaff and patrons could be by a family with two kids walking in at 6 on a weeknight. The waitstaff recovered quickly and managed to successfully and graciously serve this unfamiliar alien species, though one two-top with middle-aged women nearby acted like a cow had taken a poo on their evening.

Anyway, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for families just because the burger was the only thing that saved the kids' dinner. It really is a terrific burger, good beefy flavor, and older son, who still puts nothing but ketchup on his burger normally, actually was much impressed by the aioli. Fries were very good as well.

Just so we'd order something besides burgers, I had the most Avec-like dish of this Avec-like restaurant, a hunk of braised pork shoulder served on a garlicky sweet potato puree (more sauce than side dish). I thought it was very good, but it brings up, though, the one logistical problem I had— it was too big to be a small plate but too small to be entirely satisfying as an entree. I realize you could say the same thing about Avec's dishes, but somehow this menu feels less like stuff that's made for sharing.

Anyway, not a place that's really made for me, but a good place, a definite sign of progress in a neighborhood that will be overrun with Peg Perego strollers any day now. Noooooooooo....

Mike G wrote:It really is a terrific burger, good beefy flavor and older son, who still puts nothing but ketchup on his burger normally, actually was much impressed by the aioli.

Was there last night and this place is really growing on me. The burger was as good as I remembered, the good quality beef shining through; the toppings (bacon-chive aioli, aged cheddar) serve only to envelop and highlight the beef, not mask it.

But, I was more interested in pairing food and wine last night - and I hit on a combo that I'm still thinking about. Please be sure to order a glass of Slovenian Quattro Mani tocai to drink with the onion rings (they come with harissa aioli). The citrus-zest taste of the wine amplifies the spiciness of the harissa as well as plays off any greasy, fried-goodness of the onion rings. The spicy/citrus combination lingers on the palate. Who knew eating onion rings could be so decadent and enjoyable?

I was craving good bar food yesterday and wanted a place without TVs, so I stopped into Rootstock for an early dinner. This place is super relaxed and friendly. It feels a lot like Webster's except that Rootstock seems to have a higher concentration of neighborhood patrons and regulars, of which I know there are a few LTHers. And I ran into two non-LTH acquaintances yesterday. It's kind of amazing to visit a place for the first time and have it feel so familiar.

I started with the Gunthrop chicken wings, which are smoked and fried with Benton's ham and served over a creamy celery root slaw. The guy behind the bar described these as "off the hook." I never use that phrase--I think I know what it means--but there's a first time for everything. The wings were indeed very good. Pretty delicate overall--light application of a very tangy sauce with some just-barely crispy bits. The celeriac was a satisfying compliment--creamy sans funk with some chew. I could have eaten three orders of wings. Instead, I next ordered the burger.

I had already had a few glasses of the 2008 Palacios Petalos, so I misspoke and ordered my burger medium, which is how it arrived. Too cooked for me, and the patty was much denser than I prefer. Still, I too appreciated the restrained use of toppings and especially enjoyed the pickled jalapeño. I'd try this burger one more time much more rare, but it may just not be my style. The simple side salad was excellent. Extremely fresh and also lightly dressed, the greens seem to levitate over my plate. Sexy, really.

My appetite has been scarier than usual, so after the burger, I was very tempted to order the pan-roasted strip steak with butter-poached turnips and green onion soubise, but I suddenly noticed all of the people just eating salad around me, got self-conscious and skipped it. That also was a mistake (especially since I found out back-up plan Black Dog Gelato is still closing early on Fridays).

I'm really happy to have Rootstock within walking distance from home. I'm already trying to figure out when I can return to eat the steak.

happy_stomach wrote:I had already had a few glasses of the 2008 Palacios Petalos, so I misspoke and ordered my burger medium, which is how it arrived. Too cooked for me, and the patty was much denser than I prefer. Still, I too appreciated the restrained use of toppings and especially enjoyed the pickled jalapeño. I'd try this burger one more time much more rare, but it may just not be my style. The simple side salad was excellent. Extremely fresh and also lightly dressed, the greens seem to levitate over my plate. Sexy, really.

I always get the burger mid-rare, as that Black Earth beef is delicious and it really just explodes with flavor. I agree on the topping portion and that pepper is great, as are the brightly dressed greens.

Give that burger another spin, it is one of my favorites in Chicago!

Had a great time again at Rootstock last night, I really love the casual atmosphere of this place and both the server and bartender gave us very "effortless" service, which we really appreciated. We were looking for a laid-back, not too expensive place for three couples to share some wine and stuff their faces, and we did very well here.

We started off with wine and beer from the bar, and although their list isn't quite as extensive as you might be used to from a wine bar, it's well-chosen and comes with really detailed descriptions, which makes selecting a glass or bottle much easier.

Foodliciousness started with a full spread of cheese and a full board of charcuterie. The cheese board at Rootstock is easily one of my favorites in the city, not just because it's such a nice mix of cheeses, but because they put so much thought into the accompaniments that come on the board. Fig mostarda, cipollini onion jam, pickled pears, pickled ramps, fresh microgreens, candied pecans, and several different fruit jams & jellies round out a great selection of mostly local cheese. Charcuterie was really solid, and while not quite on par with Jared van Camp's work at Old Town Social, we especially enjoyed the pâté with pink peppercorns. Winning MAJOR brownie points, the server noticed we were running low on bread and brought us more without any prompting. It really is the little things.

We ended up ordering several other plates to share:

Hand cut fries with roasted garlic aioli and house ketchup
Fries were really good, well-seasoned, hot and crispy, deeply browned (key in a hand cut fry) and not too greasy. Garlic aioli was on par with Hopleaf, but the fruity house ketchup was a touch too sweet for some in our party.

Grilled octopus with fregola, cucumber, watercress, red chile, almond, fried lemon and minted yogurt
Beautiful octopus preparation, gorgeously tender as though it has been cooking all day (it probably has), and the minted yogurt really set this whole dish off. I could have used just a bit more chile, but I'm a chile head, so I always want more chiles.

Grilled flatbread with black beans, wilted greens, speck, pickled peaches and radishes
This was the only miss of the night for me. The flatbread is a bit thicker than I'd like, and the black beans have a strange presence in this dish that had people at our table asking "Are those black beans???" The speck and peaches both got lost here, and the dish just never really came together for me.

Pan roasted mussels with preserved lemon, bacon, pepper aioli and grilled bread
Plump, perfectly cooked mussels in broth, what's not to love? I still prefer Hopleaf (all day, every day -- I love you Hopleaf!!), and the broth here had one diner at our table comparing it to "hot dog water, but in the best way." Wasn't quite sure how to take that comment, but I also couldn't totally disagree. We were fighting each other to dig the last mussels out of the bottom of the bowl, though, so we obviously enjoyed it.

Duck breast with ramps, hen of the woods mushroom, tallegio, aged balsamic and elderberry mustard
Duck breast was rich and lovely, the elderberry mustard had terrific flavor, and we all loved that the mushrooms in this dish were barely cooked. And this time of year, anything with ramps is a great choice.

Marinated flank steak with farro, nettles, goat cheese, mustard greens and salsa verde
I love steak with salsa verde, and everyone at the table was excited about the nettles, but amazingly the farro here ended up being the real star. Toothsome, super flavorful, and a great vehicle for the other elements of the dish.

We asked about dessert and were told that they only had a chocolate truffle duo and some bacon toffee. Both were good, but you're better off making the cheese board your dessert in this place. Thankfully, they also have a good selection of dessert wines and liquors.

Thanks for another fun night, Rootstock, I'm sure we'll be back again soon.

I don't know why I hadn't been here before. Really solid food at great prices and an eclectic beer list too. The antelope tartare with pickled turnips I had was unbelievably good.

mgmcewen wrote:I don't know why I hadn't been here before. Really solid food at great prices and an eclectic beer list too.

This is basically our assessment of Rootstock. Stellar, thoughtfully composed wine list, with excellent shareable small plates (the roasted mushrooms were a standout) and cheeses. We loved our visit, and will return.

This is perhaps the restaurant we miss most having moved from Chicago (also, Katsu). Very glad to read that it continues to impress.

Been twice. Underwhelmed both times.