Zest, Intercontinental Hotel

I recently stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel on Michigan Ave. I decided to try dinner at Zest, the hotel's restaurant, mainly because I was intrigued by their four course prix-fixe menu, which apparently changes monthly. My dinner was excellent, especially the first course -- duck rillettes on toasted brioche -- and the third --saddle of rabbit and lamb, grilled risotto, duck foie gras. It cost 49 bucks (not including tax or tip) and was worth every penny. In fact, it was one of the best meals I've ever had for that price, and better than quite a few that cost more.

The rest of the dinner menu isn't as fancy: aside from steaks, only one entree costs more than twenty bucks. And the fixed-price menu isn't offered for lunch. However, they make a mean onion soup. And breakfast is good, too, albeit expensive (there's a breakfast buffet, but I passed it up).

There's no street entrance; you have to go through the hotel. Nor is there an exterior sign, though there are signs for their wine bar Eno. In fact, there's almost nothing to indicate to passers-by that Zest exists.

Zest
2nd floor, Intercontinental Hotel
505 N. Michigan Ave.
312 321-8790

I think it's gone now, but at one point there was a big photo and bio of the chef posted outside the hotel. He's an Austrian guy with an impressive-sounding resume that includes stints at fine places all over the world. The sign suggested that the Zest menu would feature the best dishes from his Austrian heritage and global experience, or something like that. This impressive-sounding chef, combined with the fact that a number of good restaurants have opened recently in corporate hotels, gave me hope for a tasty lunch.

Knowing about the chef's heritage, I gravitated immediately to the wiener schnitzel on the menu. With its greasy, mushy breading, this was one of the worst examples I've ever had. The boiled potatoes served with it were pretty good.

I don't think I'll be returning to Zest.

As a former Assistant Manager at Zest, I would recommend that you avoid it. The food is temperamental, the service is hit or miss, and a lot of the claims they make about being a "Field to Table" restaurant are questionable at best. It's just another over-priced hotel restaurant.