The Hubbard Inn

I had never heard of this place before I stopped in here last night for a couple drinks with friends. I was later told they opened two weeks ago today. It's actually a pretty neat place. A huge fully stocked bar that is of the same style of Longman & Eagle and features a very nice beer list. The menu is pretty interesting in a rustic Hop Leaf-esque kind of way with "Bar Snacks" "Flat Breads" "Small Plates" and "Burgers and Clubs." There is a library area with a fire. There are tables for groups, but also big shared tables. I didn't eat, but I plan to head back there very soon. Check it out if you're in the area.

The Hubbard Inn
110 W Hubbard
Chicago, IL 60640
http://www.hubbardinn.com/

P. Channon wrote:A huge fully stocked bar that is of the same style of Longman & Eagle and features a very nice beer list. The menu is pretty interesting in a rustic Hop Leaf-esque kind of way with "Bar Snacks" "Flat Breads" "Small Plates" and "Burgers and Clubs."

So are they making Hemingway cocktails? I can't tell from the menu. According to the Red Eye yesterday, this place is supposed to be Hemingway-inspired.

happy_stomach wrote:

P. Channon wrote:A huge fully stocked bar that is of the same style of Longman & Eagle and features a very nice beer list. The menu is pretty interesting in a rustic Hop Leaf-esque kind of way with "Bar Snacks" "Flat Breads" "Small Plates" and "Burgers and Clubs."

So are they making Hemingway cocktails? I can't tell from the menu. According to the Red Eye yesterday, this place is supposed to be Hemingway-inspired.

I was in Friday night with my wife for dinner and drinks. They didn't have a printed cocktail list because the waitress said they were re-tooling that menu. There were specialty cocktails written on the "blackboard" behind the bar -- but my understanding from the waitress was most of them weren't available. The waitress said the updated cocktail list would be available very soon. I told her I loved whiskey/bourbon, and she brought out a really nice "Whiskey Smash" made with Maker's. I had three of them.

Hubbard Inn was pretty slammed at 7pm on Friday. About four deep at the bar and all of the tables were full on the main level. My wife and I split a few things: "goat cheese croquettes, tomato jam", "bacon wrapped medjool dates, goat cheese, red pepper sauce", "tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella" flatbread, "red & yellow beet salad, aged goat cheese, frisee, herbs, candied walnuts, sherry walnut vinaigrette" and "pan fried sweet breads, apple, fennel, walnuts, vanilla maple syrup".

Everything was executed very well technically with some really nice flavors. I was really surprised how much I enjoyed the flatbread, which on paper, doesn't sound overwhelmingly interesting. Very nice tomato sauce which was seasoned aggressively, good chew on flatbread itself and very fresh and ample mozzarella. I would definitely order it again. I'm not a big beet fan (or a big salad fan in general), but I really enjoyed that salad much more than I expected.

The standout dish by far was the sweet breads. I was hesitant to order this because it seemed, at first glance, to be overwhelmingly sweet. I was wrong. The crisp exterior gave way to delicious melt-in-your-mouthness of the sweet breads. The vanilla maple syrup complimented beautifully instead of overwhelming. I've been craving these every day since Friday.

I had a few very minor quibbles with some of the other dishes: I would have liked a little more flavor contrast with the bacon wrapped dates -- I think the red bell pepper sauce needed some heat/kick. And I feel the same way about the "tomato jam" that accompanied the goat cheese croquettes. However, overall, I really dug the food, drinks, and overall feel of the room. I'll definitely be back soon to work my way through the updated drink list and eat some more sweet breads.

[Disclosure: I'm friendly with one of the owners of Hubbard Inn -- who came by our table at the beginning of our meal to briefly chat. Hubbard Inn is NOT one of my clients. Our bill was partially comped -- our waitress told us it was because we had uninvited stragglers sitting at the two "empty" seats at our four top. I didn't call ahead or let anyone know I was coming in. I just got a reservation through OpenTable.]

Not trying to knock something I haven't tried yet--well, at least not here--but, man, the bacon-wrapped dates/beet salad/flatbread milieu is getting tired.

chezbrad wrote:Not trying to knock something I haven't tried yet--well, at least not here--but, man, the bacon-wrapped dates/beet salad/flatbread milieu is getting tired.

I get what you're saying. My wife's a pretty picky eater who doesn't really eat meat and doesn't eat a lot of seafood, so a lot of what we split were the "tired" options. My big point is the execution and flavors are there at Hubbard Inn even with dishes that are "tired" . And that was a pleasant surprise. Nobody's claiming they're doing groundbreaking stuff over there. Either way, the pan fried sweet breads are a freaking star.

chezbrad wrote:Not trying to knock something I haven't tried yet--well, at least not here--but, man, the bacon-wrapped dates/beet salad/flatbread milieu is getting tired.

Like it or not, these dishes are now firmly in the cannon of casual/contemporary American cuisine. I like a good beet salad - so, why not? Beats salisbury steak and tuna casserole or whatever it is we Americans used to eat back in the day.

Habibi wrote:
Like it or not, these dishes are now firmly in the cannon of casual/contemporary American cuisine. I like a good beet salad - so, why not? Beats salisbury steak and tuna casserole or whatever it is we Americans used to eat back in the day.

Oh, agreed. But let's also agree that the line between the hip farm-to-table restaurant and the Darden restaurant is getting blurrier by the day. I like a beet salad as much as the next guy--it's a great combination of flavors--but it's the crabcake, the tuna tartar, of this era of dining. Let's get a lil' salad innovation going, yeah?

chezbrad wrote: But let's also agree that the line between the hip farm-to-table restaurant and the Darden restaurant is getting blurrier by the day.

You can't possibly believe this is true, right? If it's hyperbole for hyperbole's sake, that's fine. Otherwise, that's a huge stretch with extreme "starting" and "ending" examples.

I'm going to Hubbard Inn next week, so as yet I have no first-hand experience of the place, but the menu (http://hubbardinn.com/) seems quite intentionally retro/throw-back: oyster Rockefeller, Monte Christo sandwiches, eggplant parm. Those and most other items strike me as aggressively safe (not a bad thing, particuarly if the execution is good, as noted). The sweetbreads stand out as one of the few "riskier" options.

HI is billed as "Chicago's first Continental Tavern."

David Hammond wrote:I'm going to Hubbard Inn next week, so as yet I have no first-hand experience of the place, but the menu (http://hubbardinn.com/) seems quite intentionally retro/throw-back: oyster Rockefeller, Monte Christo sandwiches, eggplant parm. Those and most other items strike me as aggressively safe (not a bad thing, particuarly if the execution is good, as noted). The sweetbreads stand out as one of the few "riskier" options.

HI is billed as "Chicago's first Continental Tavern."

I tried to talk a few friends into visiting for dinner this past Friday...but the menu was too hard of a sell for guys looking for more casual and safe fare. I'm looking forward to trying it soon, as well as for some more reviews of the food.

P. Channon wrote:

David Hammond wrote:I'm going to Hubbard Inn next week, so as yet I have no first-hand experience of the place, but the menu (http://hubbardinn.com/) seems quite intentionally retro/throw-back: oyster Rockefeller, Monte Christo sandwiches, eggplant parm. Those and most other items strike me as aggressively safe (not a bad thing, particuarly if the execution is good, as noted). The sweetbreads stand out as one of the few "riskier" options.

HI is billed as "Chicago's first Continental Tavern."

I tried to talk a few friends into visiting for dinner this past Friday...but the menu was too hard of a sell for guys looking for more casual and safe fare. I'm looking forward to trying it soon, as well as for some more reviews of the food.

The menu at Hubbard Inn was not safe enough?

David Hammond wrote:

P. Channon wrote:

David Hammond wrote:I'm going to Hubbard Inn next week, so as yet I have no first-hand experience of the place, but the menu (http://hubbardinn.com/) seems quite intentionally retro/throw-back: oyster Rockefeller, Monte Christo sandwiches, eggplant parm. Those and most other items strike me as aggressively safe (not a bad thing, particuarly if the execution is good, as noted). The sweetbreads stand out as one of the few "riskier" options.

HI is billed as "Chicago's first Continental Tavern."

I tried to talk a few friends into visiting for dinner this past Friday...but the menu was too hard of a sell for guys looking for more casual and safe fare. I'm looking forward to trying it soon, as well as for some more reviews of the food.

The menu at Hubbard Inn was not safe enough?

We're not talking about "foodies" here...more along the lines of beer, burgers, and pizza.

Any update on this restaurant for anyone who has been lately? I have a friend coming in town from Florida this weekend and she really wants to go here. I have not heard much about the restaurant and I love a good cocktail, so just curious of any updated reviews.

Thanks

I had lunch at the Hubbard Inn today and the food was quite fair. My friend and I were just looking for a nearby place for a casual lunch and popped in here. We both had the fried fish sandwich. The breading is light (perhaps panko breadcrumbs), but unfortunately the rest of the sandwich didn't have much flavor. The fries were also pretty average - not that crispy, not much taste. My friend's flourless chocolate cake was very good.

My overall reaction to this place is summed by chezbrad earlier:

chezbrad wrote:Not trying to knock something I haven't tried yet--well, at least not here--but, man, the bacon-wrapped dates/beet salad/flatbread milieu is getting tired.

I did a double take when I saw the dates on the menu since I actually thought those were firmly on the decline.

Owners Close Hubbard Inn After Eight Years For River North Remodel. A new venue will open this year with the same name.

https://chicago.eater.com/2019/5/28/186 ... iver-north