Quay

Looked at their menu online and it looks good but haven't seen much written about it. Anyone been there?

Quay
465 E Illinois, Chicago IL
(312)981-8400
www.quaychicago.com

I went shortly after it opened, and found the atmosphere to be a turnoff. I got the sense that it has a bit of an identity crisis: Sports bar up front and fine dining in the back.

I opted for the dining room one Sunday night when the Bears had played a daytime home game. One of the only other tables was occupied by about a dozen loud drunk guys who had obviously been at the game. No sooner did they leave than a wedding reception started in the private--but not very soundproof--room that abuts the dining room. Imagine really loud music & a DJ. (Fortunately, we were almost done with our dinner at that point.)

I went to Quay for Restaurant Week and totally agree that there was an identity crisis!

I walked in before my friends got there and it seemed like I just walked into a sports bar in the burbs - everything from the sweet, yet rough around the edges bartenders to a bunch of construction workers getting post shift drinks having good times and watching the TVs. There's a job across the street that will have the frequenting the bar for close to a year I found out after talking to one of the guys in the crew.

Now I have nothing against sports, bars, men, nor the burbs, but it's not exactly the image that Quay puts out there in their branding/imaging.

Friends arrived and we were lead to the back which was like day and night.

The dining room was calm, tasteful, bright, white in color scheme and our server/service fell in line with what one would expect when eating a scallop and short rib dish as opposed to mozzarella sticks and beer.

The dishes were good/above average.
I was stunned at the size of my entree - 4 large scallops with short rib on top of a puree.
Others at my table had the risotto and pork chop - both were quite good.

I kind of forgot I went to Quay because 1 - it was during RW and 2 - it's out of the way for me.

There's more on the menu that I am interested in trying and I understand there are other components of the restaurant/bar/lounge.

IMO - it's worth a try!