Ampersand

So happy that Ampersand, a new wine bar in Ravenswood/Lincoln Square has finally opened. Great addition to the neighborhood. I've been there twice now, and tried at least 2/3 of what's on the menu, and several of the wines. Overall, it's pretty good - a few quibbles here and there but they are all pretty easy fixes -- the place is doing great for only being open for 2 weeks.

Standout dishes include: the wine & cheese plate, the scallops & sweet peas, the mushroom & mascarpone polenta, and the strawberry shortcake. The strawberry shortcake in particular was a pleasant surprise, presented more like a trifle, with definite savory notes to offset the sweetness. Definitely the most unique dish on the menu (that I tried). I didn't try any of the meat dishes, since all of them sounded a little heavy for the summer heat. Portions are on the small side, but priced accordingly. Between two people, 5 dishes should be enough to be comfortably full - and that'll run you a little over $50, depending on what you get. The wine list is great - about 20 wines by the glass, all very reasonably priced (most expensive is $13, most are $8-9), and a great variety of things to choose from.

And now for the quibbles... the descriptions of the dishes can be misleading, sometimes head-scratchingly so. For example, why would you call something "asparagus with salsa verde" if it does not actually have anything resembling salsa verde? Or even any kind of salsa. It's just asparagus with peppercorn-like-things (not sure exactly what they are, but definitely no salsa/sauce of any kind). Or something called "sweet corn with blue crab and tomatillo" -- if that had any tomatillo in it, it was a miniscule amount - I certainly didn't see or taste any -- and was surprised that it was actually crab 2 ways - fried soft-shell crab, and then a small crab salad, and a very small amount of corn. Neither of these dishes are bad but because they were so different from how they were described, it felt like a bit of a let down. The wait staff is still learning the menu - one of the nights I was there, our server didn't know what meats were on the meat & cheese board - all he could say was that one was spicy (which turned out to be incorrect). But that's to be expected with a place so recently opened.

Ample street parking on Damen. And heads up - it is not very well marked - there's just a small "&" above the door, and when the shades are drawn, from the street it looks like a closed store. We walked right past it at first, even with the address in hand!

So to sum it up, friendly staff (if still getting up to speed), solidly good (and sometimes great) food, nice ambiance and overall a great addition to the neighborhood.

Ampersand Wine Bar
4845 N. Damen
Chicago IL 60618
(773) 728-0031

A quick board search shows little discussion about Ampersand. I'm guilty of not posting about several great visits. If you haven't been, you've lost your chance. From an email I received (and it's posted on their website):

Today, with both heavy and hopeful hearts, we are closing the business that not too long ago was named Best Neighborhood Restaurant by the Chicago Tribune.
...
The choice to close is very difficult. We've given everything we have to Ampersand for more than three years -- emotionally, professionally and financially -- fighting hard against the climate of restaurant saturation in Chicago and to beat the staggering industry odds. It has taken a toll. Today, as we say goodbye to Ampersand, we are choosing to put our family's health and well being above all else. We know you get this.
...

Mr. X and I were there last week for a drink and commented how we needed to come back for dinner. Damn.

Sorry to say that, since it opened after we left the neighborhood, we never had a chance to visit. Could anyone speak to what did in the business? Was it location (proximity, rents), products, service, or plain old bad luck?

I get the sense that wine bars aren't having an easy time out there, but it's not clear it's any easier in the restaurant industry more generally.

I thought it was a great idea - Lincoln Square absolutely needs a wine bar. But I found the atmosphere lacking and the food very underwhelming. I suspect both issues did it in.

BR wrote:I thought it was a great idea - Lincoln Square absolutely needs a wine bar. But I found the atmosphere lacking and the food very underwhelming. I suspect both issues did it in.

Agreed--although I do wonder what kind of wine bar Lincoln Square would need. It sometimes feels like LS wants solid, dependable options, and not too much in the way of "trendy" things (e.g., I think Webster's wine bar would be a poor fit there), especially the price-point of many wine bars. Then again, I thought Band of Bohemia would be a tough sell in the neighborhood, so what do I know?

What's interesting is that I enjoyed every meal I had here and thought the atmosphere was pleasant.