Timo (July 22, 2006)

With Mrs. JiLS out of town for a few days, I had this evening to myself. With the rare and perfect weather we were enjoying tonight, and after a marvelous Manhattan at the Matchbox (love those brandied cherries), I decided to eat outdoors in the courtyard at Timo. For whatever reason, I'd never been here when it was known as Thyme, and maybe that's my loss. Because, while it had many strong points and was clearly the work of a talented kitchen, my dinner at Timo tonight was, overall, unimpressive and I would not be likely to make a return visit based on this meal. If Timo were beamed down into, oh, I don't know, Chattanooga ... it would be one of the five best restaurants in town; but there are just too many opportunities for better meals, of the same general type, at comparable prices here in Chicago for me to be terribly inclined to return to Timo.

I began with an appetizer special of three tiny crab cakes topped with guacamole and surrounded by mixed greens. I'll start with the two highly positive things I can say about this dish: (1) the greens were excellent and (2) the crab cakes were very expertly cooked, perfectly crisp. Unfortunately, the crab cakes themselves were really quite mediocre. First complaint: not enough crab. Second: crab and filling had been run through the Cuisinart to the point that there was no texture at all; it was just a soft, runny crabulum, with a couple of pimientos mixed in for color. The server offered a shot of cracked pepper; I wish I'd said "Yes." I've only ever had a Baltimore crab cake in the form of a frozen pair I bought at the airport a few years back; poor example as that may be, it was far more delicious than the weak, barely-crabby crab cake that Timo was serving tonight. As an example of a restaurant with similar ambitions and much greater success regarding the crab cakes, I'd like to recommend to Timo's chef the example of Crofton on Wells, where even after a five year absence I recall getting the kind of meaty, crabby crab cake I was missing at Timo tonight. Also, while the guac was fresh and reasonably tasty, it was an oddball condiment for a crabcake, and certainly overwhelmed the very mild, almost crab-free flavor of these crab cakes.

My entree was duck breast served with a lovely, delicious hunk of polenta, truffled honey (a new condiment to me that was indescribably delicious), olives and fennel, plus a nice layer of fresh spinach. This dish was peculiar, like a painting you hate, but in a frame you just love. What am I getting at? The duck breast was just plain lousy. First, it was not cooked correctly. Promised medium rare, it was almost well done, with only a hint of pink in some of the slices, and the rest cooked -- very thoroughly -- to a complete greyness. Second, the duck was of an inferior quality. I'm a big duck eater, and I've had the good, the great and the so-so. This was not even quite to the so-so level. For lack of a better descriptor, I'll just say that the duck tasted like it had been frozen in a cryovac and re-heated. I'm not saying that's what Timo actually did (EL POLLO LOCO LIBEL ALERT ON HIGH!!!); but it was a sad, flavor-sapped duck I was served tonight. But then, everything else on the plate was fantastic, including that fantastic polenta, that was almost as good as my Mom's fried mush.

The wine list had reasonably interesting choices, but mind-bogglingly over priced, in some cases almost a 4X markup. Wines that retail at under $10 were priced at $35 plus. I could scarcely believe I was paying $8.00 for a glass of Castle Rock Pinot Noir. Ah, well; at least the glassware was top notch Riedling or something similar!

One other observation. Maybe it was because I sat down right around 6:00, but if I'd been blindfolded and dropped off at Timo by a kidnapper, from the demographic of my fellow diners, I would have fully believed I was eating in, e.g., Northfield or Arlington Heights. I'm looking at 40 this October, but I was a good 25 years younger than the average diner in the Timo courtyard this evening, and I am not exaggerating that one bit. And they all just had that look that, if you've spent the time I have dining in the North Shore, you just recognize -- that just-off-the-links or tennis court, my Polo shirt cost $175 look. From some of the chatter (on which, as usual, I eavesdropped shamelessly), I got the impression that Timo must be a prime choice for the pre-theater crowd -- which was likely skewed by the early hour of my meal, but still; it was obvious and curious.

One final note, possibly related to the above observation. Maybe I emit an LTH pheromone, but for whatever reason, the soup tonight was described to me as, simply, Vichyssoise, whereas, without exception, every other table was told that the soup was a "cold potato and leek soup." Maybe that's because everybody else was asking what "Vichyssoise" was. Anyway, that sort of almost insane dumbing down (who doesn't know what Vichyssoise is?) was another reason I felt like I was in Northfield...or Terre Haute.

(NOTE: I have sufficient Suburban Chicago/North Shore bona fides to ridicule that demo as I see fit. Eleven years as a renter and homeowner, divided among Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Libertyville and Northbrook, 1991 - 2002. I paid $18,000 in property taxes to Libertyville alone. Just so you know how to properly phrase/premise your excoriations.)

Somehow, the name Timo makes me think of the much maligned RR phrase "Yummo." It just doesn't sound like a grown-up name. (Yeah, I know it's Italian for Thyme, but out of context, it still looks funny.)

And sorry to hear that it's not yummo. I've only dined there a few times, and onlye when it was Thyme, but I've always found that at least a few people didn't like what they ordered -- and a lot of people loved what they ordered. (I actually fell into both camps in one meal, when a sensational dish was followed by a so-so dish which was followed by a good dish. Nothing bad, but only one great out of three courses)

However, it does have one of the best outdoor seating areas in Chicago -- I think it gets a lot of traffic just for that.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:Maybe it was because I sat down right around 6:00, but if I'd been blindfolded and dropped off at Timo by a kidnapper, from the demographic of my fellow diners, I would have fully believed I was eating in, e.g., Northfield or Arlington Heights...Maybe I emit an LTH pheromone, but for whatever reason, the soup tonight was described to me as, simply, Vichyssoise, whereas, without exception, every other table was told that the soup was a "cold potato and leek soup." Maybe that's because everybody else was asking what "Vichyssoise" was. Anyway, that sort of almost insane dumbing down (who doesn't know what Vichyssoise is?) was another reason I felt like I was in Northfield...or Terre Haute.

Based on two visits to Thyme when it was Thyme (the first within the first year or so it had been open, the second several years after that) I think things were going downhill, in exactly the way you describe, well before the change to Timo. Our first visit was lovely, and impressive; the second time, the food had become ordinary and the clientele less sophisticated. Although the age demographic was the opposite of what you describe. My impression that second time was that many of the customers seemed to be awkward young people on their first dates.

riddlemay wrote:Based on two visits to Thyme when it was Thyme (the first within the first year or so it had been open, the second several years after that) I think things were going downhill, in exactly the way you describe, well before the change to Timo. Our first visit was lovely, and impressive; the second time, the food had become ordinary and the clientele less sophisticated. Although the age demographic was the opposite of what you describe. My impression that second time was that many of the customers seemed to be awkward young people on their first dates.

Maybe Thyme/Timo is the victim of its own success and longevity. When they first opened, they were definitely a hip and happening spot, located in an area that, at the time and until quite recently was a rather "dicey" and therefore boho part of town. That, plus a consensus that Thyme served very good food, built its reputation. Over the years, however, the original set of Thyme's clientele found other, newer alternatives to try, and while Thyme was still a high-grade choice, there were lots of other choices for the more adventurous or jaded (I don't equate that with "sophisticated") diner. So, the early adopters of Thyme moved on, maybe once in awhile dropping back in. In the meantime, Thyme became familiar to a second clientele, one that recognized the brand name and appreciated the (beautiful) outdoor dining, valet parking and consistently "safe" menu. I for whatever reason missed out on the first wave or the second, and if not for the name change and some nice things G Wiv fairly recently had to say about Timo's chef, I probably never would have had the curiosity to dine there. Maybe they will bootstrap themselves successfully into a new "hot spot," but they'll need to pay more attention to the cuisine. Otherwise, it's still a very attractive package of setting and service (which I failed to mention previously; the service was all-around excellent).

A final note, I told the hostess (more politely than I posted above) exactly what I thought was wrong with the crab cakes and the duck (while also bestowing compliments on the other aspects of the dishes that I really enjoyed). She was apologetic, and suggested I should have said something earlier, and they would've re-made the dishes or given me something else. I demurred, saying my complaints were minor, the meal was really very good, etc. Privately, I had never considered sending the food back, because the problem with the crab cakes was primarily lack of crab, blandness and an odd choice of condiment, and the duck was at least edible; accordingly, I figured they weren't going to be able to correct the flaws I was noting without (1) changing the recipe for the crab cakes in mid-service and (2) going out and buying some fresh duck, neither of which seemed likely to occur if I sent the food back. And the sides/trimmings were excellent, making the meal overall enjoyable but imperfect in a couple of significant ways.

I too never made it to Thyme, eventhough I meant on several occasions to go. Then, when they transformed to Timo, I heard good things and made a point of checking it out.

We waited at the bar for a seat outside (the dining room inside was nearly empty) and enjoyed a glass of wine with the bartender. I agree with the other reviews that while some things were spectacular, others were not so good. A shot in the dark. Loved the gazpacho, especially on a warm summer night. Also enjoyed the blue cheese & pear risotto. I overheard another table order the shrimp appetizer as a main and thought I'd do the same. It was a mistake - way overly buttered and the vanilla nage, as it was described, made the dish almost dessertlike rather than the vanilla merely playing up the savory parts of the dish.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:Over the years, however, the original set of Thyme's clientele found other, newer alternatives to try, and while Thyme was still a high-grade choice, there were lots of other choices for the more adventurous (I won't necessarily equate that with "sophisticated") diner.

Just to defend my choice of the phrase "less sophisticated," it appeared to me (during the phase of Thyme's life cycle that found us there on our second visit) that many of the diners had never eaten in a place of Thyme's ilk before. Not that they were badly behaved, simply that they seemed slightly nervous and overly awed by niceties that more experienced diners take for granted (or do a better job of covering up their awe about). Not that this is a bad thing: We all had our first experience of an ambitious, "fine-dining" restaurant at some point in our lives, and chances are we were pretty uncool about it at the time, too. And nowhere is it written that "jaded" is the only proper response, no matter what your age or experience level. Therefore, think of it not as a value judgment but as an observation; but yes, "less sophisticated" was my observation. (And since the food wasn't terrific that night, at least at our table and therefore, I extrapolate, at every other table, the "over-awed" thing stood out in greater relief.) Jim, I give credence to your intuition that the diners you saw at Timo were less adventurous, not less sophisticated; and this leads me to the conclusion that the clientele has changed, because on our second visit to Thyme, they were less sophisticated, not less adventurous.

riddlemay wrote:I give credence to your intuition that the diners you saw at Timo were less adventurous, not less sophisticated; and this leads me to the conclusion that the clientele has changed, because on our second visit to Thyme, they were less sophisticated, not less adventurous.

Nothing to defend, and it looks like we are really in agreement. We are talking about two different sets of customers, at either end of the age spectrum. The older set that predominated the clientele of Timo last night was anything but unsophisticated in manners, dress and speech. This wasn't the high-pants and white belts crowd. And they certainly "got" the social rules of how to order and dine in a sophisticated urban restaurant (unlike, perhaps, the very young crowd you saw?). And maybe the waitress just had trouble saying "Vichyssoise;" I know I tend to lisp like Daffy Duck when I say it.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:Nothing to defend...

I know. Think of it as "make the case for," rather than "defend." Much as a defense attorney might make a case without being in the least defensive!

We recently had a dinner by the Timo chef at Kendall College, and enjoyed everything, though I can't at the moment recall any dishes, so I guess we weren't bowled over. In any case, it made us want to go to the restaurant. The chef said that he had gotten bored by the kind of cooking he had been doing at Thyme, went to Italy, got reinvigorated, but only had enough money for one restaurant. So they re-did the existing one to be more Italian.

I had a very good meal at Timo in May, so I'm hoping you just got there on an off-night, Jim, or made unfortunate choices. I'm very surprised at what you said about the duck, because, in general, John Bubala is known for his appreciation of organic and sustainable ingredients.

While your characterization of the early clientele as older and affluent seems spot on, my take was Gold Coast, not North Shore. (On the other hand, my definition of the North Shore includes only suburbs that touch the lake.) The clientele depends a lot on when you go. And, while I don't think that this restaurant was ever a destination for adventurous palates, its audience has definitely changed some over the years.

Eight years ago, when Thyme first opened, West Town was off-the-beaten track and the restaurant's vibe was exclusive. No sign announced the eatery's name -- you had to be in on the joke of the massive iron clock on the building's exterior. Bubala's food then was excellent but fairly straightforward regional French.

As time went on, Thyme loosened up a bit, installed an awning proclaiming the restaurant's name in large letters, and the chef played with new flavor profiles -- sometimes decidedly American, such as Nantucket sea scallops with sweet corn and asparagus, sometimes leaning toward Mitteleurope, such as pork belly with braised cabbage and bacon, or even toward Asia, with items like yellowfin carpaccio dressed with wasabi caviar.

As the area around the restaurant has filled in, hip scenesters have given way to comfortably fixed comfort-food seekers; family types celebrating special occasions; and splurging clubbers en route to the Funky Buddha (likely riddlemay's awkward youngsters).

When I visited Timo, I was surprised by is how little changed it was from its most recent incarnation. Bubala has tweaked his menu Italian-wards, but it's not very different from before. For example, I had spit-roasted chicken -- as always, it was done to a turn, crisp-skinned and juicy, sharing a plate with silky whipped potatoes. The only thing that may have been different was the porcini sauce.

I do think one of the restaurant's strengths is its wood-fired oven and rotisserie.

We also enjoyed an appetizer of savory spit-roasted rabbit ragout with a touch of lavender and bits of applewood-smoked bacon and mushrooms over deliciously pillowy, hand-made cavatelli.

The chef also put the wood oven to novel use in a delightful new take on the caesar salad: lightly grilled romaine, sprinkled with black olives and croutons plus a few piquant caper berries and white anchovies, drizzled with a creamy, pale pink dressing made from purple basil. The still-crunchy lettuce took on a wonderfully smoky tang and the fragrant dressing pulled it all together.

LAZ wrote:(On the other hand, my definition of the North Shore includes only suburbs that touch the lake.)

Thank you. I have always wondered what Libertyville -- or even Northbrook -- thought it was on the shore of. Maybe the Des Plaines River?

LAZ wrote:We also enjoyed an appetizer of savory spit-roasted rabbit ragout with a touch of lavender and bits of applewood-smoked bacon and mushrooms over deliciously pillowy, hand-made cavatelli.

I have always considered that their best appetizer -- and maybe that's why, while I haven't always adored everythng I've had at Thyme, I've always had at least one course I thought was splendid.

Thank you. I have always wondered what Libertyville -- or even Northbrook -- thought it was on the shore of.

The same Lake I have a View of, from 2000 W.

Cynthia wrote:I have always wondered what Libertyville -- or even Northbrook -- thought it was on the shore of. Maybe the Des Plaines River?

When I lived there, I often referred to Libertyville as "Lake Forest West." Some of the newer houses would certainly fit right in with the "McMansions" at the west end of Lake Forest.

It's all a matter of perspective, I suppose. Mrs. JiLS, who grew up in Syracuse, NY, gets irate whenever NYC dwellers refer to the Hudson River valley (Newburgh, Pouhgkeepsie,, etc.) as "Upstate." That area is clearly Downstate! On the other hand, although Syracuse is at least 200 miles from the nearest ocean, Mrs. JiLS refers to herself as being "from the East Coast." My definition of being from a "coast" would include, at the outside, the ability to drive to the ocean in less than 20 minutes. So whatta ya gonna do?

Mike G wrote:

Thank you. I have always wondered what Libertyville -- or even Northbrook -- thought it was on the shore of.

The same Lake I have a View of, from 2000 W.

Clearly, you need a taller house. Didn't your realtor explain that to you?

Too many steps to my rooftop heliport as it is.

Believe me, things have been proposed for Roscoe Village that would have had a lake view.

Mike G wrote:Too many steps to my rooftop heliport as it is.

Believe me, things have been proposed for Roscoe Village that would have had a lake view.

Yeah - I'm still awaiting approval to begin construction on my rooftop bleachers...for Bears games.