(Chicago) – I usually do my research first before trying a new restaurant. I love information, whether facts or opinions, be it good or bad views; they provide me some logical guidance that influence my personal likes and decisions.
So I was loitering around Evanston one weekend and my head knowledge, as a result of my constant research about food and restaurants, tells me that there are a few good places to eat in the area. However, for some reasons unknown, I didn’t feel like following the dictates of my head. My friend and I skipped the popular food places that Google gave me, kept walking along the tiny streets in the neighborhood until we stumbled upon this unpretentious wine bar called The Cellar .
I felt at home right away at this restaurant. I thought I was just in one of restaurants in Greenbelt on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The ambiance was telling me just to relax, not be stressed up and not to over-think the food that I would be getting. So my friend and I got some familiar comfort foods.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cake – coleslaw, citrus remoulade, show string potato
es
Bucket of Fried Chicken – buttermilk battered natural free-range chicken, coleslaw, sweet garlic gravy
Onion rings with spicy aioli
Comfort food, it is. The food is unexpectedly good. The chicken is well-seasoned, moist without being too oily and tender. The coleslaw is a refreshing balance while the garlic gravy adds more personality to the chicken. And the crab cake has real chunks of crabs and not just extenders; it tastes fresh — not reheated from some days ago. I love the fried goodness of the food here.
820 Clark Street
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 425-5112 http://www.thecellarevanston.com