Kith & Kin

Simple, elegant, umderstated ambience. Where 1950s meets rustic shabby chic. Server knew every dish and wasn’t persuasive. Ordered chicken liver pâté, and pimento cheese spread… delightful. Best dish was the savory blackened shrimp on cheese grits. Dessert was peanut butter pie on pretzel crust.yum. Loved this unassuming neighborhood gem.

While spending a weekend in Chicago we went here based on a recommendation from a friend who lives nearby.
Atmosphere was nice, dim, friendly, pretty relaxed. There was a nice aroma of a wood fire burning (we were told this was from the oysters app) — a welcome smell on a fairly cold night.
We had foie gras and strawberry preserves with brioche for an app — incredibly rich and really, really tasty. Highly recommended.
For dinner I had the fried chicken thighs with dirty rice. I’d give this dish more of a three — good but nothing to write home about. My girlfriend had the grilled ribeye with mushroom ketchup and blue cheese butter. I was pretty pissed I didn’t order this myself because it was unbelievable. The steak was perfectly cooked & marbled. the blue cheese butter added a nice kick. A full blown 5.
The wine list was decent and reasonably priced relative to similar restaurants. Unfortunately the malbec we ordered was forgettable which is why the name escapes me.
Service was a solid 4. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone I liked.

I’ll admit. I was a bit bummed after my recent return visit to Kith and Kin. The food was very good, don’t get me wrong. However, my friend and I felt like our original visit was better.
Win some lose some. Oh well.
The important stuff:
–Tomato soup – truly the highlight of the evening. The table side presentation was a nice touch. I also loved that they used aged cheddar.
–Spring pea salad – very fresh and light. I enjoyed the vinaigrette, but felt the dish was lacking something.
–Buttermilk biscuit w/​honey butter side dish. Oh man, this could have been incredible! The biscuits were dense and tough. It made me sad.
–Fried chicken thighs-​I loved that they were boneless. They were crispy, flavorful, and most definitely another highlight.
–Scallops with red beans and rice. Why do some places insist on searing scallops only on one side???
–Peanut butter pie = :(
Service was attentive and not at all intrusive. I also think their wine list is really great. Remember to stick with the fried chicken and soup, as both were dream worthy.
super special side note: I loved the music they played!

I really enjoyed the atmosphere here. It is warm with a casual elegance. I think my bf and I sat at the best table in the house… directly next to the fireplace. It was awesome.
The reason for the 3 stars is b/​c of the food. We split the tiger shrimp and wagyu steak. The waitress warned us the shrimp came with the head and tail on. Peeling shrimp is not my favorite thing to do but I figured I could deal. Well, the shrimp is blackened and it is difficult to peel them without making a royal mess. If I were at Joe’s Crab Shack, no problem but I wasn’t and it just didn’t fit with the experience I wanted there.
Also, the shrimp were a bit dry. However, the grits served with them were fantastic.
I’ve never eaten wagyu steak before and it is prepared medium rare which is just the way I like steak. However, ours was rare… very rare. My bf didn’t mind but the waitress took my portion back to be cooked more. Not a big deal but I didn’t think the steak was that awesome. The bleu cheese butter though was!
So, 4 stars for ambiance and service. I really liked our waitress and the manager that we spoke with. Very nice and informative.
However, I think the food needs a bit of work.

Service off the hook!
Bar tenders Rye suggestion when I first walked in, stellar! Rittenhouse Rye 100 I believe, I love whiskey and I will be adding this to my home bar when I can find it!
The night turned out to be very wet, I mean deep and wet, we virtually drank every cocktail on the menu and even had some surprise sips off some very special bottles, and left feeling like we were cruising at 35,000 feet…
Everyone, and I do mean everyone needs to have the oysters, I have consumed oysters all over this great country, and I am still in aww-​days later-​at how off the map amazing this oyster experience was, they come on the half shell atop hot coals, and the smokey intense flavor and texture is sexy to say the least! I could go back for drinks and plate after plate of these and not stop until they run out of these perfectly prepared bites of the sea!
We got fully involved with both foie gras and chicken liver pâté, both served traditionally under a crust of clarified butter, they were so rich, such a texture and flavor experience on the tongue is almost indescribable… I will have to try it again just to see if I can come up with the words that would be worthy…
We both waded through a lobster bisque, although I would not describe it as such, it was still chuck full of lobster and quite good!
We had both the fried chicken and char grilled shrimp, some of the largest shrimp I have ever seen! I will say that both were very good, sadly though over shadowed by all the rock star openers! I feel like if I go back it will be all about the off the chain cocktails and dreamy small plates!
My only disappointment was dessert… I am all about dessert, and if you have dined with me over the last decade or so you know more often then not I take my dessert up front (not having room for dessert is not ok), thank goodness I did not do that here because it would not have set the mood where it needed to be… I would strongly suggest taking dessert at a different spot in the city, however don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater, the drinks and savories trump all the short comings of the dessert… We shared the Key Lime Pie, and it may not have been the worst I have ever had, sadly-​darn close… Rich, creamy, thick, heavy, sweet, all things that Key Lime Pie really should not be, try light, tart, refreshing…
I will be back, maybe next time the dessert will be amazing, in which case I will come on back and give them another star for sure!

Were I to review only the food, this would easily be a 4 or 5 star experience.
However, there were too many small hiccups throughout the night to allow for anything higher than 3 stars.
We arrived on time for our reservation, and were told the table was not ready. No big deal — we found an open spot at the bar and were going to have a drink while we waited. Unfortunately, somehow neither bartender made themselves available for 15 minutes, so by the time I ordered my drink, the table was ready.
As we were shown to the table, we couldn’t help but notice that the temperature had to be somewhere in the mid 80s. Our server was good enough to crack the back door, but it took a while to cool down the room and so I sat and sweat for about 15 minutes.
Upon receiving menus, we were told that they do not offer bread with dinner, but if we wanted bread we were encouraged to purchase one of the $ 7-​$ 15 spreadable appetizers that are served with a couple of slices of bread. I couldn’t help but feel like this was just a way for the restaurant to boost it’s check average, and it seemed pretty petty, considering it’s hard to get out of there for under $ 50 per person.
All said, not a bad experience, but not a great one either and I really feel like just a few tweaks separate the two. I may be back, because all of the food is so good and there’s plenty I want to try off of the menu, but I just didn’t get a welcoming vibe from my first experience.

We loved Kith and Kin. Everything at the restaurant was what it should be. It is the ultimate neighborhood restaurant.
The layout and the décor of Kith and Kin are great,
The service is really good. We had the pimento cheese spread and ran out of crostinis about half way through, both the manager and our waiter noticed without us having to say anything, and we ended up with extra crostinis.
The food was really good, and the portions were very generous.
We each had a soup, I had the celery root soup and my wife had the tomato soup. Both were delicious, they were complex and well balanced, the flavor combinations were worked perfectly.
The two entrees we had were the scallops and the rabbit pappardelle. Both were delicious and well-​prepared.
It was a little on the expensive side, but it was a good value.

An elegant, gourmet, country-​style eatery floating in the midst of Lincoln Park. Is this a mirage?
No, people. It’s real. And it’s spectacular.
First and foremost, I already felt welcomed by the staff as per «tweeting» with them (@emilybelden /​@kithandkinchi). They greeted me by my twitter handle when I arrived, which was super cute, and then proceeded to seat me at ultra cozy two-​top while I waited for my guest to arrive.
Also per my tweets, they knew I was excited to «try everything» — so the general manager, a very-​friendly Robert Diaz, came to my table and offered to put together a custom tasting menu, paired with hard-​to-​find beers and wines. I accepted.
The entire smörgåsbord was amazing. Here’s a run down:
Started with chicken liver pâté and duck rillette … and couldn’t stop. We literally left both on the table and noshed the entire night.
Next was the celery root soup and the tomato soup. Celery root was addicting and got tastier by the spoonful. However, the tomato had chunks of sharp cheddar in it. #WIN
Next, we went to town on Smoked Apalachicola Oysters. These tasted like they were cooked in a fireplace in Wisconsin. Sizzling hot and amazing.
Then, we moved on to our 4 entrees:
–Blackened Tiger Shrimp. These prawns were the size of baby arms and super succulent.
–The Seared Scallops were done perfectly and in a nice buttery sauce. They were my favorite things of the night. I would recommend this dish as anyone’s single entrée.
–The Housemade Tagliatelle had just the right amount of spice and super fresh tasting.
— Dinner wrapped with Buttermilk Fried Chicken Thighs, collard greens, and mashed potatoes with homemade biscuits. Even though I ate with my fingers during this dish, this was far from a #6 combo meal at Popeyes, let me tell you.
We finished this glutton-​fest with two desserts: chilled peanut butter pie and a warm Brioche Sticky Bun.
Twenty pounds later, I’m a huge fan of this place.
The food is so obviously cooked with massive amounts of talent and love. They really take care of you the way you expect a country kitchen to, yet the stuff that’s being put on the tables is worthy of a Michelin star. Could you have a better paradox?
Also…would be a bomb place to get married or have a party. Definitely check it out.

Came here with two friends. we ordered:
Crawfish agnolotti — good, pretty big portion
Roasted bone marrow — huge portion, loved the sweet and savory combination, definitely a win – good portion for the price
Tiger shrimp with grits — I didn’t try this but my friend said it was very flavorful. The grits were okay.
Wagyu ribeye — very tender steak, done just the right amount for me (rare side of medium rare), topped with an oniony-​garlicky butter that was heavenly =]
Anson Mills risotto — ok, thought the rice was a but undercooked, sort of bland (I had to ask for salt)
Peanut butter pie — very light (surprising for peanut butter!), really liked the pretzel crust and the saltiness it added. yum!
Definitely loved the bone marrow, the steak was a win (I’m not a steak connoisseur so maybe the wagyu-​ness was lost on me), and the peanut butter pie was also a hit. Will be back. I can totally envision the wonderful combination of roasted bone marrow on toast washed down by a beer. Yum.

Came on a Sunday night for dinner. Ordered
Foie gras — very good an interesting combo with jam but came with toast instead of brioche as stated on menu
Mussels — ok, sauce was not the greatest
Grouper — seriously small portion
Ribs — too salty, would balance out with mashed potatoes, except there was not enough of the pirates
Scallops — too salty, with completely tasteless couscous
sticky bun — just like a cinnamon bun, except costly
The truth is, the food is of higher quality, but the flavors unbalanced. I believe the chef had in mind to balance the salty proteins with bland/​sweet starches. However, the proportions of the serving sizes were not right, so there were much more protein left over. I do appreciate extra meat, but it is hard to eat alone.
I did not find the food amazing nor special. The price tag was also high for the experience.

When first seeing this restaurant on Unilocal,my immediate thought was, «Kath and Kim»? That show with Molly Shannon and Selma Blair?! But I quickly blinked and focused harder to see that no, it’s a great rated new restaurant in Lincoln Park!
Sometimes it’s hard to remember which restaurants you want to try when all of the new hip places sport an «And» or a «&» in their name. Especially with this whole alliteration going on, my head gets spinnin. Good thing for bookmarks.
The beau and I came here for the first nice dinner of the winter. More insulation for the cold, I say.
The décor of this place is pretty sweet. It’s very open and romantic, with hardwood floors, Pennsylvania bluestone, mini balconies, and a fireplace. I guess you’ll have to check it out for yourself if my visual confuses you.
We started out with the mushroom conserva which was great. The mushrooms were moist (wet, what other adjective can I use?) and not masked by any unwanted seasonings. All of their mini starters are like spreads, fyi.
Now for the mussels. Virtually every table had the mussels and they looked awesome. Well, they also TASTED awesome. The broth was so amazingly garlicy that no vampire within 5 miles could come near me, even if they wanted to. They were prob some of the best mussels I’ve had, if not, the best.
For dinner I ordered the scallops and he ordered the short ribs, no surprise there. The scallops came with a tomato soup base and couscous. The shortribs were pretty tasty, I should really order that more often.
All in all, this place is pretty good. The service was nice and they have a back room that you could easily have a party in or a dinner rehearsal (it had it’s own bar, too).
The only downfall was that the wine list was incredsibly hard to read. Random words were bolded and it was hard to find what I wanted right off the bat. The prices for drinks were pretty steep as well, who doesn’t have a house wine?
wine-​1

I visited Kith & Kin in mid-​September after hearing buzz about the venue on Twitter. All of my foodie friends were chit chatting about the menu so I thought it was finally time I gave it a shot.
One problem, I rarely travel north of North Avenue but I made an exception and I am glad I did. I really need to venture out of the downtown/​gold coast are more. I didn’t even know how to get there and I’ve lived in Chicago since 1995 and in Chicago-​land my whole life.
I thought the restaurant was on a quaint, tree-​lined street. The décor of the restaurant suits the neighborhood nicely. It is welcoming and warm. The one thing I did notice was that there was little diversity among the diners, I found this odd as most places I eat tend to have a different walks of life.
I sat at the bar and waited for my friend (who was 45 minutes late). While at the bar, I tried their Pisco Sour. I am always on the hunt for a good cocktail that uses egg whites.
Finally, Traci arrived and we switched to wine. We ordered…
I had the Foie Gras — creamy deliciousness, very, very rich!
We each had the Bib Lettuce Salad — two people can easily share this, it is very large
Traci had the spiced pumpkin soup, I did not try it but she seemed pleased
We split an entrée, the seared Flank Steak — which is a favorite cut of both of ours and we thought this particular preparation was delicious.
We also tried the bone marrow dish and a bit of the shrimp and orzo (I think it was a special). I wasn’t crazy about the bone marrow but I’ve heard others rave about it, so don’t take my word entirely. The orzo, again, I am not a shrimp eater so it isn’t right for me to say.
For dessert, we shared the peanut butter pie and I can say with 100% honesty — the peanut butter pie is worth the trip alone! I would walk back to Lincoln Park just for another taste of this pie.

Quaint place on Webster Nice beer list and wine list too. Started with the egg and olive salad witch wad basically egg salad with chopped olives on top? Didn’t work for me. Next we had the tomatoes with curds and whey. Delicious! Great juicy and flavorful tomatoes with some greens dressed with a lite vinaigrette. Next was the crispy chicken thigh It was 2 pieces the top one was perfectly dine nice and crispy. However the one stacked below it was a little soggy I’m assuming being stacked
He should of not stacked them it would of fared better. We also had the potatoes with chicken gravy and curds This was good. Except the potatoes were fries and didn’t think they were house made but it tasted good. dessert was a peanut butter mouse Skip it It wasn’t good at all
All I’m all not bad. Worth trying it

⁵⁄₅ stars on the Wing Scale…
— Quality of product: 3 of 3 stars
— Quality of service: 1 of 1 star
— General feelings of happiness: 1 of 1 star
Our group had reservations for 7:30pm but did not start eating until about 9:30pm. What caused the delay? The UNBELIEVABLE Friday night traffic from the ‘burbs into the city (compounded by the craziness that is Chicago Critical Mass). Upside– parking was not hard to find around 9pm. Traffic and parking aside, Hubby J and I had a fabulous time with two of our favorite kinspeople (J’s cousin B and his wife).
Since we missed our reservation, we waited about 30 minutes at the bar. Guest bartender Adam Seger was showing off mixes with his creation, Hum, that night. Hubby ordered one of Adam’s cocktails; I thought the cocktails were too funky for my taste with its spicy ginger, cardamom flavors. No fancy cocktail for me; I stuck with my yummy Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA as a pre-​dinner treat.
Okay, we know it’s American food but we ate it Chinese family-​style anyway. We ordered the onion rings, beets and cured char salad, and squash with fresh tagliatelle as appetizers to share. My favorite was the pasta; the noodle itself was truly al dente and the sauce was fantastically flavorful and creamy. Mmm mmm mmm!
The four of us also shared three entrees: grouper cheek sandwich, fried chicken, and ribeye for two. :) The grouper cheek was my idea; the dish could be described as a nicely-​executed fish-​n-​chip sandwich. Cousin B’s pick of fried chicken was tasty as well with its own tangy sauce and veggies.
The stand-​out dish was the grilled ribeye. Before the chef carved it up, a server brought the ribeye in a giant iron skillet to show us the bone-​in meat in all its glory. The ribeye was super tender and juicy. The seasoning was minimal to show off the beefy taste. Our table of carnivores was all happy.
Though stuffed, our table shared one last dish– the peanut butter cheesecake (?) with pretzel crust. It was the right amount of velvety sweetness to send us all home… at around 11:30pm.
Despite our tardiness, the staff gave us the table we originally wanted next to the window. They provided consistent, attentive service throughout our 2+ hour meal. The evening started out slow but the food at K&K totally saved it. I’d definitely come back next time I’m in the area… just not on a Friday night.

I met a few friends from another life here last Saturday, as one was on her way back home to the MidEast. Lively company, and — full disclosure — the owner of the restaurant was one of our group. Maybe that’s why my experience was so enjoyable, but the food was delicious to boot.
Shrimp grits. Mmmm, just mmmm. Salad — very good, and a nice size portion for sharing. All the food was great for sharing. The main dish was a giant fish, covered with garbanzo beans, I believe. Our handsome and friendly server whisked it away for filet-​ing after we had a chance to oohh and aaahhh over it.
Speaking of handsome and friendly — well, my dining companions, yes — but the server! Cute! And the chef — cute, charming and amusing!
Now, the delish part. The dessert. Peanut butter cheesecake with a scoop of chocolate ice cream on a pretzel crust. Whoooaaa…
The interior is simple and minimal, but still warm, with a giant fireplace. Very serene, nice colors, elegant bar. I’ll be back again, insha’allah, habibi, nahm! Fheekraton hasenaton (good idea)!

I’ll get the gripping out first, I didn’t realize a «homey» and «neighborhood spot» serving «comfort» food would entail an hour and half dinner for two. This too at 8pm at night, I was surprised by how slow our service was considering we ordered two drinks, two pasta dishes and a starter. The place was busy, and the hostess even mentioned that she was surprised, but overall it appeared (and executed) as if they were un prepared for a full house on a Wednesday night. Fortunately, that is probably the only real negative from our experience last night.
The design and décor are quite interesting. I’ve been told that many bars and restaurants have tried this same space but to no avail. You can tell that they did not try to build out anything new, and made the surrounds fit their needs. Which, at the end of the day, I think works very well. There is wood paneling and coat hooks throughout the place, a fireplace and large bar by the front. We even ended up at one of two tables in the back that are located up a few steps. I felt like I was on a perch overlooking the place, and I really enjoyed the vantage point and seclusion. Erica even mentioned that she felt like this could have been on the side of a mountain, highlighting the faux (made of wood) deer head mounted over the fireplace. The servers were even wearing aprons on top plaid button downs. The mood was set and it worked with the concept.
Aside from the service, the meal itself was just fine, no fireworks but good choices from an interesting menu. I agree that they serve comfort, easy to understand dishes. A few pasta, sandwich, fish and meat dishes to choose from all reasonably priced between $ 11 – 18. And you’re not just getting pasta with meat sauce or steak frites. Along with a typical burger, you can order an open-​faced fried egg. There is a bone-​in ribeye, but also buttermilk fried chicken thighs. We were both in a pasta mood so Erica had the wild mushroom ragout and hand cut pappardelle while I ordered braised veal rigatoni. All pasta is made in house.
To start the meal we ordered the creamed spinach ($ 5). It came with toasted challots and pieces of toasted bread. I really enjoyed this dish as I prefer my creamed spinach light on cream. It was also fun to eat it like I eat spinach artichoke or bruschetta, placing small bites on tasty toast.
Our main dishes were nice, but nothing to get too excited about. The pasta was as good as you expect for homemade, no complaints there. My veal was hit or miss, some pieces being very tough, others nice and soft. The flavor was good, but I found that it got better as I found the bottom where most of the juices and sauce were hiding. I found myself going after the little pieces of veal and stayed away from the tougher large chunks. Again, good dish (for $ 14) that I couldn’t do at home so I don’t mind ordering it out.
Our overall experience was mixed though. The food was fine, nothing exceptional, and the value reasonable. With service being as bad as it was, I’d say it all adds up to a ³⁄₅. Maybe the beer-​battered cod or braised beef short ribs are better dishes, and maybe the service was overwhelmed on a Wednesday night. But that wasn’t my experience and I don’t know if I will be running back when there are many other places to check out. If you live in the neighborhood it’s worth a look, otherwise stick with your own local spot.

Breakups are very similar to marriages. Both have the words «special occasion» written all over them. Both require you to be strong, loving, understanding, and accommodating. Most importantly, both require you to respect each other and act civil… like the adults that you are.
Why am I telling this? Because this is where the ex-​husband and I had dinner just hours after breaking up. He suggested we go to Kith and Kin because it has the perfect atmosphere for a romantic date or a post-​breakup dinner. It is also the perfect location because the food will divert your attention from the pain of going through a breakup.
I needed a vesper martini after crying my eyes out all afternoon. He ordered an old fashioned. They might have/​have not helped ease the pain. But they were good. We sat at the bar instead of a table, we were not on a dinner date. Felt odd after 5 years of being together. Well, snap out of it V, this is your new single life. Accept it, respect it, and move on.
The menu changes constantly. We ordered the chicken liver pâté for an appetizer. Wait, it’s only $ 5? Holy hell. Somebody tell these people to charge more. I am used to paying anywhere from $ 12 – 18 for a similar pâté appetizer in a similar restaurant. Sweet deal. We shared the pâté while discussing next steps in our life. How to handle the parents? How to handle the baby (our dog)? How to handle ourselves?
For the next course I ordered a salad — endives, blue cheeese, and prosciutto. Excellent! He ordered a French onion soup. Either he must have really liked it, or he was avoiding conversation with me… because he finished the soup within 2 minutes.
We decided to split an entrée. I ordered the lamb. We got a side of Anson Mills grits with mascarpone as a side. Perfectly prepared lamb, succulent, and tasty. Big enough for sharing if you are not starving. The grits were a little lacking. I know grits are bland to begin with, but I was expecting to have a hint of the mascarpone flavor. Didn’t find any. Good, nevertheless.
We did not order dessert. Instead, we ordered another round of drinks. I perused the wine list, it is decent.
Service was perfect, even though we sat at the bar. The ambiance is ideal for first dates, consecutive dates, girls nights out, taking parents out, and, as in our case, post-​breakup dinner.
We ended the night as two good friends, which we will always be. Thank you Kith and Kin for providing the right food and atmosphere to deal with our issues.
Here is to R E S P E C T !

Kith and Kin (wasn’t that a line spoken by Clark Griswold in the movie, Christmas Vacation?) meaning «friends and family» is a welcoming, homey spot for that perfect date or to catch up with friends.
It is a bit hard to find as there is no exterior signage (it’s next door to Strand, which has good signage) but worth the effort to find. Once you pull open the door– you are in a warm room with linen topped tables, lots of dark wood, and a fireplace in the back to warm up to.
I got there early for our reservation so I pulled up a stool to the bar and spent a little time talking to the bartender. They have a list of speciality cocktails but even if you order an «old favorite» it will be different as they don’t carry the mainstream brands (no Grey Goose-​pout) — but smaller boutique types of liquor which also make for a good drink.
We were seated promptly by the fireplace and began to look over the menu. They have a number of «crocks» on the menu as starters. The server explained that they don’t do bread for the table so these starters are meant to stay throughout the meal as a bread replacement. We ordered the chicken pâté and the pimento cheese spread. Each came in a little crock, with the chicken pâté «capped» with hardened butter on the top which is supposed to be eaten with the pâté– but we enjoyed it without. The cheese spread was simple but very tasty. Both come with crostini on which to enjoy the various spreads.
For our entrees– I had the pink trout filet over garbanzo beans and my friend had the lamb. My fish was amazing– so much so the description that the server gave me prior to ordering didn’t do it justice. Perfectly cooked with crispy skin on one side, and no bones, the tender fish was delicious! My friend’s lamb was also good but the fish was clearly the winner of the evening.
For our side– we ordered the poutine. What is poutine, you ask? Usually some type of fried potatoes (in this case french fries) smothered in gravy and cheese curds. These were great– not too much gravy as is often the case.
While we were just going to end with coffee and tea– the banana pudding with sugar cookies sounded like the perfect end to our meal and it was. Oh– and who wouldn’t love the little french press that the coffee comes in or the tea pot that steeps and strains the tea before pouring. Nice touches.
Our server was delightful and other than her mis description of the trout, (she didn’t mention it was a boned filet-​it sounded more like a whole fish) was spot on in all of her other suggestions from wines by the glass to that wonderful dessert.
Dinner for two with dessert and a couple of drinks was right around $ 100. Street parking can be tricky in this area but look over on Clinton or if you can walk a couple of blocks– there is usually space on Racine.
So for a taste of some french country cooking– check out Kith and Kin. For it’s the perfect place for your friends and family to enjoy a night out.

FIRE (place)!
:rubs hands together, requests table nearest fireplace, thaw:
(ok, now that we’ve gotten THAT out of the way).
Kith & Kin is in Lincoln Park (though a much more tolerable portion of LP than others) and is rarely a dining destination for me, but come hither, my dears. Kith & Kin is bringing it strong… and the people are showing up to see what all the fuss is about. (Nearly full dining room on a MONDAY night).
Blink, you’ll miss it… there’s NO sign/​awning, but it inhabits the old Gracie’s/La Canastas spot, walking distance from the Fullterton el stop. Directly east of Strand (has an awning and large letters)…muted hues, dotted with bright red door. Welcome. There is also non-​metered, non-​permit street parking on the west side of Clifton after 430pm (In front of a school).
Service: bright eyed and bushy tailed. Well versed on a menu that literally, changes daily. Take that, preservatives! Great knowledge of beer/​wine/​cocktails lists (all of which are more than adequate), and overall cheery disposition.
Glass of Sangiovese, $ 8.
French Onion Soup (crock). Small, but quality. Perfectly browned. $ 6
Wild Mushroom Ragout w/​homemade parpadelle. Fresh. $ 12
Whipped, moussey-​light vanilla cheesecake with graham cracker crust. A delight.
Mini-​French press coffee (so cute!) + real cream. Heaven.
A safe bet for a first date, out with the girls, triple dates, double dates, dates with your parents, dinner with your parents, etc. Most definitely. Classy without pretension and quiet without the bore. Good low lighting, aforementioned fire place, great cocktail list. Bar could use some cozying… seems a little stark, but I’m sure it’ll be improved upon.
Dinner in Lincoln Park? I just solved your quandry… check K&K.

Walking in the ambiance is delightful. Delicately decorated with antique fixtures with leather-​backed chairs to compliment. A secret table for two resides in the back lending a great dinner for two. Our party on the grand opening night had 6 who were promptly seated near the front after grabbing a drink at the bar. However our reservations were not on record after calling in that same day.
The busser greeted us at our table which was unexpected but very appreciated. The waiter greeted us shortly after welcoming us and explaining their vast quantities of poutine.
We ordered two helpings of the poutine. It was good however we expected the gravy portion to be thicker (twas almost broth like texture).
Received entrees at 9:12pm and ordered at 8:40pm for party of 6.
When asked about our service we said it was «sporadic» which prompted the owner to offer us all free cheesecake. We accepted but the cheesecake never came after waiting 20 minutes. So we asked for our check and upon receiving it noticed we had been overcharged for items we never ordered.
Overall food was terribly slow but tasted fairly good. Waiter said we would receive greens for a meal but neglected to mention it ever again. For grand opening on a Friday night there was no line yet the wait for food (looking around nobody had food before us) was too long. Faster food would make this place a great change of pace from the rest of the eateries in the neighborhood.