Knew

I enjoyed my meal but there were just too many strange rules — the recycling fee for the 2^nd bottle of wine, the «everybody gets prixe fixe or nobody does» mandate, etc. Ambience was weird.

Warning: the service is incredibly slow. Like so slow, we wondered if we should just walk out before we were even acknowledged by someone. But, we’d already opened our wine so we figured we would stick it out. There seemed to be only ONE server and two bussers, so that made the entire experience insanely slow.
The food was really good, though, so I’d go back. I started with a beet salad, which is always one of my stand-​by favorites, and it was super savory and delicious. Nice pickling on the beats and a ton of really good goat cheese. My husband opted for no appetizer, so he just watched me enjoy the salad.
I loved my gnocci pasta entrée. The sauce was savory, thick and really yummy. I am glad we stayed to enjoy the meal, even though it took a long time to place our order and for the food to come out. I think this restaurant could be a lot more successful if it was just a bit more quick on the service front. The BYOB makes the slightly higher price of the entrees even out, so we still didn’t end up spending a ton of money. The ambiance was nice, the tables weren’t too close together and even though this place was almost entirely full when we were there, it wasn’t too loud.
There’s a lot of potential here, so I hope the next time we come back I can give it five stars.

Dining at Knew is kinda like having dinner at your wacky Aunt Mabel’s. The lady who works the front of the house is really nice, chatty, and sometimes says things that she shouldn’t. I like it, because it’s real. Sure, Aunt Mabel may inadvertently insult your boyfriend but she means well… right?
As long as you know what you’re in for, you’ll have a wonderful evening. Since this is a family place (I’m guessing, still haven’t quite figured out the dynamic) with minimal staff, expect a leisurely dinner. Appetizers and entrees will take you two hours. Come prepared with a bottle or two (yeah, two) of wine and you won’t be sorry.
Each time we’ve been there, the food has been very good. I haven’t tried the pastas but every appetizer and entrée we’ve had has been nicely presented and delicious. The appetizers are especially creative and flavorful and should not be missed. My favorites have been the piquillo peppers and the potato nest, which is an interesting variation of a bagel with lox. While every entrée I’ve tried has been tasty, my favorite is definitely the pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon and filled with dates. Mmmm… salty goodness!
Overall, it’s a solid place, homey, and we always have a nice time. If you’re not in a hurry, settle in with some wine and good company and enjoy a lovely evening.

Knew is a gem!
My husband and I attended a cooking class with Chef Omar, and he is a true artist. With his wealth of skill and knowledge, he makes creating beautiful, delicious dishes look simple! He created a crispy duck breast with red wine risotto for us that was of particular note – the duck was cooked perfectly, and I probably could have eaten my weight in that risotto!
Chef Omar’s waitress (I feel so terrible that I didn’t catch her name!) is absolutely as good as it gets. Not only is she knowledgable and attentive, but she is just so kind that by the end of the meal I just wanted to grab a cup of coffee with her.

Wait, you have a credit card machine and you won’t take my card? Because you have to pay taxes and you can’t charge that on a credit card? Did this conversation just happen? Why yes, it did.
We had a Gilt City deal and was really looking forward to trying this place out. When we arrived they asked us to whether we wanted to sit in the front or back of the house. We said either was fine. Then they were like you can sit anywhere. …Would you mind seating us? Then my friend went to the restroom while I sat there. When my friend came back I went to wash my friends, came back and then we sat there. They filled our water, in an odd way, and never gave us menus. We went up to the hostess stand to get the menus and the waitress walked over and was like we typically wait until your whole party is seated. But we are… and you still didn’t give us menus.
We had a decent experience. Service was really slow. There’s only one waitress for the whole place, but there was also 5 tables top while we were there. And we were there until 9pm. The service didn’t bother us horribly but we were rather hungry. The food was better than expected and the caramel dessert was delicious. We had a decent experience until the check showed up. We would’ve came back and recommended this place until this point.
They gave us the check and it said CASH ONLY on it. We had enough cash to pay the $ 7.90 tax bill, which honestly I think is they’re way of cheating taxes. You can charge taxes onto your credit bill. If I was a regular customer would I have to pay my bill with credit card and tax in cash? Credit card companies charge a small percentage for each transaction which can easily be covered by the additional we leave in tip. So we didn’t have enough cash to leave the tip we wanted to. We were advised we should cross the street and go into the bar and withdrawal from the ATM.
Are we for real right now? You’re asking me to LEAVE, WITHDRAWAL MONEY, and then COME BACK and leave you a tip? Lets get serious. We went and withdrew because we felt bad but had an argument before we went. This is HORRIBLE customer service and makes customers not ever want to come back. Then you tell us that we’re sitting at a regular customers table? Their tip definitely went down. It should’ve went lower based on the service you provided.
They advised that they were losing thousands of money from offering the Gilt City deal and lead us to believe that this was the second time they were doing the deal. If you’re losing money on your business, this is not the customers fault and we should still be treated respectively. If you’re losing money on your business, STOP OFFERING GILT CITY DEALS!!! There’s other ways to advertise your business. The marketing strategy they have now will never retain business.
Good luck if you go there. Horrible service I wouldn’t return again. They totally lost any business they would’ve gotten from me.

There were so many things wrong with our experience, do not waste your time going here. POOR SERVICE. One waitress for the entire restaurant. Terrible operations in the front of the house and in the back of the house.
While eating my pasta, I bit down on a rock. i pointed it out to the waitress and it seemed like she didn’t know what to do so i asked her to return it to the kitchen. Few minutes later she returned, and just said «you know, it can happen. we get it from a local farm, you should call them. They’re called Heritage Farms.» Ok, yes, i understand it can happen. But do not tell me to call your vendor when i am a customer of yours. that does not make sense.
We had a gilt city voucher and they said we’d need to pay the taxes and tip in cash. OK, no problem. Low and behold the rock pasta was on the check as a taxable item. I mean granted, it’s only 1.80 on tax, but come on. We tried to explain to the server that it’s about the principle rather than the money, yet she kept pushing back. Really? you’re going to argue with me on that?
Finally, the chef showed face and when he came over, we told him that we shouldn’t be charged tax on an item that was not consumable. he had one sentence for us «pay the tax and get out of here». it was so rude and so unprofessional, the other table next to us had to intervene as he was storming off. thanks to the nice couple that was next to us, and stuck up for us!
to sum this place up: no host, 1 waitress, no busser, unable to properly handle business from gilt city/​vouchers, rude, can’t pay the bills so they rent the space to a play cast to practice so diners can’t have a peaceful meal.
i will never ever go back there for the shitty service and sub-​par food. front of the house is a mess and is a reflection of management.

This place is weird.
Our friends and I walked in for our reservation at this restaurant. After a few minutes of standing in a nearly empty restaurant on a Friday night, the hostess finally comes up and looks up our reservation. She gives us a choice to sit at the front of the restaurant or the back. We said we were fine in the front. And then… nothing. We just stood there for a few minutes wondering if she would seat us or if we should seat ourselves. My husband finally told me to go and we made our way to the table.
After we sat down, my husband walks over to the bathroom and the hostess comes back asking the three of us if we want menus while we are waiting for our other two friends. We said sure… then my husband comes back and the hostess comes back immediately and asks him if he would like to see a menu as well. Um… weird.
We all (unfortunately) had the Gilt City certificate, but our friend that bought it for us had overlooked that it is one per table. They were «nice» and allowed one of us to use the Gilt certificate, but the couple who used it were NOT supposed to share. You will also NOT be allowed to use it if you reserved a table on OpenTable. They are VERY STRICT on all the rules. The funny thing is… you cannot order the lamb chop or fish (the two most expensive entrees on the menu) even though it does NOT say that in the Gilt certificate. Hmm…
As for the food… it was good, but not great. The portion sides were small and while cooked perfectly (other than the lamb chop — that was bland, dry and boring; and for being the most expensive item you would have thought it would have been great), it was definitely overpriced.
On top of that, you gotta love a place that adds gratuity to your check since I guess people are incapable of figuring that out.
We will not be returning… and we are very disappointed with Gilt for choosing this restaurant!

Came here again last night for dinner. I had a 7pm reservation but Knew allowed me to move it to 6pm which was awesome. This time I ordered the bacon-​wrapped pork tenderloin. I did one of those «Mmmm» sounds as you’d see on those cooking shows… this dish is so good! I didn’t have the menu to remember what was added but I tasted red wine and a sweet something similar to grape jam. My boyfriend ordered the chicken. The only other options on the menu last night was the pork (he is not a pork eater), chicken, duck, and maybe 4 pasta dishes.
IMO, there were too many pasta options and not enough meat entrees. He ordered the beef tenderloin for an appetizer which was excellent. Of course, we ordered dessert; a warm chocolate brownie topped with white chocolate with turtle gelato. We shared the dessert… only time I did not want to share lol great food!

Started with a crab meat /​red pepper app., was ok, nothing special. The bacon wrapped pork is fantastic. Desert was also pretty good.
The waitress was insane, and kind of condescending. That didn’t ruin the meal at all. I’d go back if it was more convenient.
The place was empty on a Friday at 8pm. Not sure why. Although, I could see the service taking a fall if the place was packed.

I’ve been to (k)new a handful of times now and cannot understand the negative reviews. Every time I’ve been to (k)new I’ve gone on the Wednesday prix fixe night and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the food, the ambiance and the staff. Ryvka is beyond sweet, funny and personable. And the food is always amazing and a bit eclectic. Don’t by scared to try something different — the alligator bisque and goat cheese tiramisu were to die for!
I don’t understand why this restaurant is not packed every night!

The Wednesday prix fixe got me to this place… and now I can say I don’t need a prix fixe to go back. Although that Wednesday it wasn’t particularly crowded… I was at first skeptical… but definitely not disappointed. Such a great deal for the price and was excited to hear the the prix fixe menu changes weekly, so that’ll keep me coming back.
Presentation was nice, flavors were good… and there’s a ton of exotic meats to choose from on the menu. Buffalo, venison and the straightforward beef, pork and chicken, of course. But it’s always interesting to try something new… and here you won’t regret it.
BYOB makes it a little cheaper, because unless you’re hitting up the prix fixe, it’s not the cheapest spot to go.
Service was awesome. Great recommendations, timely and very friendly. My server chatted with me while I waited for my friend, in a bright and cheery way.
Overall lovely experience from start to finish!

This review is in response to the previous reviews about the bridal shower I hosted here on ⁹⁄₁₇.
I want to start by saying we were excited to have it here. I, as well as the bride have always enjoyed this restaurant! Chef Omar is very talented and I’ve always enjoyed the food as well as the atmosphere.
When I did finally speak to the Ryvkah on Tues 7/​19, I wrote everything down, I’m pretty detailed and organized! She did tell me $ 25/​person, which I thought was a steal! I do not disagree the party was worth $ 30−35/person, I was just surprised when I was charged more than we verbally agreed upon.
During that conversation, I asked if we should start the party at 6pm since the restaurant opens at 5. She said 5pm wouldn’t be a problem, we were welcome to come early and she would have things set up in advance. We thought 5pm would be better so our guests would be eating before the restaurant gets too busy. I don’t want to complain about little details that weren’t organized as we were told they would be, I was just surprised when Ryvkah showed up at almost 5pm and was upset with us. We weren’t trying to cause any problems and didn’t understand there was a limit to who could be there before 5pm. People coming from further away didn’t know how long it would take with traffic and showed up a little early. No one wants to be late!
I do want to say the shower was wonderful after a little rocky start. Once the guests had drinks, everyone was happy! The food was excellent. We had a caesar salad, chicken pasta and the pork tenderloin was amazing. Chef Omar also made a cake that was to die for! The back room is very nice, with a private bathroom, great setting for a private event. Only compaint is that there was no seperate control for the music, it was a little loud and hard to talk. I don’t want to forget the staff, our server was very sweet and attentive as well. Food was bought out and cleared quickly.
I also wanted to mention that I came in and had dinner on Monday August 29^th with the matron of honor and the bride. We confirmed the menu and all the details with Ryvkah that day, 19 days prior to the party. That was the last time I spoke to Ryvkah, she gave me her cell phone number. I tried calling her again the week of to confirm details and time, etc. Unfortunately she never returned my call or we may have avoided some of the confusion. I do regret that we never discussed the price again, Ryvkah just seemed excited to book the room and had lots of great ideas, I never thought we’d have any issues. I asked if we should write it down and she said no, she would remember. I honestly thought nothing of it, she is such a sweeet woman.
I quietly discussed the bill with her in private and was shocked when she wouldn’t budge. I was in no way trying to cheat them, I was just going with what I was told in our July conversation. I do understand she was going through a lot, she did admit to me that we spoke her first week back and she didn’t remember the details as well as I. I was just very disappointed that she wouldn’t even meet half way, that’s not good customer service. A group of us coming back for dinner would have made up for that difference. Now, we will not be coming back. I’m even more disappointed because we had considered having my bridal shower here as well soon.
I want to end this by saying I wish nothing bad for this restaurant. I don’t want them to lose any business. The food is great, the owners are very sweet and it’s a cute place. I only wish they just handled the situation a little differently. I deal with customers as well, I have had to refund people at times to keep them happy, even when the customer is not right. Or, like this case, there was a clear miscommunication. I recommend any future parties booked, everything should be in writing!!!

I am so sad I have to even respond to this situation, but I feel I must do so after Chef Omar’s post. I do not want to quibble over the facts and details, but bottom line it should have been dealt with completely differently.
While the food was great, the space was nice, ultimately the comments and harsh remarks of us being early, using the back door, and the raised bill issues that ruined my bridal shower.
There is a polite way to handle situations and our experience was not that.
As you can see from my previous posts I LOVED this place and the owners. I am extremely sad because I choose this restaurant TO give them more business. Again, this all could have been dealt with differently. I was shocked the way this was dealt with compared to previous times we were there.

Amazing food, great service and a pleasing décor all add up to a five star review for this cozy little eatery.
The menu is kind of pricey, but it’s a BYOB establishment which kind of evens it all out.
We started out with a chilled tomato soup which was awesome. It had the consistency of a Tomato slurpee. It may sound weird, but it was delicious.
For the entrée I went with the Prime Buffalo Fillet. The entrée was quite impressive. Buffalo meat can be easily ruined if it’s overcooked, but the chef did a awesome job with this hunk of meaty goodness. It was tender, juicy and delicious.
There’s not much more I can say. The whole experience was awesome from the moment we were seated til the the moment I signed the check. The food, staff and décor were all top notch. If you haven’t tried this place yet, what are you waiting for?

I would like to give knew more than 3 stars for potential… but «a-​ok» is how I feel about it. Unfortunately, nothing really wowed me here.
We went on a Monday night, and there was only one other couple in the whole restaurant. I’m not complaining, because the service was great and it was nice and quiet.
To start they give you this really cute little free appetizer (or if you wanna be fancy, amuse bouche). It was pretty yummy. They also have bread with a really good homemade truffle butter.
For appetizers we started out with the cheese plate (which is actually listed in the dessert menu) and the portobello mushroom with tomato and mozzarella. Both were very good. The cheeses were delicious. Here’s my complaint. I’m paying $ 16 for a plate of cheese, please don’t use Ritz crackers on the plate. Actually I think they were townhouse crackers — whatever — I can find both at the grocery store, and I think I deserve a better cracker. Besides that, the cheese was delicious and the fruit on the plate was all fresh and very yummy.
We also each ordered a salad. I got the arugula salad with goat cheese & mango vinaigrette. I like the idea, but it was a weee bit too tart/​sour for me. I tried to eat it but it was just too much. Hubby got the special — watermelon over a bed of arugula, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette and some other stuff. He said it was delicious. But, we’re vegetarians and when our server read us the special I thought she said there was prosciutto on the watermelon. Later when we ordered the salads, I asked if there was any meat on it and she said no, so we ordered it. I thought maybe I just misheard her. Nope. There was a big piece of prosciutto on there. Oh well. we just picked it off.
For dinner we got the special — almond encrusted wild alaskan halibut with some sort of peruvian something or other mashed potatoes. It was good. It sounded amazing, but it was just good. And that I think is my disappointment in (k)new. We don’t eat out much, and if we are paying for an expensive meal, I really want to leave there raving about the food.
To sum up:
–Great Service
–Good food
–need fancier crackers
P. S. its byob! big plus.

I agree with the reviewer who said Knew should be packed every night of the week. Their location is their only downside.
I had the fish selection: a wild halibut with fresh crab meat served over some type of a beurre blanc with saffron. It was delish! Cooked perfectly, and I ate everything on the plate.
The complimentary amuse bouche with escargo and the truffle butter for the fresh bread were very nice touches. Gourmet, but not over the top.
It’s BYOB with no corkage fee, which is a bonus for me and my friends who are not exactly teetotalers. Good for the appetite, and the wallet!

I visited (k)new on Thursday night and had one of the best dining experiences in a long time (especially after 2 recent disappointments at Santorini and the Berghoff). I was a fan of Think (their former incarnation) but feel that this is a better and more sophisticated establishment offering such rare options as venison and buffalo, of which I had neither.
I love that despite the higher-​end menu, there was still a pork on pork option! The pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon was delicious and juicy. Pork loin tends to be on the drier side but Chef Omar’s suffered no such deficiency. And there was a plump, juicy date in the middle of the medallions to give it a hint of sweet.
The prime beef tenderloin appetizers were so delicious they almost overshadowed the main dish!
The desserts were so good I took pictures! (see attached). And no I did not have 3 desserts (I went with 2 sisters)! I had the dark chocolate fudge cupcake brownie with white chocolate mousse & mint chip gelato, served warm… need I say more? It was the best dessert of the 3, naturally ;)
I can’t wait to try their 3-​course $ 21 Prix Fixe on Wednesday nights!

Unfortunately (K)new did not live up to expectations after being on my list of hot new BYOB places to try. While the staff were nice about the kinks in the meal, the food left us unimpressed, particularly at the price point.
1. 2+ hour meal for two courses: For the two of us, we ordered mains and dessert which took just over two hours. While we were out for leisurely meal and weren’t starved, this was fine, but there were significant lapses of time between courses and I would echo a few other reviewers that it can take awhile to get the check. I believe the issue is that the restaurant traffic can change night to night, and with only two servers it’s hard for them to be everywhere.
2. Food lacked flavor: The special of the day, Antelope, sounded intriguing but was very bland. It was served on a bed of polenta (the size of my head) which had congealed and was closer to a brick than creamy goodness. While the plate was hot, the food had cooled and was luck warm throughout. The staff was responsive then we brought it their attention and warmed it up, however we still felt there just weren’t good flavors in the dish — especially at a $ 35+ price point for a main.
The highlight of the meal was dessert and we enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant which is great for a romantic meal. We hope they can work out the operational kinks and re-​evaluate the menu to boost the flavors.

I’m not big on surprises, but my husband is. He can tell you this first hand how I take surprises. He surprised me with a dinner at Knew for our Valentine’s dinner not on Valentine’s Day. He only told me that we’re going somewhere BYOB, fancy, and to chill our oldest bottle of vino and a younger one in case the eldest didn’t survive years of temperature change and a couple of moves.
We were greeted by Chef Omar’s wife acting as hostess who let us pick our own table. We sat on the stepped area near the windows. Our server immediately opened our wine and began telling us of the specials. The simple menu is quite overwhelming with delicious choices. After a few moments of indecision, we decided to go a la carte while enjoying our savory escargot amuse bouche.
For appetizers, we chose the potato nests and Piquillo peppers. The potato nests with crème fraîche, smoked salmon, capers, and caviar were delicious. I throughly enjoyed this playful take on a comfort food appetizer. I couldn’t get enough the crunchy potato crisps against the smooth and savory craime fraiche paired with the salmon. Meanwhile, the Piquillo peppers were light and bursting with a unique flavor unexpected from such a dish.
For our next course, I ordered a seasonal beet salad while my husband ordered the soup of the day: a turtle and andouille sausage soup. My seasonal beet salad surprised me with its unique presentation of beets lined in a row dotted with goat cheese. The beets were light and delicious while the mandarin oranges and sesame dressing gave it a twist. The turtle and andouille sausage soup is an amazing standout. The turtle was tender while the sausage blended into the flavors of the Southern inspired soup. I would order this again in a heartbeat it was so delicious.
For our entrees, I ordered the rack of lamb while my husband enjoyed the pork tenderloin. The rack of lamb was delicious and perfectly cooked. I love lamb especially lamb lollipops. Knew presented the entrée on a three pointed dish to highlight the lollipop like lamb with dots of purple potatoes underneath it. I liked the interplay between the juicy, grilled lamb and the garlic purple potatoes. The pork tenderloin is another standout dish. The pork is so tender that a butter knife can cut through it. The port wine reduction added a neat sweetness to the dish as well. Both of us enjoyed our entrees and agreed that they were both winners.
Whenever I go to a fancy restaurant, I have to have dessert. It’s a rule. It’s the law. Despite our full stomachs, I ordered the sweetened ricotta cheese paired with fresh berries in a dark chocolate waffle bowl. The dessert was fantastic. It was sweet, light, and chocolately. The ricotta cheese was so smooth dotted with semi-​sweet chocolate chips mixed with berries. My husband liked the waffle bowl a lot too grabbing bits and pieces from it.
All in all, our Valentine’s dinner was excellent. Knew is a great entry into Logan Square’s growing restaurant scene. I like knowing that there’s a nearby BYOB serving inspired takes on classic comfort food.

I am heartbroken. I was a big fan of Think Café. I wonder if this is one of those cases where they’ve been doing something for so long that they need a break.
It starts when I tried to get a reservation because my Bloomspot deal required it. I left a message and waited a week before trying again. Then I got the mailbox full message. Not a good sign. So I waited 5 more days and tried calling at 8 pm on a Thursday assuming that someone would surely pick up if they were still in business. But no pick up and the mailbox was still full. I contacted Bloomspot but they said they’re still around and the owner would call me. 3 days pass and I give it one more try. He picks up! And he acts like nothing is wrong! Amazing. So I lock in a date but I dunno about this.
Everything was just off. We were there for 2 hrs which is way too long for sharing 1 app, 2 entrees and sharing a dessert. We didn’t bring in wine so it was just water. Another couple came in a little after we were there and they mentioned that they tried calling with no luck either. She said if the owner is on all of the lines it doesn’t go to vm. Huh?
The bread was pretty good. The small amount of butter was stone cold.
We started with the crab stuffed peppers. It was probably good the night before when it was made. The sauce had a skin on it and they were lukewarm.
I had the blackened tilapia which wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. I wish she hadn’t taken my knife. I had to eat it w/​just a fork which felt weird. My boyfriend had the lamb chops. He had a clean plate so I know the old Think Café was in there somewhere! Then it got a little busy. I think it would have been ok for one person but she is very chatty. So there was a wait to hear about dessert. We got the brownie cupcake which was great. They’re still getting dessert right!