Tallulah

Tallulah closed but has now reopened as a contemporary French restaurant called LM Le Restaurant on October 8^th, 2009.
**This business has closed again as LM Le and is now Gather:

I came here with my parents and my husband for my birthday dinner last night. We were early for our reservation but since the place was pretty empty, we got our choice of table. We sat at a four top right by the window. My mom and I love to people watch.
I had looked on Tallulah’s website the days leading up to my birthday dinner to get an idea what to order. It’s my thing to study the menu before I go. Well, when I looked at the menu that was presented, there were changes. And not good ones! I wanted to order the pork belly with kimchee appetizer and it was no longer on the menu. I was so upset. And then the server told us that the grilled rainbow trout was being replaced with a pan fried Lake Superior Whitefish. Same presentation but I was going to order that! It just seemed that whatever I wanted was either not available or altered. Update the menu on the website so then others won’t be misled. So, already in my mind, I was kind of against the restaurant.
For appetizers, we ordered the spicy lobster deviled eggs, corn chowder and two lobster bisque. The deviled eggs were more like hard boiled eggs with the lobster placed on top of each half. Very tasty but a little on the salty side. They did have a nice green mix on the plate as well. The corn chowder was delicious. I didn’t try the lobster bisque because it had cilantro. I can’t stand that.
For entrees, we ordered the wahoo (tropical fish), skatewing, pork loin and the whitefish. The whitefish was divine. It was served with fresh tomatoes and tempura green beans. It also had a spicy aioli sauce on the plate. I asked the server for the name of the spice. I forgot what it was called but it is from the Mediterranean. Wow. That aioli was so good I could have just eaten that. It was a nice companion for the whitefish. I didn’t try the other entrees but all the plates were clean by the end of the meal. I’m taking that as a good sign.
For dessert we got crème brûlée and a peanut butter cake with honey mousse. Now we got two to share. My husband told me he wasn’t going to eat any dessert but once he tried the peanut butter cake, he kept eating it. A true testament to the cake. It was delicious and rich. I think we left a couple bites left on the plate.
The space is awesome. Nice clean lines with minimal décor. The front part of the room was light and the back from what I could see was darker. A nice contrast. There is also an enclosed patio but since it was cool outside, we didn’t see it.
Overall, a great meal. We all enjoyed ourselves and the service was exceptional. I know they have a brunch menu and will be going back for that. This is such a nice place for a small group or an intimate date. You won’t be disappointed with Tallulah.

MYOTN.
Make your own tapas night, is how we approached Tallulah. First of all… love the interior. Beautiful. They certainly could spruce up their awning… rather, average.
Sat down, ordered drinks and among six of us immediately decided on apps. Here is what we tried, and my personal review:
Lobster Deviled Eggs: Good. If you like deviled eggs, you’ll like them. However, the flavor overwhelmed the lobster… so the lobster was a bit superfluous.
Woodland Mushroom, Prune, & Blue Cheese Tart: Amazing. Nice pastry, good mix of flavor.
Bulgogi-​Style Pork Belly House made Kimchee: I don’t like pork belly, so I didn’t try. But, everyone said it was mouthwatering.
Buffalo Tartare: One of my two favs. Sooo good!
Steamed. Mussels: Fav. The sauce with this was so good, we asked for extra bread to dip it. There was some left still, and some of us were tempted to drink it. Oh, yeah the mussels were fresh and perfectly cooked. Not a closed one in the bowl!
Lemon Parmesan Gnocchi Crisp Escargot: This was also really good, although I didn’t really think the escargot was the best compliment for the gnocchi. I ate them separately, and both were excellent… but wasn’t the best pairing.
Also, we split three desserts:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pots de Créme: Uhh… I get chills thinking about it. Amazing. Light yet rich and indulgent.
Ancho Chili and Chocolate Mousse: This too was amazing. Once again, the banana with it wasn’t the best pairing. Points for creativity… but it didn’t work for me. The mousse stands alone!
Cranberry-​Apple Crumble: Good. Seemed average next to the other two, but fruit was fresh, and it tasted really good.
Overall, I really liked it! I would definitely go back to try entrees, but the apps (on this menu at least) won us over, and I would recommend all of them. Save room for desert.

We met another couple here for dinner on Saturday night for the first hot day of summer. I was especially excited when our hostess led us out to their lovely patio outback. My excitement soon faded when we were all sticky and sweaty thanks to the heat and humidity… those 2 little fans Tallulah has out back don’t do much. Ick!
And it was to be a long night in the heat because our waitress moved slower than my 85 yr old grandmother. Tallulah was fading fast in my book, but fortunately delicious food made up for it…
Apps: 2 ordered of lobster deviled eggs because 1 order isn’t enough when some thing is this delish
Crab cake. Mmmm… should have gotten 2 orders of that too!
Entrée: Grilled wahoo. At first bite this didn’t have much flavor, but then when I poured lots of lemongrass broth (provided on the side) on it I really enjoyed it. The purple sticky rice that came with it was also a nice touch. My husband also ordered the wahoo, which he thought was just OK.
The meat eaters at the table ordered the steak frites and the duck. Both seemed to really enjoy their meal. I did steal a few of the fries that came with the steak. They had some sort of garlic soy drizzled on them and were beyond delicious.
Dessert: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pot, compliments of our waitress to apologize for her slowness. And it’s as good as I said it was in my review from a year ago… YUM!
I’d definitely go back to Tallulah for a 3^rd time, but next time I’ll be eating my lobster deviled eggs and chocolate peanut butter pot inside.

I’d put off coming here for a while because of some of the earlier mixed reviews, even though it’s in my neighborhood. They also don’t have any vegetarian entrees other than risotto, which I don’t like ordering in restaurants. But they have BYOW (bring your own wine) night on Tuesdays which is pretty hard to pass up. So my husband and I brought over a bottle of wine and hoped for the best.
We couldn’t have been happier. Our hostess/​waitress was friendly and said they could change the appetizer gnocchi on their menu to not include pancetta or escargot, and I’m so glad I ordered it because it was deliciously good. Never mind the fact that I was nearly stuffed after ordering the asparagus soup to start… another great choice.
My husband ordered the bulgogi pork belly and their rib special that night. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy. It was especially ironic that he hesitated to order the ribs because he said sometimes restaurants don’t give you enough. Hahaha… he could only finish half of them!
And since we couldn’t agree on dessert we each ordered one. He ordered the crème brûlée while I had the chocolate mousse. Although they were both very good, this will be the last time we both order a dessert because we were beyond full even though we only finished half of each.
And the night just got better when they brought our check… under $ 100 for two pre-​dinner drinks, three appetizers, one entrée, two desserts, and one after dinner drink. I think we just found our new go-​to Tuesday night restaurant!

Oh em gee.
My roommate and I are both going through a rough patch. Or rather, we’re each going through our OWN rough patches, but they are similar and happening at the same time. So tonight, we decided to eat our feelings.
And all I have to say is «HolyshitWOW.» We looked at the menu before we left the house and were more or less drooling on our own floor.
There was a short wait upon our arrival (around 8ish on a Saturday night), so we sat at the bar (which is lit from underneath the actual top of the bar, a cool effect) and drank some lovely prosecco until our table was ready.
We were seated at a table that seemed… oddly placed. It was more or less right on top of two other tables, and if we were to swing an elbow, there would’ve been a solid chance of hitting someone in the face. On the plus side, we could see what everyone else was eating. On the minus side, we were literally RIGHT ON TOP of the people on either side of us. Awkward.
After a few minutes, our server arrived and ran through some menu additions, which totally screwed up our idea of what we wanted. We had decided on the Lobster Deviled Eggs, but then our server mentioned something with Softshell Crab (and yes, all foods will be capitalized because they deserve that respect) and our eyeballs lit up. So we went with the Crab.
And our amazing server, bless his heart, brought us the Softshell Crab AND the Lobster Deviled Eggs — because he knew we really wanted both.
And Both. Were. Spectacular. The Crab came with an amazing glaze, some mixed greens, and a spring roll that involved mint. And the eggs were just as rich as you’d imagine, and creamier than any deviled egg I’ve ever had.
My roommate ordered some fish called a Wahoo, that I had never heard of previously. But it came with this great ginger dressing that went with the purple sticky rice and the jalapenos and other vegetables for a spiciness that was flavorful, and not overwhelming.
I went with the Scallops and sweet merciful crap I have NEVER had such tender scallops in my life. They were served in a skillet with brie cheese, broccoli and cauliflower florets. And it was so amazing and flavorful and tender that I might have cried a few times. It was PERFECT.
And then the dessert. We could not choose a dessert to save our lives. So we told our amazing server to surprise us with two. He brought out a White Chocolate & Raspberry Crème Brulee, and this Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pot de crème. And both were rich and creamy and AMAZING. We probably didn’t need to order two, but they were both so good that we were glad we did.
And when we got the bill? Those amazing Lobster Deviled Eggs had been comped! Amazing! Wonderful! Can I go back please? There’s Buffalo Tartare on the menu and I need to eat that soon.

100^th Review!!!
Very good American/​Contemporary restaurant in Lincoln Square. I love the «outdoor patio» — it is glass enclosed, so on a cool night it is a perfect alternative to actually sitting outside — and considering the shortness of Chicago’s patio season, I think they are very smart to enclose it.
The food was very good, but there wasn’t a particular dish that I wanted to eat again and again, which is my new requirement for a five star review. :) I thought the apps missed the mark a bit — we tried the soft shell crab and the buffalo tartar. The horseradish maple aioli (which tasted like spicy mustard) overshadowed any taste the buffalo may have had. The soft shell crab was good, but nothing you couldn’t get at any Japanese restaurant.
The entrees are really where Tallulah succeeds. They are inventive and fun and out of the ordinary. I had the duck breast with strawberry and rhubarb, which was a lovely combination and quite delicious. My fiancé had the «east meets west» steak frites, which were really unusual and delicious. The asian sauce on the frites had a real kick! Our dining companions each had fish dishes that were also tasty.
For desserts we tried the chocolate peanut butter pot de crème, which was heavenly, but so so rich. I could only have a couple of bites before surrendering my spoon. It came with a scrumptious peanut brittle. We also tried the blueberry bread pudding with key lime sorbet, which was a fun combination.
Wine list is great, we had an Austrian Gruener Weltliner for $ 31 that was very tasty. There are many bottles in the $ 30-​$ 40 range, and some spendier ones if you’re looking to splurge.
All in all, Tallulah made for a lovely evening dining out with friends. I’d say skip the apps and head straight for the entrees and desserts. Enjoy the ambiance on the «patio» while the weather is nice!

Tried this place last night… WOW!
I have lived in the square for almost a year now, and Tallulah’s unassuming appearance on Lincoln had me passing it without knowing what a gem it was. Three of my best friends and I had made a reservation, and as the weather has been better, requested to sit in the «patio». As soon as we got there, the hostess informed us that she had, in fact, saved us a table out back. We walked through the restaurant, which was charming and understated (in a good way), to the outdoor patio. It was a really neat set up! We weren’t outside technically, but the glass walls and beautiful curtains made it feel like we were in a really cool, warmer version of outside. We all loved it.
We split a bottle of white, which was the perfect accompaniment to all of our dishes. For appetizers, we tried the steak tartar and the soft shell crab (a special!). WOW. The crab was excellent. I really enjoyed the steak tartar as well. For my entrée, I had the Rainbow Trout. Delicious. I was intrigued by the artichokes (one of my favorite things in the world), and to have some hearts fried in with the fish and capers was fantastic. My friends had the steak frites, the wahoo, and the duck. We all tried each others’ dishes, and everyone was happy. The steak and duck were both cooked to perfection.
FInally, we ended with the bread pudding and chocolate peanut butter pots. Amazing. The perfect way to finish this fabulous meal.
I’d seen some gripes about the service here on Unilocal,but ours was great. Our wine glasses were always full and I did feel taken care of. Getting the bill was a little slow, but not a big deal at all.
If you’re willing to part with some cash, Tallulah is an experience worth having.

Holy seduction, Lincoln Square! How am I just learning about all the lovely «date night» spots you have hidden among your faux-​German beer halls? Tallulah seemed like the perfect place to begin my amorous-​culinary journey.
I started with a salad — spinach with pears, two of my favorite foods (especially together). Upon reading the description of this salad on the menu, the only thing I was less-​than-​excited about were the beets. Bleh — who likes beets?! Well, I do, apparently — especially when they are golden beets sliced paper-​thin and salted. Outstanding.
Entrée — Skatewing with sauteed strawberries and fava beans. I know what you are thinking — «FISH with STRAWBERRIES? Ew!». I thought the same thing. I was wrong… Ipso facto, so are you (sorry).
For dessert my date and I split the bread pudding (and good thing as it was large and we were quite sated at this point). My food thus far had been an exploration of flavors I wouldn’t expect to encounter simultaneously, and dessert was no exception. The bread pudding was served with key lime sorbet. Fabulous independently — divine together.
Overall, one of my top dining experiences. The only slight negative was the speed of service. We ordered salads and POOF! There they were. Salads finished, POOF! Here come the entrees. I could have used more time to reflect and absorb. Date and I got there at 7 and were paid up and ready to leave at 8:30.

Six of us went here for brunch and were completely won over. The food was absolutely fantastic. I would even go so far as to say very innovative. The service was top notch and made sure we were given attention. The room looked very nice.
I got the rabbit skillet with potatoes and brussel sprouts. I’ll be the first to say I’m not a fan of brussel sprouts but this place made a convert of me. They were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The rabbit was very tender and flavorful. Another hit on the table was the pork belly over grits. Just wonderful.
We will be coming back again and again!!!

Price: Reasonable
Atmosphere: Quaint, Modern
Food: Out Of This World
Service: OK
This place reminded me of San Francisco! Upscale, Casual with a hip vibe, cool music, pretty people!
Deviled Eggs were excellent, Pork Belly appetizer was the best! Cobia was near perfect, bread pudding side dish was clever and different. Bibb Lettuce Salad was refreshing.
A must visit restaurant on your list…

Solid 3 stars. If things were a little less fancy (and expensive) I’d go up to 4. Constant cutlery changes don’t enhance things for me.
I started with the mixed greens, which were plentiful and doused in a good ginger/​soy dressing. For my entrée I had the arctic char, cooked well (as in good, not overdone). The accompanying mushroom sauce was delectable but only about a teaspoon’s worth… wish they had served more of it. A couple of potato slices rounded out the plate. All in all, my selections were healthy and a good blend of flavors but I think the menu would benefit from having a couple more vegetarian options. Bacon is heavily represented.
For dessert: the pumpkin crème brûlée was divine, the chocolate mousse unremarkable (though I did appreciate the dark chocolate stick served with it), and the lauded chocolate peanut butter pot disappointed… too heavy on the creamy and light on the chocolate (although my tablemates liked it.)
The décor is fine, minimalist… seating feels cramped. We were a group of six and it felt like we were in a library and had to keep our voices down. Service was good though.

This place didn’t wow me, but didn’t let me down either. Well, maybe it let me down just a little.
They’ve done a nice job with the space. Including an internal vestibule to cut down the wind and cold is an essential ingredient, and one that is easy for smaller restaurants to overlook. The menu certainly focuses on creative, interesting fare (east meets west, etc), generally sprinkled with interesting and/​or gourmet ingredients (fois gras, confit, etc). Service was solid.
So everything was just fine, but I confess I left feeling like my experience didn’t live up to my hopes. First, yes, the menu wows with creativity and haute cuisine. This sets the bar pretty high, and In all honesty, for me the food didn’t live up to the expectations. Again, everything was good, but not great. Some unusual combinations «missed.»
Finally, being brutally honest… Lincoln square restaurants tend not to be my thing– too many rich parents with «gifted» kids. For me, spending a hundred and fifty bucks on dinner is tainted when there’s some toddler crawling on the booth next to me.
So Tallulah, you’re great, I know you’ll find lots of other people who love you– you don’t need me anyway. I’ll probably be moving on.

When dining with 2 beautiful women (yes there was another dude, but my memory chooses to just see my reflection in his seat;p) the place automatically gets 4 stars.
These women are smart, successful, stylish, adored and way cool like a good humor truck in july. So logic follows, if they choose to eat here, then everything is good in the world and this place is THE place to be.
The service was approachable, smiling and in sync with getting us proteins, waters and tasty tastinesses to our table.
Chef Dude (see Andrea R, s review for his real name) was the DUDE.
His grilled marlin with mango salsa was served the way protein should be did, properly seasoned, perfect texture and damn tasty.
Yes, the deviled eggs to start were pimping topped off with the lobster (BAM!) which is a great way to get your external orifices to properly lubricate and moisten themselves in preparation of consuming more tasty delights.
Dessert was sublime. Simple, glucose stick satisfying way to end a fun ride in this lincoln square upscale dive.(in a metaphoric sense, as in perfect escape off the beaten path and into your own little time pocket)
Décor: simple, clean lines, from a guy’s perspective, well decorated, not cluttered with things girly eyes like to call decoration, but solid, warm and inviting.
Unilocal EATS!

Thank God tonight is the last night of the Unilocal Eats Restaurant week… Holy mother of good food, I’m getting spoiled.
No, seriously… when the spicy lobster deviled eggs arrived (which, I would generally salivate at the sight of) I was just like «hmmm.» I blame this on my rather absurd number of dinner experiences this week.
However, those little pods of perfection sprinkled with lobster proceeded to bowl me over. I am very partial to eggs in any shape, way or form… but this was just above and beyond expectation. Mmmmm. So good. A perfect start to the meal.
The baby spinach salad was plentiful. Not just a little pile of leaves, but a heaping amount of vegetable. I like that. Skimping on greens is not acceptable, and Tallulah came through with the appropriate amount of ruffage. Well done, though I could do without the yellow beets, despite their contribution to the aesthetics of the plate.
Fish: Not memorable, and a bit chewy… but I really enjoyed the mango salsa. I generally do not order fish at restaurants, and since it was the only choice… obviously, I tried it. Perhaps I’m just not a «fish» person. However, I would recommend it to others that enjoy non-​legged friends for dinner.
Dessert: Now, this is the homerun. Holy mother of peanut butter! The Peanut Butter Pot de Crème was not only adequately portioned for about 3 – 4 people, but piled with whip cream and garnished with peanut brittle and chocolate straws. Absolutely FANTASTIC. I know, I know… I’m partial to peanut butter anything (even out of the jar), but this was outstanding. We also tried the banana chocolate mousse (very good) and the Chai Crème Brulee (mmm, if you like chai, get it!).
Overall, the ambience lacks a bit… though perhaps that is the goal. Overly simplistic in design, very conservative. Perfect for a first date if you don’t know the person and their tastes, or perhaps to take the parents (or grandparents) out for a very nice meal in a quiet, quaint dining room. The bill won’t bite you, even without prix fixe.
Public (metered) parking lot just south on Lincoln. BYOB on Tuesdays! (score).
I’d go back just for dessert and coffee, honestly.

Open for about a month– Tallulah is the newest addition to Lincoln Square. Located in the old She-​She space, the restaurant appears to still be working out some of its bugs given the experience that we had there last night.
The space has been totally redone with walnut wood, brown leather chairs, white walls and banquettes and an alabaster topped bar that is under lit to make it look like it is glowing in the small space. All very lovely. As for that small space– it would be better if there were a little more «breathing room» between the tables. While we came alone– it felt like we were there with the couple sitting next to us as there was only an inch between the tables and we were practically in their conversation all night.
As always when we visit a new restaurant– we ordered a wide range of foods and there were some winners and losers in the bunch. For appetizers, we had the spicy lobster deviled eggs (excellent, cool and creamy) the buffalo tartare (the best thing we had all night) and the crab and Andoille fritters (doughy and not very tasty although salvageable if you eat the greens and dressing that come with them to spice them up)
For our entrees, we ordered the peppercorn crusted steak served with fries drizzled with aioli sauce. The steak was not hot and if there were peppercorns on it– they escaped me, but the fries were great. My friend had the braised short ribs and while his was hot– it had really no flavor. His came with bacon brie mashed potatoes and some root vegetables that were undercooked and crunchy.
The wine list– while not extensive– does offer up several varieties by the glass. By the bottle there is not a choice over $ 75 which makes for a reasonably priced dinner. Our server actually suggested a wine that was less expensive than the ones we were looking at and while good– it wasn’t as full bodied as I would have liked.
The little things that kept this from getting a higher rating are the things that make an «OK» restaurant a place I’d recommend to friends. There seemed to be cleanliness issues with the glassware. The first wine glasses were fingerprinted and had water spots on them. These were then replaced with new glassware that had lipstick on them. Food is a detail business and someone missed the details. Had either the bartender or the server looked before they plopped them on our table it would have made for a better experience.
The other thing was that the pacing of the service was off. While the place was busy– it wasn’t packed so I expected to get my first drink to enjoy while perusing the menu. That didn’t happen. Even when the one of the owners was standing 2 feet away from us talking up the couple that was «with us» (that’s a joke, see above) we still waited to get our drink. Once the wine was ordered there was another pause. On the other hand– I thought the food delivery was paced out well.
All in all– I don’t think I would search out Tallulah as it is pretty far north from my regular beaten path and there are many restaurants between here and there that pull it together better. But if I find myself up that way in the future– I’d love to go back for more of those deviled eggs and buffalo tartare. Hmm…can a girl live on raw meat and eggs alone? I say yes!