Dining at Spring in Chicago
On my second of three nights in Chicago recently, I went to Spring. This restaurant receives great reviews, has wonderful decor, and is generally regarded as a smart place to visit in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago.
That said, something was lacking at Spring. Granted, I was there on a Sunday evening, so the place was about as festive as a mortuary. That’s not very festive. Also, the elite of the service staff were at odds with the rest of the service staff, which made things a tad uncomfortable. I don’t even know what I ate for my third or fourth courses from the tasting menu that I ordered. But I did hear a waiter taking other people to task over serving me too quickly. Strange.
Yes, I ordered the tasting menu, and because of some food allergy issues I asked for a more seafood-centric menu. The waiter and chef were more than happy to oblige, which was nice. Here’s an abbreviated list of the delicious food:
- Amuse bouche - Buckwheat soba noodles in an aged soy glaze
- First course - Raw maguro (tuna)
- Second course - Seared hamachi
- Third course - Maine diver scallops
- Fourth course - Raspberry/blackberry melange of sorbet with a red/black raspberry drink thing
I also had the suggested wine pairings with the meal; I never saw a bottle nor a description of anything I drank, so I have no idea who made these wines, how old they were, etc. Now that’s annoying:
- Sparkling rosé - a nice start!
- Sake - tasty, but a little strange after the rosé
- Riesling - delicious, wine of the night for me
- Viognier - absolutely one of the worst pairings I have ever had, and not a great Viognier either
After the meal, I asked the waiter for a copy of the menu listing what I had, or at least the wines that I had. He said that was not possible because the computer was down, or some such strangeness. Huh? Just write me a list? Nobody else was eating at this point! Oh well. The decor was nice.
In the end, I wanted to like Spring, but I doubt I’d go back, even on a Friday or Saturday. They need to sort out a few quirks before they can justifiably consider themselves in the same league as Blackbird, one of their sister restaurants. Apparently in Chicago, many places prepare great food, but it’s really the service that can make or break the dining experience.