[insert image of the front of restaurant here because I forgot to take a picture]
Chicago Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park is home to many popular Chicago destinations, such as the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Lincoln Park Conservatory (fun fact: I took my engagement photos there two years ago), the Chicago History Museum, and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Prior to the 1820s, Lincoln Park was mostly composed of forest and grassland. Following the Civil War, the community experienced an influx of Polish immigrants. specifically those belonging to the Kashubian culture. The early 1900s were characterized by gang violence and protests, and most notably the American gangster John Dillinger was killed in the area. For a few years, Lincoln Park was the site of the original Ferris Wheel, which was featured in the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and was later rebuilt in St. Louis, Missouri for the 1904 World's Fair. The late 20th century saw an increase in Peurto Rican immigrants and Latino rights activists.
Today, Lincoln Park is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Chicago, housing many young families and college graduate and the hopping Clybourn Corridor retail street. Many well-known restaurants are located here, from the Michelin starred Alinea to the infamous Wieners Circle.
The Atmosphere
Located across the street from the Steppenwolf Theater, Balena is a large restaurant that sits on the same street as Alinea. There was certainly a dinner rush after 6 pm on a weekday, but getting a reservation during that time is still very doable, and I bet you could still take your chances walking in. The interior is a blend of warm, homely decor and modern fixtures. I loved the ceiling lights that looked like stars caught in a twine nest, but hated the weird and out-of-place neon lights on the wall near the bar. The music was your run-of-the-mill indie pop meant to sound hip and youthful.
My husband and I had an interesting discussion on what the role of a restaurant's atmosphere should be (yes, it was interesting, we are nerds). My feeling is that, while generic decor and music is perfectly fine, I prefer the ambiance to match the meal. Eating at an Ethiopian restaurant the other week, I loved how the traditional Ethiopian music and colorful decorations made me feel like I was transported to the mountains of Africa. At Arami, the minimalist style and bamboo furniture enhanced the zen experience of eating simplistic and elegantly prepared sushi. Bars amp up the fun dining experience by playing loud classic rock and heavy metal. The restaurants that try hard to exude trendiness by playing mediocre indie bands and painting the walls black eventually become tiresome and uninteresting.
In contrast, my husband liked the fact that the music wasn't obtrusive or distracting, and how the atmosphere was upscale without being stiff. He also defended the modern decor, saying that Balena wasn't traditional Italian, but rather a modern take on Italian-inspired cuisine. What do you think, readers?
The Food
Fresh with memories from our vacation in Italy earlier this year, we eagerly perused the menu for their housemade pasta dishes. You have the option of ordering appetizer portions of pasta, which I highly recommend, as you get to sample a variety of their pasta concoctions.
We started with the smoked mackerel from the actual appetizers section, which was maybe my favorite thing we ate that night. The fish was perfectly fatty and delicious, and paired well with the equally fatty and savory soft-boiled egg, with the aioli providing acidity to round out the dish. It was the perfect way to whet our appetites.
For the main meal, we ordered a trio of the appetizer-sized pastas. I loved the orechiette, with bold bursts of lemon cutting through the crema sauce, and surprisingly tasty kale interspersed throughout. The agnolotti was equally lovely, the pasta being filled with sweet, creamy squash, and pancetta adding a kick of salt in the aftertaste. I was least impressed with the tagliolini nero, in general lacking flavor, especially missing the briny fish taste usually associated with squid-ink pasta. Overall, each dish was thoughtfully composed of contrasting flavors and chewy, homemade pasta.
We couldn't help but order a dessert, choosing the apple tart with oat gelato and honeycomb. It was truly well-made and an elegant take on a rather simple dessert. The tart crust was buttery, the apples juicy and still retaining some crispness. I loved the nutty flavor of the oat gelato, and the honeycomb provided sweetness and texture.
The Price: $61
Unfortunately, we went a little over our budget of $58, although that was perhaps our fault for splurging on dessert. Although a tad pricier than our previous adventures, Balena offers a satisfying dining experience composed of elegant flavors and upscale service.
The List
The Angry CrabAramiA10Au ChevalAvecBalena- Beatrix
- BellyQ
- Belly Shack
- Bohemian House
- Carriage House
- Ceres' Table
- Chilam Balam
- County Barbeque
- Cumin
- The Dawson
- DeCOLORES
- Dove's Luncheonette
- The Duck Inn
- Fat Rice
- Frontera Grill
- Gilt Bar
- Girl and the Goat
- Green Zebra
- GT Fish and Oyster
- Han 202
- Herb
- Hopleaf
- Jaipur
- Jam
- Jin Thai Cuisine
- Kai Zan
- Lao Sze Chuan
- Luella's Southern Kitchen
- Lula Cafe
- Mana Food Bar
- Maude's Liquor Bar
- mfk.
- MingHin
- Mott Street
- Nana
- The Publican
- The Pump Room
- The Purple Pig
- Riccardo Trattoria
- Sabri Nihari
- Slurping Turtle
- Smoque
- Sol de Mexico
- Spacca Napoli
- Sushi Dokku
- Table, Donkey and Stick
- TAC Quick
- Two
- Untitled
- Via Lima
- Wood
- Yusho
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