Quick Takes
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Ina Pinkney is back after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, and she’s landed in the Randolph Street market district with the sprightly and eponymous ina’s. Brick walls are brightened with salmon trim and aqua wainscoting, and each table is topped with white butcher paper and a pair of wacky salt and pepper shakers from her eclectic collection. Plenty of windows bring in natural light. It’s a good spot for a cheerful breakfast, but neighborhood competition may make bringing in lunch and dinner traffic a bit trickier. Entrees are simple American favorites like roast chicken, meat loaf, beef stew, and whitefish with mashed potatoes; there’s also a BLT, a grilled cheese with Gruyere and Swiss, and a turkey and Swiss sandwich. The breakfast menu is limited to a few specialties–pancakes (either Ina’s signature buttermilk or whole wheat oatmeal, filled with blueberries or bananas for an extra charge), homemade granola with dried cranberries, and a vegetable hash, made, oddly, with cream so it steams rather than browns. Fresh Red Hen bread is a definite plus. The coffee is too weak, but this place is likely to give Wishbone, located just around the corner, a run for its money nevertheless. Ina’s is at 1235 W. Randolph, 312-226-8227.
Construction continues along West Madison, and lexi’s is geared up for the housing boom–whenever it may hit. Formerly Madison’s, this spot is now owned by the convivial and omnipresent Nick Andrews (whose background is in fast food), and the neutral walls, colorful jazz-themed paintings, and long oak bar set a nice stage for chef Andrew Pratt’s bold American menu. After a short stint at Fahrenheit (before that he was at Spruce), Pratt seems to have hit his stride here. Starters include a game- and mushroom-stuffed whole grilled quail in a rich truffle demiglace and a somewhat bland snapping turtle spring roll served with an indistinctive spicy banana dipping sauce. Not to be missed is the crab Napoleon; this loose interpretation of the classic dish is a cylindrical tower of plump crab pressed with fresh chunks of avocado in a luscious blood orange vinaigrette. Striped bass on a sweet potato flan wasn’t as good as the filet mignon, which was adorned with perfectly roasted Yukon potato halves and topped with a wonderful shiitake and chanterelle mushroom ragout. No comment on the service, as the place was dead empty. It’s still BYOB, although that’s slated to change soon. Lexi’s is at 1330 W. Madison, 312-829-4600.
