Howard Bailey, Paul Bolger, and Philip Rathle, owners of the Wicker Park record store Beat Parlor, have jumped on the nightclub-restaurant hybrid bandwagon with SLICK’S LOUNGE, a Goose Island lair that pays as much attention to the fare as it does to the scene. A wood dance floor takes up most of the room, with a few dozen tables on the raised platform surrounding it; tunes pulsate at a level conducive to conversation during the dinner hour.
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Halogen lights emit a sultry blue glow, and there’s a VIP room off to one side with comfy black velvet banquettes and small cocktail tables. Chef Kareem Roberts, who hails from the Astor in South Miami Beach, makes a strong Chicago, debut with his “New World” fusion of Italian, French, and Caribbean cuisines. An appetizer of goat-cheese-and-artichoke-stuffed portobello mushrooms comes elegantly presented, with a mesclun salad, a balsamic reduction, and a red pepper coulis; the flavors all work nicely together. There are also jerked chicken wings in a mango-ginger sauce or prawn seviche to start. The mostly hearty entree selection includes several beef dishes–a special featured filet mignon stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in a smoky strip of bacon, served on a mound of succulent lobster-studded mashed potatoes and ringed with steamed spinach. Desserts are worth a try here, too: the apple cobbler was a bowl of perfectly caramelized fruit and toasted walnuts topped with a buttery crust and a generous dollop of whipped cream. DJs spin a variety of tunes, from salsa on Mondays to hip-hop on Fridays. Friendly and chatty servers aim to please. Slick’s Lounge is at I 115 N. North Branch, 312-932-0006.
The Dish
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Cynthia Howe.
