Henry Adaniya, who’s owned Trio since it opened in 1993, has stripped the room down, exposing the ceiling beams, painting the walls stark white, and throwing sacks of salt onto the mantel to create TRIO ATELIER, a supposedly casual incarnation of the former four-star destination. “It’s supposed to emulate a return to the basics in the decor as well as in the kitchen,” says Adaniya. But the simplicity seems forced, and the three flat-panel screens in the dining room, alternating between nature scenes and the restaurant’s logo, don’t help. The back-to-basics theme doesn’t come through very clearly on the menu either, although new executive chef Dale Levitski has toned down the complex multicourse dining that Grant Achatz, who left to open Alinea, was famous for. But when dishes like foie gras mousse with black-pepper shortbread and “thymed peaches” are served next to a “flight of salt,” you have to wonder whose definition of casual this is. That’s not to say there’s nothing good to eat: The grilled octopus on chilled potato salad with fennel and olives is chewy but tender, with lively flavors. The rabbit virtini, a homemade dumpling stuffed with rabbit and served with a horseradish, watercress, and tomato salad, is well executed, if a bit heavy. Levitski’s croque monsieur is stuffed with ham, oozes white cheddar, and is grilled to perfection. And the sturgeon with caper aioli is set off nicely by a salad of crunchy purslane greens and baby beets. (The wilted Caesar salad with grilled romaine and an anchovy vinaigrette, on the other hand, is a little too heavy on the salt and oil.) The ample wine list is well curated and reasonably priced. “I’ve always wanted to have french fries on my menu, but it never quite fit until now,” says Adaniya. Those fries, dusted with herbs and served in a cone, are worth a mention too: they’ve got just enough salt and not too much grease, and they’re just about the only thing on the menu that’s the least bit casual.
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Charlie’s on Leavitt | 4352 N. Leavitt, 773-279-1600
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