Omar Rodriguez spent close to a decade cooking for the Carlucci restaurant group–Carlucci, Vinni’s, Strega Nona–before opening his own place. His first effort was a Loop sandwich shop; his second is the charming Bucktown storefront THINK CAFE, where he seems to have hit his stride. The room is simple but welcoming, with blond wood floors and chairs, white linen tablecloths topped with butcher paper, and attractive silk flower arrangements for a splash of color. The lunch menu is pretty much a holdover from his first place. There are homemade chili and soups, a chicken panini with pesto, a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich with roasted red peppers, and several wraps: the Cobb, the Greek, and the Veggie. For composed-salad lovers there’s the Think Salad–mesclun greens tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette with blue cheese, walnuts, and fresh sliced pears. Dinner appetizers and entrees hark back to Rodriguez’s days with Carlucci. A generous portion of sauteed sea scallops rests on a bed of fresh spinach with a lemon butter sauce on one side and a roasted red pepper coulis on the other; lemon chicken linguini combines marinated chicken, mushrooms, and a tasty lemon cream sauce; and garlic-marinated skirt steak is served with a homemade roasted tomato sauce. Considering it comes out of a one-man kitchen, the food is seriously impressive–Rodriguez even makes his own desserts. The zuccotto (a variation on a bombe) is a work of art, filled with layers of white and dark chocolate mousse (rather than ice cream), then drizzled with dark chocolate and set on a plate of fresh apricot sauce. His espresso flan is something to be tried, as is the tiramisu. It’s BYO indefinitely. Think Cafe is at 2235 N. Western, 773-394-0537.
