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I'm Sorry, TGI What?
Monday Oct 02, 2006.
By Erin Brereton
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 photo: Erin Brereton That's why I was dubious when a friend told me about Nacional 27's deal: three courses with two glasses of wine or sangria for $29.95. Less than $30 for food and drink? I imagined thimble-size portions and watered-down wine. I couldn't have been more wrong, which I found out when I rounded up five friends and dined there one recent Monday. After all, nothing rounds off a long day of jury duty like a Latin meal. And thanks to my friend Cook County, I was $17.50 richer and ready to rock. Unlike some limited prix-fixe menus, River North's Nacional 27 offers half a dozen selections for each course. The price can climb upward if you're not careful—some items, such as beef tenderloin medallions, cost $5 or more extra—but for the base price, you still have options. The meal started off with a little chaos: We waited a silly amount of time for a table in the otherwise empty restaurant, and some of our menus had old specials and seasonal dishes in them, which resulted in a lot of reading, confusion and waiters hurriedly taking the gigantic folders from us for replacement. But once we got down to business, things were as smooth as my first course, a plantain-and-something-I'd-never-heard-of croqueta, which was just rich enough and touched with black bean salsa to add some tartness (other choices included a salad and shrimp and scallop ceviche). I also ordered a glass of pomegranate sangria, which I am convinced tasted all the sweeter because it was included in my meal price. Alas, I lack scientific proof. Again, I was surprised. It was a big glass, and a fairly strong one. Which made Erin...? That's right: muy alegre. For my main course, I chose the vegetarian rice—partially because it was the only non-meat item on the menu, partially because it sounded really good. Corn, mushrooms and other veggies were mixed with a thick, risotto-like rice so tasty I willed myself to ignore the fact I think I was also eating spinach. Another advantage of the set menu: You avoid that whole polite dance where everyone debates if they want dessert or not, looks at the menu, debates some more then ultimately waits for someone else to decide. Here, it's a done deal. I had the sorbet trio (the coconut was the best), and along with it, a glass of plain old red sangria—the fruit-flavored verities we had ordered earlier were a tad sweet. Why ruin a wonderful meal with a pesky little diabetic coma? And, of course, because I am a very dedicated columnist, I insisted on sampling all of my dinner companions' desserts. The flan was delish, the coffee-flavor creme brulee so good it is possibly illegal in several states. And with that, our meal was done. We were stuffed, but Nacional 27 just couldn't stop giving! For reasons none of us understood, they brought us a tray of complimentary (and chock-rich) chocolates after we received our bill. Only one of us could find the stomach capacity left to try one, and her comments were "rich...cocoa powder...Cuban" before she stopped speaking and committed all her energy to digesting. Perfect portions, tasty treats and a posh setting: I was happy to slap down six Lincolns for that deal. Inspired, I passed on the cab I planned to take home and walked to the L. As if it knew, the train arrived as soon as I reached the platform. Bargains being a let down? Even the Red Line knows that's not always the case. Nacional 27, 325 W. Huron St., offers the set price menu all night Monday night or before 6:15 p.m. daily. For more information, call (312) 664-2727.
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