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Refresh yourself with a meal at a recently opened restaurant.

Tuesday Mar 29, 2005.     By Centerstage Chicago Staff

Food Feed

As the weather creeps toward "warm" (a relative term, to be sure), the mind starts dreaming of sandals, bike rides on the beach and the absence of that pesky seasonal depression. Make this year's symbolic new start a literal one as well by jumpstarting your taste buds at a recently opened restaurant. From yet another sushi restaurant (hooray!) to the most luscious of desserts and the healthiest of eats, your biggest problem could be settling on one to try first.

Kizoku
File under: Chi chi sushi
Without question, the first thing that catches the eye upon entering Kizoku is its waterfall, an impressive specimen made of a rippled slab of glass illuminated to reveal rivulets of water trickling into a large tropical aquarium. And after giving it an awestruck stare, it's a bit surprising to find the dining area that follows somewhat subdued. Dark gauzy drapes protect window seats from Ontario Street passersby, curved, champagne-colored booths convey a quiet sense of elegance, and even the room's focal point, a circular, 25-seat sushi bar, is understated in black and jade. But don't let the simplicity mislead you. The serene atmosphere and cordial waitstaff are pleasant, but run contrary to the savory spirit of the menu.

Chef specials change daily and are highly recommended, especially the fiery dynamite maki (chopped yellowtail with garlic chili paste, leaf lettuce, kaiware and cucumber), but there is also a standard array of sushi, sashimi and maki, all delicious in addition to being artfully arranged. Those who shudder at the prospect of raw fish can take advantage of several cooked Japanese dishes, (grilled salmon being the best) or might overcome their trepidation after a sampling of the extensive sake menu. Several flavors of mochi round out the menu and prevent your taste buds from leaving the table overly inflamed.

Kitsch'n River North
File under: Campy, with coffee
Campy nostalgia meets comfort food at Kitsch'n River North, the second location of this retro-themed brunch and dinner spot. Positioning itself as the more mature brother of the wacky Kitsch'n on Roscoe, the restaurant has a hip-diner feel to it, perfect for enjoying the many unconventional brunch and dinner items on the menu. Notable items include "the ultimate hangover breakfast," a mix of eggs, tortillas, spicy salsa and jalapeno jack cheese with bacon, and Jonny's Lunch Box, a half-sandwich, choice of soup or chili, fruit or chips and a twinkie or ding dong, appropriately served in a retro metal lunch box for a midday meal good enough to make Mom proud. The restaurant puts its own unique twist on many conventional dinner items like meat loaf, fried chicken and potpies, even offering a cult favorite, fried chicken and waffles.

Unlike the Roscoe Village location, Kitsch'n River North features a coffee bar, perfect for those looking for a quick grab-and-go cup of joe. It also has a lobby-area decked out with brightly colored couches, a TV and wi-fi access. In the spring, Kitsch'n opens up its beer garden where diners can sip on one of the restaurant's funky cocktails, like the tang-tini or the huggie bear cocktail. Drink specials are featured from Tuesday to Saturday.

Hot Chocolate
File under: To-die-for desserts
Branding her super-fly wait staff with tight blue jeans, dark chocolate tee's, and funky Puma tennis shoes (you know you're on to something when you can get Puma to give you product placement for your wait staff's feet), Mindy Segal's dessert-focused haven not only dishes up sweets you've never dreamed of, it's also created an incredibly unique dinner menu that changes weekly.

Desserts ($10 each) are the primary focus at this decidedly non-smoking venue, all built around some familiar ingredients, but each emblazoned with an artistic spin. Give the Banana Napoleon a spin: caramelized bananas mixed with a "yumyum" banana coffee cake (with a butter and sugar topping), then layered between graham crackers and served with a banana ice cream. The talented kitchen staff throws out a fresh batch of dinner goodies every single week as well. Arctic char comes beautifully grilled, served alongside English peas and a new-kid-on-the-block: Israeli couscous. The seared Kobe beef skirt steak ($20) is the popular house favorite, and even the wine list (which is thoughtfully labeled for those who'd like to try wine that is crisp, chewy or fruity) is on an ever-rotating clock, but always thoughtfully selected with the newest menu in mind.

Karyn's Cooked
File under: Getting cooked
Raw foodists will recognize Karyn Calabrese as the Karyn, owner and operator of the nation's longest-running raw foods restaurant, a 12-year Chicago mainstay located Lincoln Park. With a nod to folks like her husband, Jerry, who, as she puts it, "eat in both worlds" (read: cooked and uncooked foods), Karyn's new River North spot features a large menu with international dishes ranging from vegetarian spring roll appetizers to grilled polenta to ground soy protein tacos.

On two separate visits, the service was warm. The hostess double-checked that our waitress had visited the table, and the waitress took special care to warn us about spicy dishes and fast-flowing teapots, plus helped us identify the source of tangy kick on our Jerry's Pizza: hot and spicy mustard. Main dishes, such as the jerk tofu wrap, the buddha bowl, and sloppy joes were full of flavor, but pleasantly absent of heavy oils and "natural flavors." From the diced tomatoes and tomato tortilla in the jerk tofu wrap to the bright, not cloying, flavor in the lemon cake, Karyn's focus remains on fresh, wholesome foods.

Nana Bistro & Lounge
File under: Nana's cookin. Though the vivacious owner says the name means "woman" in French, you could easily take one bite of the wonderfully delicious Italian cuisine at this new Lakeview bistro and conjure up visions of "nana the granna" whipping up old-world recipes in her rustic hillside cucina. The tiny place, owned by Regina Pineda, has boldly taken over the old Quizno's spot on a lonely stretch of Lincoln, but after one step inside, with its warm candles and flickering fireplace, colorful art and hip music, you'll think you've taken a quick trip to Europe. And we haven't even gotten to the food yet.

Just-baked and delivered right when you sit down, the moist, cake-like bread, served with warm marina sauce, is made in house by Chef Giovanni. It makes for an impressive start for what's about to come. Mini toasted panini sandwiches (served in their full glory at lunchtime, some with a $2.99 price tag) make an appearance to the delight of the table. The caprese salad is made with fresh buffalo mozzarella (very few places use this superior cheese, most sticking with a harder, cheaper version) and is a nice palate cleanser for the richer, butter-drenched pastas that Nana serves up. The Rotini Broccoli Salsicce is an immediate favorite, with perfect al dente pasta soaking up a heavy cream and white wine reduction sauce. The house specialty is a juicy, homemade pork chop stuffed with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. With a BYOB policy ($5 corking fee), ample parking and a helpful staff, this is one woman to drum up a relationship with.

A Milano Italian Grill
File under: Northern gem
One man's initials have never gotten so much play. Michael Kornick, of River North's much-touted mk, reopened mk North as A Milano Italian Grill. Responding to his customer's interest in fresh, healthy cooking (right on!) and his own passion for Italian food, his latest concept trades the high-brow for the everyday, presenting a spot priced for regular dining without the greasy, unappetizing trappings of many similarly priced spots. (To drive the point home, limited reservations will be taken, leaving room for as many drop-ins as possible.)

Chef David Connolly whips up a wide range of Italian regional specialties (via, in part, a wood-burning oven and a charcoal-burning grill), as well as a full antipasti selection. Expect thin crust pizzas topped with sausage, peppers and rapini, plates of proscuitto di parma with figs and olives, and calamari three ways. Pair with a Bellini, Grappatini or classic cocktail.