erwin

This wonderful restaurant is on the site of the old L'Escargot but the atmosphere is entirely different. Erwin Drechsler moved here after the closing of Metropolis 1800 when the building was torn down on Clybourn. He has an American menu with an upscale twist. The wine list is all American with a range of styles & prices. I don't know how I let more than 2 years pass between visits. We shared a couple of appetizers among 4 people. The onion tart was rich & flaky with a sweet caramelized onion filling. We also had the smoked trout wrapped in a spinach crepe. For an entree, I tried the sauted whitefish on asparagus and prosciutto. The wild mushroom cakes on a sweet corn relish was also very good. Previously we tasted the mussels with tomato & garlic which were plump & juicy. For an entree, I had the trout & scallops. The black trout was firm and the scallops were tender and served over polenta. The service was excellent. On a previous visit, I enjoyed the chicken saltimboca which was not overwhelmed with cheese. The grilled lamb loin was cooked to a perfect medium rare and extremely tender.