Dinner #2: Table Fifty-Two

Interior of Table Fifty-Two

I must preface this post by stating that this restaurant was my pick, but please don't take my rave reviews as irrational bias.

Table Fifty-Two is located at 52 West Elm Street on Chicago's Near North Side neighborhood.  While street parking is normally difficult, the restaurant does offer valet and it is quite accessible by public transport.

I must admit that I have been wanting to dine here for the longest time (since I watched Art Smith on Top Chef Masters - I loved his approach to food, cooking & presentation as well as his cheerful personality) and when this dinner group formed, I thought was a perfect place to select for my first pick.  I think I had been looking forward to this meal for close to two weeks!

The Master Chef himself, Art Smith

Ambiance
Upon first impressions, the restaurant had a very quaint look to it from the exterior.  Upon entering, you're greeted by a very warm & cozy atmosphere of yellows, oranges and reds.  One thing that was surprising was the size of the restaurant - I hadn't realized how small it was from the outside; it's a wise decision to make reservations ahead of time.  However, I think our table of six benefited from the limited seating as we were able to enjoy an intimate dinner filled with easy conversation and laughter.  Ironically enough, we discovered there was an upstairs after one of our party had returned from the bathroom; apparently it had a much more French/elegant feel.  Upon further reading, the upstairs can handle group events and I think it would be a fantastic place for a large party/gathering.  AND the restaurant has an outdoor seating area during the summer, which I think I'll have to go back and try.  In addition to the space, the wait staff was very friendly and our waiter was very attentive and informative - I definitely felt the Southern hospitality.

Food & Drinks
We started with cocktails, of course, and they had a nice array of custom selections (though they could accommodate any order) and a fairly extensive wine list.  The custom cocktails that were ordered included the Humdinger, Tart Heart and Peach Palmer - my personal favorite was the Tart Heart.  It was like liquid cotton candy.  A dirty martini was also ordered by one of the group and it was apparently a VERY good one.  Once we were brought our drinks, the waiter brought us complimentary Cheese Biscuits and Deviled Eggs.  The biscuits hit all three marks - they looked, smelled and tasted amazing.  All of us agreed that they could just keep bringing out plate after plate of biscuits and we would have been happy.

Now one thing to note about the food - if you're expecting traditional Southern comfort food, you'll be sorrily disappointed.  Even though Table Fifty-Two puts an upscale twist to traditional Southern fare, the soul of the food is still there.  Take, for example, the Fried Green Tomatoes we ordered as an appetizer for the table.  That's a very Southern dish, but they paired it with unusual accents, like kalamata olives and aioli.  I don't think everyone at the table was a huge fan of the tomatoes, but I thought they were pretty tasty - good flavor with a crispy crunch and NOT soggy.  The table ordered an assortment of entrées, including Cornmeal Crusted Catfish, Beef Short Ribs, Fish of the Day (which I think was halibut if I remember correctly), two sides of the Three-Cheese Mac and a side of Cornbread.  While I can only speak for myself, the words that popped into my head as I ate were:  OMG / delectable / delicious / fantastic / awesome / mmmmmmmmmmmm.  The consensus around the table was extremely positive and we all loved their take on mac&cheese (I could've been happy with just the mac&cheese and biscuits).  I definitely want to go back and try some more items on the menu (I had a difficult time choosing what to order).  Since we were already on carb-overload, we decided to go ahead and order desserts to pass around.  They were out of this one chocolate cake that sounded really good (which I can't remember the name of) so we ordered Art's Hummingbird and the Smith Family Twelve-Layer Chocolate Cake.  While I was not disappointed with either, my favorite of the two was Art's Hummingbird.  It was a perfect combination of all ingredients; light & airy, a little fruity and topped with my favorite - cream cheese frosting.  And to top it all off, we got a complimentary dessert of little snickerdoodle cookies.

While a little on the pricey side (especially if you're ordering cocktails, though I did read you can bring your own wine, though corkage fees apply), the food and service met all my expectations.  This is one of those places that would work great for a date, or for an intimate gathering of friends and/or family.

Kelly's overall rating ~ I do not represent the opinions of my dinner companions

STAY TUNED FOR NEXT MONTH'S GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE...
Patrick has selected Landmark Grill & Lounge, which looks to be an experience for all our senses. Check back in a month for a new review!