Alas, rising property taxes drove this charming Ethiopian restaurant away…and we only enjoyed the traditional meal once. Sigh. Fragrant incense and hot teas made for a truly immersive dinner experience (that, and the fact that the waitress, who was very nice, did accidentally drop some food on my pants). We asked if they would reopen at another location, but we haven’t heard of any new spots in town where you can scoop food out of a large communcal drum with thin pieces of tangy bread. Too bad.
Elbow Room Pub & Deli
Owned by the same folks who take credit for the Aristocrat and Union Jack’s, the Elbow Room serves equally tasty food with a break from standard pub fare. Try Sunday brunch with live jazz. Their omelettes rank up there (though not nearly to Cafe Patachou standards) and the begnies (I know I spelled that wrong) are tasty as well. Plus, who can resist cheese, potatoes, and onions on a Sunday morning?
Dufour’s
A quaint little cafe in historic downtown Irvington serves homemade soups and sandwiches. Plus, all their lunches come with cheetos!
The Claddagh Irish Pub
Good beer, yes (what traditional Irish pub would be complete without a big tall pint of Guinness?), but forgettable food. What do I remember about the Claddaugh? Some 18-year-old girl wanted to used the restroom during the lunch hour, and they wouldn’t let her in. Nice.
Union Jack Pub
Though under the same ownership as the Aristocrat and the Elbow Room, Union Jack’s doesn’t quite measure up. The menu boasts nothing above standard pub fare (read: mostly fried) but the atmosphere is casual and fun.
Yats
YATS WILL KILL YOU. But oh my lord, what a great way to go. $5 (no chump change!) buys you a heaping plate of rice and your favorite selection of the day with a side of garlic bread. Daily offerings vary, but count on seeing étouffée, red beans and rice, spinach and mushrooms, etc. There’s almost always something vegetarian available. Can’t decide? Get a split plate for a buck extra. Also try the downtown location on Massachusetts Ave. The owner, Joe Vuscovich, is something of a local icon.
El Sol de Tala
The same menu as the Washington St establishment offers more authentic Mexican than most are used to (read: goat). The brightly colored, festively painted, never ending dining room has that same Mexican marketplace feel to it, but when you’re two people out of six in the whole place (and four of the six are the mariachi band serenading you), it can be a little awkward to finish your beand and rice.
The chicken mole will forever be Emily’s favorite, and Chris usually goes for the chile rellenos en caldo. Just stay away from the margaritas: for a Mexican restaurant, they just don’t work.
Chicago’s Pizza
Deep-dish pizza. On the Circle below street level. It’s kind of fun to eat downstairs at this pizza joint. Not the best pizza, really, but for going to college in Terre Haute, Chicago’s had one of the better pizzas around.
Amici
We cannot eat here enough! It’s a Lockerbie Square Italian favorite. Romantic (but cold) old building, steaming crusty bread, and excellent house Merlot. The entrees come either carnivore or herbivore-style with crisp veggies, zesty sauce, and stringy cheese—just right for a comfy dinner on a cold night. The selections of pasta with garden vegetables and the linguini with Italian sausage are our favorites. The fettuccini and gorgonzola is good, but becomes monotonous halfway through. We think it could use something to break up the texture a bit. All said, we love this place!
Agio
A pleasant surprise. Walking past, we’ve peered in dozens of times. While the pink neon-lit patio is too hideous for words, the atmosphere inside is quite pleasant, the walls decked with oil paintings for sale. Service was casual, friendly, and attentive (our waiter, Joey, loved Emily’s “ensemble”), and the meals were memorable
The second time we went, we went in without reservations on a Saturday night. We were seated immediately, but in the bar (read: smoking). It wasn’t too bad though, save for a few short bouts of noisy, smoky patrons with little sense for personal space.
Our waitress this time, Justine, was great. Despite the busy atmosphere, she was attentive and highly reccommended the pomodoro over eggplant parmesan, which Jon and Christine both enjoyed. Chicken piccata and paella made us happy, and the baked goat cheese appetizer was a wonderful start to the meal.
