What type of restaurant would call itself Palette’s? It brings to mind an artist’s hangout, or perhaps a coffeehouse. and then there is the homonym. Only those with good palates dine at Palette’s, right?
Located in the old Arnie’s space in Newberry Plaza, Palette’s is tucked away from view. Just opened in May, it may have to wait awhile for Chicagoans to discover it.
Both the long bar and generous lounge area of Anie’s still remain, but owner Heinz Kern has transformed the area with an eclectic look: a large, red velvet double setee looks more like a four-poster bed with ironwork soaring above it.
The dining room continues the strange, eclectic decor with classical columns rising in the middle of the room, surrounding a larger-than-life-size steel statue of the mythological icarus, complete with soaring wings.
With the classical backdrop, you might expect a Greek or Italian menu, but what you get leans to American bistro fare: pizza, pasta, salads, fish and chicken, steaks and chops, plus a few nightly specials.
Pizzas come in a generous 8-inch size, just right for four to split as an appetizer. The smoked chicken pizza is just a tad salty, but the chicken has a wonderfully smoky flavor that contrasts with the sweet tang of tomatoes and the earthiness of wild mushrooms. The crust is crisp and good, almost as thin as a cracker. Other pizza toppings on the menu include grilled vegetables, roasted tomato and mozzarella and a “white” pizza of danish fontina cheese with hot red pepper.
Appetizers on the menu are divided into cold and hot. the cold portion includes beef carpaccio with a horseradish mustard sauce, jumbo shrimp cocktail and a mixed seafood plate with shrimp, crab leg, smoked salmon, and a mussel-and-scallop seviche. hot appetizers include grilled calamari with arugula, tomatoes and red onions and a citrus vinaigrette, baked clams, escargots, and oysters Rockefeller.
One of the hot appetizers, potato crab cake, arrives with a spicy scallion sauce and a roasted red pepper coulis, each of which is well-executed in the kitchen. the crab cake, however, suffers from too little crab flavor and an aftertaste of dried seasonings. and the attractive mini-salad on the side is ruined by a puckery, salty dressing.
A better beginning is the corn chowder with smoked chicken in which the natural saltiness of the chicken is tempered by the rich, creamy broth riddled with still crunchy, sweet corn kernels. delightful and filling. with the buttery rolls and sliced french bread that are placed on every table, the soup could become a meal.
For salad fans, “Palette’s greens” offers spinach, romaine, tomatoes, roasted vegetables and a light citrus dressing. But one evening, the salad came with only a smidgen of the vegetables.
Roasted chicken with “frittes” offers a half bird, perfectly cooked and still moist, and a mound of crisp, bistro-like french fries–thin, hot, crispy and full of flavor.
Unfortunately, not every entree comes with vegetables. like many restaurants these days, Palette’s has opted to offer vegetables separately as side dishes, and for $3 to $4 extra, instead of including them on the entree plate. The sides include baked potato, mashed potatoes, potato pancakes with appplesauce, creamed spinach or asparagus with herb butter.
The poached salmon, however, is one of the few entrees that comes with a generous serving of veggies: green beans and julienned zucchini, yellow squash and carrots hold their flavor and texture. Unfortunately one evening the salmon fillet had a less-than-fresh flavor that was not helped by the flavorless and thin lemon-grass broth in which it swam. Black sesame seeds sprinkled over the fish added visual interest and some flavor, but not enough to save it.
A better bet is the braised lamb shank with mashed potatoes, a homey, comforting kind of dish that’s perfect for the fall. The meat is properly tender and easily falls from the bone. A simple gravy becomes the ideal teammate for the tasty mashed potatoes that fill the rest of the wide bowl in which this wonderful dish arrives.
Also good is the classic bistro combo, steak and “frittes.” the steak, cut to only about a quarter-inch thick, has lots of beefy flavor and is large enough to satisfy most appetites. A generous sprig of watercress is the only green on the plate. For heartier appetites, the menu also lists bigger bites of beef: a porterhouse at 24 ounces, a filet at 14 ounces and a new york steak at 15 ounces.
The pan-seared veal chop also may suffice. The hefty 14-ounce chop has a nicely browned look and taste, though on one occasion, it was overly fatty and required lots of trimming. A very nice tomato garlic sauce teams perfectly with the veal and with a polenta cake nestling on the side. The polenta has a crusty exterior and a soft, delicate interior, but tastes as if the seasonings came from a commercial dry mix.
More Top Picks Best Walking Shoes For Very Wide Feet
Palette’s small wine list could use some expansion, but nice bottles can be found in the $20 to $30 range, such as the spicy 1992 David Bruce Pinot Noir or the 1992 Raymond Merlot. For after dinner, try one of the five ports offered on the dessert menu.
As for dessert, the highlight is a tangy caramelized lemon tart that arrives with a tender pastry crust and a strawberry coulis underneath. Less successful, the double chocolate bread and butter pudding surprisingly lacks chocolate flavor, despite its name. And a special dessert one night paired slices of banana cake sandwiching vanilla ice cream with sliced bananas and caramel sauce and a garnish of chocolate-covered bananas. it sounded better than it was–the cake was dry and the ice cream too icy.
Palette’s spacious booths on a raised platform line one wall, while opposite is a glass-wall view of Newberry Plaza’s interior plant-filled courtyard. Though white tablecloths give the room a formal look, heavy black velvet chairs with diamond-shaped backs add a harlequin note.
The piano at one end of the lounge comes alive Wednesday through Saturday when pianist Dave Green gives it joyous reason to. If you want to hear him during dinner, choose the tables closest to the lounge.
Service is very friendly and attentive, and certainly more consistent than what the kitchen produces. The food, like the decor, sends mixed messages. But with a bit of work on the food’s quality and continued entertainment of the caliber of Green, Palette’s has the makings of becoming, while not an artist’s masterpiece, at least a hit in the Rush Street area.
———-
(star) (star) Palette’s, 1030 N. State St., 312-440-5200. American eclectic. Hours: Lunch 11:30-2:30 Mon.-Fri.; Dinner 5-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 5-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Price range: Appetizers $5.75-$9.50, soups/salads $3.75-$12, pasta/pizzas $6.25-$16.50, entrees $14.50-$26, desserts $4-$5.50; dinner for two of appetizer, soup/salad, entree, dessert, tax and tip: $85. Credit cards: American Express, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa. Reservations: Required on weekends. Other: Wheelchair accessible; valet parking available.
———-
Rating system
(star) (star) (star) (star) Outstanding
(star) (star) (star) Excellent
(star) (star) Very Good
(star) Good
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by The Tribune.