Nightwood

Penned by, Stacey Ballis

When I found out that Lula Café Chef/Owners Jason Hammel and Amalea Tschilds were opening Nightwood in Pilsen I was enormously excited.  Their commitment to not only local and organic foods is certainly fine, but it is the delicious things they do with them that makes the difference at Lula.  I eat lunch there about once a week, and often zip in for dinner, especially when I have out of town guests.   

People often forget about Pilsen, a quiet neighborhood slightly South and West of the Loop, but Nightwood may singlehandedly take care of that.  I prefer to not be in the thick of things for a Friday or Saturday night out, and the South Halsted location is actually pretty convenient, while still offering luxuries like street parking you can actually find when you need it.

I took a vegetarian friend with me to test the Nightwood waters, since Lula has always been a haven for my veg-head pals, while still serving my own carnivorous needs.  Since the menu changes nearly daily, depending on what the markets and farmers have available, many of the specifics of the dishes I mention might not be available when you go…but never fear.  I think the choices we made were emblematic of the cuisine, and since everything was frankly delectable, I have confidence that your own experience will be both unique, and satisfying.

The room is elegant but not stuffy, with a centralized bar that is far enough away from dining tables to not be oppressive.  We sat in the window banquette, and were quickly taken through the menu.  I started with a Wieninger Riesling from Austria, which was perfectly fruity and dry, and my companion Scott chose a Cranberry Gimlet which immediately kicked any Cosmopolitan’s butt.  As it is fall, and I am craving all things comfort food, I began with short rib and potato pierogis, the silken dough crispy on the outside and tender in the middle with a gorgeous meaty filling made smooth with potato puree.  The sour cream and chive topping was both traditional and the perfect acid touch to make a luxurious mouthful.  Scott picked a cauliflower soup, which sent him into eye-rolling moaning mode with his first bite.  We heard from the table next to us that their Brown Butter Pizzetta with Burrata was to die for, and had it not been for time constraints, we might have added one to our order, since it looked and smelled amazing.

Since it was a special night out, I indulged in the spit roasted pork loin, cooked with both bones and fat cap intact for maximum flavor.  It was tender and juicy and the portion was enormous.  The bonus of having that one rib bone to chew on was not lost on me.  It was served with a buttery potato puree, which might have benefitted from a slightly less liquid texture, but the flavor was excellent.  Roasted Brussels sprouts were caramelized on the outside and very well done and the onion rings that were garnishing the dish were so good I wanted to order a whole basket of them.  Scott had a grilled Wisconsin trout which was perfectly cooked and moist, and came with braised kale.

For dessert we indulged in a pear and almond financier with a champagne sabayon, the cake was moist but almost oversweet if you ate with without the mellow balancing sauce.  However the two together were sublime.  We also got a plate of their warm cookies, which is a wonderful sampling of several types of nibbles and a good dessert to share if everyone is full but just wants a small bite of something sweet.

Service is warm, efficient and knowledgeable, as the room got more crowded it did not ever get imposingly loud, and we both agreed that it would serve equally well as a romantic date place, or a place for a larger group.