Cafe Med a hit-or-miss proposition
Cafe Med by Bice. A couple of these have sprung up lately, the latest being in the Hilton Suites on East Delaware in space once occupied by Mrs. Park's Tavern. The cafe is one block off North Michigan Avenue, so this would be a good option if you are looking for a bite while holiday shopping.
Greek odyssey
It had been a while since my last foray into Greektown. I was up for some seafood, so Santorini seemed like the logical choice.
Dine-out, take-out Thanksgiving meals
We bet whipping up a Thanksgiving feast brings sheer bliss to the kind of people who subscribe to Martha Stewart's magazine and TiVo the Food Network. But the rest of us -- those of us with a Chinese takeout number on speed dial -- dread the dance of whipping up a turkey dinner with all the fixings.
Size Matters
The restaurant is Province, as in a local unit of government. I thought I should clear that up right from the get-go, so that when you call Province to make a reservation you pronounce it correctly. And call you should. Chef/owner Randy Zweiban (most recently of Nacional 27) has put together a fine restaurant with a menu that is contemporary American at the core but then spreads out across the plains of Spain and a few other Latin countries as well.
Five 'joints' where subs rule
The battle of the sub sandwiches has been raging for a while now -- chains vs. independents. Let the chains have at it, because when I want a real sub sandwich, I dive head first into one of the neighborhood joints that over the years have stacked 'em and packed 'em just the way I like 'em.
Bruno's quick bites
The Publican, 837 W. Fulton Market; (312) 733-9555. English beer-hall atmosphere at this paean to pork, cured meats, seafood and more. The thrill-a-minute menu features items from many locales in the United States and around the world. Casual, rustic atmosphere with class. Try th fresh oysters, smoked trout, grilled chicken, ham chop and waffle. 
(Reviewed Nov. 14)
A World's Fare
Tired of the same old culinary grind? Tired of looking at menus that sing the same old song over and over? Does the house salad bore you to tears?
Bruno's quick bites
Soul, 1 Walker Ave., Clarendon Hills; (630) 920-1999. A spacious, colorful fine-dining restaurant with a menu that moves nicely back and forth between contemporary American and regional (as in Southern) comfort food. The prices are up there a bit, but if you want quality, you have to pay for it. The wine list is impressive and made all the more approachable with the extensive selection of wines by the glass. Try the cured salmon and griddled corn cakes, Caesar salad, hanger steak, blackened prawns, walleye pike and sweet potato tart. (Reviewed Nov. 7)
Sweet Soul
It's so easy to like a restaurant like Soul because it's pretty obvious the principals -- savvy restaurateurs Howard Davis (Marche, Gioco, Opera) and Bill Kim (formerly connected with Le Lan, now hot-wired into Urban Belly) -- put their heart into it.
Pat pourri
Planning to attend a performance at the Lyric Opera? One of my favorite restaurants for a pre- or post-opera meal is N9NE Steakhouse (440 W. Randolph; 312-575-9900). The restaurant offers a special four-course opera prix-fixe menu with a range of choices that is served between 5 and 7 p.m., in time to enjoy dinner and still make the curtain. An important amenity is the valet parking, so I can park my car, go to dinner and walk to the Civic Opera House.
Bruno's quick bites
The Bristol, 2152 N. Damen; (773) 862-5555. Contemporary, cutting-edge American food that falls into the small-plate, sharing concept. The restaurant needs to sharpen up, both in portion size and prices. You can spend a lot, especially if you are with a group and share a lot of plates. Noisier than you can possibly imagine when full. Try the monkey bread, grilled prawns, skirt steak with ravioli and chocolate sabayon with Nutter Butters. 
(Reviewed Oct. 31)
