 
189 North Marion Street |
|
'Cheers'-ful: Hip menu fuels friendly Marion Street Grille |
| Chicago Sun-Times; May 21, 1997; Maureen Monroe Barron | |
|
|
|
| A dashing figure looms over the bar at Marion Street Grille. Mysterious and sophisticated, and surrounded by bold color, the cloaked man in the vintage Massiot poster seems right at home in this chic little Oak Park bistro. No wonder. Marion Street Grille's décor and menu make it dramatically different from its predecessor in that space - Mary's Place, a family diner. Yet the aura of a friendly neighborhood eatery remains. Owner Terry Thulis is the guiding spirit behind this satisfying balance. A veteran "saloon-keeper" for 23 years, Thulis is adamant about nurturing a "Cheers"-like sensibility in his 56-seat restaurant. So it's no surprise that his childhood pal, actor George Wendt, is a regular when he's in town. We're seeing a lot of the same faces in here week after week," said Thulis of what, for some customers, has become a hangout. "Our staff gets to be on a first-name basis with many of them." This familiarity prompts Thulis to re-examine the menu constantly. We don't ever want to be static," he said. That also explains the many culinary detours over the past year and a half. After starting out with a straightforward choice of dishes, the Grille has expanded its range to include Cajun influences and imaginative seafood entrees that add panache to the menu. A wonderful beginning is the shrimp Creole appetizer, which features five large prawns over a dark, rich Cajun dipping sauce and is served with warm rosemary biscuits. Paired with a salad and dessert, this could easily be a full meal. The crab and shrimp gumbo is another delightful start, punched up with a tantalizing, yet not overbearing, Cajun spice blend. Thulis has kept several of the house favorites on the menu. One signature entrée is the rack of lamb, either oven-roasted or marinated and grilled at the customer's request. It is served over mint-apple relish with rosemary potatoes. The charbroiled, then oven-finished pork chop Rosemarino is made with fresh rosemary, white wine and garlic and comes with new potatoes. As summer approaches, Thulis is at work creating new salad entrees. One current favorite is pepper-encrusted tuna steak served on a bed of mesclun salad greens with red onion, tomatoes and a fresh herb-and-lemon vinaigrette. It's a lucky customer who dines on an evening when grilled corvina "weakfish" is offered as a special. The fish is the centerpiece of an attractive plate that features a green onion sauce and asparagus spears. Another regular special is braised Lake Superior whitefish prepared with shallots, white wine, parsley and tomatoes and served with the vegetable of the day. The Grille's cozy interior has a soft glow that plays nicely against white tablecloth and rustic exposed-brick walls. Patrons are encouraged to eat at the nine-seat bar in the rear of the restaurant, if they wish. Just don't be shocked to see Norm at the bar with a glass of crisp Chardonnay, a plate of pasta Livorno and a handful of Grissini breadsticks. Sorry, no beer nuts these days. |
|
|
|
|
| Return to Reviews |