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Marion Street Grille Honors New Orleans |
| Chicago Tribune; November 22,1996; Andrew Fegelman |
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| Oak Park has never suffered from a dearth of restaurants - if your tastes run toward Mexican or Italian. While diners have their pick of four or five pasta places and an equal number of burrito bars, there has been a variety vacuum in this west suburb. Enter Terry Thulis, late of Merlot Joe's, the casual bistro in Bucktown. After scouring 22 west suburban locations as far out as Naperville, Thulis finally settled on a spot in Oak Park's downtown for his Marion Street Grille. The wait was worth it. This elegant space, with its exposed brick walls and pressed tin ceiling, provides a fitting arena for serving up fare that is virtually flawless. The restaurant bills itself as an American Bistro, but heavy Italian and Cajun accents run throughout the menu. Among the appetizer choices, for instance, is a caprese salad, the classic Italian combination of tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella. There is also an offering of portobellos. These meaty mushroom morsels could easily satisfy any carnivore. They are marinated, grilled and served sliced on a garlic crostini. But there is also a bayou offering of barbeque shrimp, a spicy concoction served with tiny rosemary biscuits. Crab cakes round out the selections. An order brings two delicate, silver-dollar-sized nuggets, served with a spicy tartarlike sauce that makes a perfect foil. The Crescent City tribute continues among the entrees with a creation that offers andouille sausage and sauteed chicken pumped up with Cajun spices. Among the five pasta is a creole carbonara, the chef's improvisation of a creation made famous at Emeril's, one of New Orleans' most highly touted restaurants. In this version, fettucine is blanketed with a cream sauce with tasso ham, andouille sausage and plum tomatoes. The creativity continues throughout the rest of the menu. Pasta livorno, for instance, is a wonderful melange of bowtie pasta, grilled chicken, artichokes and sundried tomatoes. Among the heartier entrees is a succulent pork chop scented with rosemary and a white wine and garlic sauce. The thickness of the chop belies its tenderness. The same sauce glazes the healthy portion of roasted baby potatoes served alongside. In fact, jusr about all of the entrees, from the blackened New York strip steak to the rack of lamb, are paired with these same potatoes. Not to be missed among the desserts in a sinful crème brulee. Marion Street Grille serves a chocolate version made even more extravagant by a touch of Frangelico. The wine list is as inspired as the food. The all-California list offers about 10 white and 10 red selections. As a bonus, all bottles may be purchased by the glass. There are a half-dozen under $20. Although the fare was sublime, the service was not. There were long interludes between the time of the order and the delivery. The hope is that this was an aberration. Among Oak Park's litany of restaurants, Marion Street Grille falls on the high end of the price scale. In this case, the show is worth the price of admission. Rated 3 Forks (One of the best) |
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