Hmmmm, Chalkboard

Well, I visited Chalkboard this evening with my parents, who are visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday. This was I think my third, maybe fourth visit and I had pretty high hopes and expectations. My first visit to this then newly-opened restaurant was delightful; followed by two other luke-warm experiences. Tonight would have to qualify as a luke-warm visit, at best.

We were pleased that the restaurant could accommodate our last-minute inquiry, so a 6:30 dinner time was appreciated, even though earlier than we would have liked. The evening started off well, with a charming waiter, an intriguing menu and evening specials list; but somehow lost its way after our starters.

My mother chose the Tucscan white bean soup with prosciutto and wild mushrooms. That was a hit. The soup was earthy, comforting and tasty and the flavors blended perfectly. My father selected the sea scallop appetizer, which he thoroughly enjoyed . And, I had the Chalkboard salad of arugula and mizuna with roasted tomatoes and a refreshing lemon vinaigrette topped off with shaved asiago - delicious and light.

Then, we moved on to entrees. Mom loved hers, which was braised pork shoulder with white beans and a hint of apple. Dad and I both had the lemongrass and chorizo poached halibut with celery root puree (yum) and a goat cheese fondant, which sounded amazing. However, once we got the dish, there was a noticeable crispy edge to the fish. When I questioned our waiter about the preparation, he seemed disinterested in finding out more specifics from the chef (disappointing). So, not only was our poached halibut seared, but it was severely over-cooked. (again, disappointing). By this time the waiter's charm was wearing thin (he was far too interested in one table to our right) and my disappointment with Chalkboard was gaining steam.

We did push on to desert (chocolate and fennel bread pudding for pops and mom and I shared the individual apple pie). All I can say is the bread pudding was so-so. The apple pie tasted exactly like those Hostess pies you used to eat as a kid! Eww is the word that came to mind!

I think, in this case, the third time was NOT the charm for Chalkboard... sorry folks. I am not in any hurry to return. If you'd like to give it a try, here are the details:

Chalkboard
4343 N. Lincoln (just south of Montrose)
Chicago, IL 60618
773.477.7144
http://www.chalkboardrestaurant.com/