TABLE fifty-two
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 573-4000
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- Dearborn Street
- Directions:
- El: Red Line to Clark/Division
- Hours:
- Tue-Sat 5pm-10pm, Sun 4pm-8pm
Editorial Review for TABLE fifty-two – by Fred Schlatter
The Scene
The coach house for the Il Mulino mansion has a brilliant white fresh coat of paint which contrasts nicely with beech doors and chromed hardware. The single room is clad entirely in cream wainscoting, a handsome complement to a rust-colored tin ceiling. Massive copper lamps hang over a marble slab bar and a rustic pizza oven adds vintage flair. A dozen white linen topped-tables fill quickly with well-dressed, presumably local patrons.
The Food
The menu is very accessible--two pages of familiar and very familiar items, starting with complimentary piping hot biscuits, arriving tableside from a sizzling skillet. A napoleon of fried green tomatoes, bacon, goat cheese and tapanade is a rich starter. Local arugula is anointed with mustard dressing and dotted with grilled peaches--a near perfect salad. Entrees are big; one mammoth pork chop is ancho-rubbed and served with brussels sprout flakes and pickled plums. Seasonal buckle--recently blueberries baked with cross-hatched crust--wrap things up.
Hits: Art works magic with seasonal American ingredients, making things like unripe tomatoes and bacon seem very sexy.
Misses: The wine list leaves little for the patron looking to spend a minimum on wine and still get a decent bottle--an obnoxious fault considering significant markups on economy items like grits and potatoes.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Fun FactYes, Art Smith of Oprah fame, is the chef, and yes, he roams the room to pamper guests with complimentary chocolates and gravy boats of extra sauce.
The ExtrasA tea room upstairs features cakes, tarts and savories for afternoon tea.
What to DrinkThe wine list is mostly American which works with the big brassiness of the menu. Curiously, reds outprice whites by a wide margin.
User Reviews for TABLE fifty-two
04/27/2008 Posted by diner121
I'm not one to write reviews, but I was so disappointed in this place I feel compelled to share - I just wish the maitre d' could read this because in other reviews it seems that rudeness is not uncommon at Table Fifty-two. Unfortunately, the last member of our party arrived almost 15 minutes late, which prompted our initial greeting to be an admonishment about making sure we were finished in order to seat the next reservation. In a place this expensive, I'd have hoped have met with a bit more class instead of open arrogance (they could have told their servers to make sure to help us move the experience along rapidly). The food was not extraordinary as expected - the fish was dry and the flavors were often over-powering (the cheese grits and fried green tomatoes were lost in strong flavors). Best food of the night were the pork chops and the honeyed sweet potatoes. The macaroni side dish wasn't macaroni -- it was cheesy penne pasta -- but was enjoyed by all. If this is Southern comfort food, I didn't see anything here that would have come right from Grandma's kitchen. Maybe I was turned off by the poor greeting, but I eat out 5 days a week as a road warrior and I just didn't enjoy my meal the way I was looking forward to. I'd just have to agree that this is one place that did not live up to the hype.
Pros: Novelty appeal, Valet Parking, Decor
Cons: Distinct lack of Hospitality, Indifference to poor food quality, Food unremarkable
04/24/2008 Posted by styleplus6
This restaurant did not live up to all the hype. I made reservations 3 months in advance and was looking forward to being blown away . The Staff was friendly and professional . The restaurant is extremely small but decorated in a lovely manner . My husband and I were extremely disappointed with the food as well as the wine list . We ordered the fried chicken because it was the night's special and the waiter told us it was not to be missed . It was the most bland and dry fried chicken I have ever eaten . The mash potatoes were a disappointment. The Mac and cheese was ok but how can anyone mess up mac and cheese. We had the corn bread and Art's famous biscuit along with several other appetizers, and nothing was extraordinary . The wine selection was limited and expensive. The best part of our meal was the dessert. We had the Hummingbird Cake which was very good . I don't believe the wait for reservations to dine at this restaurant is worth the trouble . The hype this place has is strictly because Art use to work for Oprah and because she hyped it on her show . Save yourself some time and money and just order the Hummingbird Cake from the Allen Brother's website which also has allot of Art's dishes for sale too . There are too many wonderful restaurants in Chicago were you can have a savory meal without having to wait months to get in .
Pros: Dessert
Cons: wait for reservations, food and wine list
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