Theatre Cafe has now been open long enough and reviewed by enough local media outlets that I think it's time for an LTHForum thread. I've been there a half dozen times without writing a peep, which is not like me. It's probably happened because I think an upscalish place like this in my hood is good for property value, so with mixed feelings about the food and menu I've selfishly stayed silent. But now with 2 condos in my building desperately and unsuccessfully trying to short-sell, I've decided it's a lost cause. So here goes my Theatre Cafe post.
As implied above, I like a number of things at Theatre Cafe. The waffles served at brunch are hot, crisp and light. And while I'm not usually a fan of sweet-sauced pulled pork, the stuff actually makes for a nice alternative to maple syrup atop waffles in the morning.
Pulled pork topped waffles:The dinner menu is quite the hodgepodge of Italian, American and Balkan-influenced dishes that reflect the chef/ owner's background. Where he sticks to just one of these styles, I think he does well. But too many dishes attempt to fuse the styles to ill effects. Cevapi, by themselves, were quite juicy and flavorful - though not better than at other more humble nearby places that sell Cevapi for quite a bit less money. A crostini trio was tasty too, with the highlight being one topped an intensely flavored sweet pepper puree and a sprinkle of sharp cheese. Tagliatelle with a creamy mushroom sauce was a good dish too, the mushroom flavor and perfume permeating the whole dish nicely.
The pinnacle of unfortunate fusion at Theatre Cafe came in the form of the "Theatre Cafe burger" which mixed lamb and some typically Balkan spices in with the beef. The result was a decently flavored mass that had the texture of fresh cheese curds. Seriously, something about the tight formation of the massive patty and the combo of meats led to a rubbery textured oval that literally squeaked like a dog toy when I bit into it. Not good burger eats. Other attempts to "modernize" or mix up classic dishes have seemed similarly unsuccessful to me, including a grilled Caesar salad with prosciutto and some pasta with "spiced tomato and beef" where the flavors were just too strong to complement one another.
There are also quite a few things on the menu that I haven’t tried, but just reading them notches Theatre Café down on my list. “Roasted boneless half chicken,” for example, is a travesty and not something I’d ever consider ordering. And Theatre Café is perhaps more guilty than any other restaurant in town of (mis)using phrases like “local farms” and “seasonal focus” in a menu proclamation. The place serves buttered sweet corn as a side in late May, and chooses non-local white asparagus to accompany meats instead of the fantastic green stuff so widely available here now.
So there's good and not-so-good at Theatre Cafe, but enough of the former to make another half dozen trips likely since the place is about 100 yards from home.
Theatre Cafe (now DeVine)
2958 W. Irving Park Rd.
773-866-2233
(post edited because of name change)
Last edited by
Kennyz on August 19th, 2010, 8:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in
The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
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