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Theatre Cafe (now DeVine)

Theatre Cafe (now DeVine)
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  • Theatre Cafe (now DeVine)

    Post #1 - May 25th, 2010, 9:10 am
    Post #1 - May 25th, 2010, 9:10 am Post #1 - May 25th, 2010, 9:10 am
    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:
    Image


    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

    Fuckerberg on Food
  • Post #2 - May 25th, 2010, 1:07 pm
    Post #2 - May 25th, 2010, 1:07 pm Post #2 - May 25th, 2010, 1:07 pm
    A friend just pointed this place out to me last week. How is the live music? And how are the acoustics and the arrangement with music and people dining? (I guess I'm asking about volume.)
  • Post #3 - May 25th, 2010, 2:05 pm
    Post #3 - May 25th, 2010, 2:05 pm Post #3 - May 25th, 2010, 2:05 pm
    Pulled pork and waffles makes much more sense to me than chicken and waffles...hmmmm....
  • Post #4 - May 25th, 2010, 2:58 pm
    Post #4 - May 25th, 2010, 2:58 pm Post #4 - May 25th, 2010, 2:58 pm
    happy_stomach wrote:A friend just pointed this place out to me last week. How is the live music? And how are the acoustics and the arrangement with music and people dining? (I guess I'm asking about volume.)


    Last I knew, the live music was just jazz on Thursdays, and the one time I was there for that we were one of only two occupied tables, so the volume could have been whatever we requested, I'm sure.
    ...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

    Fuckerberg on Food
  • Post #5 - May 26th, 2010, 2:42 am
    Post #5 - May 26th, 2010, 2:42 am Post #5 - May 26th, 2010, 2:42 am
    The jazz is supplied by members of my old band, Jazzfood Ensemble. My old bass player Jason Ellis has it one nite and my old singer, Keri Johnsurd has it another. Both played w/me @ my near 3 yr gig @ Vintage Wine Bar on Division when Jack, the chef/owner of Theater was the chef @ Vintage. Both are excellent players and worth checking out.
    "In pursuit of joys untasted"
    from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
  • Post #6 - June 14th, 2010, 12:17 pm
    Post #6 - June 14th, 2010, 12:17 pm Post #6 - June 14th, 2010, 12:17 pm
    Jazzfood wrote:Jack, the chef/owner ....

    Per his Twitter feed, Jack has "parted ways" with Theatre Cafe.
    ...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

    Fuckerberg on Food
  • Post #7 - August 13th, 2010, 12:39 pm
    Post #7 - August 13th, 2010, 12:39 pm Post #7 - August 13th, 2010, 12:39 pm
    Theatre Cafe, which never had much to do with theatre as far as I could tell, is becoming "DeVine". As of last night the sign outside still said Theatre, but the menus had switched over to the new name. Additional changes include the devotion of a whole section of the menu to Serbian specialties, and the replacement of the billboard-type posters with art depicting naked women. Most of the menu and interior remain as they were.

    Dinner last night was decent: well-cooked salmon with annoyingly unseasonal asparagus, and a nicely seasoned Serbian dish with pork and peppers on a sizzling, fajita-style plate.
    ...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

    Fuckerberg on Food
  • Post #8 - August 13th, 2010, 12:47 pm
    Post #8 - August 13th, 2010, 12:47 pm Post #8 - August 13th, 2010, 12:47 pm
    I will now cross them off of my "Worst Restaurant Names in Chicago" list. Although I do wish I took a photo of the chalkboard outside that read "NOT A THEATER!".
  • Post #9 - August 19th, 2010, 2:30 pm
    Post #9 - August 19th, 2010, 2:30 pm Post #9 - August 19th, 2010, 2:30 pm
    eatchicago wrote:I will now cross them off of my "Worst Restaurant Names in Chicago" list.

    Today the Tribune stole your idea, for a Chicago-based list and a national list.
  • Post #10 - August 19th, 2010, 6:47 pm
    Post #10 - August 19th, 2010, 6:47 pm Post #10 - August 19th, 2010, 6:47 pm
    nsxtasy wrote:
    eatchicago wrote:I will now cross them off of my "Worst Restaurant Names in Chicago" list.

    Today the Tribune stole your idea, for a Chicago-based list and a national list.


    Well, I haven't exactly published my list even though I did start forming it right around the time Sweets & Savories opened. (Not a coincidence).

    I did see Mr. Borrelli's Chicago list and commented on it. His inclusion of Mysore Woodlands and his reasoning behind it is simply idiotic. It shows a simple inability for him and The Stew's editor to use Google before they make assumptions about another country. I thought the big, old media like a newspaper was supposed to have all the fact-checking and professionalism (that's why they're more relevant than amateur bloggers, right?).
  • Post #11 - August 19th, 2010, 6:56 pm
    Post #11 - August 19th, 2010, 6:56 pm Post #11 - August 19th, 2010, 6:56 pm
    I assumed Borrelli was making an admittedly obscure, sophomoric reference to his sore nether regions.
    ...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

    Fuckerberg on Food
  • Post #12 - August 20th, 2010, 7:32 am
    Post #12 - August 20th, 2010, 7:32 am Post #12 - August 20th, 2010, 7:32 am
    Kennyz wrote:I assumed Borrelli was making an admittedly obscure, sophomoric reference to his sore nether regions.


    Then it's even more idiotic than I thought.
  • Post #13 - August 20th, 2010, 10:30 am
    Post #13 - August 20th, 2010, 10:30 am Post #13 - August 20th, 2010, 10:30 am
    You know, I have eaten at Mysore Woodlands many times, and had never once thought of the unintentional double-entendre, until the Trib brought it to my attention. I guess those middle school interns at the Tribune are really working out.

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