ronnie_suburban wrote:I just don't get all the kvetching about the noise at Boltwood. I've been there numerous times, many of them when the restaurant was completely full, and never had a problem hearing anyone at my table. But depending on who you're dining with that could be a good or a bad thing.

Absolutely to all parts of this. For my part, I was trying to imply (albeit somewhat snarkily) that it really is a matter of priorities. I acknowledge that on a subjective level, the same decibel levels that are one person's dealbreaker are another person's "no problem," or "a problem, but worth it." On an objective level, there are decibel levels that simply are known to cause hearing loss; that part is not a subject for debate. I didn't take a VU meter into Boltwood the night we were there, so I can't testify that the decibel levels that night reached these levels, or that they reach it on any other night. I also can't testify that they didn't. I did know I found the noise subjectively alarming in a way I've seldom experienced in a restaurant. But ear/brain mileage varies.

EvA wrote:

cilantro wrote:That sauce is the garlic schmaltz for the potatoes.

We were served a pinkish sauce in a cup on the side called "special sauce" that I thought was different from the garlic schmaltz. It certainly tasted more mayo-like than schmaltzy.

agreed. Nothing special, no hint of garlic, almost a poor rendition of thousand island dressing w/o any relish, onion etc.

Two words to describe Boltwood, greasy & loud, the latter I really don't mind if the food is worth it.

Nice cocktail & wine selection, good start.

3 starters: Brandade dip, Pate de Campagne, grilled Brun-uusto cheese

Country Pate was outstanding, slightly coarse grind, flavor was stunning. The hit of the night. Best pate I've had in a LONG time.

Grilled Brun-uusto cheese, la quercia prosciutto, melon, arugula, w/date vinaigrette - very enjoyable, nice summer dish, firm cheese is grilled a bit to soften & provide some flavor/texture.

Brandade, piquillo peppers, toast, chives - The brandade dip was terrific, sad the toast seemed to be dipped in butter before serving, just dripping. We took the brandade home & will have with some nice crusty bread w/o butter, it just isn't needed.

3 mains: Dover Sole, Hanger Steak, Sweetbreads

Dover Sole sauteed w/grilled brussel sprouts. I despise brussel spouts 99% of the time, but I kept sneaking bites from the other person's plate. Sole was overcooked, not much but overcooked none the less, also greasy.

Grilled Hanger Steak - I didn't try this, there was a meh response from the person who had it.

I had the sweetbreads, cooked then grilled just slightly to provide some additional flavor/texture. They were drizzled with a white Alabama style BBQ sauce (mayo based), drizzle was too much so it effectively ruined the crispy/charred area of the sweetbreads, as a result they became pasty in texture. The few parts that didn't have sauce on them were excellent.

1 side: Crispy Potatoes w/garlic schmaltz - as mentioned above the sauce was not good. Out of our cup of potatoes, there were maybe 3 decent pieces, the remainder were over fried pieces, a serious let down considering the praise I've read.

The above said, we all decided we should go back & try Boltwood again as we do like to support burb places, especially with my parents living nearby.

Had another great meal at Boltwood earlier this week. Started out at the bar with a couple of cocktails and some very nice Island Creek oysters. It wasn't until we settled up our bar tab that we realized that all cocktails and items on the Bar Snacks section of the menu are half-price from 5-6 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That is a great deal, especially if you like oysters as much as I do.

Once at the table, a starter of Castelvetrano Olives + Momma Lil's Pickled Peppers was even better than last time. Olives were mellow and rich, and the subtle sweetness of the peppers provided a perfect counterpoint. If you're at all into seasonal eating, Boltwood is an exceptional place to eat and more than anything else, offerings from the Vegetables section of the menu really showcase this. Broccoli + garlic, anchovy and breadcrumbs was a delicious concoction. We also had 2 salads, both of which were excellent. Market Salad (gem lettuce, beefsteak tomatoes, cucumber, buttermilk, breadcrumbs) was a bounty of seasonal market abundance and even greater than the sum of its parts. Red Rice Salad (peaches, blueberries, pecan, quinoa, radicchio, house ricotta) was a wonderfully enjoyable blend of sweet and savory (not ususally my thing) that reflected not only the season but the kitchen's high ability as composers and conductors. Crispy Potatoes + garlic schmaltz were delicious and perfectly crispy, as billed. I could not detect much garlic but the delicate, crisp texture and deep potatoey flavor of these little nuggets made that largely irrelevant.

Courses from the Meat & Fish section of the menu had the 4 of us (who were sharing) clanking forks. Day Boast Mussels (fresh shelly beans, artichokes, tomatoes), Clam Pasta (whole wheat pasta, corn, bacon), Pork Chop (melon, sun-gold tomatoes, corriander) and Bass (black beans, tomatillo, avocado , pepitas) were all delicious, combining almost exclusively local and seasonal ingredients into entrees I was still thinking about long after I left the restaurant. These were tasty, creative and distinctive dishes. On our way to a show at Space, we skipped dessert.

Service (Meredith) was again excellent, friendly and enthusiastic. She knows the menu inside and out and also assisted us with a great wine, a pinot noir from Willamette Valley, the details of which I cannot recall. I've said it before but if I lived anywhere near Boltwood, I'd be there all the time. As it is, I am now using almost every trip I make to Evanston as a reason to eat there.

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Bumping this even though I hate this thread's title.

Evanston was profiled in a recent New York Times travel article. I feel that there is a fair amount they didnt mention such as Temperance, Sketchbook, and Ward 8 on the drinking side and newer restaurants like Peckish Pig, Farmhouse, Hoosier Mama on the food side but still nice to see the ol' hometown written up glowingly.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015 ... ion=travel®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

It doesn't seem to be on the menu anymore, but the smoked sable toast was stunningly good. If it comes back (while tomatoes are still good), dont miss it.

champs2005 wrote:Bumping this even though I hate this thread's title.

Evanston was profiled in a recent New York Times travel article. I feel that there is a fair amount they didnt mention such as Temperance, Sketchbook, and Ward 8 on the drinking side and newer restaurants like Peckish Pig, Farmhouse, Hoosier Mama on the food side but still nice to see the ol' hometown written up glowingly.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015 ... ion=travel®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

To steal a line from National Lampoon, NYT has devolved from "All the News That's Fit to Print" to "All the News That Fits."

I had easily my worst meal at a nice restaurant this year at Boltwood last night. In their defense, it sounded like things weren't going so well- they informed us for example that they were missing a bartender. I had brisket that was essentially a bland block of tallow swimming in diluted polenta. And octopus that was burned, overcooked and extremely fishy. A very sad brunusto bar snack that was also burned– I cook brunusto often and it should have a golden not a charcoal crust. I don't go to Evanston very often so it was too bad that I chose Boltwood on my foray there.

The crispy potatoes and pretzel rolls were good though.

We were there on a recent night and enjoyed our food but I particularly wanted to comment on the noise issue. It was improved from our visit last year, in which the noise was literally deafening. I use "literally" quite consciously, since the noise on that occasion caused the effect in which you can't hear very well for a while even after leaving. Any place that causes the need for a physical recovery period for your ears is too loud--irresponsibly loud, IMO.

Anyway, assured by posts here and by word from our friends that the problem was partly abated, we agreed to go, and there was a difference. This time, although the place was loud, we could actually hear each other speak. I exaggerate not a bit to say that on the first visit, that was impossible.

Service was better, too. Excellent in fact.

I'm sure many of you received the same email I did but in case you did not: Boltwood will begin Saturday and Sunday brunch service on Saturday January 9.

More details here

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Very, very good burger at Boltwood during a quiet lunch yesterday. Nothing too fancy - a griddled patty, probably in the vicinity of 1/3 of a pound, topped with cheddar spread, lettuce, onion, house sauce, on an excellent softish, seeded, toasted bun. And instead of fries, it comes with a side of the still exceptional crispy potatoes cooked in schmaltz. The only strike against it is the beef was a little chewy - I'm guessing some salt was added to the beef a little too early. The chewiness was minor; the deliciousness was not.

Interesting peek behind the scenes in this article from the Medill News Service.

Was really disappointed to learn that Boltwood is no longer cooking their burgers to their customers's desired doneness. Server said today [paraphrasing] "we're no longer measuring the temperature of the burgers right now. We cook them all the same." Ugh. For a place that's supposed to be chef-driven, this is some pretty weak tea.

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Did the server say what temperature "the same" was going to be? Asking for those times when "chef-driven" is expressed as hostility to cooking meats and seafood past a certain point, usually mid rare.

Bok Choy Jr wrote:Did the server say what temperature "the same" was going to be? Asking for those times when "chef-driven" is expressed as hostility to cooking meats and seafood past a certain point, usually mid rare.

No but it came out just past medium.

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Boltwood has closed.

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