I didn't see a topic started for Green River, a new addition to Streeterville. I had been reading about it for a few weeks and decided with a friend coming in from out of the country it might be fun to take her somewhere with a view and fancy cocktails. Mainly I had been reading about the cocktails, however the food was top notch too, I was pleasantly surprised.
First off, the location is a bit odd, it's in one of the Northwestern hospital buildings on the 18th floor, so you have to head past the security desk to the elevator bank (free hand sanitizer!), but once we got out of the elevator the space was BEAUTIFUL. Dark, but not too dark, and had a really nice sleek vibe, with a big bar and an open kitchen. It was too cold to explore the terrace, but I imagine it's fabulous when the weather is better. There was a slight snafu with our seating, they showed us to a table with an amazing view that someone had just been seated at, so they had us wait at the bar for a few while they sorted out the tables. Our party wasn't complete yet, so that was fine. When they did go to seat us, it was at an interior table without the view, so we asked if there was anything open near the windows (friend from out of town), and they happily sat us at a different table, and gave us all a glass of very nice Champagne for our troubles (really no troubles). Service was excellent the whole time we were there.
Sorry I didn't take pictures. There wasn't a huge menu, but we tried a lot of different things and they were all wonderful. We started with the Oysters, they were an East Coast variety that I wasn't familiar with, they were delicious and came with a nice mignonette...I'd been on an Oyster kick lately, having had some at Sink Swim and Fish Bar over the last couple weeks and I actually much preferred these. We also shared the Octopus (delicious and perfectly cooked), the Whitefish Tartine (pretty large portion, very good), Farro Salad with Burrata (really enjoyed it, nutty, creamy goodness) and the Diver Scallops (two large scallops, again cooked perfectly and delicious). Everyone really loved their main courses too, two of us had a red wine Risotto and it was excellent, my s.o. had the Saffron Spaghetti and enjoyed it and another tried the Trout and thought it was great.
As for drinks, we started with cocktails (and Champagne as I mentioned) and switched to wine with dinner. The cocktails were all really well balanced, and our server at the bar was quite helpful as we navigated the extensive list. We tried the Comiskey Park, which was quite sweet (possibly my least favorite of the three), the Grey Wolf, which had much more of a whiskey taste, I loved it, and the Lake Whiskey that was perfect for a cool fall night. They also had a nice wine and beer selection. I would highly recommend checking this place out and I really hope they do well. It wasn't overly expensive, the food and drinks were delicious and it's a lovely space.
Green River
259 E. Erie Street, 18th Floor
Chicago, IL 60611