It seems like ultra swank Chaise Lounge wants to be as elite and exclusive as a VIP room. Its service and ambiance are all in that direction, presenting a chic modernist décor of white upholstered walls, low slung verandahs, white canvas umbrellas, lush palms and twinkling chandeliers. Welcome to Miami Beach in Chicago.
The ground floor walls open on two sides allowing the interior environment to flow seamlessly into the patio, making this a great summertime lounge. It’s one of the most visually appealing restaurants in the neighborhood, sexy and cool, and I’m fairly certain the ownership would feel gratified if you would kindly get in line for it, preferably behind a velvet rope, with a bouncer to look you over to be sure you rate. But as yet that’s not happening.
In this town it’s always a risk to put so much emphasis on surface appeal. You tend to get a bit full of yourself and lose sight of what’s important. In a restaurant what’s important is the food, followed closely by the service.
Chaise Lounge actually does have good food, although some dishes are better than others. The Risotto “Tournedos” with pine nuts and balsamic butter could have used more complexity, but the roasted chicken with herbed salsa verde was outstanding, moist with just the right balance of roasted crispiness and lemony tartness.
Where things got dicey for us was with the service. We waited nearly fifteen minutes before we saw our waiter and when he finally arrived he was flip and distracted, gazing off into the distance as if contemplating a party he needed to get to. On the other hand, he was good looking. In fact, a cursory look around revealed that most of the staff could’ve been models, airy, self-absorbed models. Nobody appeared to be getting much better service than we were getting. But then not everybody was dining.
More than half the tables at Chaise Lounge were occupied by people who were there for the cocktails, which is fine, of course. But let’s face it, the service to be expected at a snooty, exclusive cocktail lounge on Miami Beach is something quite apart from what you’d expect at a good quality restaurant in Chicago. When I’m ponying up $21 for Miso Cod or $30 for Filet Mignon it annoys me to be treated as an afterthought. So what’s it going to be, Chaise Lounge, are you an ultra-cool cocktail lounge or are you a restaurant?
Sadly for the kitchen, where the chef is doing his damndest, the answer seems obvious. At the table next to us, two trendoids were blowing clouds of smoke while sipping their martinis. I don’t even know what the law is on this and I don’t care; it’s not a question of the law, it’s a question of appropriateness. I, personally, never objected to getting a face full when I was sitting at a bar to eat my dinner, but when I sit down at a swank restaurant where the tab for two is going to approach $100 I don’t want to have to inhale smoke from a pair of nicotine fiends who are shelling out a combined $20 for sugary cocktails.
Another thing that tells you that food is secondary is the menu. It’s woefully condensed, a total of just nine entrees and 4 sandwiches, along with a handful of appetizers and salads. And nothing really leaps out. There is a distinct lack of direction in the offerings. A little of this; a little of that. It took me the longest time to come to a decision. The saving grace was that the food was actually good. But then things turned sour again.
One of my pet peeves is when it takes a restaurant a long time to approach your table initially but is Johnny-on-the-spot when it comes to bringing your bill. Nothing says “We could care less that you’re here; now pay up and go” than this. But ultimately we got back to where we started from with our handsome waiter. The trance music playing in the background had a long pregnant pause in it that reminded me of how long it was taking him to come back and pick up the credit card. Strange, considering there were only about five other tables still occupied.
Chaise Lounge is a long way from getting people to line up at the door, but maybe if they draw more attention to how swank and sexy they are everyone will come just to see and be seen. This seems to be what they’re banking on. But judging by the sparse crowd at 10pm on a Thursday night they might want to rethink that strategy and give their chef a chance to shine behind a policy that puts more emphasis on food than drinks.
Chaise Lounge
1840 W. North Ave.
773-342-1840 / Reservations Accepted (for parties of 6 or more.)
Hours: Daily 4pm-2am
Vibe: Lounge Scene
Features: Outdoor Dining,
Avg. Price of a Meal for two Including Drinks and Tax $90
Website: http://chaiseloungechicago.com
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