nellcôte.

let me begin with a definition. you'll understand why later.
self-fulfilling prophecy : a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself.
  
enter nellcôte. listen, i had been wanting to go to nellcôte for a while. like ... a long while. so when it was time for my birthday dinner w/ my girlfriends, it seemed like the obvious choice. near my office in the west loop, supposed to have a great atmosphere & drinks ... so let's go! 

but first, about nellcôte : "taking its inspiration from villa nellcôte, the notorious côte d'azur mansion where the rolling stones dined & partied with a rotating cast of 1970s bohemians, socialites, style icons & creative rabble-rousers ... nellcôte specializes in kitchen-crafted cocktails & european-inspired small plates made with midwestern ingredients ... just like the stones' unforgettable summer in the south of france -- everyone is welcome to contribute to the grit & glamour of the new cultural zeitgeist." holy pop culture cow.

here's what we had ...

beet salad :

salsa verde, pickled beets & pistachio.
how many beet salads can one person eat? although i will say, the vinaigrette on this one was better than most.

braised kale :

calabrian chilies, garlic & lemon zest.
love me some kale, obvi. but this one tasted a little burnt? we were all confused.

spaghetti :

tomato, calabrian chilies & toasted breadcrumbs.
 i love pasta (& carbs, in general), so this dish was right up my alley.

margherita pizza :

san marzano tomato sauce, basil & evoo.
fine. nothing to write home about.

ok, back to the definition above. i had heard beforehand that, while nellcôte is a fun place to drink & dine at, the food isn't amazing. and after eating there, i kind of agree. so is this how nellcôte really is? or some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy at my visit?

anywho ... i will say this. plenty of vegan options. very knowledgable (& friendly!) staff. OH!! there were no vegan birthday desserts on the menu, so the brought me something from rm champagne salon next door, which we all thought was very, very nice & unexpected. so thank you, nellcôte!

 

maybe it was just me. simply due to proximity to ma office, i know i'll be back. see you there?

--
nellcôte
833 w. randolph street
chicago, il 60607