Photo: Maggie Faircloth
Photo: Maggie Faircloth
When we go to restaurants, we look for a combination of food, décor and service. Each person prioritizes their own needs as their mood fits. If it’s been a hard day, you might look for a warm smile and a plate of mashed potatoes and not be so concerned that the diner chairs are covered in plastic. If however, you are eager to entertain a date, you may go for ambience over food quality. May Street Market serves each purpose: it offers excellent food with quality ingredients from local farmers, the ambience is that of a comfortable swank hipster spot for which you also would win big by bringing your parents. The service the two nights I went was friendly, however the only strike against the servers were they were a little unknowledgeable about the menu and the wine. You would be hard pressed however, to find another Chicago restaurant with comparably exquisite dishes.
Chef Alex Cheswick offers a nice variety of flavors on his well planned menu. We ordered the Lemongrass and Carrot Soup with black mussels which not only offered a great presentation, but also a fresh and bright flavor. I ordered the beet salad which arrives on a white plate, the brightly colored red, orange and yellow beets laid out nicely with the highlight being a small Maytag blue cheesecake on a sweet graham cracker crust. Frankly, it was too rich for me and the Service Manager and Partner, Chantal Randolph, came over to inquire if we were enjoying ourselves. He noticed I had left half the cheesecake and said, “Isn’t that great? I usually eat it for dessert!” I agree that it would be a great dessert, but he and I may be a party of two in thinking beets for dessert could be good.
The meat selection on the menu is notable since Cheswick offers single selections of a variety of local and organic meats. The nights we were there the choices included grilled buffalo rib eye, Amish chicken breast, seared sea scallops, rabbit ravioli, and wild salmon filet. Of course, the vegetarian dishes were well designed and a favorite has been the Spring Idaho Potato Gnocchi with wild ramps, white asparagus, oyster mushrooms, fava beans, english peas, parmesan cheese and truffle perfume. Wow is right.
The impressive wine list is composed by the good folks at Artisan Cellars and reflects a number of different wine regions across the globe. Not only does the list contain some absolute gems, but each bottle is very well-priced. We ordered a 2004 Cooper Mountain Pinot Noir from Oregon which is harvested from 100 percent organic grapes. It was fine, but didn’t have the depth and smoothness of Oregon Pinots that I’m familiar with. While I wouldn’t order it again, I’m pleased to see restaurants serving organic wines — I found this one on May Street Market’s reserve list. The entire list is long and changes frequently so you can trust you’ll find new treasures each time you go.
All in all, May Street Market offers a fantastic menu with an impressive wine list for pairing with any dish Chef Cheswick prepares. The restaurant’s décor offers a nice balance between a great date option and a fun place for small groups of friends. Located in West Town, it’s a great location for a night out.
May Street Market, 1132 W. Grand Ave. (at May St.), Chicago; 312-421-5547.
Tanya Fritz is a professionally trained chef, oenophile, slow-food fanatic and yoga enthusiast.