PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

A casual wine bar owned by Chef Paul Kahan of neighboring Blackbird, Avec keeps things simple: top-quality ingredients in simple preparations that take inspiration from Italian, French, and Spanish cuisines. The menu focuses on a variety of "small plates" meant for sharing (although there are always five or six entree-size offerings as well). This focus on communal dining is reflected in the restaurant's design; the long, narrow dining room, with its wood walls and floors, will strike you as either cramped or cozy, and tables sit so close together you can't help overhearing your neighbors' conversations. I know many people who love Avec's convivial spirit; others find it annoyingly crowded and loud. The small plates include salads and upscale appetizer-style dishes such as smoked lamb and quail brochettes; dates stuffed with chorizo sausage; and spicy meatballs with Spanish rice and chickpeas. Large plates feature seasonal ingredients and tend to be heartier (pork shoulder or pappardelle with wild mushrooms, for example). There's also a good selection of specialty cheeses. The wine list -- focused on the Mediterranean region -- is broad but not overwhelming; don't be intimidated if you're not a wine buff because the waitstaff offers plenty of guidance. Whether you like the tight quarters or not, Avec has become a late-night hangout for local chefs and sommeliers -- so they must be doing something right.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Chicago 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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