North Pond Menu

North Pond Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Gear up for a fine ride with French-meets-seasonal American cuisine in the heart of Lincoln Park. The room housing nine-foot French doors affords diners a bird's-eye view of the pond and the park with the city skyline looming above the treetops. Granted, there’s not a bad seat in the house.

Food & Drinks: The menu is always changing, but here’s an idea of what’s in store: a soft-boiled hen egg with sweet potato, mushrooms, cipollini and red wine espuma; and potato-crusted whitefish with roasted black trumpet mushrooms and shallots. The tasting menu, though, is where the real excitement can be found, be it a dish of venison loin chop with carrot-Parmesan sformato, beets and sprouts, or Florida stone crab claw with heart of palm and candied black sesame. Desserts have included the “Chocolate, Huckleberry” of chocolate crémeux, Mandarin chocolate ribbon, lime cake, huckleberry sorbet, yuzu gel and lemon. Service is informed and efficient without being intrusive. The American wine list --- which emphasizes environmentally conscious, hand-crafted vintages --- is not at all overpriced, which is good to know when you’re stuck in the small bar waiting for a table.