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Last week Keith and I finally made it in to visit the new kid on the block, Ruxbin. No, not the animatronic Teddy Bear that lulled us to sleep with his stories as children, rather the BYOB hot spot in West Town. Chicago-native head chef, Edward Kim, offers up an American Bistro fare with Korean influence.
Since Ruxbin doesn't take reservations, we decided to pop in on a Friday night before 6 (practicing for retirement) and were seated immediately. That turned out to be a very wise choice, as the 32-seater restaurant was buzzing with a line of hopeful diners by 7pm. Before we glanced a the menu, we took in our fun and funky surroundings. Their decor is very similar to that of Simone's in Pilsen, with what they call "the Triple-R: Refurbished, Repurposed, and Reclaimed. Vintage and salvaged compositions furnish every surface of the dining room, creating an inviting respite."
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| Photo Courtesy of http://noshameadventures.blogspot.com/2010/05/chicago-ruxbin.html |
Inviting indeed! Along with our incredibly friendly and knowledgeable server, we were optimistic about the meal to come. That optimism continued with the complimentary nosh of popcorn seasoned with ground nori - take me out to the ball game meets chopsticks and sushi.
The menu is limited, and changes fairly frequently, with about 6 small plates and veggie dishes, and 6 main courses. We opted for 3 smalls (Calamari Bokkum, Garlic Fries, and Tonkatsu), 1 main (braised short rib) and finally 1 dessert (berry shortcake), which turned out to be the perfect amount of food to share between the two of us.
The un-breaded Calamari Bokkum is prepared and served with Korean chili, peanuts, baby potatoes and sesame. Although I had read the description, I still expected to bite into traditionally tasting calamari, which led first to shock, but then appreciation. While this dish ultimately wound up being our least favorite of the five, it was still interesting and well prepared.
Next up was my vice, the fries! Their mound of house made fries were cooked to perfection. Crunchy on the outside, but mashed potato goodness on the inside. Additionally they came with a smoky but subtle chipotle aioli which didn't overpower the taste of the fries as so many dips often do.
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| Photo Courtesy of http://jjrappeats.blogspot.com/2010/10/ruxbin-kitchen.html |
We've been to several restaurants where we loved the small plates, but were disappointed when it came to the main dish. Fortunately, that was not our experience at Ruxbin. The braised short ribs come with brussel sprouts, roasted tomato, gremolata and goat cheese grits. There is now way I could have finished this dish on my own as it was incredibly rich, but our divide and conquer tactic allowed me to get just enough to be completely satisfied. The short ribs were melt-in-your-mouth quality, and though they seemed ever so slight under seasoned, when paired with the goat cheese grits the dish had all the salt it needed.
Our waitress then suggested we get the berry shortcake, which came out with a little candle for Keith’s birthday. This I could have eaten much more of. Atop their soft and chewy homemade biscuit came a balsamic and crème chantilly, and a sprinkling of berries. I contemplated licking the plate clean, but wanted the opportunity to come back again some day. We walked away having enjoyed 5 different dishes, our brought-in bottle of wine, and a tab of about 40/person. Maybe not an every week treat, but absolutely worthy of a monthly visit.
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| Ruxbin - 4.5 Food Babies |
-Jessica
Ruxbin
851 North Ashland Avenue - (312) 624-8509
Open Tuesday - Sunday: 5:30 - 10:00pm
851 North Ashland Avenue - (312) 624-8509
Open Tuesday - Sunday: 5:30 - 10:00pm
For more information check out their website.
