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Avec

<p>The long, narrow room is so well designed that it may lead diners to believe that Avec is all style and no substance, but the first bite will convince you otherwise. Tables are communal and the menu of small plates is designed for sharing: pork shoulder roasted to melt-off-the-bone perfection, Taleggio cheese focaccia doused with truffle oil, chorizo-stuffed dates. Conceived as a wine bar, Avec features a steel-topped counter that runs the length of the perennially packed, streamlined wooden tunnel of a space, where the bottles all hail from vineyards in France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The loud atmosphere is fun yet edgy, drawing a crowd of stylishly turned out locals and after-hours chefs and sommeliers from around the city. </p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Reservations are not accepted, so come early, come late, or be prepared to wait.</p>

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From Food & Wine , JUL 2010

When Blackbird's Paul Kahan (an F&W Best New Chef 1999) and Avec sous-chef Justin Large took over a beat-up bar in Wicker Park...MORE>>

– Heather Shouse Where to go Next: Chicago

From Travel + Leisure , JUL 2005

The buzziest place on this stretch off the Loop—known for big, jumpin' restaurants such as the French Marché and the Pan-Asian Red Light—is small, jumpin' Avec, next door to its sleek sibling, Blackbird....MORE>>

– Alex Kotlowitz Best of Chicago

Last updated July 2010