Rustik

Location – 2515 N. California (California and Altgeld)

In one word – Homey

Food – It is nice to see more gourmet options coming to Logan Square.  The theme of Rustik is  homestyle comfort food.  The advice I’d give you is to not order any homestyle food that you could actually make at home.  Then it’s not worth the cost.  We started with their trio of dips (guacamole, lemon hummus and carmelized onion dip) with plantain chips and tortilla chips.  Good, not out of this world.  Then I ordered the beef bourguignon, which I did enjoy and it filled me up.  My eating partner and I shared the espresso brownie with dark chocolate ice cream.  The ice cream was actually my favorite part of the meal.  My eating partner is a Logan Square local and has been to Rustik before.  He warned me that the mac and cheese is just average and the pizzas are more like flat bread.

Drink – We ordered a bottle of red, which warmed our tummies perfectly.

Service – I found the service to be good, but nothing to comment on.  My order was right and my water glass was always full.

Scene – It’s called “Rustik,” but I wouldn’t say that the environment completely fits the name.  Yes, there’s a lot of wood all around, but the place still has an element of urban chic to it.  Perhaps that’s why they’ve chosen to spell the name like that, it’s rustic with an edge.  No matter how you analyze the name, the place is filled with groups of friends and couples.

Dress – It’s Logan Square, the feel of the neighborhood is casual.  So, don’t dress up.  Jeans work fine.

Cost – I’m still on the fence on whether the meal was worth the cost.  I ordered a shared appetizer, an entree, a shared dessert and a shared bottle of wine.  With all of that, I paid $52 with tax and tip.  I’d call the bill expected and not a deal.

If you like, try…Lula

If you liked Parlor (when it was still around), try Rustik.