Flatwater Grill

321 N. Clark
Chicago, IL 60610
312.644.0283

Type: Contemporary American
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 4/5
Price: Entrees $26-32, Pasta $16-19
Quality for Price: 3.5/5
Ambiance: Romantic in dining room, More Casual on river front patio
Other: Brunch and lunch menus as well
Neighborhood: River North

Like most members of the 9-5 working population, we look forward to our weekends to relax and let loose a bit. Recently, however, we have been spending our precious days off traveling out of town, entertaining visitors (whom we adore, don't get us wrong!), and babysitting. So when we finally found ourselves with no plans or commitments this weekend, we decided a date night was in order.

We started our night attending a free Johnnie Walker tasting presentation at Carmichael's Steak House. Actually, no, that's not quite right. It actually took place in a giant garage right next door to the steak house. Despite the humble location, however, it was decorated beautifully and proved to be quite the swanky affair. We were served whiskey cocktails and hor d'oeuvres such as mini Monte Cristos and Blue cheese and fig tarts before being ushered into an open area with long rows of white seating and tasting supplies. In the next hour or so, we learned the entire history of the Johnnie Walker label and tasted all five of the label's whiskeys. A great start to our night, this free event significantly cut down on our bar bill when we went to dinner later on. Johnnie Walker has events like this one all over and quite often so we highly recommend you take advantage of this opportunity. Bring a date or go alone and flirt with the beautiful "Johnnie Walker Girls" who work the event.

When the tasting was over, we still had time before our 9 o'clock dinner reservation, so we headed to Sullivan's to see if our friend, Reena, was working. Turns out she was and we enjoyed specialty martinis while Reena told us about her recent trip to Israel (which she had just returned from the night before!) until it was time for dinner.

This was our third trip to Flatwater Grill, though previously we have only been for brunch. When we purchased a groupon for Flatwater in the fall, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to try their dinner menu. Due to a temporary closing of the restaurant for repairs, it has taken us until now to check it out and the experience was quite a bit different from the brunch experience we enjoy so much. To get to Flatwater Grill, you have to go down from the street level to the River front entrance of the restaurant. The small, chic dining room is comfortable and romantic but if the weather is right, we recommend sitting on the river front patio.

Accustomed to ordering coffee or Mimosas when we brunch at Flatwater, we each had a glass of white wine with our dinners instead. We opted not to order a bottle as we normally might have since we had just been to the tasting and for drinks after. Typically, we would also order an appetizer, but since we weren't exceptionally hungry, we opted out of that as well. This turned out to be a good thing since the dinner menu (as you might expect) was quite a bit more expensive than the brunch menu. When complimentary jalapeno-cornbread muffins were delivered to our table, Dan's face lit up. They weren't on the menu but they were so delicous that we got jealous and a bit upset when the table for two next to us received four muffins in comparison to the two we were given. But, alas, beggars can't be choosers so we bit our tongues.

Until our dinners came, that is, and then we put our tongues to use tasting those instead. It's hard to say who ate what, since halfway through the meal, we literally traded plates across the table and finished each other's meals. The standout dish for us was the medium-rare rack of lamb with goat cheese, crisp-tender green beans, and creamy mashed rosemary potatoes. Equally delicious and more generously-portioned was the Caprese fettucini pasta. Both being anti-tomato foodies, we left those off, but between the light, oil-based sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil, and drizzle of balsamic vinegar, it didn't seem to be lacking anything.

The meal was delicous, the ambience pleasant, and the service respectable but still, we can't seem to get those Huevos Rancheros and Brioche French Toast breakfast dishes out of our minds! Perhaps it was the fact that our dinner bill was pretty hefty, or that it was too chilly to enjoy the fresh air out on the river, but we think we'll stick to brunch at Flatwater from now on. If you like the fun, relaxed vibe of the patio like us, check them out for brunch, but if you are looking for a more fancy, romantic dining experience, dinner may be more for you. But be sure to make a reservation; the small dining room books up fast, especially when the patio is closed!