Dining Tidbits

For April 2008: Park 52, Schwa, Haussmann Brasserie, Curio Cafe

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BUDGET BEAT
Curio Cafe
Life got you down? If the Curio Cafe doesn't pick you up, it's hard to say what would. (A meal there, plus a massage?) The food is fresh and tasty, the room charmingly homey; it's BYO ($3 corkage), and sisters/owners Claudia Pozuelos and Lucy Alvarez are the most hospitable hostesses ever. Breakfast and lunch are served from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. Organic, free-range, hormone-free, and other irreproachable ingredients abound. We especially loved the plato tipico ($7.95), a well-accessorized platter of eggs, refried black beans, just-fried plantains, and tortillas. For dinner (served Fridays and Saturdays only) the menu tops out, pricewise, with churrasco (8 oz. for $15.95; 16 oz. for $20.95), a splendid presentation of grilled skirt steak, rice, beans, guacamole, tortillas, and two sauces. We were also delighted with our "picola" pasta ($11.95), a mountain of penne in a mellow sauce of red and yellow peppers, spinach, and portobello mushrooms. Entrées come with soup or salad; keep an eye out for the gingery carrot soup, a real winner. Lightly caramelized flan makes a fine dessert, should you still have room. 3400 N. Lawndale Ave.; 773-463-2233. –Joanne Trestrail