Boka
Critic’s Notes
Boka’s reinvention upped the ante, foodwise. Lee Wolen brings a deadly serious slant to the offerings; the decor goes in another direction entirely (there’s a portrait of Bill Murray as a sea captain). The kitchen hits great heights, slow-cooking loup de mer and serving it with calamari and preserved blood oranges. A yuzu custard with black sesame cake, pineapple sorbet, and candied buckwheat comes off like a panna cotta that attended finishing school. The cocktail crowd makes plenty of noise of its own, even on the elegant back patio.
Dishes We Liked
Salt cod ravioli with artichokes, arugula, fava beans, and lemon ($14); artichoke soup with smoked sturgeon, potatoes, radishes, shallots, and pickled onions ($12); loup de mer with calamari, preserved blood orange, artichokes, capers, and olives ($32); beef short rib with mushrooms and Bibb lettuce hearts ($33); yuzu custard with black sesame cake, pineapple sorbet, and puffed buckwheat ($11); coffee crémeux ($11)
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Dining Out: Boka July 2007
Additional Information:
Rating: | |
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Price: | $100-plus |
Cuisine: | Progressive |
Neighborhood: | Lincoln Park |
Noteworthy: |
Child friendly High noise level Outdoor dining Wheelchair accessible |
Hours: | D nightly. |