Scylla
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Open just over two weeks in the tiny two-story Bucktown house previously occupied by Glory, SCYLLA is full of promise. Chef Stephanie Izard, a vet of Spring and La Tache, executes the ambitious seafood-oriented menu with expertise. Crisp sauteed veal sweetbreads done Mediterranean style with braised greens, sweet currants, and toasted pine nuts made an impressive first course; the grilled baby octopus salad, full of arugula and mint leaves, tasted green and fresh, but the octopus was chewy and fatty, in need of a few more minutes in the pan. The celeriac soup was decadently creamy and perfectly smooth. Izard serves whatever fish is fresh; on a recent evening it was Hawaiian ono, which came to the table topped with a salty brandade (whipped-potato-and-salt-cod spread) and surrounded by a medley of colors, flavors, and textures: slightly charred roasted brussels sprouts, earthy wild mushrooms, tart dried cherries, and crunchy almonds. The skate wing was encrusted in crispy dried potato flakes, marked with a zigzag of spicy tomato aioli, and set on a big pile of charred radicchio, seared calamari, grape tomatoes, capers, and a few too many garbanzo beans. Portions are ample and priced accordingly–most entrees cost in the low-to-mid-20s.
Karyn’s Cooked, 738 N. Wells, 312-587-1050. Karyn Calabrese (of the raw-food emporium Karyn’s Fresh Corner) applies heat to her vegan palette.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/A. Jackson.
