Happy New Year

Welcome to the 2010! Usually I ring in the New Years at a concert in New York; Phish, String Cheese, moe...  But this year as a new Chicago resident, I decided to do something more low key.  Alex and I headed to the restaurant Folklore in our local neighborhood of Wicker Park.  Folklore is the sister of well known Tango Sur of Lincoln Park fame, an Argentine steakhouse.  Folklore shares the same menu; however, unlike Tango Sur (which is BYOB) offers a full bar and specialty cocktails.  Folklore also accepts reservations, which TS does not.

Yelp boasted strong reviews, but other food critics offered some criticism.  We approached the dinner with some quality intel, believing we'd make the most of our meal regardless.   Our friends recommended we stick to the Argentinian specialties, and avoid the filet.

We started with the empanadas, beef and chicken, they were fabulous and served with a dipping sauce of oil, garlic, and parsley, a great accompaniment.  Our salads were too simple, lettuce, onion and tomatoes, served with oil and vinegar.  Would have been better off without them.

For our entree we ordered the Vacio Parrillada.  A big slab of meat for two served on a tabletop grill. Alex thought the meat was far too fatty.  I wasn't thrilled, but was enjoying my evening enough to ignore the meat quality.  The bill rang in at just over $80 without tip, and including a bottle of pinot noir.

My vote is 2.5/5 stars.  I'll go back for the mojitos, excellent empanadas, nice atmosphere, and great location.  But I'd rather grill the steak myself at home.

Folklore Chicago 2.5 Stars; Photo (C) Stevenjohnsonphotography