Exposure Supper Club: Even Better This Time (Chicago Restaurant Review Update)

Since Exposure is one of the only good restaurants in our South Loop neighborhood, in our opinion, we decided to return for an update. When we first visited, it had just opened, so the menu is quite a bit different now. For the most part, we liked the changes. We also still loved the decor, which is heavy on red and has an Asian influence.

We started with wine by the glass. Steve had a Pinot Noir recommended by the waiter, which was pretty mediocre (Steve should have known since it violated his rule on wines, as it was the cheapest rather than the most expensive Pinot by the glass). Lisa, on the other hand, had the most expensive of the two Zinfandels by the glass, a Cline red Zinfandel, also on the waiter's recommendation. While we liked the waiter a lot, some of his choices didn't suit us and Lisa's wine was another of them. She found it a bit too tart.

Our first food dish was a heavenly ahi tuna with wasabi caviar. This is some of the best ahi tuna Lisa has ever had. In fact, she usually doesn't care for it much, but this had great flavor. Steve also loved it. The beef carpaccio was also excellent. There was lots of thinly sliced beef and the accompaniments of vegetables and onions were also good. The beef itself was top notch and fell just short of our favorite at Gioco (which used to be our favorite restaurant in the South Loop, but which we feel has fallen off some of late -- see future review).

We then had the cheddar cheese fondue. It came with ample dipping items, including bread, yellow tomatoes, apples, broccoli and mushrooms. The cheese was only okay, as it tasted bland, particularly for cheddar. We liked the au gratin potatoes, but they were not quite as good as the first time we visited Exposure because they were not fully cooked in some spots. After having all that food, we wanted only one more dish. The waiter, in keeping with his strange (to Steve) tastes, recommended dates wrapped in bacon (which Lisa usually likes, but Steve does not) and edamame (no chance). After Steve finished scoffing at those two choices, we think the waiter just gave up and recommended french fries. That was also a bad choice because the fries were fat (Steve likes shoestring fries best). Lisa liked the ketchup and the mustard sauce, which had a honey undertaste, but they were not anything remarkable, and Steve found the whole thing to be a waste of calories.

Dessert, however, marked a return to excellence. The chocolate fondue is very dark chocolate, and served at just the right temperature with abundant dipping items, including marshmallows, bananas, brownies (for truly decadent eating), and grapes. This fondue is as good, if not slightly better, than the chocolate fondue at Gejas, which is Lisa's favorite dessert of all time (though last time Geja's seemed a bit skimpy on the portions).

We again loved the decor of the bathrooms, and we must have been smarter this time, as both of us figured out how to rinse our hands in the fancy glass basins under the faucets. For those who didn't read our prior review (and you really should), the bathrooms have a coppery-colored stone tile, individual small rooms with Asian-screen-like doors and are overall very attractive.

The total bill with wine by the glass was a bargain at $100.00.

Our ratings for Exposure Supper Club, 1315 S. Wabash, Chicago, Illinois:

7.5 (up from 7) of 10 Steak Knives; 2.5 of 3 Bathroom Brushes