Koda Restaurant: Good Neighborhood Bistro (Chicago Restaurant Review 54)

We were in the southern suburbs and, on the way back to the city decided to stop at a new bistro in Chicago's historic Beverly neighborhood. There are not many fine dining places in Beverly, which is a shame because the neighborhood is so classically Chicago. But Koda is a good start.

We started with wine by the glass. Lisa had a Pinot Noir and Steve had a Merlot, both of which were very good, although the selection of wines by the glass was very limited.

We went on a Monday night which is a good night to try Koda because, to our surprise, we were told that a 3 course dinner was half price. Given the quality of the food, which is good but not great, we would recommend Monday night dinner at Koda to get full value.

Initially, we have to say that we weren't really impressed with the coffee-shop-like decor. The place really didn't seem like a bistro. However, Steve's french pizza appetizer, with brie and walnuts, certainly could have come from a top parisian bistro, although Lisa thought it was too sweet. That was fine by Steve since he was able to eat almost all of it, and he loved it. We both liked the ahi tuna, which was both visually appealing and fine tasting,

Entrees totally disappointed us. Steve's lamb was dry, chewy and essentially tasteless. Lisa's shrimp gnocci was far too sweet for her taste, although she liked the shrimp itself (when she could taste it).

For dessert, Steve had an unexceptional creme brulee and Lisa had a chocolate dish which was again too sweet. The bathrooms were nice and clean, although not fancy. They were also cold.

Koda's service was earnest but not particularly informed. Some of the courses came out on top of each other, but the meal moved at a good pace.

The total bill at Koda with wine by the glass was $80. This is a good value but we would be less enthused if we had paid the fiull pricxe whcih would have been more like 120.

Our ratings for Koda, 10352 S. Western Ave., Chicago, Illinois:

6.5 of 10 Steak Knives; 2 of 3 Bathroom Brushes