Chef's Station in Evanston: A Good Stop for Fine Dining (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 65)

Chef's Station has gotten a lot of positive reviews, so, since we were in the northern burbs, we decided to give it a try. The experience started rather inauspiciously, since the restaurant is literally in the basement of a rather grimy Metra station in Evanston. Moreover, even though the restaurant was half-empty, and since it was somewhat late on a Sunday night, it was pretty clear we'd be the last customers, we were made to wait ten minutes because the host said there were not enough servers on duty to handle the crowd. Nonetheless. once those minor problems were out of the way, we had a very good dinner.

We started with wine by the glass. Lisa had a Tempranillo Rioja, which she liked, as it had a dark slightly fruity taste. Steve tried a Bordeaux because you usually don't see Bordeaux by the glass. It was very dry, but had an interesting flavor. We were very impressed by the wine list in general, and we liked the way the bottles were displayed in the foyer.

Our first course was a goat cheese souffle appetizer. Steve thought it was great, Lisa was slightly less enthused, as she found it a bit too rich, but also liked it. The only salad choice that looked palatable was the lavendar mixed greens. Not surprisingly, the lavendar dressing overpowered the salad, so we would advise skipping salads here (unless you like the taste of lavendar) and going right from the appetizers to the entrees. Before the entree, we were severed an amuse bouche of honeydew melon sorbet, which was a good touch. (Lisa thought it was amazing, and she doesn't even like honeydew melon.)

Our entrees were quite good. Lisa ordered the filet with saffron risotto. The filet was perfectly cooked and tasted good, though the saffron from the risotto was a bit heavy and colored the filet's flavor as well. Steve had the meatloaf, which he initially questioned (asking whether it was food, as it looked rather like a big glob). But it definitely grew on him to the point where he highly recommends the dish. The accompanying onions and potatoes were also very good.

For dessert, Lisa had the dark chocolate cake, which she liked a lot because the chocolate was very dark. Steve had the raspberry souffle, which was good, but fairly devoid of raspberries, which sort of defeated the dish.

The bathrooms were kind of weak. In fact, they were the only part of the restaurant that really seemed to us to be reminiscent of a train station. They were industrial, rather ugly, and barely clean. Also, a wide strip of wood was hanging on the bottom of the Women's Room door, creating a possible tripping hazard. Otherwise, however, the decor of this restaurant is quite nice. The tables all have flowers, there are more flowers in vases in recessed areas of the walls, and it is overall a nice, cozy atmosphere.

Dinner for two, with wine by the glass, was a good value of $135. We highly recommend this place.

Our ratings for Chef's Station, 915 Davis St., Evanston, Illinois:

7.5 of 10 Steak Knives; 1.5 of 3 Bathroom Brushes