Ward Eight - Piatti

Renga-tei

➤ 3956 W Touhy Ave, Lincolnwood, 60712, United States

Piatti • Sushi • Asian • Vegan • Japanese

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"As a past loyal customer, I felt the need to revise my review from 5 years ago from 5 stars to 3. The new ownership greatly reduced the menu selection. We had been reading about the changes online but wanted to see it for ourselves. We were happy to see that they retained most of the old staff. However, to our great disappointment, our past traditional favorites (and what used to set this restaurant apart from others are gone (e.g., soba noodles, sukiyaki, dinner sets, bento boxes, hamachi kama, coffee jelly, etc. . While we were encouraged that they now put katsu curry on the regular menu (it was only available on Fridays and sometimes sold out by dinner time , the curry sauce itself does not have the same beef and veggie ingredients as before; the tempura dipping sauce is a bit too salty; the spicy tuna roll was noticeably smaller than before (but cost the same . I wish the new owner did more research about why this restaurant stayed open for decades and had so many loyal customers. Now it just feels like any other Japanese restaurant around the Chicago area. Good thing we still have Kuni’s in Evanston (for sushi and Akai Hana in Wilmette (traditional home style dishes , which is where we will frequent now instead of Renga Tei, unless they bring back some of our old favorites."

Torino Ramen

➤ 1162 Wilmette Ave, Wilmette, Illinois, USA, 60091, United States

Piatti • Cafés • Asian • Ramen • Japanese

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"I had a pork bao bun and the Sammy ramen with sweet corn. I do think that the bao bun was missing something like shredded carrots. It needed something more. The ramen was absolutely delicious. I ate my entire bowl. It was that good. Our waiter was super friendly and attentive. Our food came out in a timely manner. I will say that inside, there were a lot of flies. Having worked in the industry, it's really important to have that under control especially if there is raw fish around. I also don't think that management was present in the front of the house. There were employees on their phones and eating in front of customers. I do think that was also distracting. That's why I gave a 4 instead of a 5. But I will definitely be coming back for more ramen."

Siam Paragon

➤ 503 Main St, 60202, Evanston, United States

Piatti • Sushi • Fusion • Chicken • Fast Food

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""The food was incredibly bland. My 13-year-old ordered ramen, and it had no flavor at all. I tried the lunch special, but it was equally tasteless. The boba was watered down as well. To top it off, the waitress was rude and didn't say a word until it was time to bring the bill. There were also too many flies buzzing around, which made for a terrible experience overall. I would rate the food a 1 out of 5.""

Whiskey Thief

➤ 616 Davis Street Evanston, IL 60201, 60201-4458, United States

Piatti • Pubs • Cheese • American • Breakfast-brunch

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"on Easter Sunday in the expectation of a quantity, but there were tables available and many employees. our server was super nice, got us the free Moimosa deal (with order of a deer) and even asked me if I wanted a second 5 minutes a day (as the deal ends at 12:00 a.m.). frittata and avocado toast were both delicious, mimosas were mostly champagne and a generous size, our server was great and the atmosphere is really nice. we had been once, right after the place opened, the service was only so and eating was good, but the menu was a bit expensive, but this second visit feels like they had gotten their step, the menu has expanded and has more price range, and that was both eating great."

Blind Faith Cafe

➤ 525 DempsterIL 60201, Evanston, United States

Piatti • Cafe • American • Fast Food • Vegetarian

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"We have supported and enjoyed Blind Faith for years but the prices have gotten so high relative to the food served. My mediocre stuffed avocado at $19 with plain lettuce on the side left me unsatisfied, and the still very tasty Blind Faith salad at $17 which is 95% lettuce, overall gives me pause. With 2 drinks and one appetizer of Brussels sprouts our meal was over $80 before tip. The vibe is still, as always, friendly and inviting, and service good. At this price point I feel like I am mostly just offering my support to a local place, rather than getting a meal that I can’t wait to have again."