Spring

Last weekend, I locked myself out of my apartment. You know—locked the handle, grabbed my wallet, closed the door behind me, and at that very instant, realized I did not have my keys. I didn’t even have my cell phone. Long story short: I walked around the neighborhood for about two hours waiting for someone to come let me in to my apartment. You might think this sounds like a terrible start to my day; you’d be wrong.

I ambled along all the best streets in my ‘hood, stopping to read postings in windows and take a closer look at random street art. I also walked by Spring, a restaurant on North Avenue with a James Beard Award-winning chef. True to its name, Spring had just recently posted their new spring menu—a Friday-night-only, $40, five-course celebration of the first signs of life after the winter thaw. They had me at the first dish with asparagus, but when I read the words, “halibut, gnocchi, wild mushrooms, ramps”, well, I knew where my Friday night would be spent.

The whole meal was fantastic. Shaved asparagus salad. Chilled, creamy soup. A massive dessert of panna cotta and fig-stuffed doughnuts. But let’s not forget why we came…

The halibut. The gnocchi.

The wild mushrooms. The ramps.

Ramps—the reason I survive the winter. Am I sounding dramatic? They’re just that good.

Honestly though, Spring has always gotten it right for me. The cocktails are great, the prices are reasonable, and the quality of the food is exceptional.

Plus, how cute is this complimentary, post-meal hot chocolate?

Spring Restaurant

2039 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647-6380
773.395.7100
www.springrestaurant.net