A hip crowd comes for the contemporary food and attractive setting at this loungey River North restaurant.

The Scene
Three distinct spaces help corral the eager mob. The front room features a handsomely restored bar to the left, booths lining the right and soaring ceilings with opposing balconies and elegant two-story drapery. A bi-level dining room clad entirely in burled wood is warmly lit with pendant lighting, softened by scant photos. Hipsters swarm the peninsula bar in the upstairs lounge or one of two balconies.

The Food
Chef Daniel Kelly delivers a varied and eclectic menu of New American cuisine. Appetizers include crab cakes with remoulade sauce, grilled polenta with mushrooms and sticky cippolines, and blue-fin sashimi with carrot-daikon salad. The grill section features filets, strips, and a Kansas City cut, plus lamb and pork chops. Grilled chicken breast gets stuffed with lobster meat, placed on a wild rice medley, and smothered with seafood-cream foam. House-made noodles topped with ragouts, like papperdelle with braised veal and morels, are notable pasta dishes.