Table, Donkey and Stick

I ventured out of my comfort zone for restaurant week and headed here after a few drinks at Sink/​Swim.
When we arrived we were informed that the whole menu was available for restaurant week and that was a delightful surprise!
I started with the Hubaner… a nutty cheese that paired well with the sunflower oat toast.
Next I had the local greens. which felt a bit to over dressed. I like my salad to be a bit drier than what was prepared. The pickled tartness came through strongly and made it hard to want to finish the salad. My company had the swabian pretzel and although filling I didn’t find it to be anything remarkable.
For my final course I tried the whitefish. I usually think this is a boring fish and that was exactly what it was… boring. Not completely sure what possessed me to try it but I was very underwhelmed. I had a bite of my friend’s caramelized onion panisse which was a actually delicious! Full of flavor in every bite.
I didn’t completely fall in love with Table Donkey Stick and probably won’t be back. The wait staff was super nice and the communal tables were very friendly and welcoming but I think I would have preferred a little more flavor in the things I tried.

I wanted to love it, honestly, I did. I’m not sure how new it was, but I went with a friend in June of 2015. We sat outside, and ordered a few things to share. The drinks were good and the ambience was okay, but I would have liked to see more variety in the menu. It was so-​so overall, but the service was excellent.

As a Chicagoan, I am the type of restaurant goer who typically says «This was (good/​ok/​very good, etc.), but I’d rather go somewhere else before I come back here». With alI the great places the city has to offer, we rarely go to the same place twice.
Well, I can’t say it any more clearly than this: I felt the exact opposite about TD&S. This place was INCREDIBLE, and I can’t wait to come back.
I came with my husband for restaurant week, and we loved how TD&S ran their restaurant week. Pick one from all categories and you get a great price of $ 33 for dinner. We both walked out stuffed and fully satisfied.
We started out with the duck liver mousse and a similar salmon mousse, which we thought couldn’t possibly be topped. The duck liver mousse was SO smooth, and these were brought out with a bread that paired perfectly with both.
For the next course, my husband opted for a wheat pasta and I went with the headcheese squares. Once again, both of these were incredible. The headcheese was so rich, going perfectly with the kale purée that it came with, and the pasta included truffles and pecorino — this might have been my favorite dish of the night.
Finally for the entrée, my husband went with the duck leg confit and I got the whitefish. By this time, we already had so much food, I didn’t think anything could be better.
I also ordered the Quarter After spirit, a bourbon based cocktail. There was perfect balance between the bourbon and the sweet cardamom syrup and rose water. The drink was just a cherry on top to the perfect meal.
TD&S makes me seriously consider going back to to all my Unilocal reviews and bumping all the restaurant to which I gave 5 stars down to 4 stars because they just don’t compare. We really can’t wait to come back to try other things on the menu.

I normally hate venturing out to Logan Square. Figured I’d come out here since the menu looked impressive. Cute, cozy little restaurant where a majority of the seats are around the bar. I didn’t mind the view we had of the kitchen.
Things started off strong— the Piper’s Pyramid goat cheese was beautiful— the bread that came with it was warm and buttery and delicious as well. Head cheese croquettes sounded like a great idea when the waitress was describing it— mainly because I can’t remember the last time I’ve had pig head, so I wanted to go for it. Unfortunately, even though it had great presentation and a beautiful golden color, I didn’t love how fatty they were. Just personal preference.
I had the duck leg confit, which my friends liked a lot more then their grilled pork, but it just wasn’t as flavorful as I was hoping for. The medley that came with it wasn’t to my liking so much either.
Good service, but the food is just average.

I’m not going to hate on a place that has such a good selection of charcuterie and cheese, but there was enough not-​so-​good to make me rate this place down.
First, let’s start with prices. The plates are small and clearly overpriced ($ 11 for soup — really?). I would let it slide if they were mind blowing, but nothing here (in addition to the charcuterie and cheese, we had the croquettes, soup, and pork entrée) fell on that end of the spectrum.
Next, we had the host who quoted us 90 minutes and told us only the bar was available. Within 10 minutes at the bar, a table opens up and remains unoccupied for our entire meal. The whole «we’re booked» thing left a bad taste in our mouth (no pun intended).
Point is, this place is good, but not good enough to compensate for the unpleasant factors. Maybe worth a second shot, if only for the awesome donkey logo.

A-​OK sums it up. I wanted to love it, but find that it is just missing something to give it a solid 4 stars.
I was drawn to the eclectic menu and the different ambiance. It is a small restaurant so I’d recommend reservations. The ambiance fits with the concept (alpine inn with a French/​German mountain cuisine). The wood tables were beautiful although there could be a little more clearance between the table and chairs.
Service was great. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. She provided good recommendations and coursed out our meal well. She also made sure to check on us while enjoying the meal or our after dinner drinks, but never felt like she was rushing us. The staff was also quick at cleaning our table and getting it ready for what is coming next.
They had a nice selection of beer, cocktails and even the after dinner drinks. I ordered the Adeline cocktail. It very tasty and I ended up ordering a second. My husband ordered the El Burro as he likes spicy. He found that it was a bit unbalanced but this might have been an off drink as our dining companion enjoyed hers.
The food ranged from okay to good. We started with some charcuterie/​cheese ordering: Smoked Whitefish, Schweinekopf (German pig face), Venison pâté and two cheeses Piper’s Pyramid and Arpea de Brebis. It also came with the sunflower oat toast. My favorite: the oat toast, the Schweinekopf, and the honey with the cheeses. The okay: the cheeses. I’d skip the Venison pâté. I found it to be bland and didn’t quite understand the wrapping/​shell around the pâté.
Our appetizer course also included the Potato Latkes, Sweetbreads and Swabian Pretzel. The Potato Latkes with the aioli dipping sauce were hands down my favorite and probably my favorite dish of the night. They were squares pieces that were crisp and firm and the aioli was very tasty. While I am not typically a big fan of Sweetbreads, I enjoyed them and thought the orange sauce provided enough acidity to cut through the richness and balance the dish. The pretzel itself was good. However, the comte sauce lacked a cheese flavor I was expecting and found it to be just okay.
We each ordered our main dish and then shared with the table. I ordered the pork which was overall just okay. It was served in dark, somewhat deep bowl like a mini cauldron which fits the theme but makes it difficult to see the food and eat it. The pork itself was cooked perfectly and was very tender. It came with a gutenberg cheese potato gratin and some kale. I liked the kale. I was not a big fan of the cheese potato gratin and found that it wasn’t quite all working together as one dish.
My husband ordered the Braised Goat Maultaschen. We were a bit surprised when it came out in a pasta shell as we didn’t realize at the time that Maultaschen is a German type of filled pasta like Ravioli (a more descriptive menu would probably be helpful but we could have asked more questions). The goat was tender and flavorful. I preferred this entrée much better and ended up eating more than just a taste (that was in the vows). However, my favorite entrée was my friend’s king salmon. The king salmon was delicious and nicely cooked. This would be the dish I would order again. I also tried the slow roasted duck leg. It was okay — the duck was tender and moist but nothing special about the rest of the dish (duck sausage and the accompaniments).
It was a pretty good experience and I’m glad to have tried it. However, with many options in Chicago, I can’t see myself rushing back.

I liked Bonsoirée, so this place had been on my list for a long time, and I was excited finally to try it.
Unfortunately we had a hugely subpar experience (½/​16). We were seated in the front window, near the bar, and for at least the first hour of our evening the space was mobbed – there were people standing who kept butting into my date, our table, etc. It was also very loud – we were yelling to hear each other. I am not particularly picky about ambience, but this was RIDICULOUS. The waiter and maitre d’ both could sense our chagrin and independently assured us that «this party» would be leaving «within ten minutes.» It was clearly not one party – the place was at least fifteen people over reasonable capacity – and the people stayed for an hour or more. I thought it was really disappointing, since they obviously perceived the problem and chose to do nothing about it.
The food was okay-​to-​good, but I can think of about a hundred restaurants in Chicago (at all price points) I’d rather eat at. If I wanted to go to a bar, I wouldn’t have made a reservation at a fine-​dining restaurant. Really unfortunate.

Really wonderful cocktails — both for fans of classic and fans of creative mixology. Charcuterie and small plates are excellent as well. Service is top notch and many of us in Logan are regulars.
Double thumbs up for the Sunday they had a bbq rib special with homemade rootbeer glaze.

Pros: Amazing charcuterie (duck liver mousse!!!), good cocktails, cozy inviting ambiance, excellent service
Cons: The food didn’t always wow consistently, not that anything we ordered was bad, but some things were just phenomenal and some things were just pretty good
I am waffling between a 3 and a 4 star rating here, because, while I enjoyed our meal immensely, this is not a place I would come back for dinner very often. I went with 4 because what went well really shined compared to what went OK.
First impressions of the place is that it is very cute and cozy. I love the idea of mountain inspired cuisine in one of the flattest parts of the country. It’s not far from the main Milwaukee strip of Logan, but it feels like a little respite from the busier parts of the area. Our waiter assisted us in navigating the menu, and was just a fun guy all around. We always felt taken care of.
We started off ordering some drinks and charcuterie, specifically the duck liver mousse, as it is mentioned positively in most of the reviews. Believe the hype, the stuff is pretty amazing. For drinks I ordered the El Burro, TDS’ take on a margarita. Their take on a Mexican classic was pretty spot on, with ginger and jalapeño, two of my favorite things. We also got some latkes, the mustard is what made the dish.
We ordered veal sweetbreads and roasted sweet potatoes for starters. The sweetbread was served on top of a blood orange pudding. I enjoyed the sweetbreads, but I don’t have anything to compare the experience to as it was my first time eating them. The blood orange pudding left me a little cold. The sweet potatoes were delicious, well cooked, and the flavor of the dish was excellent.
For entrees we ordered the alpine burger, roasted leg duck and pork. One friend ate the burger himself, the other two were split between the rest of us. I felt that duck was the best, but the rest of our party disagreed with me. We finished off the night with an alpine coffee, which was a great nightcap.
Overall, I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from going here from dinner, we had a good meal and a good time. But if I was going to come back, it would be to sit at the bar and have some charcuterie and cocktails. Oh, and to try their $ 5 burger night.

This place would have received 4 stars if the night had gone better. Let me first say that the food was excellent and we loved the atmosphere.
We had a reservation for 7:30 and arrived a couple minutes early. We were told a table would be available soon and would we like to chill at the bar? Of course. A pre dinner drink sounded fantastic. So we went to the bar and hung out for awhile. The bartenders were nice and attentive. It became 8:00 and I was super hungry so my husband asked when a table would be ready. One of the parties was taking their time so we were told it would be awhile. Easy enough. We’d just eat at the bar. No problem.
We got the Yukon potatoes and the Brussel sprouts to start. Delicious. We were then given a history behind the name of the restaurant by the cool bartender.
That’s when things went south.
The couple’s on either side of us left and with drinks in hand and food in front of us, we were asked to move down a few seats. We did, willingly because why not? Wasn’t completely fair though because it’s first come first serve. Then two of the most fratty frat boys sat down in two of the four empty seats, looked at us and jerked their chins. Oook. We watched for awhile and realized no one was sitting in the two seats we vacated. After about 30 minutes my husband asked them why we had to move. After first asking if we were mad, they said their friends cancelled and they called others to join them.
So recap: after not having our reservation fulfilled, we were asked by the bartenders to move down and vacate two seats that were never filled.
Needless to say, we left. About 20 minutes later when we finally got outside and got a car… still no one in those seats.
To their credit, the owner actually came and talked to us afterwards and apologized for the bartender’s blunder and offered us free drinks. We politely declined because our car had arrived and honestly didn’t want to go back inside.
This was probably a one time occurrence but we left with a bad taste in our mouth. We may go back… maybe, but there are a lot of restaurants in Chicago, closer to us, that wouldn’t have done what they did.

I went with a group of girlfriends and we decided to order our own dishes instead of sharing. My experience may have been different if we opted to order together and share so maybe this review will change if I end up going back.
In any case, I ordered The Apothecary as my poison for the night. I was in an absinthe mood so it was exciting to see the option on the mixed spirit menu. The green drink was served cold in what looked to be a cute tea cup. It was tiny. I’m a huge fan of strong drinks so I didn’t mind paying $ 14 for a 5 ounce drink (assuming that it was of that size) so long as my buzz will stay the entire night — it was a close try. — ⁴⁄₅
I ordered the Slow Cooked Duck Leg as my entrée and was unfortunately disappointed, mildly. Maybe it was the dim lighting and it was difficult to visually see what my dish was composed of, but when I read an entrée title of that sort, by golly, I expect some meat on a bone. Instead, there were pieces of meat (unfortunately, a scarce amount) along side an overwhelming ratio of duck sausage. To be fair, the duck sausage was the first food listed after the entrée title, but overall, for a big duck lover as myself, the Slow Cooked Duck Leg wasn’t what I was expecting in the least; especially for $ 27. Maybe the duck leg bone and duck meat missed my plate, maybe I missed it with my eyes (and fork), or maybe I ate it and didn’t realize it — who knows! — ³⁄₅
There were 6 in our party so the restaurant called my friend (who made the reservation) a couple of times before we came in; understandable. Our waitress was happy to split checks which is always a plus! And the ambiance and lighting of the room was intimate but still allowed for friendly conversation. There’s a decent chance that I’ll come back to try other options on the menu, but it may not be for quite some time. They have a outdoor back area so possibly during the warmer part of the year!
Overall, I would give a 3.5 stars if I could.

If you want a unique dining experience and are up for trying new things, this is a great place to visit. As a former picky eater turned foodie, I was very impressed by the eclectic menu. Rather than get one large entrée, this place is better enjoyed when you order a bunch of appetizers/​small plates and split them among your party.
My friend and I split the brussel sprouts, duck liver mousse, potato latkes & alpine burger. First of all, GET THE DUCK LIVER MOUSSE. It’s to die for, I honestly could have eaten just four servings of that. The burger was also very good: juicy and on a tasty pretzel bun. (I advise dipping the sandwich in the aioli sauce for even more yummyness). The server was also attentive and helpful with making suggestions. Overall, great experience!

Double dated here recently and had a fantastic dinner! I made a reservation on OpenTable for a Thursday night and we were promptly seated. I wish we had gotten a table in the nicer back part of the restaurant, but it wasn’t a big enough deal to ask to switch. It never got packed, but was decently busy for a random evening. The 4 of us decided to order a bunch of different plates to share and I’m glad we did because we got to try so much more.
Cheese and charcuterie board – we went with the sea trout gravlax, duck liver mousse, and arpea de brebis. All were great, especially the mousse, but the real star was the sunflower oat toast which was buttery and delicious.
Roasted brussels sprouts – the only thing that was forgettable. The dish was good, but not anything to rave about. I wouldn’t stop anyone from ordering it, but it’s not a must.
Pretzel – yeah, it’s just a pretzel, but it’s nice and soft and the the fondue it comes with has a good flavor.
Potato latkes – A firmer, less greasy, square version of tater tots. I loved these and will definitely be ordering them again. Loved the caraway aioli they were served with. You also get a decent amount in this order so this would make a good appetizer if you’re dining with a group of 2 – 4.
Seared walleye pike – one of the 2 entrees we ordered. So light and flavorful! Fish had a great sear on it and, most importantly, didn’t have that fishy taste.
Slow cooked duck leg – so freaking good! Especially the duck sausage. This is the perfect entrée for a chilly evening. It also came with a slightly thick hazelnut sauce, which we thought was pretty delicious.
Staff was super friendly and attentive the entire evening. Pacing of food, which I think is important when eating small plates, was on point. Pricing was incredibly fair: 4 of us with drinks and plenty of food and our bill was around $ 145. We also had an a la card to use, which made the bill another $ 10 cheaper. Convenient walk from the Western blue line stop. The interior has a nice casual feel that is also slightly intimate. Would be great for friends, family, dates, etc.
Overall, we were really impressed. Definitely looking forward to coming back, if only for some cheese and charcuterie (and bread!) at the bar.

I hate to say it, but I was not terribly impressed with Table, Donkey and Stick for vegetarian fare. I went yesterday with my boyfriend, who happily ordered from the Monday specials ($ 5 burger, $ 5 nachos, $ 1 High Life). There was nothing vegetarian in the specials list, so I ordered 2 small plates for myself: the soft pretzel and the fall squash. I definitely recommend sharing the small plates. The 2 small plates that I got were just too much food for me, and the proportions were off. For the squash, it would have been nice to see some microgreens or something to balance off the heaviness of the squash and pickled pears. In any case, there was some flavor note that I felt was missing from the squash. The soft pretzel was fine – nothing spectacular, but not bad at all.
If I return, it will probably be with veggie-​friendly folks who I can share small plates with. It’s not really worth it otherwise. Besides that, the atmosphere is nice, and the waitstaff is friendly. If my dietary preferences were different (my fault, I know), I think I’d like this place a lot more.

Every single thing we ate here was DELICIOUS! First thing is first, this place has the best charcuterie in Chicago. If you want something fresh and full of flavor, this is your spot. Every single thing is made in house, so you really can’t get any fresher than that. All the cheeses are unique and tasty. The meats are the perfect compliment. I am obsessed with their smoked whitefish. Too yummy! I also tried their salted halibut, which had the perfect crunch from fried okras and acidity from pickled peppers. This is really the best composed dish. The special that day was a carrot soup with fennel, gnocci and lobster — this was AMAZING — so much flavor just from the carrots alone. This is a great fall soup so I hope they have a permanent spot for it on their menu.
I can’t wait to come back and try some more of their food!

What is ecletic dining?
TDS belongs here because it has a menu that while it’s not for you to be fed and stuffed, it’s a place where you get to experience, smell, see and taste a bunch of things. Smallish type plates, offal, atypical pairings and strong cocktails set in an intimate, communal setting. Best to come here as a table of 4 and order a bunch of things as I have done.
Get the duck liver mousse, beautifully smooth and rich. We got some appetizers like cheese, fried chicken livers, entrees to share and they were all nicely put together. I think we had too much too drink and jokes that night, so I don’t remember all the dishes, but it was a good time and I left full.

This place is great. I seriously considered changing all other reviews to being lower to give this one the higher marks it deserves, A little out of the way for downtown, but it’s casual, yet refined. The people are very welcoming and casual, yet the food is refined and intricate. Very special place. so many unique flavors in a dish. Seemingly odd pairings that are beyond amazing.
Came with a group of 20 — they have a back room that accommodated all of us perfectly. The drinks are great from cocktails to wines. The food is very unusual, and yet incredible. We had a large shared menu so we were able to try many things. The halibut, pork, frog legs, charcuterie a and cheese, dessert.
All amazing. The best? Unanimous vote. duck pâté!!! And for the sweets. Holy moly everything!!! The desserts are truly the best selection. I had «carrot cake», «dulce de leche pretzel», and «fried pork rinds with caramel» and all were fantastic and leaving me wanting more and More and MORE!

I’m a bit selfish when it comes to picking restaurants or places to meet with friends. And one night, I was particularly selfish, and chose Table, Donkey and Stick., a mere 4 minute walk from my place. Hey, he had a car and could easily drive there, so I shouldn’t feel guilty, right?
I did a late second dinner at Table, Donkey, and Stick with a friend on a Friday night, and it was absolutely delicious. The menu was definitely unlike items I’ve had before, proven by the fact that we had to google half of the ingredients. Kasha? Fumet? And what’s the difference between fluke and flounder? Yup, we googled it all. I was only a little bit embarrassed when a friend searched through my google history the next day. Just a lil bit.
We got a small plate to share as well as an entrée, and both were absolutely delicious. We ordered the Trout Roe, which had amazing flavors and textures, and the Seared Fluke, which was by far a star (insert star emoji here). The flavors were great, the broth at the bottom was so flavorful, the purée at the bottom was to die for, and the beets added a great texture — it was just an amazing dish. The service was great as well and the servers really know the ingredients in each dish since everything is done in house. I’m guessing no excessive google searches for them…

Whenever I talk about this restaurant, I call it Table Donkey or Donkey Stick… the name is just way too long! I can’t decide which I like better though. Sometimes I ramble on about nothing and I’m thinking this is one of those times.
I loved nearly everything about Table, Donkey and Stick. I think the only slightly annoying thing is that the host stand is located off to the side when you walk in. Everyone who walks in for their first time stands there aimlessly until someone at the host stand calls them over. We were seated at a two top right between the host stand and the window, so not only did we get the nice –5 degree breeze but also the crowding of patrons waiting around our table. YAY! (sarcasm). Aside from that, I was very impressed with everything but most of all the food.
They have a good list of bottled beers with about 4 – 5 on tap at any given time. They usually look to have one amazing super high % beer on their list which I’ve never had before. This meal it was Kavorka from Solemn Oath, a nice Russian Imperial Stout.
Delicious bites I had:
Wanderteller $ 17 for 3 — Pheasant Galantine & Pork Rilettes — Both good meat choices.
Point Reyes Cheese — creamy, buttery, grassy — Loved this cheese option!
Foie Gras Terrine small plate $ 18 — apple butter, chestnut — I always feel like a horrible human being eating foie gras but goodness is it tasty! It’s always a special treat when on the menu and can taste great paired with just about anything but this dish was particularly great.
Duck Meatball entrée $ 23 — Smoked duck breast, grilled cabbage, carrots, egg noodles, duck yolk, comte — I highly recommend this entrée. Every bite was delicious and all of the flavors went together quite well.
Overall, I had a great meal at Table, Donkey and Stick and would never hesitate to dine here again.

Pardon me as I continue to explore the 2015 Chicago Restaurant Week.
Table, Donkey and Stick is on the 2015 Michelin Bib Gourmand! What exactly does that mean? These restaurants are honored for offering quality food at reasonable prices, but most importantly, they are also frequented by Michelin food inspectors.
For $ 33 per person, you are entitled to a three-​course meal. My first course was a house-​made rye baguette served with Point Reyes Toma and candied walnuts. It is a farmstead cheese with a semi-​hard texture yet very creamy and buttery. The candied walnuts are a blatant contrast that helped bring out the cheese’s natural flavors. For appetizer, I had the smoked salmon which was paired with cocoa roasted parsnips, blood orange marmalade, gingersnap, rooibos, and dill. It had a generous amount of salmon that was perfectly done at medium. The fish was fresh and the dish was well-​balanced. My entrée was the grilled pork pave served with roasted sunchoke, meyer lemon, sunflower seed risotto, and herbs de provence. The pork pave is similar to sausage except in a much more tender texture. The salty red meat was well paired with the light risotto, tangy lemon, and bitter alfalfa sprouts.
Dessert was not included with the restaurant week prix fixe menu. We decided to add two orders of ice cream with caramel corn chicharron at $ 4 each. The chocolate szechuan was unique in which it had a slight spice. It was very rich and creamy. The roasted apple sorbet was the opposite with a slight green-​apple sourness. They are both very interesting and bold flavors that are worth a try.
Side note, space is limited. Reservations are highly recommended!