So former antico ice cream sergio, brad ray, ended up being the ec at this new chicago import.
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I have driven by a few times.
Looks like they have built an attractive corner in an otherwise ghastly building.
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Went last night. Tight cooking. Photos forthcoming.
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The same restaurant group is also opening one of their other Chicago concepts, Maple & Ash (a steakhouse), in Beverly Hills later this year.
I really enjoyed my dinner there. Super friendly and knowledgable staff, attractive open kitchen, and very good food. I had the Bubbling Shrimp to start ($22)–sort of a shrimp scampi with ginger that came with a naan-style bread, followed by the pork chop with miso mustard sauce and a small salad with roasted plums and nectarines ($55). The shrimp were excellent and (while it was still hot) the naan was great for dipping in the sauce or making a mini shrimp sandwich. The pork chop was good (not up to the level of Hatchet Hall, though), elevated by the miso mustard sauce and the salad. One of the servers highly touted the branzino and the steak for a future visit. The pizzas also looked good. There is outside seating, bar seating and a dining room with a view of the kitchen. Not a fan of the soundtrack but YMMV. The night I was there, the marketing manager for the restaurant group was handing out branded tote bags with branded merchandise inside (sort of an Etta Kit): a pizza cutter, a jar of pizza seasonings, a jar of pizza chili oil, and a card for a free pitcher of their house margarita. Very smart marketing. Valet is $10 or, if you are lucky, there are a few meters across the street by the Platform and further down the street alongside the Helms Bakery.
Update on Maple & Ash–probably not opening until 1st Quarter 2023.
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- Pizza game is solid; not as good as Roberta’s across the street but very respectable
- Spinalis was beautifully cooked and presented. Perfect little salad on the side, super high quality ingredients.
- Enjoyed the orecchiette - non traditional, slightly amped up but tight.
- Food was overly salty on first visit, they got it under control on the second.
The place is HUGE by the way.
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One of the options is a clam pie with smoked potatoes (the server likened it to a clam chowder on a pizza…which might not be the most appealing way to market a pizza).
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That clam pie was ok.
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Agreed. It was pretty good.
Went last night - first thing was the super loud music. So loud we couldn’t hear each other, and this at 6pm with a half full room. Loud, pounding, hip hop. After three requests, it was turned down and the music changed to more of a chill soundtrack - much better.
Standout was the spicy meatballs. Very spicy, although the tomato sauce was watery. Everyone loved the shrimp, the eggplant (also a bit watery, and served cold), the spicy pizza.
Little Gem salad was enjoyed by all, but a bit too much dressing. The “focaccia” bread was a huge hit, served with a ricotta cheese spread. Crispy, and sweet, but oddly not sliced - and in a pandemic, don’t really want everyone using their hands to pull apart a loaf of bread (served as a loaf). Jidori chicken is outstanding, tender and yet crispy.
The Short Ribs were anticipated by all, but after 30 minutes of no show, we cancelled the order.
Strawberry vegan ice cream is out of this world divine. We also had the chocolate and the coconut (also vegan), but were outshined by the strawberry.
Food was good, some of it great, but won’t go running back.
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Peony: This is a beautiful restaurant with cute decoration and a nice outdoor patio. My favorite dish tonight was the bubbling shrimp. The sauce was perfectly seasoned and the shrimp were cooked well. I feel all the dishes were cooked with good skill. While I know Warrior may like this restaurant a lot, I didn’t feel the excitement from the dishes tonight.
Warrior: I have nothing to complain about. This restaurant is good. I’d rather have good food than excitement.
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Was here a couple weeks ago and had a fantastic meal. The space is MASSIVE but energetic, and even though there were some space issues with food on the table, everyone was super happy.
Charred Eggplant - tahini ricotta, buttered hazelnuts, calabrian chile, herb salad
I wasn’t really expecting anything super inventive, but this started off the meal in an exciting way.
Fire-Baked Focaccia - ricotta, honey, truffle oil
I loved paying for this bread. It was way better than it had any right to be.
Wild Mushroom - goat cheese, black truffle, raclette
All the pizzas looked great, but I’m glad we went with this one. I’ll admit I was a bit concerned that having a pizza section on the menu signaled that Etta would be trying to do too much, but they definitely pulled it off.
Here’s where things get wild–we went total surf and turf.
Whole-grilled Lobster stuff with bubbling shrimp, king crab, and love
There was a ton of food here, all of it delicious. It was a bit of a mess eating and putting bites together (this also came with bread, lettuce cups, herbs, pickles, cucumbers, and chile oil on a separate tower) so there wasn’t really any particular bite that stood out, but overall it was a great.
40-oz Bone-in Hearth Roasted Short Rib
This came with another separate tower of fixings and sat on a bed of pureed potatoes. The meat was incredibly tender, though extra fatty in some spots, and honestly we dove into the seafood first so this didn’t get as much attention. It was memorable enough that I’d be up for ordering it again with another group.
Brussels Sprouts - honey dijon vinaigrette, crunchy garlic, chile, cilantro
I love fried brussels sprouts. It looks like a mess but I basically ate the whole thing on my own.
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hi @rlw,
thanks for the report, got a reservation in a few weeks. how many people did this feed? are they serving fresh spun ice cream? thanks.
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That focaccia looks super familiar… 
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Although I was underwhelmed by Etta, I’m still talking about that Focaccia and Ricotta Butter.
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Hi @PorkyBelly,
There were 4 of us with good appetites. The only things we had leftover was about half of the short rib, and half of the brussels. We were too full for dessert, but it was still there 
And yes @attran99 the influence is there. I’d go back for that bread again.
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I’m staying in Chicago and this place is literally across the street. I had no idea this restaurant was originally from Chicago.
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Spinalis?
ribeye cap
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