Winning streak

HB, the Boystown restaurant formerly known as the bakery/coffee shop Hearty Boys Cafe, has a slogan: "Good stuff, not stiff, cute staff." Is it too cute for a restaurant to have a slogan, especially one with the word cute in it? Yes. But it's also hard to resist stopping in to see if it rings true. As it turns out, HB lives up to its claims. Most of the time.

Although I hate to imagine what happens when an average-looking joe applies for a job here, HB does indeed have cute staff members. Not only are they cute, they're insanely friendly and knowledgeable about executive chef Jon Carl Lachman's food. (Dan Smith, who owns the restaurant with his partner, Steve McDonagh, is billed on the menu as chef-proprietor. Earlier last month the two beat out seven other contestants on The Next Food Network Star and won their own show. So it's unlikely he'll be around much once filming starts in New York later this summer.) At the end of a recent meal, one of my companions told our server, a hunk of tanned flesh named Brent, that he was the best server she'd ever had. He responded by flashing a grin of perfect teeth and said, "It's easy to serve here. The food sells itself."

Well, it does and it doesn't. The American cuisine plays to everybody's soft spot for the stuff we're not supposed to eat: fried food, red meat, sugar. But only occasionally is the immediate pleasure of eating comfort food backed up by interesting flavors. I'm human, so the joy of biting into the crispy and creamy artichoke and prosciutto fritters wasn't lost on me, but the taste of prosciutto was nowhere to be found. The lobster and tarragon deviled eggs screamed delicious kitsch, but while the mustard-heavy eggs were everything they should be—simple, decadent, a little bit trashy—the lobster was watery and flavorless. And while the sweet pockets of lingonberry in the oversized meatballs were a delightful surprise, it was served over a pale mash of sweet peas, dotted with morels and scattered with fries—a combination that was more bizarre than appetizing.

Not every dish was flawed. HB's brunch—made famous back when it was a cafe—will shatter any disdain for pancakes. Its version, touched with orange blossom and topped with mixed berries and mascarpone, was intricately flavored and indulgent. Back at dinner, the fried green and fresh red tomato caprese salad was a winner. The contrast of tart green tomatoes and perfectly ripe reds was delicious, even if I did find part of a sticker still stuck to the tomato skin. A trio of simple pan-fried soft-shell crabs was so rich and juicy, you'd think there was a sauce hidden in there somewhere. And it's almost impossible not to get lost in the cupcake flight, going back and forth between the thick cream-cheese–topped strawberry cake to the sugary spiciness of the chocolate-chile. That is, until you catch sight of yourself in one of HB's many antiqued mirrors, stuffing your cheeks like you're about to go into hibernation. What you see may not be very cute at all.

HB
3404 N Halsted St between Roscoe St and Newport Ave (773-661-0299). El: Brown, Purple (rush hrs), Red to Belmont. Bus: 8, 22 (24 hrs), 77 (24 hrs). Open: Breakfast, brunch (Sat, Sun), lunch, dinner. Average main course: $16.