Tallulah

Photo: Donna Rickles

“How are the lobster deviled eggs?” I asked my friend. “Good, but not very lobstery and too salty. How are the crab and andouille fritters?” “Okay, but kind of more fritter than crab and andouille.” “The squash-and- Gorgonzola ravioli is really good,” chimed in another friend, adding: “So are the mussels. I like the Asian thing going on with the coconut milk and basil.” First round of my initial meal at Tallulah: split decision.

Under the glow of candles and dimmed sconces in the white-on-white, stoic and simple Restoration Hardware–esque dining room, we moved on to the second round. Duck breast was properly pink and juicy, but heavily salted and paired with a blah duck spring roll; Meyer lemon risotto topped with crispy artichoke was two-note but tasty; a braised short rib and cheesy mashed potato combo bordered on being too rich and heavy; and a play on surf and turf coupled sticky, stewed oxtail meat with buttery, rich skate wing. Again, nothing really wrong but no strong one-two punches.

The second visit, the pork belly appetizer turned out to be the best dish from both meals. The luscious slab of pork was perfectly cooked, with its equal bites of tender meat and near-melting fat playing off of deliciously tart and spicy housemade kimchi. Even with the pork belly to compete with, the other starter of silky prosciutto topped with frisée and a poached egg managed to stand out as quite remarkable. Things were looking up for Tallulah.

But again, entrées failed to wow—roasted chicken was overly salty (a recurring problem), and grilled prawns were served room temperature and looked pretty lonely on a plate with only mint-flecked couscous and a thimble’s worth of vaguely tart, thinned yogurt. Desserts added to our frustrations—flavorless blueberries clashed with chai crème brulee, and while we get and like the combo of fiery chiles and chocolate, there wasn’t much gained by adding mushy roasted bananas to a texturally similar ancho-chocolate mousse. Final two rounds: The contender shows some heart but doesn’t land enough solid hits for a knockout.

I always had a similar opinion of Bucktown’s Meritage, where chef Troy Graves cooked before it closed and he moved on to Tallulah. A midpriced neighborhood joint, Meritage’s appeal centered around being a reliable option for locals—that is, before the options multiplied. Graves’s new stretch of competition may not have destination restaurants like Bucktown’s Takashi or HotChocolate, but it does have a plethora of mediocre spots catering to Lincoln Square’s never-ending hunger for dining. Tallulah stands out for being a bit more ambitious than Angloized Indian, glorified bar food or Tex-Mex, but it still falls into the category of “good for the neighborhood.”

Still, if you’re looking to take a date somewhere nice and candlelit that won’t break the bank, or your parents are in town and Mom wants chicken, Dad wants a steak and you want something a bit more creative, or you live in Lincoln Square and you’ve already been to Chalkboard this week, Tallulah’s got you covered.