If sheer enthusiasm could overcome a restaurant`s limitations, the Westside Cafe would rate with the greats. From the moment patrons enter this tiniest of dining rooms, host Kenneth Pospiech is at his most welcoming. He seats people enthusiastically, joshes with them self-deprecatingly, waxes poetic over the night`s specials. Singlehandedly, he sends people away happy and full. If the kitchen could keep up with his salesmanship and general good humor, the Westside Cafe would be an unqualified hit.
Occupying the space recently vacated by the highly successful Arun`s Thai restaurant, the Westside Cafe ranks among the smallest dining rooms around. Pleasant enough to keep patrons from feeling cramped, it features light-colored woods that make it appear larger than it really is.
The host supplements the menu`s straightforward listings with a recitation of a handful of daily specials. These encompass an appetizer, a fresh fish and the evening`s featured meat dish.
Diners do well to heed his advice carefully. Effusing grandiloquently over the chef`s pates, the host proclaims them some of the chef`s best work, and he`s exactly right. Two generous slices, one of duck pate, the other of lamb, lie amid tender seasoned greens, some cornichons and several tartly pickled onions. Wisely, the kitchen offers no mustard, for the pates`
pleasingly delicate flavors would undoubtedly disappear against so strong a condiment.
The host further recommends the day`s fresh fish, in this case a thick slab of tuna. Too dry around its edges, the grilled fish comes into its own as one moves closer to its juicier center.
Pospiech really pulls out all the stops to describe his sister`s apple pie, the Westside Cafe`s featured dessert. No one can resist at least one piece following his paean to American cuisine`s chief sweet. A fine flaky glazed crust loaded to overflowing with well-sugared and seasoned Granny Smith apples, the pie uses no gimmicks to achieve its effect.
Other delights include a simple but satisfying appetizer pizza topped with three cheeses and some shredded, sundried tomatoes. It has to be eaten fast to avoid its crust going limp. Warm escargot terrine, full of mushrooms, offers a welcome improvement on snails` standard presentation. Roasted duck breast, properly rare and tender, takes on different saucing as the seasons change, a blueberry accompaniment being both pleasant and original.
Steamed salmon, while cooked well, has been too long out of its native element. Grilled veal chop with basil-cream sauce needs a bit of garlic to bring out its shy flavors.
A good, fresh, tarragon-dressed salad punctuates meals between starters and entrees.
Besides the apple pie, the dessert list offers an excellent caramel-sauced light vanilla flan, unostentatiously adorned with fresh fruit. Frozen Grand Marnier souffle with blueberry sauce offers something a bit richer and more sophisticated.
The Westside Cafe encourages diners to bring their own wines, carefully chilling them further if necessary and providing plenty of glasses if diners bring multiple wines. Lack of a liquor license also helps keep prices in line, pleasing those customers who have chosen well from the menu with an uninflated check.
(STAR) The Westside Cafe, 3434 W. Irving Park Rd., 478-6262. American. Hours: 5-10 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Closed Sun. and Mon. Price range: Appetizers $2-$5, entrees $12-$15, desserts $3; dinner for two of appetizer, salad, entree, dessert, tax and tip: $42-$56. Credit cards: MasterCard, Visa. Reservations:
Recommended.
Rating system
(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR) Outstanding
(STAR)(STAR)(STAR) Excellent
(STAR)(STAR) Very good
(STAR) Good
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
The rating reflects the reviewer`s opinion of the food in relation to price compared with similar restaurants in the Chicago area. Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits; more visits are made when necessary. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by The Tribune.
