Appellation

Just for the record, lets keep focused on the items that are made here, and those which iare purchased from outside sources. Numerous reviewers have commented on the olives, cheeses, charcuterie and wine. All of these items (save a few pates) are made by artisanal purveyors, (not made in the kitchen by Appellation or Pastoral.). So to give cred where cred is due, the «buyers» (not the kitchen) at this establishment do a terrific job at sourcing products made by smaller (and a few local) artisans.
Appellation/​Pastoral is a nice addition to A’ville group of restaurants. I’m personally still awaiting a 5 star venue, but it hasn’t arrived yet. We started with the crispy white beans & chorizo which were very good, and a selection of U.S. made artisinal cheeses. They kept the fresh bread coming, which was welcomed indeed.
Now let’s talk about the main dishes at Appellation. We sampled the grilled leg of lamb with squash, brussels sprouts and a yogurt sauce. Veggies & protein perfectly cooked, nicely plated. The noodles with milk braised pork shoulder ragu and an assortment of veggies was good, but not exceptional. Lastly, we had the dill ricotta gnudi with butter sauce, goat cheese & hazelnuts. Nice combo, but gunudi must have caught a draft, (kind of room temp/​tepid). It took away from the dish. Overall, my vote for food is 3.5 stars
Lastly, they might want to slap a menu page in their Unilocal listing. Like don’t most of us check out a menu before we head over to a new place? Not unlike any new restaurant, I think Appellation has a few kinks that need to be ironed out. I’m going to give it another month and head back for another dose.

Went there last night. While the place was cute, my friend and I were very clear when we ordered on the size of our glasses of wine. The «small». Each glass should have been $ 5. Much to our surprise each glass was $ 10. I said something to the server. She apologized but made no change to the check. I won’t be back and I won’t be recommending the new slot either. Too bad. I was excited to go back. But robbing customers without fixing it isn’t right.

We came here for restaurant week with high expectations. We really, really wanted to enjoy Appellation, knowing how much we love Pastoral. Unfortunately, the experience was a disappointment. Our food came out in the wrong order, the waitress spilled wine on our menus/​table without cleaning it up and the food was a bit salty. The wine selection is fantastic and the menu is affordable for the charm and atmosphere.

This place is amazing. The atmosphere, the food and the service make it a great new addition to Andersonville. The chicken thighs were great. We ordered the chickpea appetizer and it was great too. This is going to be one of my new go-​to restaurants.
UPDATE: I visited this restaurant for the second time and was very disappointed. I remember the chicken thighs being amazing the first time, so I ordered them again. We also ordered the chickpea appetizer again. To our disappointment both of them did not come close to the first time we tasted them. The chicken thighs/​mashed potatoes were swimming in gravy, the chicken actually looked a little pink and felt a bit chewy. The chickpea appetizer was not the same either. It had a sweet syrupy kind of flavor and not at all consistent with the previous time we had it. Not sure if it was a new cook or he was just having a bad day. We still like the ambience and the service so will try it once more. Will update my review accordingly. I am now giving it a 3 star.

I’ve been to this amazing wine bar & retail delicatessen many times since the opening last fall. I have yet to be disappointed! Lunch is fantastic and maintains all the quality and deliciousness of the other locations in the city. And if you’re looking for a fantastic gift or something impressive to bring to a dinner party, this is the place to visit! Wine, cheese, pâté, olives, chutneys, the list goes on… everything they stock is insanely good. And reasonably priced! There are several bottles of wine under $ 15 and the other selections are well worth the price tag. A $ 29 bottle of wine could easily pass for a much higher-​priced vintage! (note: prices for vino on the retail side are obviously much lower than purchasing them in the bar/​restaurant — we usually enjoy some at the bar, then buy 1 or more to take home!)
Sitting at the bar to sip on boutique wine and nosh on their charcuterie is now one of my favorite things to do pre or post-​dinner when I’m strolling through Andersonville. And the dinner portion… where to begin?! I’ve had the pleasure of bringing a variety of friends, as well as out-​of-​towners here, and the experience has always been DIVINE! The service is absolutely impeccable, with perfect suggestions for our varying tastes and wine pairings that made us swoon. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly and buttoned up! The menu is creative, without being overly intimidating, and the European/​simple approach to each dish is a welcome alternative to other offerings on Clark St. I can’t recommend Appellation enough! It’s a fabulous addition to Andersonville and I am so thrilled that I have a new favorite spot in the ‘hood:)

Appellation is so cute and TASTY! If I could just eat cheese and drink wine forever I think I would be a very happy person. Maybe I could just move in to Appellation? Yeah?
We went to Appellation in between lunch and dinner on a snowy Chicago afternoon. I ordered a salad (olives, cheese, sundried tomatoes, mmm) and my husband ordered and sandwich. We devoured them at the bar, and were super impressed.
Can’t wait to go back!

This just opened up in my hood and I’m so thrilled after having dinner.
The ambience is modern and just the kind of dim but not dark lighting I prefer.
I’m a designer so all of those aesthetics are important to me. We sat at a table but the bar was packed with people oohing over their cheese flights and wine. Love the vibe here.
We ordered 2 appetizers, the croque sandwich and a dessert. They were all an unmi experience! If you love cheese and wine and interesting pairings this is the place to go.
For starters we had the seared cauliflower and the apple, sweet potato and onion tarte. We had the Croque Monsieur with prosciutto. So big we shared it. Amazing gooiness. We had a dessert our waiter recommended that was savory and sweet. Deliciousness again.
John was our waiter and he was efficient, attentive and delightful.
The cost was surprising reasonable for foodie quality food. We shared everything and portions were generous but not obnoxious.
So, 5 stars for Interior design, Food, Service, Experience and Cost.
Btw– their artisan deli, pastoral is really tasty too.

I’ve had a mixed reaction across two experiences now. First experience was a grab and go sandwich for lunch. Overall, it was a good, tasty sandwich. Counter servers were friendly and knowledgable and offered great, friendly service. I enjoyed the sandwich at home and thought — hmmm… I must try them for dinner. My second visit was not quite so welcoming. With friends in from out of town, decided we would grab a glass of wine at the bar, check out the menu, and then grab a table for dinner. It was Sunday evening and not all that busy as we arrived early and there was ample space at the bar and plenty of tables open. We sat at the bar waiting to be greeted, and waited, and waited and finally said — excuse us — can we get some service. We were completely disappointed that the server was completely unengaged — not a smile, not a welcome to Appellation, nothing. If you are supposed to be an upscale wine bar and want to charge me $ 12+ for a glass of wine — engage me even if just for a moment by telling me something about the wine — asking if I like it — anything. We ordered a round a cocktails and all decided that the cold shoulder service simply wasn’t giving us a good vibe so we ended up heading down the street to Vincent for dinner (which in my book has consistenly excelled in the service department). I’ll write this off as a bad experience or a server having a bad day and hope that they will strive to enhance the customer experience.

Great wine/​bar and restaurant with prompt service.
Tender Lamb pesto: 5
Chunky chicken thighs: 5
Assyritiko: 5
Ambiance is fantastic; space is attractive; food is delicious.

Even taking into consideration 5 weeks in business doesn’t excuse the Extremely poor level of service, unfriendly staff and greeters, and atrocious cooked food. This place needs to stick to their wine, cheese, and charcuterie and not try and cook anything. A few snafus I won’t bother to mention because of the newness, but the fact that you’d turn people away when the restaurant tables are empty, then text them 14 minutes later after they’ve walked out to patronize another establishment for a drink, and then return to see still plenty of empty tables in the restaurant makes no sense when you refused to accept a reservation when called earlier in the week. Food: Everyone around us had salads, cheese and charcuterie which looked great. We decided to do a more traditional route… I.e., a starter, salad, and two «mains.» While the waiter was apologetic about the wait for the entrees (40 minutes), we also had to wait 20 minutes to have anyone notice our napkins over our plates and get the check. And no inquiry as to my guy’s barely eaten roast beef. It was horrible tasting. Should not be on the menu. My chicken thighs were not that bad, although the mashed potatoes that accompanied them were tasteless. We had a mixed green salad with fennel that was soggy and overdressed. We began with an order of fries w-​a caramelized onion dip, which you can’t ruin. Again, we were dumb. It’s not a restaurant. It’s an overpriced wine bar with snack food – a midday stop for wine or cocktails and cheese and charcuterie at best. It’s too bad as we live in the neighborhood and were hoping for another option. The wines by the bottle are all pricey! $ 90+ dollar Pinot Noirs. And the rest $ 67 and up. Ugh. How is that sustainable?

I had an amazing experience here last night. The entire setup lends itself to a leisurely gourmet experience, I sat at the bar but there was the choice of tables or the very cool cheese bar.
While waiting for food (not very long) I was able to check out the store side and browse the cheese and wine selection, which is well chosen and sophisticated.
The server/​bartender was prompt, attentive and knowlegable and let us taste wines before we chose, a point I always appreciate.
Menu was well suited to a Chicago winter evening, braised lamb and pork shoulder, both were perfect.
This one is a real winner for Andersonville.

short review: if you like cheese, eat here.
longer review: i love cheese. so when news of a restaurant opening inside of a new cheese shop in the aville came around… welll, color me excited. came on a saturday night following a snow storm. we were there around 6, were able to get a table fairly quickly, but it also filled up fast while we were there. we sat in the front area by the window, and we noted that the acoustics are sort of strange — definitely much louder in that area than further back. so be prepared for a louder, vibrant area.
food — yes! i think just about everything (if not EVERYTHING) had cheese in it! yum. there’s a good variety of types (cow, sheep, water buffalo (!!) and the applications are good. quite a few vegetarian options available, which is always a plus. everyone was, for the most part, happy with their meal, and we all said we would return. there’s also a bar area in case you just want to get drinks and small plates. extensive wine list, also quite a few beer, and a limited cocktail list.
our server was nice, and if we had questions he didn’t know the answer to, he went to find out for us rather than just making up an answer. so thank you for that. looking forward to a return visit where i just stuff my face in more cheese and call it a night.

I have ate at Appellation three times now and it is a great addition to the neighborhood. I have lived here for 15 years now and have seen places come and go and this place will be here for a long time. The environment is very comfortable and not too loud, the staff are always very informative on the food and wine and the food tastes great while being reasonably priced. I always leave full and satisfied and didn’t break the bank. Another added plus is with the attached store you can take things to go for home or gifts.
Fantastic!

the local itself, the atmosphere, the food and wine are excellent.
they are new so they still have to work around the edges, but overall services was good.
I am only giving them a 4 because of the clientele it will attract.
I was there on Saturday to try it out for the first time. We were seated between two tables of what seemed to be the crew and staff of the Real House Wives of Chicago-​Andersonville (lol).
I guess this is the type of client that can be expected here but these patrons were very condescending on the wait staff and it was just awful seeing the waitress, which by the way was her birthday, deal with these women. besides they were all obviously intoxicated, which at that point was very loud and annoying. I think respectfully management should have stepped in and not serve more alcohol to these women.
I will definetly go back, I just know this is the kind of crow I’ll have to encounter here.

Great addition to Andersonville! Great bar and good food in a very friendly atmosphere. I love the Pastoral that’s downtown so I was super excited to see one opened in Andersonville. Didn’t disappoint!

This is really a 3.5, but I’ll round up because – Andersonville. :)
Like many others in the ‘hood, we’ve anxiously awaited the opening of this place. We are hardcore Andersonville loyalists – and foodies. So, any new restaurant in the neighborhood wins our instant loyalty.
While walking around the neighborhood one late afternoon a few days after the opening, we decided to check it out. «Let’s grab some wine and cheese,» my wife said.
I happened to have our 3-​month old baby strapped to my chest, but he was fast asleep, and mommas needed a drink. (Don’t get all self-​righteous on me, here.)
We walked in and were greeted by the older female hostess. She didn’t smile. Didn’t attempt to exchange any pleasantries – for show or not. We asked if we could get a small bite and a glass of wine. While she was looking around the nearly empty restaurant, I also asked her about whether or not she thought we’d be okay coming the next evening (which was a Tuesday) for early dinner. I explained that we’d have a stroller, and I asked if they had any tables that were roomy enough that we wouldn’t get in the way.
I was making casual conversation and excited to try the place; she was not amused. She looked utterly exasperated and, eventually, said that she guesses we could go «over there.»
She then directed us to the bar where, unbeknownst to us, we weren’t allowed to sit «with a minor.» I totally get it. It’s the law. They are a new establishment. So, we left hungry, shamed, and a little miffed.
The point is, they just weren’t very warm or welcoming. Yet, we still went back for date night the following weekend. Sans baby.
Again, we were put off by coldness of the two hosts – the older woman, again, and a younger dude. Neither of them seemed to like their job. Or us. Or anything. It was almost enough to make us leave again, but we decided to stick it out.
We sat at the bar while we waited for a table. Things after that weren’t perfect: it took nearly 10 minutes for the bartender, who was very kind but very busy, to give us menus. We placed an order for a cheese plate and he came back 15 minutes later and told us he forgot to put our order in, asking what we wanted, again.
When we did finally get a table, it took a long time to get menus or water. They brought out a ham flight and our cheese plate without explaining what was on either – just drop and run. The cheeses were delicious and varied, though.
The older gentleman who was our waiter was fantastic, even though he seemed to be waiting on a dozen tables at the same time. He was very charismatic and seemed genuinely excited about the menu.
And the meal was a solid 4 stars. The tarte tatin, cauliflower, and gnudi were standouts. The desserts were all mediocre. Not bad – just clearly not made by a pastry chef.
I know the first half of this is a little harsh, but I wanted to give the honest opinion of someone who was – and still is – very excited to have this place in the ‘hood. There are definitely some kinks to work out – and some staff to train – but I think this place could be a great addition to Andersonville.
We will give wine and cheese at the bar another try – without the baby, next time.

Stopped in on opening night. Great selection for whatever you’re in the mood for. Drinks, snacks or full blown dinner. Minus a star since our food wasn’t very hot, but I’m sure they’ll work the kinks out in time. Definitely will be back. Andersonville desperately needed a good wine bar and this fits the bill!

I agree with the previous posters here. Glad to have this place in my neighborhood!
It’s a loud-​ish bistro that is perfect for a first date — the tables are close and intimate, and the noise level means no one besides your date hears the personal stuff. ;-) And on a friday night it was packed.
The cheeses are really very good. And the food we had (a first date, too!) was la-​te-​da comfort food. Perfect.

Really spectacular. Been looking forward to this opening for a while — the food is imaginative, interesting, and chock full of interesting cheese from all over. They offer a large selection of wine, and the space is really well thought out, comfortable and cozy. Our waitress was extremely attentive, constantly making sure we were comfortable and well fed, and I couldn’t have been more impressed, especially considering they just opened, with the flow of the whole restaurant. I can easily see this becoming a staple destination for myself in the neighborhood.

Absolutely amazing. I love this new restaurant in Andersonville. The cheese, beer, and wine are excellent. Astounding selection of cheeses, wines, and some truly specialty beers, several of which are only available in very small batches.