Good Looking Wood in Boystown
By Minna A in Food on Jun 28, 2012 4:00PM
It’s not what you think: newly minted on the streets of North Halsted is Wood restaurant, bringing fine food to Boystown.
Wood indeed has lots of wood and is an homage to owner Franco Gianni's father who worked in the wood-working business for more than 50 years. The large walls are lined with dark, distressed wood panels, with a large ceramic wood trunk vase at the bar and a panel of mirrors on the wall offering a contrast with the dark and masculine decor. Inside you’ll find a 25-seat bar and plush orange booths to seat large and small parties.
In addition to the appealing décor, Wood has a chef with a pedigree to be proud of. Chef Ashlee Aubin, who heads this large, open kitchen, was most recently chef de partie at Alinea and has also been with Zealous.
The smoky, dark woods are an good pairing with the smoked items available on both the bar and restaurant menus. On a recommendation from our waiter, we ordered the Red Wood, which costs just $9 for a craft cocktail. A combination of Casa Noble Reposado tequila and ginger beer, Sombra Mezcal and blackcurrant liqueur, this drink is a refreshing sip of summer, with a surprising smoke flavor that lingers after each sip.
The menu here is perfect for sharing. Small plates and flatbreads make up most of the menu, with a small selection of seasonal entrees. The soft shell crab dish ($12) delivered the succulent deep-fried seafood we craved, but was paired with a fresh avocado puree and a tart addition of grapefruit and pickled vegetables. The pork belly ($12) is already a favorite, coupling the savory and salty meat with spring onions soaked in a sweet agrodolce vinegar sauce. The country ham flatbread ($11) is an optimal marriage of flavors, from hearty bread topped with creamy and nutty raclette cheese with thinly sliced, prosciutto-like ham and bitter kale.
The menu offers rich flavors reminiscent of fine dining dishes, without the fine dining costs. This reasonably priced restaurant has a great selection of both food and cocktails, and a meal for two averages around $50 without cocktails. Looking for even more to get you in? Come late at night for Backwoods, a small window offering late night Belgian-style frites with sauces like horseradish mayo, dijonnaise, BBQ and curry yogurt.
Wood is located at 3335 N. Halsted, with the late night Backwoods window open on Buckingham.