Review: The Southern
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Mar 5, 2010 5:00PM
Last month I posted about the re-branding of Wicker Park's Chaise Lounge as The Southern. At the time we wrote about how I was looking forward to chef Cary Taylor's "revamped menu and an interior that should better complement his cooking and influences." Schizophrenia was the best way to describe Chaise Lounge: Taylor's upscale take on Southern-inspired cuisine ran head-first into the brick wall that was the artifice of Chaise Lounge's South Beach nightclub vibe. It's damn hard to promote good cooking in a lounge more fitting for a Jager Bomb and flavored martini crowd. So partner Jim Lasky stripped the downstairs bar down to the bare wood and replaced the club jams with loud and welcome doses of Drive-By Truckers. Still a manufactured vibe, for certain. But one I can embrace easier.
Taylor met Lasky halfway, paring the menu down to emphasize small plates and bar noshes. Sky Full of Bacon's Mike Gebert called overall revamp "Southern Big Star." Only nothing at Big Star is plated as fancy as Taylor's hush puppies. Served with a warm smoked trout dip (the trout courtesy of Susie-Q fisheries of Two Rivers, WI), Taylor's take on what my mom calls "country falafel" is a winner. The johnnycakes, pictured above, are not as sweet as, say, Dixie Kitchen's. But then Dixie Kitchen doesn't serve their cakes with pork and chow chow relish like Taylor. His version of cornbread pancakes is a lighter fare, almost like a crepe, and served fresh off the griddle. Think of this dish as a low country version of moo shu pork.
The Southern's "Country Captain" is smothered chicken, adapted from Taylor's mother's recipe in Columbus, GA. the chicken, served atop the smothering ingredients and a bed of rice, allowing the diner to play with his food and smother the chicken himself. The cocktail menu has also been pared down, featuring Taylor's sweet tea recipe and a beer menu focused on Southern brands such as Southern Star and Abita (yes, Marcus, even Jockamo IPA).
The Southern offers a more comfortable overall experience than it did as Chaise Lounge. In a whirlwind season for new openings and revamps, Taylor has managed to do good on his second start in bringing hearty Southern cooking to Wicker Park.
The Southern, 1840 W. North Ave., 773-342-1840