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On my way home from the library this afternoon I noticed a new awning and menu in window of the former Erba. The name of the reconcepted restaurant is "chelsea grill" with the subtitle "comfortable food" using only lower case letters.

Menu in window is dated 9/24. Tables seemed set for service, so they may have had a soft opening.

Main dish prices range from $7.95 for some sandwiches including a hamburger to $18.95 for an aged NY strip steak with blue cheese butter and fries. Macaroni and cheese is $8.95. There seem to be a lot of cliches on the menu. The prices seem fairly good for that strip of Lincoln. I think I will let someone else try food that we can make very well at home without gimmicky features but with excellent quality for less money. But then, some of the things in the thread about Erba do not make me want to try anything new from the same owner.

chelsea grill
4520 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago 60625

We went to this week old eatery last night in Lincoln Square. It was in the old Erba space (in fact the credit card receipt still says Erba). Space was nice, minimal but nice.

We had the Mac and Cheeses -- this was served in an crock type dish. Pretty dry and too oily for us -- could use a ton more cheese but had a nice crust. I had high hopes based on the presentation but it fell pretty short for us.

We also had the blue cheese burger and Goat cheese veggie sandwich. The blue cheese burger was nice and pink inside but really really charred on the outside. Good blue cheese but overall I'd give it a C.

The Goat Cheese veggie sandwich was really good tons of goat cheese and pretty well done veggies.

I think this place has potential but probably a ways to go. Unless I hear some better reports we'll probably think long and hard about going back.

Chelsea Grill
4520 N Lincoln Ave
(between Sunnyside Ave & Wilson Ave)
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 989-4200

We went to Chelsea Grill last night and had a fun dinner. Since it's in the old Erba space, I think expectations need to be reset for it. The food was simple comfort food and the prices more than reasonable. There were multiple vegetarian options, which I appreciated. The main courses topped out at around $17, but there were several items below $10. On the appetizer list, there were snacks like olives and nuts that were 1.50. The wine list started at 31 and went up from there. The atmosphere made it--it has the same bar area, clean lines, a modern space. The service was very good. I'll be back and approach it as a nice place to have a decent bottle of wine with reasonably priced food.

I had the mushrooms and poached egg on toast and the West Hollywood salad. The toast was heavily buttered and well grilled and appeared later in the form of garlic bread. The mushrooms were simple button sauteed in olive oil with a perfectly poached egg on top. The salad was straightforward with a nice balance between kalamata olives and cheese, with neither overwhelming the salad. The portion was very large.

The gf got a greek salad to start--also quite large. She got spaghetti and meatballs for the main--also a large portion, which came with the garlic toast.

The kitchen is smart--using a few techniques over but still presenting a very varied menu. It isn't high end fine dining, but a great midrange option and priced appropriately.

Overall, I think it's a nice addition to Lincoln Square. The atmosphere is great, the wine list is nice and the food was cheap. It's hitting an unusual niche -- a place making comfort food in a sleek environment with nice wine list. I'll be back, approaching it as a way to have a few glasses of wine in a nice atmosphere without breaking the bank.

I was there two weeks ago or so with my parents, looking to dine someplace walking distance away from the apartment. Chelsea Grill pretty much hit the mark for us, providing a filling, delicious, straightforward and very reasonable dinner.
The menu has a satisfactory list of choices, with a lot of variety therein. From the approximately 10 app choices we went with fried goat cheese, which ended up being essentially a Greek mozzarella stick with toast. Not a failure - in fact, quite tasty - but not above what you'd expect at your neighborhood beef joint.
I was in the mood for seafood, and was stuck between three entree choices - "fish and chips" (blue crab in for fish), shrimp and grits, and salmon. I went with the salmon ($15), getting medium rare as suggested. The waitress was correct - it was one of the best cooked pieces of fish I'd had in some time, flaky and moist. The portion was more than adequate and came accompanied by a potato puree and spinach, all of which was swimming in garlic butter, which is to say, delicious. Couldn't help but try the fries that came with the burgers my frugal parents both had, finding them quite good as well.
The bread pudding dessert also hit the spot. It was a freestanding cube of very most caramel-flavored cake, topped with chocolate ganache. It was incredible, though probably not what I needed on top of the stick of butter hidden in the entree.
The wine list was small but covered most of the bases, and the beer list was the same, though notably reasonably priced ($4 for an Alpha King).
Altogether I was impressed with the value and quality at Chelsea Grill, having been burnt by the similar seeming and equally convenient Fiddlehead Cafe back in the fall. I will return, and I suggest it for a night when Talullah is just a bit too expensive.

Can't find confirmation online, but looks like Chelsea Grill is done. Drove past at 6:30pm on Wednesday and place was completely dark.

just a temporary issue. Called the restaurant and the owner confirms that he had to close for a couple of days due to an unexpected happening, and will reopen for dinner tomorrow.

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...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

Fuckerberg on Food

I was headed there last Friday night only to find it closed . . . ended up at the Bad Apple again instead. I too had assumed it was finished when I saw the lights out and no sign on the door on a Friday night.

Those were ominous signs indeed, and I'm glad that the understandable assumption ended up being incorrect. Chelsea Grill doesn't put out anything miraculous, but I like going there every now and then for a casual, not-too-crowded vibe and pretty good roast chicken, meatloaf, or some other homestyle dish. Glad to hear they're sticking around.

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...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

Fuckerberg on Food

Even though the last assumption of closing seems to have been premature, it might be time to ring the death knell for Chelsea Grill.

The last couple times I walked past the space they were dark as well - last night at 7:30 they were shuttered and previously on a Tuesday night closed as well.

I never understood the reasoning behind the reconcepting of the former Erba space. It's not like Lincoln Ave. needed any more takes on any sort of American food along that stretch. However, Jack Rabbit seems to be alive and kicking - same owners, right? - and the decision to change that from Brioso seems to have been an alright decision.

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Tweetyspacing @karlklockars.
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"You don't realize it, but we're at dinner right now." ~Ebert

telephone service is disconnected too, so this time I'm afraid Chelsea Grill is indeed kaput.

_________________
...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

Fuckerberg on Food