Connoisseur: 3 Stars

1041 West Grand Avenue, Chicago
http://http//www.connoisseurwineco.com
(312) 738-3055

Connoisseur opened this past December. It is being marketed as an "intimate and contemporary boutique restaurant offering wine, champagne, appetizers, and desserts." I agree with this description. The primary reason I consider it a "date spot" is because Connoisseur is nothing if not intimate, meaning small, very small. During the grand opening reservations were strictly enforced and patrons were given a maximum of 2 hours for service. Although odd, this was necessary to accommodate all those invited during the grand opening weekend.

Small also describes the number of small plates and wines currently featured. Although it is my understanding that they expect their offerings to increase in time. I ordered the crawfish sushi rolls, which were quite tasty. A couple of my dinner mates ordered glasses of red wine and were pleased. All of the cocktails I tasted were very good.

What I liked most and least about Connoisseur was the service. Our party was immediately greeted by smiling hosts who offered us complimentary cocktails (remember this was during the grand opening) while we waited for our table. I ordered one of the signature cocktails from the menu and the bartender actually wheeled a cart to our table and made the drink table side. Now you know I loved that! Gerald Lott, one of the owners, stopped by our table to ensure we were enjoying our evening. This is always a nice touch.

The problem was the waitress assigned to our table. She was terrible: rude and condescending. While we were still dining, she came over and announced that she was going home for the evening and that we would need to pay our bill, but that we could open a new check with her replacement. And no, the restaurant was not closing. It was still early in the evening. I have NEVER had this experience in a restaurant. I was both shocked and appalled. Of course, we paid our (not cheap) bill and left (after notifying Gerald).

This is why I cannot rate Connoisseur higher. One of the other things I like about this spot is that there is a DJ. You have got to see how they managed to squeeze a DJ booth into this small configuration. I will give it a second chance. If the service improves, then so may my rating.

Prices: $$$