Giant — Restaurant in Jefferson Township

The good: All the food was absolutely outstanding. Every bite was nothing short of amazing, and some of the best flavor I’ve had anywhere in Chicago. My favorite dishes I tried were the Japanese Eggplant, the Trout Roe, and the Stoopwaffel. The Japanese Eggplant was everything! It was slightly sweet, very savory, a little tart, with a hint of spice. This dish alone could turn me vegetarian. The Trout Roe was just one bite, but was absolutely bursting with savory flavor. Then the Stoopwaffel, from the “Test Kitchen” menu, was the perfect blend of sweet and savory. The other dishes we had were also fantastic - the Tagliatelle and the Capelli di Mago. The Tag had the right amount of crab, and the Capelli was filled with the perfect mixture of cheese and rabbit. Both had a slight spice, and the Capelli had a hint of citrus, which was refreshing. Both pastas were cooked to the perfect al dente. Service was attentive, and the server was friendly and made the experience fun. He was lively, easy to talk to, and provided recommendations. The drinks were great. I had “The Sully”, which was a take on an Old Fashioned. It was great, and had a slightly more fruit-forward flavor that truly complemented the food. They also had some great beers available (in cans, no drafts) and a decent wine list. I was fortunate to try a couple of them, including an APA and a glass of Sangiovese. The Chef’s Counter seat was awesome and fun to watch the chefs, see the dishes be made, and be able to talk a little with the chefs. I highly recommend this spot in the restaurant, as you have a little more space, and it makes for a very fun atmosphere. I loved watching the chefs whip out dishes and all work together. Very cool experience.

The not-so-good: The space is very cramped. We did the Chef’s Counter, which wasn’t as bad, but the whole place is very compact; tables are practically on top of each other. When walking through the restaurant, it’s one aisle, so you’re waiting on others to get through or bumping into people. It’s like they crammed as many seats in a tiny place as they could. They do have a patio for when we have nice weather; however, I can’t comment on that or how much it alleviates the issue, as it was a cold day when I dined. That said, the atmosphere is lively and energetic, which makes it feel more cramped, but makes for a fun setting. It’s more on the upscale-casual side as far as vibes go. 5% mandatory health insurance charge? Apparently this does actually go to employee health coverage, and when I inquired, the server said they have great health benefits. But still, with the fact that there’s a set price on the menu, it’s a little shocking to get the bill after your meal with the tax, then tip, then 5% charge of top.

The ugly: I avoid social media, but I’ve seen the owner post on Reddit and Instagram. In my opinion, political rants and arguing with customers online is not a good business model. But I guess who am I to say, as I don’t own a restaurant, and it was packed in there. It’s just a slight turn-off, as I was going to discount this restaurant after seeing all that; however, I try to not let things like that get in the way of a good meal. The food definitely made up for it, but I’m sure others have written this place off due to the owner’s attitude.

Note: Despite the name of the restaurant, while not “small plates”, they are not huge portions. For two of us, we had five dishes (albeit, some of those were just one or two bites). You won’t leave hungry, and the prices somewhat decent (definitely erring on the pricier side), but just be prepared to order a few extra items. Granted, ordering a few extra items with food of this caliber cannot be considered a complaint.

Overall: If you can look past the owner’s comments and posts online, get a seat at the Chef’s Counter, and be ready to pay an additional 5% on your bill, I very highly recommend trying Giant. It may be some of the best and most flavorful food...

My friend picked Giant as our fancy night out for our girls' weekend in Chicago, and I couldn't be happier with her amazing choice!

We originally could only get a super late 10:45 PM reservation. Giant texted us the day of asking if we'd like to move up to 10:15, which we did. Great touch.

When we arrived, we were seated at one of Giant's comfortable booths. The interior is small and cozy, beautifully decorated. IMPORTANT: right now, Giant is requiring proof of vaccination to get a table. They will accept a picture of your vaccination card if you don't want to bring the real copy. Personally, I love that they are asking for this, because it helped me feel way more at ease having a long, unmasked dinner with other folks around.

Our server was Baylee. She was warm, friendly, and on top of her game, giving us plenty of space to enjoy our company but always stopping by at the right time to get our next food or drink order. There was also a quiet, polite busboy who kept our water glasses topped off so diligently I was tired watching him, haha. Giant shares on their menus that they provide health insurance for their employees, which is an awesome, unusual benefit in the service industry -- one that I'm more than happy to pay a little extra to support.

The food was, by and large, phenomenal. Giant is a tapas-type place and it's recommended to get 2-3 dishes per person. We had an appetizer-type round of jalapeño biscuits, garlic prawns, sweet and spicy peppers, and Japanese eggplant. I didn't try the prawns because I don't like them, but my friends enjoyed them. The only dish I wasn't super crazy about the entire night was the peppers. I still took a couple bites and...sort of enjoyed them? The anchovy bread was very crusty and stood up nicely to the soft, slightly chewy peppers and cheese. However, the aged provolone had a super strong, super funky aftertaste that I didn't love.

This was the only hiccup of the night, however. The Japanese eggplant was full of subtle and nuanced flavors and the crunchiness of the cashews added a great textural element. I wouldn't call it super spicy, but it was definitely unique and delicious. The highlight of the night had to be the jalapeño biscuits with maple butter...holy goodness. Added to the list of those rare dishes that hit me just the right way and honestly make me a little emotional because they were just so good!! Slightly crunchy exterior hides a buttery, pillowy, steaming-hot interior. Slather that transcendent maple butter on top, close your eyes, and enjoy!!!

We were already slowing down from the appetizers, so we split two of the pasta dishes between the four of us to round out the night. We ordered the garganelli and saffron tagliatelle. I mostly ate the garganelli as the tagliatelle had seafood in it, but I did sneak a crab-less bite and it was delicious - very faintly spicy. You could actually taste the slightly sweet, slightly earthy saffron, too.

The plating of both dishes was beautiful, too. The garganelli I split with a friend was rich, buttery, and covered in ricotta. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the salt pork ragu brought the right amount of crispness and saltiness.

3/4 of us got drinks. After splitting the tab 4 ways, with tip, we managed to get out for $54 each, which is more than worth it for such a lovely evening - at least in my opinion.

I would be more than thrilled to revisit if I'm ever in the...

Giant is good. Just good, not great. We came with high expectations, especially since it’s in the Michelin guide, but it fell short in too many ways. The food had highs and lows. We were there for the pasta, and while the pasta itself was nicely cooked—great texture, al dente—the sauces were a disaster. Both pasta dishes we ordered had broken sauces, greasy and separated. It was honestly awful, and I don’t know how a restaurant with this reputation gets away with it. The non-pasta dishes were much better, with solid flavors and execution, but the pasta was the star we came for, and it flopped.

Portions are another sore point. They call it “family style,” but these are tiny share plates. You’d need to order three of everything to feed a group, and at these prices, that’s absurd. Giant is wildly overpriced for what you get—the value just isn’t there when you’re paying a premium for such small servings.

The atmosphere didn’t help. The seats are so crammed together you’re literally rubbing elbows with strangers. It’s uncomfortable and far from the upscale vibe you’d expect. Not very nice at all.

Service was a mixed bag, and not in a good way. We ordered two non-alcoholic cocktails, but when the server dropped them off, he called them by the wrong names. The drinks looked identical, so we ended up drinking each other’s cocktails without realizing it. The server later figured out his mistake but did nothing to apologize or correct it—no offer to replace them, no comp, nothing. That kind of oversight with zero follow-up was frustrating. To top it off, nobody said thanks or goodbye when we left, which felt kinda shitty and cold for a place of this caliber.

Now, let’s talk about the bill. On top of the steep prices, they slapped on a 5% charge for employee health insurance. I get that restaurants have costs, but tacking this onto the bill—lumped in with the food and everything else—feels like a cheap move. It wasn’t clearly explained upfront, and it left a bad taste. It’s bullshit, frankly, and made us rethink how we tipped. We ended up tipping 20% on the pre-surcharge amount because we didn’t feel right tipping on a fee that shouldn’t be part of the food cost. The total bill, with tip, came to $214.75, which stung for what we got.

Overall, Giant has some strengths—the non-pasta dishes were solid—but the broken sauces, tiny portions, cramped seating, sloppy service, and that sneaky surcharge make it hard to recommend. I wanted to love it, but it’s...