Maxwells Trading — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

Service - 4/5; table was not ready and was seated at the bar after waiting for nearly 30 minutes past our reservation time. Atmosphere - 5/5; beautiful, great interior, great lighting. Unfortunately, the food, overall, as a whole, was not the best. I can't say that I enjoyed even half of the items. First item on the list was the Suzuki Tartare. It was overly acidic and a very small portion. It was barely enough for each person in my party to get two full bites. I was unable to taste the actual fish itself. Due to the high acidity, it was almost cooking the fish and made it somewhat rubbery. Second dish was Prosciutto & Gnocco Fritto, which was pretty good. Honestly, you can't really mess up prosciutto, so there's that. The gnocco frittos though were kind of a miss. Although they looked very airy, the moment you took a bite into them, it was very doughy (dense). Sourdough bread slices would've been a good alternative, in my opinion. Moving on, the third and fourth dishes: Whipped Ricotta and Japanese Eggplant. The reason why I'm grouping these together is because they were served with these naan/scallion pancake things. The whipped ricotta was very good, could've used a bit more hot honey, but that's just me. The Japanese Eggplant wasn't good, texturally speaking, but flavor was just alright. The dish was served cold, which isn't an issue; however, the eggplant was just completely overcooked, turning it into mush. The temperature contrast from the naan/scallion pancake with the eggplant was off somewhat odd. Although the Whipped Ricotta wasn't exactly warm either, it didn't phase me as much, as it was used as a spread, sort of like having toast with jam. Onto the Starch section of the menu, we had ordered all four dishes listed: Japanese Sweet Potato, Stuffed Pappardelle, Fazzoletti, and Clay Pot Rice. To start things off, the Japanese Sweet Potato was unique. I enjoyed the sauce but I personally felt the type of sweet potato used wasn't the best. The top of it was seared creme brulee style and made it quite difficult to portion out. The sweet potato used was definitely way starchier than the average sweet potato. The best two dishes, of the entire evening, were the two pasta dishes. It was honestly a toss up between the Stuffed Pappardelle and Fazzoletti. I personally enjoyed the pappardelle more, due to more textural contrasts in the dish. No complaints on either one. The restaurants take on Clay Pot Rice was a good attempt, but not something I'd ever see myself wanting to order again. Firstly, the overall dish was too wet, it wasn't dried enough. There was no "crispy" rice, at the bottom, as there normally should be. The vegetables and yuba (tofu skin) that was added also didn't contribute to the overall texture of the dish. The dish itself, was overly salty; however, you could balance it some of the sauces. I've had better elsewhere, but again, this is my personal opinion. Next, we are now in their Substance/Grilled section: Black Cod and Bone In Strip (18oz). The fish was perfectly cooked, flaky and buttery; however it was eclipsed by the sheer amount of lime. The acidity overpowered the natural flavors of the fish which was quite sad. The Bone In Strip was my biggest issue of the entire evening. When asked how we'd like the meat prepared, we all agreed to Medium Rare. Upon arrival, the meat was more Medium/Medium Well, than actually Medium Rare. Now, I can't be 100% sure, but I think it's due to the technique used to cook/prepare the steak. There was a crust surrounding the meat, almost as if it was deep fried; however, that left the interior very dry and chewy. I had one bite and didn't have any more for the remainder of the evening. None of the sauce accompaniments could/would save the dish. It was definitely a disappointment for the price paid. Finally, desserts, we ordered all 3 items from the menu: Basque Butter Cake, Royal Milk Tiramisu and Forbidden Rice Pudding. No real complaints on any of them. The rice pudding wasn't quite my cup of tea, but I could...

This is a long overdue review! It is difficult to put into words my admiration for Maxwell's Trading. We've taken many friends, and many friends have gone on our recommendation. My spouse and I went soon after it opened, and we immediately added it to our list of go-to restaurants for our weekly date nights. It is tough to make this list for us (we've been going out, once a week, for over ten years in Chicago). The food is delicious. But, Chicago is full of good food, so that alone wouldn't have put MT on our list. Here's what makes it exceptional:

Care: Chef Erling puts his heart and life story into not just the food, but the ambiance of the restaurant. Ask him about a dish on the menu - he'll often tell you a story about how the dish was a staple in his mother or grandmother's cooking. He came by our table the first time we dined at Maxwell's, and we swapped stories about our go-to restaurants in Chicago. Filling bellies with is an expression of love for him, and we have felt that love from the first time we tried MT. From the host(esse)s to the food runners, to the wait staff, we've felt a sense of eagerness and care.

Creativity: Because so many dishes are inspired by his roots, Chef Erling and his staff play on tradition with the menu. The sweet potato is a must try staple on the menu, inspired by a dish Erling grew up eating regularly. He once told us that having permanent menu items is key, but these dishes have to be reimagined. We've gotten to experience two versions of the sweet potato over MT's lifetime, both of which have blown us away. There's something really beautiful about a simple and sustaining dish - sweet potato and curry - providing such complexity of flavor.

Concept: Maxwell's provides not only an exceptional level of care and creativity, but it offers a communal ambiance. The restaurant plays vinyl records (about which you can chat with the staff if you are so inclined) and extends its space through its partnership with Third Season and the Roof Crop. Check out the flower bouquets, coffee, or various pop-ups offered in collaboration with MT. The sense of community extends to MT's willingness to accommodate families (we've brought friends with kids and even a dog when dining on the patio).

All that said, added bonuses include: Easy parking situation. Events (my dad came here for a business event and raved about the griddle bread and dips). Pasta dishes that rival Monteverde. MT includes a service fee, which, as someone who once worked in the industry, shows to me that MT genuinely cares about its employees. Furthermore, with that fee, and considering the quality of the food and the experience, MT is far more affordable than other comparable restaurants. We've tried other restaurants, paid more, and found ourselves saying, "The food was almost as good as MT, but we're paying so much more!" Try the basque butter cake and french onion dip. And last, hot tip: if you show up near opening, the bar is open seating and you can nearly always...

Guaranteed pleasure. The room is warm and rustic while also being open, classy and romantic. You would be comfortable in a suit or jeans. The mood is lively with subtle chatter and a bouncy back-beat of unobtrusive music. The crowd is young professionals mixed with those who have lived life. The cocktails are clever; the wine menu is even more so with nicely curated categories that self-describe the flavors within, plus a by the glass option under each. This seems consistent with the pedigree of chef owner Erling Wu-Bower, who decades ago splashed onto the Chicago food scene, well-accomplished and now well groomed with the experience of some of the best. Maxwell Trading is a master-piece demonstrating he is now in his own right, one of the best. The menu encourages grazing of very distinct categories, portions come the perfect size to have at least three fun options before desert. The food hits every mark of excellence. One starter is Erling's curated bread choice made by his partnered bread-baker, paired with a variety of delicious toppings for you to choose. Erling delivers creative versions of sea food and meats in ways not seen on other Chicago menus. The flavors are unique and robust. He does not stop there. Erling one-ups the rest of the Chicago food scene with incredible vegetable-forward options. Being a carnivore for over 50 years, I have converted to Vegan Pescatarian for the past 14 years (no dairy, egg or land animal). I still eat out over 150 times per year which means becoming adept at veganing-up menu items, take this off, substitute oil for butter and put that on the side because my wife will eat it. You would be surprised how one-note our Chicago chef's are, leaning into butter and cheese to rescue their ordinary plates across the entire menu, no vegetable forward options, and resistant to any slight variation to serve the growing population of customers like me. Yes, some places have denied me saying that my ask was "not how the chef conceived the dish, so he won't do it." Erling's forward thinking, has included as standard menu items, beautifully composed intensely flavorful and healthy vegetable items. When I did ask for some variation to other items, his crack staff said "no-problem." The service was flawless, attentive and so helpful. When it comes to your wine choice, Erling himself will assist. Everyone should give this place a try, and the good news is, the variety on the menu is never ending so become a regular. Way to go Erling. Thanks for showing the...