Originally Posted by LizGross144

We had a 2-star day in Chicago last weekend - brunch at Roister and dinner at Blackbird. Roister brunch was great. We had both the avocado toast and foie gras toast to start, and would eat the foie gras toast every day if our wallets and waist lines could take it. For mains we had the biscuits and gravy (enormous and delicious) and the fried bologna sandwich (surprisingly tasty, particularly because of the pickle). Dessert was the foie gras candy bar. Really enjoyed our brunch and would gladly return for dinner next time we're in town. Loved the seating right at the open kitchen, and the staff were fantastic.

Blackbird has been on our list for a few years. We had a 7pm reservation on a Saturday night, so of course the restaurant was packed. We were not huge fans of the incredibly close seating along the bench on the side of the restaurant. It was impossible to enjoy our meal without overhearing what was happening at the tables on either side, and it forced the wait staff to awkwardly put stuff on my side (bench side) of the table instead of placing it correctly. We had the tasting menu and were not blown away by anything. While the food was "fine," I would not say it was worth $500 for 2 (including pairings). Our other one-star dinner experience in Chicago (Boka, this time last year) was far superior.