Bar Takito is Red Hot; TOC Says Skip the Chicken at Do-Rite; More

Bar Takito "proves sophomore slump was never even in [Takito team's] vocabulary," writes Kate Bernot. There's a "perfectly acidic" sea bass ceviche atop slivers of fried yucca along with vegetarian beer cheese arepa that's worth daydreaming about. The esquites is a take on elotes with quesco fresco, chili aioli, cilantro and a "genius" brown butter that "adds a savory richness most corn salads lack." Cocktails include "That Is What They Called Me In High School," a "well-balanced combination" of rhum agricole, sweet sherry and tart, vinegar-based raspberry shrub; as well as the Oaxacan Chalice, a negroni riff that's a "more floral version of the classic." [RedEye]

Sometimes trends just shouldn't mix as Do-Rite Donuts and Chicken shows, according to Amy Cavanaugh. While the doughnuts are "as excellent as ever, the chicken sandwich isn't very good." A spicy chicken breast is "dry and somehow lost all the breading on one side" while lettuce is limp and fries are "lukewarm with a cardboard-like texture, as if they'd been sitting around for awhile." Cavanaugh recommends you skip the chicken and stick with donuts and coffee instead. [TOC]

Mike Sula tries "Modern Polish" at Qulinarnia out in Mount Prospect. He starts with a "powerfully tart, roughly emulsified" cream of pickle soup that's "amplified" by parsley, celery and marjoram, along with "lovely, silky" chanterelles in a rich cream sauce under puff pastry. Entrees aren't as successful due to "overcooked proteins" such as a "tough, overroasted" cod fillet and slices of duck breast "cooked gray in the middle." Go with more old-school dishes like a simple filet mignon with sauerkraut and mashed potato balls or the potato and cheese pierogi. For dessert, a cheesecake with farmer cheese has an "almost crumbly texture that feels like a relief in contrast to its western analogues." [Reader]