The Promontory Off to Hot Start; Tete Charcuterie Wows Jeff Ruby; More

A mezze spread of "addictive" truffled white bean spread, "smooth" green garbanzo hummus and "deliciously salty" olive tapenade is perfect for the whole table, while a lamb burger packs "Greek flavors into one sandwich." Don't skip on cocktails like the Jamaican Old Fashioned, which wins Arnett over with its rum instead of bourbon and La Colombe coffee bitters. Rounding out the meal is a s'mores soufflé that's a "comforting combo" of smoked graham cracker ice cream, chocolate soufflé and charred marshmallow cream for a "classic campfire treat, all grown up and graduated from pastry school." [RedEye]

Tete Charcuterie "can't decide whether to be the Publican or the French Laundry" but it "gets so much right," writes Jeff Ruby. The charcuterie board "brings together nearly a dozen treasures" from a rustic pâté bourguignonne of Duroc pork to "the finest head cheese in Chicago, a buttery marvel." Other winners include the "standout" charred Filipino longanisa sausage and an "excellent" pickled beef cheek salad. A la carte items seem to "originate from an entirely different kitchen:" a "stunning" wild Pacific halibut "feels like an outtake" from Grace; "perfect" ricotta agnolotti from Spiaggia; and pan-fried diver scallops are "pure Goosefoot." [Chicago]

Herb is "striving to set itself apart from the pack" with upscale Thai cuisine, writes Amy Cavanaugh. A "delicious" one-bite salad is a betel leaf topped with coconut, ginger, peanuts, chilies and more for a "multi-textured bite that hits every taste." The Asian winged bean salad is a "spicy yet refreshing" mix of tomatoes, scallops and herbs, and blue shrimp, while a mushroom soup has a "rich and sumptuous" broth made with coconut and tumeric. Entrees are a "letdown" as a smoked fish curry is "dominated by smoke" and a duck breast is "overdone." Cavanaugh also has a problem with the over-eager service, wishing the servers would "let the food speak for itself." [TOC]

Joe Fish is an old-school, throwback Italian restaurant that delivers on flavors. Lisa Shames digs into a "spot on" crabcake appetizer that's "chock-full of sweet jumbo crab meat with next to no filler," while octopus tossed with gigante beans, oven-dried tomato and celery is brought together by a "zippy" red wine vinaigrette. The "flavors are great" on tail-on shrimp with polenta and tender Chilean sea bass wrapped in prosciutto is a "standout." For dessert, the "freakishly large" multilayered chocolate cake will have heads turning. [CS]

Mfk "reminds us what dining and gastronomy is really about" with dishes that are "beautifully executed and on point." Brandy Gonsoulin raves over Nick Lacasse's "stupid good" seafood menu features items such as fried shrimp heads "perfect for dipping" in a salbitxada, a Catalan sauce; briny white anchovies "delicately arranged" on a crisp baguette; and a single oyster resting atop corn milk grits like a "pearl in an oyster." Veggies also get their own section on the menu, and an order of cold spring peas and crisp sugar snap peas with mint and a simple vinaigrette is "Chicago's 2014 tribute to summer on a plate" that'll have you thinking you're "somewhere near the Mediterranean." [Gapers Block]