Sula Rips Remington's; Nagrant: Fuh's Bowls Hit 'Right Notes;' More

At Remington's, the "level of execution doesn't seem to be very high" and it "fail[s] to clear the low hurdle set by unadventurous Mag Mile tourists and suburban day-trippers that will be its core audience." Mike Sula rips on the "joyless takes" on safe American classics; a Wrightwood salad is a "sodden mound of unchopped greenery, dried-out croutons, and dull shredded white meat," while the lone pasta offering is "stiff" cheese-filled ravioli with "starchy" peas and peeled grape tomatoes.

Elsewhere on the menu, barbecue ribs are of the "much-maligned fall-off-the-bone meat Jell-O variety;" rotisserie chicken "taste[s] more boiled than roasted;" and charred octopus "takes tenderness to the point of mush." Sushi falters as well by being "served too cold for one to get even a sense of the seafood's character" and if you think desserts fare better, a "nearly raw" skillet chocolate chip cookie will leave you with a total sense of disappointment. Ouch. [Reader]

Fuh, a new build-your-own pho shop, "hits all the right notes" according to Michael Nagrant. Meat options like braised beef shoulder, tendon meatballs and rare flank steak are "perfect" and "have great integrity and intense flavor," while the broth is "speckled with lip-smacking fat" and is "finished with a sweet balance." Other menu items include shrimp spring rolls that are "vibrant and explode with refreshing bursts of mint" and airy churros similar to a "mesmerizing long john version of a cronut." Nagrant finishes by complimenting the iced Vietnamese coffee, calling it the "ultimate iced mocha, a perfect mix of bitter and sweet." [RedEye]

Amy Cavanaugh recommends checking out Expat while there's still time left this summer. The seasonal sidewalk café in the West Loop offers light, summery dishes like "fresh, cleanly shucked" oysters loaded with brine and "well-composed" crudo plates. Those options include veggie crudités; sopressata with whipped butter on an everything baguette; and a crab Louie salad. For dessert, the boozy sno-cones are a "refreshing treat to keep you going till next summer." [TOC]