Duck Duck Goat Wows Jeff Ruby; Vettel Says Millie's Needs Refining; More

The menu at Duck Duck Goat is not strictly authentic but the "playful, smart" dishes will win you over nonetheless. Jeff Ruby sits down to a feast of goods starting with a "spectacularly rich bowl" of Forbidden Goat packed with black rice, pickled quail eggs, roasted goat and goat liver. The "more ambitious" offerings include a whole red snapper stuffed with chilies and aromatics to create "addictive pockets of heat;" silky mapo tofu that "hurts so good;" and Cheong Fun XO with hunks of cuttlefish charred to "smoky-chewy perfection." The Peking duck is also "pure dynamite" and better than any other version in the city, while an "unsightly concoction" for dessert "look[s] like a mistake but taste[s] like a masterpiece" and involves rhubarb shaved ice, blackberry sorbet, crunchy corn cereal and caramelized condensed milk. [Chicago]

Millie's has the nostalgic factor going for it but the food won't blow anyone away. Phil Vettel says the supper club absolutely "nail[s] the look" of a Northwinds cabin and the menu offers staples with a "faithfulness that borders on reverence." To start, an iceberg wedge salad is "cold and refreshing and is topped with enough bacon to make a BLT" and cheese curds are "blandly inoffensive." For entrees, the prime rib "satisfies on both flavor and nostalgia levels" while broasted chicken has "moist meat and a crispy-enough crust." Vettel says it's a good one-off experience but the challenge will be giving customers "compelling reasons to return more often." [Tribune]

Elizabeth Atkinson thinks the menu at Imperial Lamian is full of highlights that excite. With more than 60 dishes available, it's easy to misstep but she finds much to like. Xiao long bao are "perfectly sized and flavorful" while beef brisket noodles bathe in a "profoundly savory and umami" bone marrow broth. Seafood fried rice "shouldn't be overlooked" either and is loaded with "tender" scallops and "hunks" of lobster. There are some clunkers like crispy pork belly with a squeeze of "generic yellow mustard" on top but overall, it's worth your time and money. [TOC]

Artango is a poorly-executed mess that seems "stuck in a stagnant and unevolved cliché of what South American cuisine is supposed to be," writes Mike Sula. A trio of ceviches is "raw and unmanipulated" and has "barely a note of the promised leche de tigre," while a sampler of grilled meats contains short ribs "overbraised to a gelatinous consistency" and grilled flank steak with "no sign of seasoning." Just as bad is an "overcooked" duck breast atop a mound of mashed potatoes that looks like it's "straight out of 1998." But the biggest disappoint is the seafood paella, which overflows with "tepid, mushy rice" and a base of "bitter, blackened atrocity" instead of crispy socarrat. Desserts are unimaginative and cocktails don't fare much better as they're "watery [and] over-iced." With little to save the meal, Sula recommends finding somewhere else to tango. [Reader]