Tala House - Chicago
You want a casual place to hang out with your buds and not blow a whole paycheck? Fala House is where you want to go, for unpretentious, well-prepared foods that won't break the bank but will keep you coming back.
The Infatuation wrote of Tala House, "The menu at this New American spot in Andersonville runs the gamut of pasta, burgers, hummus, and tacos. They also have a back patio, and are BYOB for now." That thumbnail review doesn't do justice to this new, casually elegant Chicago restaurant.
The foods at Tala House seem to draw largely from Middle Eastern and Mexican culinary traditions.
From Middle Eastern cuisine, you can start with white bean hummus, and halloumi cheese with tomatillo-blueberry jam (a cool combination of Middle Eastern and Mexican).
From south of the border, there's a beautiful guacamole and a rich queso fundido with shrimp and molcajete salsa, as well as fish tacos and mussels in chipotle cream sauce.
Allen Brothers delivers a superb selection of the highest quality beef, finessed by the Tala House kitchen: a skirt steak with aji amarillo, filet mignon with bourbon mashed potatoes, and a gorgeous hamburger with havarti cheese and housemade fries.
The Tala House drinks menu presents a number of innovative and delicious non-alcoholic options. For instance, verano peligroso is fresh guava, hibiscus and Topo Chico; tropical fizzy is pineapple juice, mango and ginger beer; and pomegranate poloma is pomegranate, grapefruit juice and a squeeze of lime.
The dessert menu is *very* chocolate forward, and you can choose from happy endings like Sara (chocolate mousse with hazel nut crunch and creme anglaise), Zoe (a 70% chocolate mousse with dark chocolate glaze) and Josephine (a milk chocolate raspberry mousse with vanilla raspberry center).
Tala House seems destined to be a neighborhood hangout and a long-lasting local favorite.