K. Kevin

We have been loyal Kevin guests since it opened. We used to recommed it to many family members and business associates. Unfortunatly after one terrible visit earlier this year ( food was medicore and the service was the worst experience I have ever had) we shyed away. We recently decided to try again as we thought it was an off night but unfortunatly it again was terrible. Our waiter was a rude and crude comedian with no respect for our conversation or dining needs. I have a nut allergy. I told him this yet my salad arrived covered in nuts.. He laughed and said ""your passing out on our floor would be bad for business:.. i did not eat my meal and was never asked why. Our guests food was mediocre. Kevin has lost his touch ......I am afraid. There are too many other options in the city that are consistant with their standards of food and service.\r more

This review will not be about the food at Kevin, which I found to be excellent at the few times we dined there. I will instead write about the incredible arrogance and indifference of the staff, from top to bottom.\r \r We were part of a party of 6 when I ordered something I've never had, veal tenderloin. When asked how I'd like it prepared, I replied, ""However the chef thinks it should be prepared."" The entree placed before me was beef tenderloin. When I informed the waiter of the error, he told me that that's what I had ordered. I told him I didn't order that because if I would have I would have ordered this familiar dish rare. The person seated next to me, a newspaper columnist who is paid to hear things correctly, verfied that I had ordered veal tenderloin. Rather than having to wait while the other five enjoyed their entrees and because I honestly hated to see a prefectly good entree wasted, I agreed to take the beef.\r \r When the check arrived, I saw we were offered no consideration or given an aplolgy by the offending waiter. When I brought this to the attention of the matre d', (most notably the nerve of his staff), he nodded in agreeement . . . and did nothing. Since he was Kevin's brother, I wrote Kevin a letter outlining my experience. I received no reply whatsoever.\r \r If that isn't enough, shortly thereafter my mother and three other senior citiizens walked out of Kevin (one didn't, since he's in a wheelchair) after receiving only dirinks and appetizers during 45 minutes.\r \r We have a saying in our family for establishments like this: Take a Good Look. And we have. Pros: Excellent food. Cons: Worst, most arrogant service ever encountered. Have you ever had a waiter bring you the wrong entree and tell you that you ordered it? more

I do a lot of business traveling, and always am ""up"" for new restaurants, preferably French, in the cities I go to. Kevin was highly recommended by a business colleague and I have to say it totally exceeded my high expectations. Exceptional food with unexpected flavor combinations. A total treat from start to finish, and I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. Pros: Superb food more

Having read great reviews of this restaurant, we made reservations for dinner for 2 on a Monday night with high expectations. Indeed, every one was exceeded. The atmosphere is pleasant and tastefully decorated, though the restaurant is rather small. The service was exceptional: friendly, very knowledgable and detail oriented. But above all, the food was excellent. I had the lamb, it was done to a perfect medium-rare. The asparagus soup was delicate and delicious: it was drizzled with a fragrant white truffel oil. Our server told us that Kevin had made both of our entrees himself, and we did in fact see him leave the kitchen to talk to some diners. The wine list is interesting, and offers good choices by the glass and 1/2 bottle. From the perspective of two people in the industry, this place is deffinately worth a try. more

This restaurant was fabulous. I loved every minute. They have a coat check from the minute you walk in free of charge which was nice to walk in to. Then you get your table which is white tablecloth and a single candle in the middle. Very romantic and very personable. I went with my girlfriend and had the best time. \r \r The food was to die for. Every course just got better and better. I had the rak (this site won't let you spell it right) of lamb and it was unbelievable. My girlfriend had the snapper and it was fantastic. The presentation was gorgeous on every dish and was nothing but high class. You do get what you pay for. It was rather expensive, but worth every penny. The serving sizes are quite reasonable as well. We split and appetizer and dessert, and each had our own entre, and it was enough to fill us up. We also shared a bottle of wine, and our glasses were never empty! The service was fabulous, and our waiter (I wish I could remember his name) was the best server I've ever had. \r \r From start to finish, this restaurant was incredible. If you can afford a night out (around $75 a person before gratuity), it is well worth it. I recommend it highly and I will be returning as soon as I possibly can. Pros: Ambience, setting, service, food, location, friendliness, coat check, overall experience Cons: A little pricey, but worth every penny more

Went here for my birthday. The food was spectacular. I had the pork. it was tender and in the most amazing sauce. presentation was beautiful. the atmosphere is warm and friendly with lots of wood accents. I would recommend this place to anyone who has a special occasion to celebrate or just wants to have a very nice meal. My only complaint might be that the service was a bit slow, but i was in no rush so i didn't mind. Pros: great food, friendly staff, nice ambience Cons: service a little slow more

I hesitate to even tell you about Kevin because there's a limit to the number of people they can accomodate in any one evening. This is probably our favorite restaurant in all of Chicago. The food is amazing; it's consistent, imaginative, and always, always fulfilling in every respect to a gourmand's hopes and desires. The tuna tartare is my favorite. The fish dishes are, without a doubt, exceptional though the pork and beef dishes are tasty and inspiring as well. They have an awesome wine list and the perfect setting to enjoy it. The waitstaff is quite attentive also, some more friendly than others, but all professional and courteous. I feel like I've come to know them -- there seems to be no turnover here -- a curious entity in and of itself. If you're looking for an enjoyable and relaxed evening, you could do a lot worse than spending your time here. Pros: Fresh and delicious food preparations; nice ambiance. Cons: Can be loud at times -- but that's easily forgiven once the food starts arriving. more

The chef does a great job with the menu here. They have a really nice private room for a group of up to about 30. Food is very good, reasonable prices Pros: Very nice option for private group dinner Cons: restaurant is a little tight more

I love this place! When I visit, I usually order two to three appetizers and skip the entrees. The appetizer portions are just perfect and the menu is so exciting. The entrees are good as well, but more common and large portioned. Try the foi gras and the tuna tartare! Both are excellent! and with a glass of wine, i'm in heaven! Pros: food, atmosphere, wine list Cons: gets a bit pricey more

For all the times my husband and I have visited Kevin, we have not been disappointed. Chef Kevin Shikami and the staff have remained consistent in serving creative food with the freshest ingredients and in delivering exceptional service. After taking time to visit so many other restaurants in our area, it's nice to come back to Kevin for consistency in all that matters! The wonderful service staff has pretty much stayed the same, and that says a lot. The wine list is exceptional with carefully chosen wines by Alan Shakimi. Restaurants and chefs come and go - it's nice to go to a restaurant that has been around for a while and still delivers on all fronts. Pros: consistency, exceptional svc, wonderful food Cons: busy traffic area more

After all I had heard of the food at Kevin, the four of us were disappointed. The food was good, but not exceptional, especially for the high price. More than the food disappointing us was the service. The busboy literally threw down the plates, grabbed things very fast, spilled both wine and water on table and just really made us feel like he wanted us out of there. It is very surprising that a restaurant the deems itself fine dining has such very poorly trained staff who bring down the image of the restaurant. Pros: prompt seating, fast valet Cons: Service, overpriced more

My friends took me here for my birthday and it was great. The chef made a cake at their request and it was beautiful as well as delicious. The food was cooked to perfection and the portions were quite adequate for an upscale French restaurant. This will definitely remain one of my favorites. Pros: Great chefs, Service more

After all the hype over Kevin, my expectations were not met. The service was average and the salmon that I had was tasteless and uneventful. I've had better salmon from Whole Foods (and cooked at home). My entree was overpriced for the taste and presentation. The ambience was chic and trendy, so go for a glass of wine and hang out before going to a restaurtant with better food. Pros: ambience more

I've brought my girlfriend here for the last 2 Valentine's Days. I must say that after living in Chicago for 3 years this is my favorite place to dine. The food is to die for (best salmon I've tasted, great ahi also), the atmosphere is very comfortable (they don't over book reservations), and the waitstaff is very knowledgeable. The chocolate covered strawberries is also a great little treat to end the night. This is a place I would take my parents to. more

After seeing so many Bistros & Chains off Michigan Ave, what a delight to discover Kevin's. We arrived to a mostly empty restaurant at 5:45PM. Leaving around 7:30, the place was packed, and folks were lined up at the bar. MAKE RESERVATIONS! The TarTar deserves to be their signature dish - it was amazing. Some of the entrees were a bit pricey for what they offered (expect very small portions, except for the salmon, which was ample). The wine list is pricey and limited, but the service was impeccible, knowledgeable, but not snooty at all. The flavors were light & clean. Highly recommended. more

Kevin is truly one of Chicago's greatest gems. Many of Chicago's nice restaurants feature great food, wine, or atmosphere, but not all of the above. This place has it all. Throw in a knowlegable staff and great space and you have an unforgettable evening. I have several friends who are in the restaurant circle in NYC. This was the first place that they made sure to visit. This place is great for business or romance--any occassion when you want to impress. more

I had read about Kevin Shikami in Food & Wine magazine (one of the top 25 up and coming chiefs). My family found the restaurant by accident (lost as usual) but it's exterior implies that something special awaits you inside. We arrived near the end of lunch service, but the hostess and wait staff made us feel welcome. The mid-day menu included seared tuna in a walnut oil, soy and balsamic vinaigrette, a sauteed Breast of Duck salad in Star Anise Vinaigrette with Peach, Mushrooms, Carmelized Onion and Tart Cherries, a cold Soba Noodle with Sesame, Chile and soy, and Crisp Crab Cakes on a warm red potato salad. There was sufficient variety and every dish was a winner. Chief Shikami is definitely as rising star to be watched. This restaurant will top my list the next time I am in Chicago Pros: varied menu, delicious entrees Cons: pricey more

Good wine list with large selection of smaller vinyards at reasonable prices. All the food was presented timely, beautifully, and temperature appropriate. Excellent use of flavor and fresh ingredients. The only draw back is that the asian fusion theme is a bit overdone and carries over into too many of the dishes. A little more separation would have been preferred. For example, wasabi infused anything, let alone grilled salmon or seared tuna, lost its originality sometime during the last millenium. Pros: wine list, food Cons: a little pricey., too much fusion more

The food was great the atmosphere was wonderful but the service was patchy at best. We saw tables around us being served quite promptly while we waited betweejn servings at length. A leisurely lunch was fime for us, but if you're in a hurry, let the wait staff know before service begins. Abit pricey, but the food is worth it. Pros: Food, Atmosphere Cons: Service more

If you didn't know that Kevin is a 3 star restaurant... now you know! A well deserved 3-star I might add. The wasabi tuna tartare was unreal as was the scallops and lobster roll appetizer. The roasted lamb was superb and my girlfriend's lobster/shrimp/scallop was excellent. The wine list is extensive and the bottle of German Reisling we ordered was fantastic! The creme brulee and flourless chocolate cake were on par with other restaurants of this caliber. The service was friendly and attentive. Alan, Kevin's brother and co-owner, is the nicest host you'll ever meet! I'll definitely be back! Pros: Superb Food, Attentive staff Cons: Parking, Resv difficult to get more