Ada Street

I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the name Ada. It was my grandmother’s name and I have never met anyone else who shared it. It’s also the name of a short street in my ‘hood, just off of Grand Avenue, which I recently discovered stops and then picks up again due north, past the expressway, for a couple short blocks just off Elston. It’s a stone’s-throw from the Hideout, and even more hidden than the intimate music venue. And now, it’s the name of a less-than-a-week-old restaurant/lounge that’ll give those post-Hideouters somewhere to eat after a show. Even if you aren’t Hiding-out for the night, it’s worth a visit for the stunningly cool room, and bites by chef Zoë Schor.

The sign-less entrance may infuriate some, but I was fascinated by the mysterious façade and narrow doors. I also love that it blends in with the block, save two glowing red lights (which didn’t show up in the ol’ camera)

This was one of the first bites we tried, lightly fried black-eyed peas with a crispy outer coating and hint of spicy aïoli. I easily could’ve snacked on them all night.

The French-inspired small plates include steak tartare with fried capers and a quail egg, Southern fried quail with greens and bacon gravy, polenta fries with chipotle purée and a duck confit served with pasta, a poached egg and Parmigiano. They pretty much had me at poached egg.

A stack of brioche doughnuts didn’t stay around the table for long, rumor has it they’ve added a port wine caramel sauce as an accompaniment since our visit..holy yum.

Before you hit up the sexy back dining room with army blanket upholstered banquettes, an open kitchen, long bar with cocktails served up by Tim Lacey and a garage door that’ll open to the back patio in the summer, there’s an even sexier from room waiting room with wine and stacks of records hiding in the walls. The dining area isn’t huge, so I anticipate guests without reservations having to in here for a while before they sit, but you and your date most likely won’t mind. Ada Street, 1664 N. Ada Street.