Dinner Club #4

Dinner Club #4 - Birchwood Kitchen

Post snowpocalypse 2011, we made it over to Birchwood Kitchen for our fourth dinner club adventure. It is a small, low-key joint in Wicker Park that focuses primarily on soups, sandwiches, pastries, and a few deli items with an emphasis on local and sustainable food sources.

They do not accept reservations, and suggested that we arrive before 7pm to ensure we were able to snag a table for 6. Contrary to looks and location, she was absolutely correct. Though this little place is a bit out of the way, it is bustling in the evening. I arrived at about 7:10, before the crowd hit, and the woman at the counter was very accommodating - she helped me push a few tables together and brought over menus so I could start looking them while I waited for the rest of the party.

The food is served deli-style - you order at the counter, pay, and then food is brought to the table. The atmosphere is made to match - small space, little tables, art on the walls, chalkboard menu, etc). We each ordered a sandwich (sandwiches come with either chips or a mixed greens salad), a pasta salad to share, and a smorgasbord of desserts. The ordering process was a bit hectic; the line to get to the counter was maybe 15 ppl long, and took about 8-10 minutes. However, food arrived quickly and everything we ordered was delicious. We happily cleaned our plates :) Sandwiches hovered around $8 and desserts were about $3.

All in all, I would highly recommend this place. It does get a bit crowded, but I thought the food and prices were definitely worth it.

Food: 5/5
Service: 3/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Price: 5/5