Sola

Great Great good and amazing service. We decided to come here to avoid driving downtown and we could not have made a better decision. The atmosphere is chic and welcoming. Our waitress was the best and made some stellar recommendations! Get some dessert

Came here with the husband for anniversary dinner. I have been wanting to try it for some time. We went there über early so we had the whole place ALMOST to ourselves.
1. The restaurant is slightly leveled. The main floor and a few steps to an upper level. Very slight but enough to separate the place and allow some privacy. The place is decorated nicely with some amber colors in the main area. The upper level has some blue walls which complimented the wood tables.
2. Dishes: I ordered the scallops served with creamy polenta and a light sauce that had some heat to it. The scallops had tiny pieces of pork on top which were crispy like bacon. Just a good added touch. The polenta and scallops were so tasty.
Then I ordered the Black sesame crusted tuna served with Wasabi couscous and a pickled ginger slaw. It was delicious. I really enjoyed the wasabi couscous against the flavor of the tuna and acid balance with the slaw. Yummy.
Husband ordered the Vietnamese BBQ chicken which was served with a spaetzle, a sauteed kohlrabi (turnipy type of cabbage) and pickled ramps. He enjoyed the kitchen and spaetzle but wasn’t digging the kohlrabi. I loved the pickled ramps omg such a great addition to that dish to break the smokey/​spicy sauce on the chicken. Hubs doesn’t like ramps so I had those.
Dessert: AMAZING! it was on their specials list. I had a passion fruit napoleon: passion fruit custard or curd filling in that napolean crust topped with black sesame ice cream and braised pineapple on top and a sauce I cannot recall at this time. This was a divine dessert. I was oh so happy to have had it!!!
Our server was nice, knowledgeable and easy going. Our host who sat us down knew from my husband that it was our anniversary so we were greeted with two glasses of champagne! Then my dessert had an extra plate that said Congratulations in chocolate with two chocolate truffles.
Overall a lovely place, nicely decorated, with such friendly staff who made our visit here so wonderful. Try their food, its done well.
Pictures to follow

Sola should not be called Sola anymore. The entire menu changed when the new owners took over. Oh I’m sorry, almost everything changed. The crappy bread and lame desserts didn’t change, but they took away our favorite drinks, Brussel sprout leaves, and the best steak tartare in the city. The only thing that didn’t change was our favorite waiter Pete. Unfortunately we won’t ever be going back to Sola, because it isn’t Sola anymore. How dare you keep the same name and change everything about it. It was perfect as it was and now it’s ruined. Let us know if the original Sola ever comes back.

We decided to give Sola another try, having heard there was a new chef. Tonight, we were happy. Mellody decided to make a dinner of the Tuna Poke and egg rolls, me, I went with the chicken. Both were very good. The spatzle that accompanied my chicken was delicious!
Give Sola another try with the new chef and management, hopefully you too will be pleased.

I took my sister here for her birthday and a couple of other friends joined as well. I thought the appetizers were pretty good, my favorite being the Kahlua pork and a close second the artichoke fritters. The main entrees were less impressing. The Wagyu burger had too much blue cheese for me and it was also pretty difficult to eat due to its size. The bottom of the pretzel bun got way too soggy to hold and eat after 5 minutes. We also got the duck x3 entrée which was good but also too rare for my liking. I did enjoy the pear cider though.

I love going somewhere new and NOT regretting it. The food was so SUPERB!!! I had the short rib Benedict which leaves your mouth watering! I’m a food lover and FLAVOR is EVERYTHING! And this place has Flavor!!! The service was awesome I love when you’re treated as they would want to be treated! Great good great service
Definitely will be coming back!

I would rate Sola probably between 3 and 4. The host was super friendly and accommodating. Service was efficient but not too terribly friendly. We had mimosas and brunch and can’t really say much about the mimosas, they were good but then again you can’t really mess up champagne and OJ.
We had the egg sandwich and the fish tacos. Both were good, nothing out of this world or anything. But solid brunch spot.

The one thing I dread the most about Sunday brunch is a place that doesn’t take reservations or has a long wait. Luckily, this place had neither. I came here with a bunch of girlfriends and they were very accommodating to our party. As always, we love to chat. Our server did a good job giving us our own space but also making sure we were taken care of.
The whitefish omelet was delicious. They also have some sweet pancakes which are good for sharing. I wouldn’t recommend getting the whole thing for your meal or you’ll be on a sugar overload.

I went to Sola with a Groupon so price was less of an issue. The place is nice — contemporary and simple yet they had the Blackhawks game on the TVs.
I was in the mood to try a couple of things so I went with small plates. I had seared scallops and the Kahlua Pork. I had also ordered the mushroom salad because of a rave review on Unilocal but the description did not match the salad: «shaved mushrooms with arugula» was actually arugula with some shavings of mushroom on it. I had to send it back. First time for everything.
The two medium scallops were accompanied by a creamy pureed parsnip sauce, to die for! My Kahlua pork was a nice pulled pork dish with a sweet stuffing type accompaniment that was too sweet and sauce way too rich and dense for me. The «bread» brought to the table at the start was thin crisps that tasted like rye + mild licorice. Turned out to be anise and other healthy ingredients. Very light and very good.
I drank a non-​alcoholic phở mojito which was described as ginger syrup and something in soda with mint. Tons of mint and limes tho, I mean Tons. I didn’t taste the ginger at all. However, it was a tasty mint & lime refreshing drink.
I had fun listening to the 4 gay guys’ chat about their trip to Shanghai. The place had only male servers, for what it’s worth.
I’ll go again if only for the desserts I was too full to try. Thumbs up.

I was excited and looking forward to having a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner here with my boyfriend. We had a reservation and we were seated quickly. We were seated next to a rambunctious, screaming 2 year old which made dinner anything but enjoyable or romantic.
The ambience wasn’t anything special and the table setup was dull. I was expecting something more from a fine dining restaurant. I ordered the chicken which was very dry and the sauces didn’t make sense together. Tzatziki and soy sauce taste awful together.
However, the only good that came from our experience here was the crème brûlée. It was delicious and the sweet potato was a unique twist. Thank god for the crème brûlée saving the night!

Sola has become one of my absolute favorite brunch places. There are many reasons for this, but let me list a few.
— I have never, ever had a bad meal
— Service is always professional
— I enjoy the ambiance
— The drinks are tasty
— The food is well prepared
I do make sure to schedule a reservation, and, if children are with us– they are well mannered. The open design does not allow for hooligans :) .
I have enjoyed the Huevos Benedictos, the Chilaquiles, and the Short Rib Benedict. I always, always start with the freshly cooked Malasadas (a Portuguese style donuts with raspberry and chocolate sauce for dipping).

It’s a nice restaurant and it seems they carry fresh food, specially fish and veggies. I loved their poke and the fresh fish. It is an expensive dining going there, that’s for sure. However last night (our second night there) we ordered the cobia, a type of Seabass from Australia. In the menu the price was $ 26, however I checked the bill afterwards and they charged us $ 31.00. I appreciate when that information is given if the fish plate price has increased but just like that $ 5.00 more for a dish that was marked differently in the menu, I don’t find it right…
Other than that they have a nice customer service and good cocktails though you get them better and more creative in other restaurants in Chicago but it’s not bad at all. This would be a 4 star review if it wasn’t for the unilateral change of price. I think customers need to feel confident about pricing in the menu and what will be in the check. I don’t think anybody likes surprises in this direction. Maybe someone from the management here can explain…

I met a friend at Sola for brunch after our Saturday morning workout classes. (Shout-​out to Spring Yoga and Fitness, only two blocks away!)
My friend and I both ordered omelets, solid but nothing special. Most if not all of the ingredients – like the leeks, white cheddar, pear and bacon in my omelet – are sourced locally. My omelet, served with hashbrowns and toast with a lip-​smacking (homemade?) jam, set me back only $ 10 or $ 11, more than reasonable for the area.
Our servers were perfectly attentive; my friend said she never saw the bottom of her coffee cup.
While I wouldn’t make a special trip to Sola, at least not for brunch, I might be back after another workout class to try one of their more memorable menu items. (Why did I resist the Short Rib Benedict served on a homemade cheddar biscuit?!) I don’t know if I could ever award more than three stars for only an omelet!

My coworker recommended this place to me, so I was surprised to see they had a Groupon offer (since it seems a Groupon is a sign of a dying business that doesn’t deserve your money).
Hubs and I started with the artichoke fritters that came with two dipping sauces. We weren’t impressed with the dish. It was edible but nothing special and we could’ve done without it.
I had the burger, which I give high marks. It’s topped with cambozola which is kind of a cross between brie and bleu cheese. Very yummy flavor if you’re into that. The parmesan truffle fries that accompanied it were tasty but a little tough (maybe over-​fried?).
Hubs had the special, which was lamb chops stuffed with that cambozola. He was not happy with his meal. In particular he said the cheese totally overpowered the lamb and that the «Shake-​and-​Bake-​type breading was soggy.»
For dessert we had the peach tart with honey-​miso ice cream. Hubs was all about this. I thought it was OK. The ice cream had kind of a salty taste that I found off-​putting.
There was nothing «bad» about our meal, but I don’t think we’ll be back. And we wouldn’t have gone if it weren’t for the Groupon. A little pricey for what it is.

Excellent value for quality ingredients, uniqueness, with fine dining taste and texture in a Hawaiian laid-​back setting.
BRUNCH STEAK N EGG ($ 16) — competitively priced in a wagyu sirloin steak. The panko-​bacon-​crusted tempura egg is worth the chase — perfect medium, pretty and impressive. The wine demi-​glacé is unique in the Brunch world — most of the time, only in dinner time.
BRUNCH DRINKS — for $ 9, you have the option of being common (Pina Colada and Red Dawn Mimosa), buzz (Maui-​Mosa), and buzzier (Sneaky Peat). I enjoyed my unique, slight tart Maui-​Mosa!
COFFEE ($ 4 bottomless) — the Sola blend from Sparrow is perfect (light to med roast that is palatable to Asian/​Hawaiian culture. So good… black, or black with sugar is a ok.
SERVICE — fine dining by M Paul that is informative and highly descriptive. He passed the test on the booze selection. *wink. Quick cleanup
VENUE — clean, signs of maintenance needed as my cushion moves.
I look forward to more brunch tasting and the prix fixe menu.

Not wanting to cook dinner I stopped in this great little Northcenter gem. On a Tuesday night at 7:00 the restaurant wasn’t full and I was seated right away.
I’ve had the burger before which was great so I thought I’d try something new. The short ribs were next for me to try. The short ribs themselves were delicious. Fork tender! They were over mac & cheese which were average in my opinion. Not bad but not great either.

I’m really disappointed I cannot rank Sola higher. After seeing Sola’s short rib eggs benedict listed in the top 5 eggs benedict in Chicago (in TimeOut Chicago), friends and bf and I had to pay a visit ASAP. Their menu reads like a foodie’s dream. Creative takes on chiliquiles, eggs benedict, wagyu burgers and steaks. The brunch and dinner menus look fantastic.
From what we sampled at brunch I wouldn’t say the food is bad, I wouldn’t even be opposed to going back, but nothing was outstanding, I’ve had better brunch. My friend and I both had the short rib eggs benedict, boyfriend had the wagyu steak and eggs and other friend had the bacon omelet.
Short rib eggs benedict: Immediate points off, like, HUGE points off, because both my eggs and my friends were over cooked. These were not poached eggs, no delicious yolk pouring over the pulled short ribs. Nope, just poorly cooked hard-​boiled eggs. Seriously frustrating. The short rib meat itself was tasty. The cheddar biscuits good but not remarkable. Didn’t really seem freshly made, not buttery and flakey or fluffy. Cheddar flavor present but not overly noticeable. Pesto hollandaise good, standard. So the meal was OK, it didn’t taste bad but it wasn’t amazing, the eggs were a disaster (and the main freaking reason anyone orders eggs benedict!). There is no way I would rank these eggs benedict in any food list. They were decent, not perfect. Don’t f*ck up the eggs for christ’s sake!
Wagyu steak and eggs: Bf’s panko coated poached egg was actually cooked properly, unlike the eggs in the eggs benedict. Wagyu steak was tough, per bf. I tasted a bite, I got the toughness but the flavor was good. Sauce on the steak was a sort of soy-​sauced based steak sauce, it was very tasty. I think the sauce, in my boyfriends opinion, saved the steak. Gave it good flavor. I think he was pretty unimpressed by how tough the steak was and also disappointed like I was.
Bacon omelet: Friend seemed to enjoy it, said had good amount of bacon in it and a lot of white cheddar which he seemed to really like. Didn’t comment very much on it when asked but said he liked it.
Lastly, our waiter was basically absent. No bedside (tableside?) manner. Gruff, semi-​rude, uninterested, walked away before we were finished talking. I kind of hate him. I haven’t had such an obviously uninterested waiter in a really long time. Service was really lacking. I would hope this isn’t the case at dinner considering their dinner menu is pretty pricey. The place itself has very little ambience, I cannot really picture paying higher end prices to eat here for a special dinner. Also, this place is supposed to be Hawaiian some how? I didn’t get any indication of that on the brunch menu. Maybe it is present on the dinner menu.
All in all — if I lived in North Center I would probably go here from time to time because the menu reads really well, I’d be willing to try more things. But at this point, I’m hesitant to come back for dinner and fork over more money. I’m pretty disappointed, Unilocal really had me thinking I was about to dine at a real gem.

I came here with a big group, which always makes me nervous, but the restaurant handled us beautifully and we had an excellent time.
We were able to sit outside on the patio after only a short wait, but we hung out at the bar for a while so I know the dining room is lovely and not too crowded. Our waitress was such a pro. We were, unfortunately, 20 kinds of difficult (gluten free, someone was pregnant, a celebration, someone else no seafood, a non drinker, etc.), but they clearly handle special requests like these every day, because they totally took care of us. The food was, simply put, excellent. I had the duck, which was served with a magical coconut lime risotto. MAGICAL. I also had a lovely mocktail that was basically just really fancy juice, but it was delicious. I love that I didn’t have to sacrifice getting a drink just because I wasn’t in the mood for drinking (and I know my pregnant tablemate agreed!) AND it’s always fun to get an amuse bouche, because who doesn’t love a teeny delicious bite of food?
We got a ton of apps as well, but they were REALLY TEENY. I’m not sure how to do apps here, because they were too big for a single person, but definitely too small to share between 8 people.
We had a groupon, but even without it, I was really pleased to see how reasonable the whole dinner was, even with lots of drinks. I’ll definitely be back– probably for a date night, when I can really get better acquainted with a full order of potstickers and not have to share them.

Came here on a Groupon (they’re on there a lot actually) and was quite happy with my experience!
The restaurant has semi-​dim lighting, good for a date night or an nice dinner. They give you crispy flat breads to start that were so addicting.
I got the short ribs and it was perfectly tender, flavorful, and generously portioned. The flavor has a subtle Hawaiian flair that gives food that sweet and salty taste. Service was great.
Overall, I’d recommend it. However, it’s definitely a nicer meal than what you’d go for an average dinner, and while the price is fairly reasonable, it can be expensive for someone on a budget (like me!)

This was a fantastic place for a ladies’ night out or a date night. My friend and I shared the artichoke fritters appetizer and weren’t impressed at all… but I have to say that everything else I had was delicious. I was pleasantly surprised by one type of flatbread with herbs they serve in the free bread basket… it was definitely one of the best breads I have ever consumed. I had the scallops appetizer along with a seasonal salad for my meal and they were both phenomenal. The scallops were cooked and seasoned just right and the creamy polenta was the perfect complement. The beet and mustard greens salad was the just the right size and had a nice flavor with the vinaigrette they serve on it.