Bin 36, River North

Bin 36
339 N Dearborn
Chicago

Date of Last Visit:  Thursday, April 14, 2011

The Victims: Many

The Damage: Unknown as someone else paid, but this was all facilitated by a 30% discount at the awesome VillageVines.com.

The Background: I’ve been going to Bin 36 since it opened. I vaguely remember that in the old days, the bathrooms were quite unusual. I cannot for the life of me remember what was unusual about them, only that they were different.  Something must have changed though because the Bin 36 toilets were very normal this visit, my first in a few years. Either that or I’ve become desensitized to unusual restroom facilities after all my time in the UK.

We’re at Bin 36 for a work dinner, which I’ve booked through VillageVines.com. Who am I to say no to 30% off a decent restaurant in close proximity to my office and our guest’s hotel?

We start with the Grand Platter: Choose three salumi and three cheeses for $24. It comes with cornichon (!!!), olives and two Mustards. I kinda think this is a no-brainer good value. And at 30% off? That’s $16.80 for those of you not counting. That’s pretty awesome.

I leave the salumi and cheese selections to someone else. All I can tell you is that I loved everything and started imagining myself opening up a very small wine bar that serves nothing but plates like this.

For my main, I did something I try not to do in restaurants: I ordered chicken. (Why order chicken when I’ve got a box of Costco chicken breasts at home?) It was billed as Sauteed Amish Chicken Breast with Tuscan kale and Gruyere cheese, bread pudding, and braised chicken and mushroom “gravy.” (I’m not quite sure what they’re all about with the gravy-in-quotation-marks thing.)

And you know what? It was tasty. That’s really the best way to describe it. I was hungry, and I ate Bin 36’s Sauteed Amish Chicken Breast for 30% off $19 (or $13.30) and I became sated. Really, This was very nice.

The Verdict: Bin 36 is always a good option. And I haven’t even talked about the EXCELLENT wine list or the AMAZING cheese selection. Bin 36 always comes through for me. And at 30% off, well–wait for it–it’s a no-brainer.

P.S. I love cornichon. Hate pickles. Love cornichon. Go figure.

P.P.S. If there’s any place that could be doing lots more with social media, it’s Bin 36. So many options! Wine tastings, cheese tastings, salumi tastings…events, events, events.