Evanston uncorked: From restaurants to retail stores, the best wine destinations

With so much attention paid to Chicago's vibrant wine scene, suburban Evanston may not come to mind as a destination for wine lovers.
After all, this lakeside community — home to Northwestern University — was the epicenter of the American temperance movement. Rooted firmly in its Methodist origins, Evanston remained a dry community from the 1850s until 1972, four decades past the repeal of Prohibition.
Today, Evanston is a notably progressive city that's 'a lot more cosmopolitan and diverse than its size would suggest,' says Ellen King, a longtime local and co-owner of Hewn bakery.
The wine scene in Evanston is neither obvious nor trendy. Despite its proximity to both Chicago and the greater North Shore, many of its best destinations remain under the radar, suggests Philippe André, an Evanston native who is the U.S. ambassador for Charles Heidsieck Champagne and director of business development for Folio Fine Wine Partners, the importer.
Still, a core of tightly knit, independent businesses has shaped a uniquely thriving wine and food culture in Evanston, says restaurateur Amy Morton, a longtime resident and owner of The Barn Steakhouse and LeTour. Evanston restaurant wine destinations from classic to contemporary
Oceanique is Evanston's stalwart for classically French cuisine. Open since 1989, it tends to be overlooked in favor of newer, trendier spots, but for serious wine lovers, it's one of Chicagoland's best-kept secrets.
André grew up in the restaurant founded by his parents, chef Mark Grosz and general manager Renée André. As a child, he manned the coat check. Later, he spent a decade as wine director, a role he learned from his father, he says.
Oceanique's website gives little hint of its extensive wine reserves (you have to email the restaurant for a copy of their abridged list). Over the years, they've amassed a collection of over 5,000 wines, Grosz says, housed in the restaurant's historic meat locker.
They take special pride in the quality of wines offered around $50, says Philippe André, who continues to consult on the list. But the crown jewels of Oceanique are its deep reserves of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Piedmont and beyond, many available in single pours via Coravin, a device that extracts samples of wine from a bottle without removing its cork.
Savvy collectors will spot rare, well-aged bottles at prices well below most restaurant standards. For those chasing something especially decadent — a jeroboam, or 3-liter bottle, of 1988 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands Echézeaux, for example — there's a substantial off-menu stash as well, notes Philippe André. And for those who already have well-stocked cellars, Oceanique's no-corkage Thursdays attract wine geeks from near and far, many who are eager to share and compare, says Grosz.
Morton, the daughter of Arnie Morton, founder of the original Morton's Steakhouse, has been an Evanston resident since 2007. The Barn, a tribute to her father, is a classic Chicago steakhouse set up in a 19th-century stable. It's a special-occasion favorite for locals like King, 'but I also love going down that back alley for a glass of wine at the bar,' she says. 'It just feels like you're in a speakeasy.'
Apropos of the cuisine, the wine list at The Barn gravitates toward the 'big and bold,' says Morton. It's a compact list designed to give meat lovers exactly what they want, she explains. Familiar brands of Napa cabernet feature prominently, but there are some offbeat standouts too, a well-aged Rioja from La Rioja Alta or an organically grown Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine Bois de Boursan, for example. Diners, especially from the city, are often surprised at its affordability. The idea is 'for guests to come to The Barn and enjoy their entire meal, drinks included, for what they'd normally pay for just a steak downtown,' says Morton.
At LeTour, Morton's American take on a French brasserie, you might tuck into roasted chicken or alongside smashburgers and chicken tagine. LeTour's wine list references all the French standards — Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley, for example — while staying manageable in size and approachably priced.
Both restaurants also feature a Coravin program allowing small pours from a more premium selection of wines and by request, even wines on their regular menu, says Morton.
One of Evanston's more surprising wine finds is the small but inspired list at NaKorn, the contemporary Thai restaurant. NaKorn isn't the kind of place you go to for pad thai, explains King. 'It's where you go to try dishes you might not normally order,' she says, like a Northern Thai herb sausage with a charred banana-pepper relish or rice noodles served with blue crabs in a turmeric-coconut curry. The wine list, seemingly capped at $65, leans fresh and spry with German rieslings, Chablis and Sancerre, alongside crunchy alpine reds from Italy or fragrant syrah from the Northern Rhône.
Sunny weather brings Evanston's lakefront to life, along with a vibrant culture of outdoor drinking and dining.
Union Pizzeria is one of Evanston's buzziest casual dining spaces, known for wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas and a lively outdoor patio scene. Tucked next to SPACE, the city's go-to music venue, 'it's the perfect place to grab a slice before a concert,' King says. Their wine list focuses on crowd pleasers at wallet-friendly prices, says Heather Behm, its co-owner. But the smattering of lesser-known gems on the list — smoky Italian whites like and or savory Italian reds like and — would all drink gorgeously with pizza as well.
Union Squared, a sister restaurant named for their square Detroit-style pies, is cozier indoors but extends out to a backyard beer garden with picnic tables and bocce courts. 'In the summer, we put out balls and scorecards so people can order pizza, enjoy beer or a bottle of wine and play bocce all night,' Behm says.
While the patio at LeTour is always an elegant setting, for a distinctly vacation-like vibe, Morton recommends summer cocktails on the rooftop terrace at Five & Dime. Beer and cocktails are mainstays, but the affordable wine selection hints at trendier natural wines more often seen in Chicago hotspots: a pét-nat rosé sparkler from Terres Dorées, or an orange wine from Radikon in northeastern Italy, for example.
Despite the rise of big-box liquor outlets in Evanston, the city's independent wine shops can be better resources for distinctive, quality wines and knowledgeable staff who are genuinely excited to talk wine.
At The Wine Goddess, you'll find a broad selection of wines that highlight both value and discovery. 'Our specialty is that sweet spot between $15 and $30,' says owner Diana Hamann, with a preference for 'wines from small, family-owned producers — organic if we can swing it.'
The store doubles as a wine bar, 'definitely a neighborhood hang,' says Hamann, with a small selection of cheese, charcuterie and other snacks. In warmer months, seating spills outside into a sidewalk café.
Vinissimo Wine Shop is a sleek, specialty store that's acutely quality-focused and heavy on Italian wines. The one-man shop, owned and operated by Gaetano Comerci, known to regulars as Guy, has the tailored feel of a wine-concierge service.
Whether inexpensive, everyday bottles or highly allocated rarities, selections are deeply personal, explains Comerci. 'Everything is handpicked,' he says, wines with deep stories and interesting people behind them, often from wineries Comerci has visited or worked a harvest at personally. Many of Evanston's restaurants are BYOB-friendly, says Morton, a boon to wine lovers who relish the freedom of bringing their own wines to dine. While not heavily advertised, LeTour and The Barn both allow guests to BYOB for a corkage fee, $20 and $25, respectively, she says.
Comerci tends to favor casual BYOB spots without their own wine lists. Kabul House, the Afghan spot known for generous platters of kabobs and hearty vegetable stews, is a favorite, he says. Soban Korean, too, is a unique platform for wine pairings with dishes like stone-pot bibimbap, ramen or grilled bulgogi
Kabul House, 2424 Dempster St., Evanston, 847-674-3830, kabulhouse.com
Soban Korean, 819 Noyes St., Evanston, 847-869-4344, sobanwi.com

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