Gingie

One of the best parts of living in Chicago is that there are always new restaurants opening, and Gingie is one of the newest spots to check out in River North. Gingie comes from the same restaurant group behind Boka, so I was excited to dine there on opening night and try the menu. From creative cocktails to unique takes on familiar dishes, there were so many different flavors and textures throughout the meal.

Starting with a signature cocktail, I ordered the Sour Lime Smoke Show made with mezcal, sour lime cordial, and vermouth. This was such a delicious cocktail with a great balance of smoky and citrusy flavors.

For our first course, we tried the Tempura Rock Shrimp Handrolls, which had the perfect combination of sweet and spicy flavors. The shrimp was packed with flavor and reminded me of a bang bang shrimp-style sauce, which is one of my favorites.

Next up was the Little Gem Caesar with Parmesan, tarragon crumble, and black pepper. This salad was super refreshing with subtle citrus notes, and I especially loved the flavor and texture of the tarragon crumble. It was a lighter dish that still had plenty of flavor.

For the next dish, and one of my favorites, we had the Mushroom-Sweetbread Cornets with black truffle whipped butter. These were packed with flavor, and the texture of the cornets reminded me of a wonton. The combination of mushroom, sweetbread, and truffle made this one of the most unique dishes we tried.

When anything spicy tuna is on the menu, I have to order it, so the Spicy Tuna Dip was a must for me. It was the perfect combination of spicy and fresh, and I loved that it came with crispy nori chips for dipping.

For one of the main dishes, we tried the Potato Gnocchi with cheddar, apple, horseradish, and cabbage. This had such a unique combination of flavors, but everything worked really well together to create a rich and flavorful gnocchi dish. The apple and horseradish added an interesting contrast to the creamy cheddar.

For the final savory dish, we ordered the NY Strip with ricotta dumpling and sunchoke. This was my favorite dish of the night. The steak and sauce had delicious savory flavors, and the ricotta dumpling was such a great addition. It made the dish feel especially rich and satisfying.

Lastly, we had to try the Chocolate Tart with salted caramel, brown butter, and Chantilly cream. This dessert was super rich and decadent, so the Chantilly cream was the perfect addition to balance everything out.

Overall, Gingie is a great new addition to the River North restaurant scene and a spot I would definitely recommend for dinner in Chicago. I loved the atmosphere and decor, and the menu had a really fun mix of familiar favorites and more unique dishes. If you’re looking for a new Chicago restaurant to add to your list, Gingie is definitely worth checking out.

Gingie: 707 N Wells St, Chicago, IL