The shtick: Logan Square’s coolest seafoodery.
The vibe: By day, this buzzy Logan Square seafood spot is pretty tranquil, its white walls and midcentury decor touches leaning airy and inviting. It’s also, at least on Saturdays, pretty dead—this means you can make it an impromptu brunch pick without having to wait for ages like some other neighborhood spots. The tables that were full were big groups, but it never felt boisterous. Just a pleasant place to down a crapload of oysters. 8 out of 10
The drinks: Since this is a sister spot to beloved cocktail den Scofflaw, there’s some great stuff happening behind the bar—a sweet, yet pleasantly briny Salty Darwin ($7), a seafood twist on the standard Bloody Mary in the Clamato #5 ($6). Basically, cocktail-wise, you can’t go wrong. Coffee’s good, too. 9 out of 10
The food: Given the nautical theme, you’d do well to stick to seafood offerings here, like an assortment of oysters ($16.50 per half dozen) to start things off—the 38 Norths we had were impeccably shucked, plump, and balanced, in need of little adornment to taste delicious. Also excellent was the seafood bonanza that is the fried oyster Benedict ($15): crisp seafood nuggets, punchy white barbecue sauce with the hollandaise, and some lush smoked salmon (for an extra $2, a worthy upgrade). The issues come when you decide to venture ashore, like with the French toast ($11). It looks mighty pretty, but the toast turns out to be a whole lot of mush, its insides far beyond custardy to straight-up soggy and the exterior not burnished enough for any real crunch. Stay in the water. 7 out of 10
The service: Chill and cheerful. 8 out of 10
Overall:So long as you keep your eats oceanic, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here. 8 out of 10