348444 Tue Dec 05 17:34:00 -0800 2006 2 7 Chicago Area 0 2071881 I recently saw somewhere (the Reader, perhaps?) that a new restaurant was set to open in the old Trio space in Evanston. Unfortunately, the details have since slipped my mind. Does anyone out there know the name of this place and when it will open? Tue Dec 05 17:34:00 -0800 2006 17622 jn2001 1 2071917 From their press release: The Homestead would like to officially notify you of the opening of our new restaurant: Quince at the Homestead. Serving contemporary American food, Quince will open to the public at 5 pm on Wednesday, Dec. 6. We will begin taking reservations Monday, Nov. 20, 2006, at noon, by phone (847-570-8400). Quince is owned by The Homestead. The restaurant occupies the space formerly belonging to Henry Adaniya and his restaurant Trio. Henry is consulting with us but is not otherwise involved with the project. The philosophy of Quince is simple: offer the residents of Evanston and surrounding areas a superlative dining experience in terms of food preparation, wine pairing and service – all at an approachable price, and in a comfortable, lively setting. Quince’s dining room has a new decor. Francois Geneve, designer Spring, Green Zebra and Custom House, has been charged with giving the space a contemporary feel that also embraces the classic elegance of The Homestead. Quince’s chef is Mark Hannon, a graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Mark spent the last three years at Azul Restaurant in Miami, most recently as sous-chef, under Michelle Bernstein and then Clay Conley. He offers a fresh, playful perspective on both classic and contemporary flavor combinations, crafting dishes that are both bold and balanced. The food is American, but is influenced by several global cuisines, such as Mediterranean, French and Italian. The sous-chef, also responsible for pastries, is Jeffrey Sills, also a graduate of Scottsdale. He is already a veteran of this kitchen, having worked under Dale Levitski at Trio Atelier. Joe Ziomek, general manager and wine director, is coming off a 3-year stint working on the service staff under Chef Grant Achatz and Sommelier Joe Catterson at Trio and Alinea. Quince’s website, www.quincerestaurant.net , will be available in about two weeks. On Nov. 30, we will begin using our website and Open Table for reservations, but will continue to accept reservations by phone or email: quince@thehomestead.net. Questions regarding Quince’s cuisine should be directed to Mark Hannon. For all other inquiries, please contact Joe Ziomek. Mark and Joe can be reached beginning Monday, Nov. 20 at 847-570-8400. Tue Dec 05 17:42:06 -0800 2006 2071881 55363 nsxtasy 1 2120761 I dined at Quince last night for my boyfriend's birthday. The decor was very nice-earth tones, fresh flowers, wood burning fire place. We had a 6:30 reservation on a Wednesday and we were one of 4 tables. The room is small and intimate. The meal had its ups and downs. I ordered a glass of tempranillo, recommended as a pairing to my asparagus salad. The wine smelled funky and tasted worse. The server was kind enough to exchange it for me. The asparagus salad was an interesting concept: a salad comprised solely of julienned asparagus. The asparague was cooked perfectly and combined with shaved parmesan and tossed in truffle oil. The salad was extremely over-dressed and too salty. Interesting idea but poor execution. I ordered the short ribs served with roquefort risotto and baby carrots. Again, interesting concept-but too much unnecessary seasoning. Roquefort cheese is pungent by itself-salty and tangy. However, the chef chose to add large pieces of bacon to the dish, which completely overpowered the taste. The short ribs had a nice taste, but were extremely fatty. My companions ordered: squab, rib-eye, and sea bass. Everyone agreed that their dishes were delicious. As I mentioned, we were celebrating my boyfriend's birthday. He is allergic to dairy...and I informed the restaurant of this a week before our reservation. When he ordered a scallop appetizer with specifics in how to prepare it, they brought him one with a cream sauce. They chose to bring him the infamous asparagus salad while he was waiting for his new scallops, and my boyfriend found cheese all over his new dish. This wasn't that cool. Overall-this place needs work. Our service was sporadic and our selections were hits or misses. The ambiance was beautiful but taking the elevator up to a vacant hotel room to use the rest room didn't fly so well. Thu Dec 21 21:40:48 -0800 2006 2071881 22566 gillespie412