Summer House Santa Monica

Earlier this year, Kevin and I dined at Summer House for dinner.  No we weren’t in California, this hot spot is located right here in Chicago!

As part of Lettuce Entertain You‘s great lineup, we knew we were in for a treat by eating here.  Summer House is located in Lincoln Park and is adjoined to another Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, Stella Barra Pizzeria.  The atmosphere of the restaurant is light and bright and makes you feel as though you really are in Santa Monica.  And their famous wall always lets you know just how many days it is until summer which in our case was too many!

We started our meal with the Fresh Burrata appetizer which was served with a tomato jam, arugula, and house made bread.  If you’ve been a reader for any length of time, you know I love a good burrata dish and this one did not disappoint!

For his entree, Kevin chose the Wood-Grilled Halibut which came with a vegetable salad.  Kevin is a big fan of halibut and often orders it if it is a menu option.  He thought Summer House’s version was slightly above average but nothing to rave about.  Although he still considers a halibut dish he had at Scala’s Bistro in San Francisco the best meal he’s ever eaten so it’s hard to compare.

I opted for the Basil Pesto Ravioli for my meal.  Again, I am a big pasta lover and thought this one was just ok.  There wasn’t a ton of flavor in this dish.  Their handmade pasta selections are seasonal though so I would like to go back and try some of their current menu options like the Maine Lobster Orecchiette.

In my opinion, one of the best parts of Summer House is their cookie counter which is located right at the front of the restaurant when you first walk in.  They have a great selection of different fresh baked cookies and other treats that are monstrous in size!  When it comes time for dessert, you can walk over to the cookie counter and take a look and let your server know your selection.  They will then warm up the cookie for you and even top it with ice cream if you choose.  We opted to split a chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream which was a fantastic way to end the meal!

We even bought another cookie to take home with us for later in the week.  This one was a chocolate chip cookie topped with Rice Krispie treats which was heavenly.  I mean have you ever seen such a thing?

Overall, I love the atmosphere of this restaurant and our appetizer and desserts were outstanding!  Both our entrees missed the mark a little and I would say they were even a bit overpriced for what we got.  I still would go back here again and try some of their other menu options and would love to try their brunch out some time as well.

Summer House is located at 1954 N. Halsted St. in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood