Bucktown's Wood-Fired Neighbourhood
Etta on North Avenue is the Bucktown neighbourhood American that the wood-fired-hearth format does well. The kitchen runs vegetables and proteins through a central wood-fired oven; the result is the kind of careful, locally-sourced cooking the city's better neighbourhood rooms have always handled well.
The cooking is seasonal American with a wood-fired hearth at its centre: roasted vegetables as proper centrepieces, considered proteins, a confident pizza programme, careful pastas.
What to Order
Wood-fired vegetables from the central hearth — the strongest part of the menu. Pizza from the same oven; seasonal pastas; shareable mains. The cocktail programme is broader than the format suggests.
The Setting
The dining room is comfortable; the patio handles warm-evening dining. The Bucktown address handles a post-dinner walk along Damen Avenue.
Best Occasion: First Date
Etta is one of Chicago's quiet first-date rooms. The format provides shareable plates; the room is intimate without being intimidating; the price point allows a return visit. The Bucktown context handles the longer evening.