Review: The Dawson

The Dawson was a great spot to celebrate my sister's birthday - from the fun cocktails to the attentive staff, a good time was had by all.  The Dawson occupies the space formerly held by the brunch restaurant Orange at the six corners intersection of Grand/Milwaukee/Halsted. I've been not-so-patiently watching the construction in anticipation of the new space. The full wall of glass windows and tall wooden fence hiding the outdoor space gave me just enough of a sneak peek and mystery to make The Dawson a must-try.

The Dawson was way more of a bar that happens to also be a restaurant than I had imagined. The large bar is center to the open space with tables flanking the perimeter. Both the first floor and top floor have the same set-up. The food had some hits and some misses, but the staff really added to an overall great dining experience. The manger (Abe Lincoln doppelganger) overheard that my sister was recently engaged (not to mention her birthday) and brought us a round of bubbly - and later comped the dessert. A man after my own heart. I look forward to returning to The Dawson once the weather warms up and I can enjoy what looks to be a really cool outdoor space.

View of entrance from upstairs

Walking into the dining area downstairs - bar straight ahead and our table was to the right.  

Drinks all around! Left to right: Officer's Club whiskey drinks (we all took turns biting the lemongrass - really tastes like lemon!), Carillon Cup (gin, lemon, vanilla pear, apple, soda) and my drink the Safe Word (vodka, apple, St. Germain, cinnamon, lemon, bitters) - and of course the complimentary champagne! Each of us thought the drink we ordered was the best one of the group (once again, taste-testing all around), happy campers. 

The Drunken Clams were a little too breaded and bland but the Crispy Pork Tacos were AMAZING! The al pastor was spicy with a hint of smokey-sweet; we each ate one taco and considered ordering more.

The burger came with a thick slab of bacon (pork jowl), comte cheese and jalapeno - although it's a step up from your standard burger, Chicago has some stiff burger competition these days and I wouldn't put The Dawson burger in my top five. (see Summer House burger review)

This is only half of the Pork Shank serving - Struan and I shared this meal. The pork was cooked perfectly; tender and rich with a crispy skin.  The shank was accompanied by papardelle pasta and mushrooms - I would have liked more sauce with the pasta, but then again that may have taken away from the pork. Our other dinner orders included the Wood Grilled Chicken with glazed apple and ricotta gnocchi (way too buttery) and the Pickled Onion Rings (too greasy).

Our meal was finished off with the Bread Pudding (pictured) and chocolate cake with blueberries - we enjoyed both; I preferred the bread pudding with caramel.

I will probably wait until spring to go back to The Dawson so I can check out the outdoor area.  Check this place out for yourself and let me know what you think!

http://the-dawson.com/