May Street Market: User Reviews

I went here on a Wednesday night for the prix fixe menu and BYOB special. It was an excellent experience all around. I loved the atmosphere and seasonal menu. Our server was very kind and attentive. You get such a quality meal and dining experience for $25. I hope to go back soon.

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Bravo to Chef Alexander Cheswick and his outstanding team for creating an awesome dining experience. April 23 was my daughter’s birthday and living in the area, she suggested we meet at May Market Street. What can I say, except we were Awed …
by the warm welcome from the GM; attentive service of our genteel waiter; food presentation, so breathtaking we were in admiration of what we were about to delight in; preparation, flavoring & combination of ingredients, awakening our taste buds from doldrums to culinary heaven; the harmonious ambiance which pulls it all together. Awed by Chef Cheswick who thanked us. Awed by the kindness of the team to present my daughter’s dessert plate with a “Happy Birthday.”

My daughter will probably be sorry for introducing us to May Market Street because we’ll be popping in more often, suggesting a visit to the restaurant. May Market Street is a Must in my book … it’s a dining experience that I hope will awe you as it did us.

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Went on a Monday night and had a great meal with wonderful service. The food was delicious, and both the waitress and manager did a great job recommending dishes and helping us pick out wine. The $32 3-course meal is a good deal, but the selection is limited. We ordered off the menu instead and everything was very good. Scallops perfectly cooked and fresh, the crab cake appetizer was very good. Desserts were pretty good, though the highlight was definitely the roasted chicken with wild ramp risotto. I'm still thinking about that dish... I will definitely be back to try it again.

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My fiance and I were impressed and disappointed with various aspects of our first experience at May Street for its Valentine's Day package: the entree was excellent and the appetizer and desserts were good. We had selected the wine pairing option-- the appetizer (scallops) was paired with a "grapple" (apple?) wine from somewhere in Michigan...it was terrible, to say the least. Our waitress did replace the glasses with a better Riesling once we commented but we were disappointed that the grapple concoction had been part of the menu at all. The chardonnay paired with the lobster entree was much, much better.

Otherwise, we felt that the wait staff were a bit harried. Though we had 9 p.m. reservation and the place did not seem to be packed after our arrival, we felt as though we were being rushed through our courses. This isn't Alinea, I know, but when we spend $200 on a meal, we expect to savor the moment (let it last more than an hour!).

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My husband and I frequent MSM at least a few times a month. Hamid, the manager, is the perfect mix of personable and professional. When you walk in he greets regulars by name, shaking hands. And the chef often walks from table to table thanking each patron for coming in. They are so receptive to customer comments that once when I commented on a salmon dish with less enthusiasm than usual they told me that it was the 2nd negative comment they'd had about the dish so they were removing it from the menu and replacing it with a new creation (the new one is awesome!). Price points range from great options in the mid teens to a few in the high 20s, so whether you want a fancy $$ night or something more low key, you have options. The food is terrific, service is personable and the ambience is low-lit and cozy, but you won't feel out of place dining with another couple either. It's fantastic!

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I have eaten here several times before and thought the service was great and the menu sounded fantastic, but the food was never as well executed as it could have been. That all changed with my last visit on a Friday night. The service was friendly, swift and knowledgeable as always. But this time, the food was just as delicious as it sounded on the interesting, diverse, seasonal menu. I will be coming back often (as long as this keeps up!).

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I live in Albany Park and was hoping to branch out of my neighborhood. I found May Street Market because of their fabulous $32 three course menu that is offered every night of the week. The service was outstanding, even on a Friday night. We had no less than five people stop by our table to wait on us, pour water, or ask how we were enjoying our meal. The food presentation was elegant and the meal itself was delectable. I highly recommend the lemongrass carrot soup, the horseradish crusted halibut, and the flight of cupcakes. The manager came over to talk to us and then surprised us with a glass of wine when our bottle was finished. The ambiance inside and out is charming. All in all, we had a magical evening which had everything to do with the service, food, and ambiance at May Street Market.

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Friday evening we enjoyed May Street Market as part of Kids' Restaurant Week, and what a treat it was. The food was outstanding (even the kid-focused specials.... I'm hoping the cheddar cheese risotto with BBQ chicken becomes a menu regular), the service perfect and the atmosphere a pleasure. We'll certainly visit again soon!

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Friends had been telling us how much they liked MSM, so tonight we gave it a try. We were impressed with the food and welcoming, helpful service. It's also an attractive setting, although nosier than I prefer.

The hit of the evening was a special crispy soft-shell crab appetizer done in a sort of Wellington style and dramatically served in three pieces with a pea-shoot salad; it was thoroughly delicious, innovative and "the best soft-shell crab I've ever had," according to my companion (who is a SS crab devotee). Her Maytag bleu cheesecake was also nicely presented, novel and well-received. My crispy ostrich entree was tasty and mostly tender; the presentation was so-so, and it lacked pizazz, however. Among other entrees at the table, duck breast was perhaps the standout, tender and tasty with a complex variety of side items. A rack of lamb was flavorful and tender. The cioppino was attractive. All our plates were cleaned!

All the desserts were favorably received, as well. My red velvet was not the best I"ve had, but it was pleasant and artfully plated. Olive oil cake with pineapple had good texture and flavor, and the flight of cupcakes was cute and not too heavy. Another diner shared a taste of sheeps milk cheese; it was delightful.

As it often the case with restaurants at this level, the small plates and desserts were the highlights at MSM for me. Service was congenial and professional. The only knock I had was the crowd noise; I had difficulty participating in the table conversation. The meal was presented at a leisurely pace, which was fine with us; it would have seemed rather slow if we'd had plans later in the evening, though. All in all, we had a fine time!

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This place was a great surprise! Loved the food, service and wine. It's not too often I can come into the city, so when I do I want an evening to remember. My oldest son told me about this place and said for weeks that we should go...I am so glad! The food was out of this world, even my picky teenager devoured his turkey hamburger...loved the ketchup. As for the rest of our party we all had something different and so unique. We had a great evening. So much to do around there...Tasting Room for some after dinner drinks or old reliable Twisted Spoke.

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