Chicago - April 21, 2006

Culinary Literati

Fixture Opens

You really were going to read the Larousse Gastronomique cover to cover. It’s just that your interest in culinary vocabulary waned somewhere between “abalone” and “anchovy.”

Curses. Doomed to a lifetime of intimidating head-scratching before impressive restaurant menus.

Not so if you dine at Fixture — the dim, banquette-laden dining room that opened yesterday in Lakeview. Chef de cuisine Sarah Nelson (of Meritage, Fixture’s sister resto) wants people to understand what they’re eating, which is why her menu is filled with definitions.

Togarashi frites with your grilled hanger steak? Oh, sure: Togarashi is a small, dried, hot Japanese chile. (Sounds just great.) Will you get tongue-tied ordering a bottle of grüner veltliner? Not when the phonetic pronunciation is right under your nose. (Why wasn’t trigonometry this fun?)

Nelson’s tasty American small plates don’t cost a penny more than $14. And Fixture serves every night until midnight.

If only we had the words to describe our delight.

Fixture, 2706 North Ashland Avenue, between Diversey Parkway and Wrightwood Avenue (773-248-3331 or fixturechicago.com).