CHIReview
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Pacific Standard Time
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If New York is the sibling that we were forced to share a room with growing up, then California is the cousin we only see during the holidays. And we’re pretty fascinated by its lifestyle of sunshine, organic vegan bone broth, and float therapy meditation - even if we don’t always relate. California is a big, complicated state, and occasionally has earthquakes no one seems to worry about. It’s unpredictable, but also a lot of fun. The same goes for Pacific Standard Time, a California-inspired restaurant in River North.
This restaurant is huge, loud, and always busy. There are so many seating sections it’s like eating in a furniture store, and the combination of wood and tile floors, tall windows, and high ceilings make the whole space sound like a mall food court in December. In other words, don’t come here for a quiet date night. But if you’re with a group who likes sharing a bunch of tasty food, you won’t mind the Water Tower Place acoustics.
photo credit: Sandy Noto
We’re not exactly sure what qualifies as “California-inspired food,” but if Pacific Standard is any indication, it’s not just kale and avocados-as-nature’s-mayonnaise. That said, this restaurant does serve some very enjoyable vegetables, along with a broad range of other dishes. Broccoli is too often the menu equivalent of Ambien, but this one is made interesting with a tasty cashew, mushroom, and onion puree. There’s excellent puffy pita cooked in a wood-fired oven, which comes with things like eggplant and roasted peppers (one of our favorite things to eat here). That same oven also makes the pizza, which has a perfectly charred and chewy crust, and comes with a side of housemade ranch - an unexpectedly Midwestern touch that shows how well our California relative understands us.
But like when that cousin casually mentions at Thanksgiving they’re leaving tech to become a beekeeper, some dishes at Pacific Standard Time are confusing. There’s an oily hummus and marinated tuna dish that doesn’t work at all, no matter how much you like those two things separately. The corn salad’s combination of roasted corn, apricot, peanuts, and stracciatella cheese tastes OK, but the peanuts take over the whole thing. Despite these misses, we appreciate that Pacific Standard’s food is never boring - even though we don’t always get where it’s coming from.
You wouldn’t go to California without first checking the weather, or binge-watching Shark Week just in case you have to go surfing. But no matter what, any place with that much sunshine is going to be a spot you want to check out. And we think you should do the same for Pacific Standard Time. Maybe just schedule some time in the float tank before you get there.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Wood Roasted Broccoli
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Roasted Corn Salad
Eggplant
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Tuna and Hummus
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Margherita Pizza
Mushroom pizza
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Ricotta Dumplings
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Pappardelle
Chicken Wings
photo credit: Sandy Noto