Frommer's Review
In a neighborhood full of Irish pubs and casual sandwich joints, Boka is a sophisticated, grown-up alternative. The dimly lit dining room manages to be both romantic and dramatic, thanks to the fabric "sculptures" stretched across the ceiling. Noteworthy appetizers include stuffed squid with baby spinach, spicy pineapple, and black tapioca; beet salad with yuzu, frisee, black pepper walnuts, and hickory bacon; and the fresh oyster selection. Entrees cover a range of meat and seafood and taste as good as they sound: Grilled hamachi with broccoflower, kalamata olives, pickled garlic, and shrimp dumplings; and rack of lamb with sweet and sour eggplant, grilled bok choy, and fire-roasted pepper sauce. The wine list has an international feel -- covering Napa to Bordeaux to South Africa -- and a fair number of half-bottle selections. Boka makes a great dinner stop before a show at Steppenwolf Theatre, but make a reservation, because many fellow theatergoers will have the same idea. Aesthetically, Boka's main claim to fame is its cellphone booth, where diners are encouraged to make calls rather than share their conversation with the whole dining room. Now that's an idea I hope catches on.
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