The expensive linens, Limoges china, and Isamu Noguchi sculpture make NoMI completely luxurious, but the vibe here is casual, as if all this elegance were everyday and not special occasion. This is the place to call if you're celebrating the latter or traveling on a generous expense account—you'll have one of the city's best tables, overlooking the historic Water Tower from a seven-story perch. The menu leans French, with strong Asian and Mediterranean accents.
Reviewed by mellowman5 from Chicago on 7/21/07
My dining experienc at NoMI was first class all the way. I booked the restaurant for dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday when she's be visiting me in town. I was albe to make the reservation only a week in advance although a later hour than I would have preferred. The dining room is beautiful with low lighting, blown glass sculptures hanging from the ceiling, and large windows with an amazing view of Water Tower and N. Michigan Ave (The Magnificent Mile) below. Our table was seated right up against the window, probably as we were only a two person table and every one with a two person table seemed to celebrating a special occasion. The service from the get-go was professional and attentive. We had sushi for an appetizer which was fresh and tasty. For our main courses we had squab and salmon, along with their associated seasonings and side vegetables which were delicious. The dishes were excellent, although the portions were on the small side. The presentations were appealing to the eye. Over the course of the dinner the chef would send over complimentary bite size portons of a dish and a dessert we had not ordered. They were amazing as well. For dessert we had the strawberry composition which had various components and layers to it. That was also amazing. As part of the birthday celebration, there was a small selection of various chocolate pieces sent over that were also complimentary and tasty. The other nice touch was that on our menus, they had printed on the inside a happy birthday message to my mom. Therefore we were able to keep the menus. Overall, we had a great experience at this restaurant. Definitely a great place to celebrate an occassion with impeccable service and top-notch eclectic cuisine. The only quibble were the small portions but everything else more than made up for it.
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