Restaurant Review – Fountainhead

Trying to find a restaurant for a special occasion in Chicago is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Ok, maybe it’s not quite that difficult, but it does pose quite a challenge. With so many incredible places to eat, picking just one is tricky! With some diligent searching, my best friend and I settled on Fountainhead for my birthday dinner this weekend. And boy, did we choose right. We wanted to sit on the rooftop, but there were several large groups ahead of us. The staff was fantastic and so accommodating. They set us up at a table downstairs and put our name on the waitlist for the rooftop. They said we could order food downstairs and then take our drinks upstairs once our table was ready. The upstairs has a separate (and smaller) food menu, so we weren’t allowed to transfer our food, but we had plenty of time to eat downstairs before we were ready to move. We started off the evening with a glass of the Tiamo Prosecco. It was light and crisp with a touch of fruit, a perfect way to start our meal. We ordered the Lobster Deviled Eggs as an appetizer. Served on a bed of arugula, they were topped with poached lobster, piquillo pepper, and a chipotle aioli. The aioli was creamy and spicy and the lobster was cooked perfectly. I have been craving a charcuterie for weeks, so I decided to order their Meat and Cheese Board as my entree. The board comes in a small (for 2-3 people) and a large (4-6). I ordered the large, so I’d have plenty to share with my table mates. The board came with a large basket of focaccia and ciabatta bread, both kinds equally delicious. The board had a sheep’s milk cheese, a funky goat cheese, prosciutto, house made chicken liver pate, house salami, and house-made marmalade and apple butter. The pate was absolutely wonderful. It was my favorite thing on the board. Both cheeses were very nice, however I would have loved to see a soft cheese as well. The jams were tasty as well; they paired nicely with the fattier cuts of meat. My best friend ordered the Meat Pie. The pie came stuffed with braised short ribs, ground beef, and seasonal vegetables. It was served with a generous helping of mashed potatoes and an arugula salad. The consistency of the pie was a bit dry, but once she ordered an extra side of gravy, it was much better.

The main bar is open Mondays through Thursdays from 4 pm to 2 am, for Saturday and Sunday brunch from 11 am to 3 pm, Saturday evenings from 3 pm to 3 am, and Sunday evenings from 3 pm to 2 am.  The rooftop garden is open Mondays through Thursdays from 4 pm to 11 pm, Fridays from 4 pm to 12 am, Saturdays from 12 pm to 12 am, and Sundays from 12 pm to 11 pm. Fountainhead is located at 1970 W. Montrose Ave., right at the intersection of Montrose and Damen.