08/07/09

Offbeat cafe cum coffee bar is easy-to-please in Grant Park.

by Jonathan Baker

In Short

Solstice is like a hip coffeehouse that just happens to serve a ridiculous menu of smart, fresh bites and homemade sangria. Plastered with original artwork and comfy club chairs, this shabby chic café is more like a laid back living room than a restaurant. But don’t let the charming twinkle lights or worn couches fool you, there’s serious attention to detail in the food and booze department. The drink menu reads like 1940 with hot cocktails for winter and fizzy drinks for summer. All come with charming names like Santa’s Helper or V’s Fresh Squeeze. Food is on an equally thoughtful level. The B.L.F.G.T. features crisp fried green tomatoes, applewood bacon and goat cheese sandwiched between two focaccia squares. Pasta dishes (butternut squash ravioli) and nightly specials like roast pork tenderloin round out the dinner selections. Like a retro tapas bar, Solstice makes even the square feel cool.

07/20/09

A smaller version of Carol Street Cafe

by kohesion

I highly recommend this place...

It isn't particularly infant friendly.

Offers indoor or outdoor dining..

Unusual flavor combinations that work very well.

Quality of mixed drinks / coffee inconsistent. Depends on who is working the bar that day.

• Pros: Really good food
• Cons: Some of the meals are too small

06/04/09

Excellent Bar

by amoenk

The bartender is awesome. Talk to him about politics and he'll make you the most awesome margaritas.

• Pros: Great Food
• Cons: dark lighting

11/23/08

Excellent Vibes thanks to Incredible DJ StanZeff

by Pollyolly

Friday Great atmosphere, cozy, comfortable seating, cool friendly staff, owner's a little stiff but food is great, reasonably priced and tasty, absolutely loved the mood created by DJ StanZeff he knows how to drop those tunes and gets the place rocking, I finished my meal Calamari nice portion & chilled with drinks, time flew just listening to great music selection, before we knew it 3am!!! Definitely recommend it if you've not heard of this DJ you have to check him out he sure knows his music!

06/15/08

Great late night dining!

by BufordFoodLover

This place is great when nothing else is open and you do not want McDonalds. It stays open all week until midnight and opens at 8am. The waitress was very mellow, high, and inattentive. However, the food made up for any failings on her part. I tried two dishes the open-faced steak sandwich and the talapia sandwich... both were surprisingly flavorful. The strawberry juice is amazing as well. It is very small and has a cafe feel to it.

• Pros: Food, hours of operation, comfortable seating
• Cons: service

04/27/08

A True Gem That Gets It Right...Go Now!

by girlygirl74

Solstice has easily become one of my favorite local spots intown. I'm very particular when it comes to eating out - I'm a "foodie" so the quality and variety of dishes has to be pretty good for me to go back a second time and I'm a stickler for good service. Also equally important to me is the overall vibe and cleanliness of the dining area. Solstice stacks up in every one of these areas which is why I go back with my fiance for dinner, my friends for brunch and my father for coffees and dessert. This cute little eclectic neighborhood spot has an interesting menu with something for everyone. I've never had to wait for a table and have had great service every time I've gone there, start to finish. Every dish I've tried has been very tasty and never disappoints; the portions are a good size so I've typically gone home with a doggie bag. The wine list and coffee bar menu are awesome and a great value, too. This is the place to go next time you want to try something off the beaten path that is likely to become one of your frequent fall-backs. It's the perfect place to take an out-of-town guest or a date because it has character and the food is yummy. A visit to this great little place will leave a very good impression and it won't break the bank!

• Pros: Great service, yummy food, cool atmosphere, good prices
• Cons: Can't think of any! Wow.

11/08/07

This atmosphere is amazing, comfy, great music, great food, feels like hom

by kirawalker

Honestly this feels like "MY" neighborhood restaurant.

Great Bruch

Outdoor seating

Lunches yummy and reasonably priced, WOW

Dinner-same price as dinner-double WOW, also offers entrees now, that are to die for!!

The candlelite atmosphere at night is great for dates, fun with friends, or by yourself at the huge bar.

Music is always original and GREAT!!

09/05/07

best any where test go

by thanhvo

i go to t so do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do

08/01/07

Offbeat cafe cum coffee bar serves up pancakes, panini and pasta in a sunny Grant Park storefront.

by Contributor

The Scene
The clientele is as eclectic as the décor at this slightly quirky café in restaurant-starved Grant Park. Couples with babies in tow, twenty-somethings in requisite black glasses, and black-clad punk-rock chicks fill the mismatched tables, each with their own hand-painted theme. On bright afternoons sunlight streams in from the floor-to-ceiling windows illuminating the artwork---all for sale--that hangs on the walls. The cheerful--if slightly lackadaisical--wait staff accents the Bohemian charm.

The Food
Solstice's well-edited menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees isn't nearly as haphazard as the décor. Highlights include fluffy banana-walnut pancakes called Solstice Cakes and plate-licking-good berry and mascarpone crepes. The B.L.F.G.T. features crisp fried green tomatoes, applewood-smoked bacon and goat cheese sandwiched between two thick squares of focaccia. Pasta dishes--butternut squash ravioli, homemade ziti in vodka sauce--and nightly specials like roast pork tenderloin round out the dinner selections.