545 North

545 North Restaurant Review:

Far north suburban Libertyville, a sleepy town of sorts, doesn’t brim with dining options, so when a place like 545 opens up it’s the talk of the town. In some ways we can understand this; in other ways, not so much. The food is creative American, for the most part, though the dishes are rather pricey for what they are. Take the signature burger, which rings in at a hefty $15. Furthering the problem, not everything performs as it should. The goat cheese, portobello and grilled asparagus pizza was a flop, as it arrived with a foundation of soggy focaccia-like bread. Thankfully, it has since been replaced with ubiquitous dishes, like tuna tartare and hummus with pita. The chopped Cobb with crunchy romaine, grilled chicken, blue cheese and avocado swathed in vibrant honey Dijon dressing is redemptive. Among entrées, the pot roast-esque braised short ribs is decent, augmented by options like miso-glazed char and roasted Amish chicken. Finish with an order of apple fritters with ice cream and caramel sauce.