CHIReview
Included In
You might be reading this because cooking at home is a lot of work, and you don’t feel like doing it tonight. Or because you need a low-key spot to meet up with a friend, but don’t want to have to ask for extra guacamole over a sneeze guard. If either of these situations applies (or has ever applied) to you, then you should know about All Together Now, an all-day counter-service place that’s perfect for a casual meal you just don’t want to make yourself.
In addition to being a restaurant, this Ukrainian Village spot is also a little wine shop and market. So theoretically you could stop by just to pick up fancy groceries like salami and a bottle of rosé. But the main reason for coming here is to eat some very good food in a space that’s cleaner and cuter than your apartment (there isn’t a ton of seating, but there are a few tables and some bar seats, and it’s never too hard to grab a spot).
photo credit: Sandy Noto
The menus (which change every few months) seem like short lists of things the chef just feels like making - and they’re fairly straightforward in that they don’t involve hundreds of small plates that require you to play Dr. Frankenstein creating a meal. During breakfast you can get some oatmeal with candied squash, or delicious scrambled eggs with pork-fat collard greens over toast. At lunch there are sandwiches with ingredients from the deli counter, along with share plates like a well-balanced whitefish spread with flaxseed crackers. Then the dinner menu has lamb meatballs and entrees like tender and flavorful venison over lentils.
The only time something isn’t a home run is when a sauce doesn’t work. For example, the meatballs come on top of a really sweet carrot and tomato puree that reminds us of Campbell’s condensed soup. And the housemade egg pasta from the dinner menu is good, but it’s served with a mushroom and romesco sauce that’s very bland. Another thing to keep in mind is that the food can take a long time to come out, so you’ll want a book, friend, or overdue 2016 tax return to keep you occupied. That being said, the sauces change often, and the meatballs are actually fine on their own. So as long as you aren’t in a hurry, this stuff is worth overlooking.
You can walk outside right now, shout “I’m hungry!”, and Uber Eats, Seamless, and a Top Chef chef might all show up like you flashed the food equivalent of the Bat Signal. In other words, it’s not hard to find food in this city. But if you don’t want to eat on your couch, make reservations, or find your punch card for a free burrito bowl, you need a low-key neighborhood spot like All Together Now. It’s a little late to learn how to cook between now and dinnertime, anyway.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Creamed Eggs Over Toast
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Creamed Whitefish
photo credit: Sandy Noto
French Exit Sandwich
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Brussels Sprouts
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Venison
Roasted Half Chicken
photo credit: Sandy Noto