It’s telling that the entrance to this Wicker Park fave is not on teeming North Avenue but in an alley around the corner. The off-the-beaten-path entry likely keeps the tippling masses from stumbling in and disrupting the restaurant’s dimly lit, romantic atmosphere. Chef Jose Garcia’s seasonal, American-oriented menu changes daily, but a recent incarnation featured Australian herb-marinated lamb with sautéed watercress and rosemary jus, and horseradish-encrusted salmon with garlic mashed potatoes and cabernet butter sauce. The signature dessert is a dark chocolate lava cake infused with Grand Marnier liqueur in a prickly-pear sauce—a treat that’s well worth a trip down any alley.

Cafe Absinthe Information:

• Contemporary American menu. Dinner.