The Tin Fox is not your typical neighborhood restaurant. Instead, it brings an upscale menu to Monroe Street that could be found in a restaurant downtown.
Take the starters as an example. You’ll find items like red beet tartare ($8) and chips-n-dip ($7), except the chips are made of plantain and the dip is made of pork, pickled cabbage and onions. I ordered the octopus salad ($11), and I was pleasantly surprised how tender–not rubbery–the octopus was, and the dressing made of harissa yogurt and cilantro vinaigrette was a delightful combination of creamy and tangy.
Another way to start your meal is by picking a “nibble,” and in fact, I had two: The first was chicken skin chips ($3), which were crispy and heavily salted. After a few of these, the fried flavor got to be a bit overwhelming, but I still would recommend the chips to a group.
I also tried the duck liver mousse ($5), a steal for its price. The mousse was the right texture–not too firm, not too soft–and it had just the right potency in flavor. On top of that, the sourness from the accompanying sliced pickles and the sharpness from the mustard were a nice touch.
Despite the types of dishes served, all the entrees are less than $30. After some indecisiveness on my part, because of the tantalizing choices, I settled on the Wisconsin Meadows beef short rib ($25). It is a massive portion of short rib, which comes with the bone. For some reason, about 20 percent of the meat was too tough to eat, but the remainder was fall-apart tender, and I also enjoyed the savory ensemble of polenta with mushrooms, shallots, tomato and leek.
The lunch menu has a few salads but is mainly comprised of sandwiches, though that term is used somewhat loosely. For instance, I ordered the beef tacos ($10), which is made from short rib, kimchi, scallions and sesame seeds on top of bao (steamed bun). Unfortunately, the tacos didn’t meet my expectations. First, the bao was slightly stale. Second, the beef, while tender, was very bland. I ate several shreds of it by itself, but I couldn’t discern any seasoning or much flavor for that matter. The only thing you’ll really taste is the sourness from the kimchi.
The Tin Fox is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday and for brunch on Sundays. Of note, the restaurant dedicates a portion of its menu to both gluten-free and vegetarian dishes.
