HOWLING GOOD TIMES

Wolf Pack Chorus delivers unpretentious fine dining in Little Italy

By Douglas Trattner

AFTER CROSSING THE threshold of Wolf Pack Chorus, diners march right past the live entertainment, which has the rapt attention of guests seated in the dining room. It’s a bit like being pushed onto a stage from the wings of a theater during a packed performance. Depending on one’s mood, the feeling can range from exhilarating to distressing.

From the name to the space to the food and the people who prepare it, everything about Wolf Pack Chorus is over the top. Here, the personalities are big enough to fill the cavernous carriage house-turned restaurant, which enjoys soaring cathedral ceilings, a mile-long bar and wall of windows overlooking University Circle.

Wolf Pack Chorus is the rare white-tablecloth restaurant that doesn’t take itself too seriously. When was the last time you sat down at a French-inspired bistro and kicked off your meal with a round of chambongs, those bent-glass devices used to shoot sparkling wine. Dinners here are punctuated by frequent rounds of applause, a detail that may or may not grow tedious as the night rolls on. That occasionally boisterous supper-club spirit also spells trouble for couples in search of a quiet date night spot, where a premium is placed on conversation.

Restaurants in this part of Little Italy have always seemed to enjoy a sense of freedom and autonomy that their comrades on Mayfield have not. Places like Baricelli Inn, Washington Place Bistro and Club

Isabella were never condemned for eschewing spaghetti and meatballs, veal piccata and chicken parm in favor of more continental offerings. So if chef-owner Chris Wolf wants to serve Nashville-style duck confit, he can damn well do as he pleases.

Of course, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. There are times – rare as they might be – when Chef pushes things a bit too far, adding one too many ingredients in an otherwise wonderful dish. But overall, the food at Wolf Pack Chorus sings with the enthusiasm of its theatrical pack leaders.

Our meal had a vexing launch, when only three of the four beverages in the first round landed on the table. The 10-minute delay made for an awkward span when the rest of the party, standing on ceremony, waited to sip. The blandly named “Tequila Drink” ($15) was anything but bland thanks to a smooth blending of aged spirits, fruit and herbs. The Howling Wolf ($16), another tequila-based cocktail with the bite of jalapeño, was tamed by juicy fruit and citrus. Martinis ($20) all come with a sidecar, a test tube-filled backup of booze tucked into ice. Given that the glass arrives three-quarters full, the reinforcement is less of a bonus pour than it is refresher.

There is no shortage of compelling appetizers on the roster, which owe allegiance to no single country or cuisine. The za’atarspiced asparagus ($14) was cooked to a perfect texture, showered with crunchy crumbs and capped by a poached egg, which oozed into a silky sauce when sliced. Like most portions here, the grilled octopus ($22) was robust, with thumbsize tentacles doused in bacon vinaigrette, citrus supremes and fresh herbs. But the table favorite turned out to be the croquettes ($18), a quartet of deep-fried orbs containing a savory mix of beef, potato and cheese.

On paper, the Nashville-style duck confit ($35) sounded thrilling, but the execution left a little to be desired. The aggressively spiced poultry was on the dry side, an issue alleviated by a pool of smooth celery root puree. But the addition of pesto, pistachio, raisin and cilantro was a bridge too far. Chef Wolf’s chicken Francaise ($26) would be right at home on the Hill. A stack of pounded, breaded and fried thighs arrived fork-tender and bathed in a buttery but bright white wine sauce. We definitely got our money’s worth of sweet lobster in the pappardelle ($38), which is studded with seasonal veggies and tossed in a light cream sauce.

Kudos to the Wolfs for hanging out a shingle during lunch, a service often requested in University Circle but not always supported. The lightened-up but still “cheffy” menu features a creative mix of salads, sandwiches, burgers and naan wraps. The mood is equally festive during brunch, when groups lean into buckets filled with buttermilk fried chicken, biscuits and fries, all washed down with an included bottle of sparkling wine.

Long before the doors opened, Wolf said his goal was to create a space that blended the communal spirit of a breezy brasserie with the pomp of a special-occasion restaurant. Against all odds, he might have done just that.