"We were initially skeptical when we heard Avli opened a restaurant in River North. After all, we weren’t particularly impressed with the Greek food at their small Lincoln Park outpost. But this location is actually pretty great. It has a slightly different menu, with dishes like astakomakaronada (a lobster pasta in a great ouzo-tomato sauce) and chicken souvlaki—tender chicken breast skewers on top of a bed of fries topped with feta and yogurt sauce. Plus, the large two-level space is perfect for groups, while also being quiet enough to have a conversation." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru